What Is Happening In South Africa?
On September 16, trade and energy will be topics of discussion during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, according to the White House.“The leaders, building on their productive call in April and the US-South Africa Strategic Dialogue in August, will explore potential to deepen our collaboration on trade and investment, infrastructure, climate and energy, and health,” it said in a statement on Thursday.The presidents would also “discuss our work together to address regional and global challenges,” it was added. They would also reaffirm the alliances between their two nations.
Cabinet Of South Africa Authorizes New-Looking Coins
South Africa’s cabinet has adopted a new design for coins that will have inscriptions in all official languages.Over the following ten years, the official languages will alternate yearly.The last time South Africa changed the design of its coins was in 1989, therefore this will be the fourth time.The cabinet detailed the new design’s appearance for each denomination in a statement.”On one side of the coins, the word “South Africa” will be printed in all of the official tongues. The R5 currency will be in three languages, the R2 coin in two languages, and the 50c, 20c, and 10c coins will all be in one language “Part of the cabinet statement was read.The new coins won’t start being used until the following year, and no samples have yet been produced.Zulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho, Xitsonga, Siswati, Tshivenda, and Ndebele are the country’s 11 official tongues.
Shell’s Offshore Oil Search Is Halted By A South African Court
The oil company Shell’s permission to conduct off-shore oil and gas exploration in a vulnerable ecological area has been canceled by a South African court, marking a significant victory for environmentalists and coastal communities. For years, environmentalists have contended that exploring the Wild Coast region, a 250 km (155 mi) stretch of undeveloped coastline, could endanger marine life. The government’s decision to award Shell exploration rights in the region in 2014 was overturned by the court. It also planned for the rights to be renewed in 2021. Environmentalists claimed that Shell’s divisive seismic ocean surveys were harmful to marine life and ecology, and they will no longer be permitted. Shell has the right to appeal still.Instead of digging for oil and gas, coastal communities have advocated for sustainable ecotourism along the Wild Coast.
Ramaphosa Names A Committee To Advise On Fighting Corruption
To aid in the battle against corruption, President Cyril Ramaphosa has chosen nine individuals to create an anti-corruption advisory group.The National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council’s mandate is to stop state capture from happening again in South Africa.The team will support the government, civil society, and corporate sector in implementing the anti-corruption plan effectively.The group will also advise the president on how the government should respond to putting the Zondo Commission report’s recommendations into action. President Ramaphosa has until October 22 to inform the legislature of how his administration would put the report’s recommendations into practice.
Bail Granted To Arrested Former SA Rail Executives
Bail has been granted to two former top officials of South Africa’s state-owned ports and freight train company who were detained earlier on Monday.As we previously reported, prominent former Transnet executives Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh are accused of fraud, corruption, and money laundering while former President Jacob Zuma was in power.There are claims that the contentious Gupta brothers, who are currently residing in the UAE, benefited from the agreement.Previously, the brothers have denied wrongdoing.According to their attorneys, Mr. Singh and Mr. Molefe both want to enter a not guilty plea to the accusations they are facing.
