Former Eskom executive's company scores multibillion-rand clean energy tender
Mulilo is dominating in the renewable space and has been awarded four of five government battery storage projects worth billions.
Some politicians have called for this tender to be reviewed claiming that Oberholzer may have given the company an unfair advantage.
However, Cruise says these tenders were awarded through a fair and open process.
RELATED: COP28: SA pioneered plans to transition to renewable energy – what went wrong
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Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Daily Maverick
Zuma's endorsement of Moroccan occupation sparks renewed debate on Western Sahara's future
More and more countries — and former SA president Jacob Zuma — are backing Rabat's plan for autonomy for Western Sahara. Former South African president Jacob Zuma's visit to Morocco and endorsement of its continued occupation of Western Sahara as an autonomous region, have rekindled debate about this contentious and ongoing issue. Zuma, who now heads the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, met Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat last week. Zuma formed MK just before South Africa's national elections last year, as the then-governing ANC was moving to expel him. MK raked in 15% of the vote, contributing to the ANC losing its majority for the first time since 1994. MK cited a long list of explanations for abandoning the cause of Sahrawi independence, which Zuma espoused as president and the ANC still vigorously champions. MK's reasons included pan-Africanism, anti-colonialist solidarity, traditional leadership, territorial integrity and sovereignty. The anti-colonial argument was ironic given that the ANC views Morocco's claim over Western Sahara as colonialism and supports UN efforts to hold a referendum on the issue. Despite the rhetoric, most of Zuma and Morocco's critics — including MK's former secretary-general Floyd Shivambu and ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula — suspect Zuma and MK sold out for money or other material gain. That is certainly credible given Zuma's history of corruption and State Capture while president. Those same critics believe material interests are the main reason Rabat has been making steady progress in switching the allegiance of international and African states. 'With Morocco's typical use of money, I am not surprised by Zuma's move,' a retired South African diplomat told ISS Today. 'He has fallen into Morocco's strategic campaign to get African countries to endorse its plan. 'In effect, Zuma's endorsement changes nothing but causes confusion, which I guess is part of Morocco's intention.' The retired diplomat didn't see the South African government or ANC shifting their positions 'any time soon'. And didn't think this represented new thinking. It was noteworthy, however, that Morocco treated Zuma almost as a foreign minister. This was possibly to embarrass Pretoria, which is among Africa's most ardent supporters of independence for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Or perhaps the aim was to shift South Africa's position. But Chrispin Phiri, the spokesperson of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, told ISS Today: 'Our foreign policy is fundamentally shaped by our constitutional values and enduring national interests, not by the transient political manoeuvrings of any single figure or party. 'It's crucial to distinguish between the particular agenda of former president Zuma and his political faction, and the broader, more permanent aspirations of the nation itself. To conflate the two would be an error of the highest order. Mr Zuma and his party, like any political entity, operate as non-state actors.' It is difficult to assess how many states back Morocco's autonomy position. But support is growing internationally with the US, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE — and, just this week — Portugal backing Morocco. In Africa the tally is murkier, though experts and media reports suggest Morocco is gaining ground. They indicate it now has around 23 supporters — most in West Africa, versus about 18 countries — mainly in southern Africa, backing Western Sahara independence or at least the right to a referendum on the issue. Significant victory Morocco was reported to have scored a significant victory in May when Kenya, which had hitherto firmly supported the SADR's right to self-determination, expressed its support for Morocco's autonomy plan. Ghana did the same in June. However, the Polisario Front that governs the SADR has also won a few points. This year, its major champion Algeria twice defeated Morocco for African Union (AU) positions, both as AU deputy chair and in retaining North Africa's seat on the Peace and Security Council. Nonetheless, the former South African diplomat said he was surprised by Kenya and Ghana's recent switch. He added that 'countries would have to think deeply and decide whether they would want to undermine African unity, which is one of the foundational principles of the AU'. Liesl Louw-Vaudran, AU expert at the International Crisis Group, says Morocco has made gradual progress in its campaign for recognition of its autonomy position, globally and in Africa. 'And I think Kenya is a very important country, continentally, at the UN and in the AU.' She also believes Rabat has succeeded in neutralising the issue in Africa. In 2018, shortly after Morocco rejoined the AU, Louw-Vaudran and Christian Ani wrote that the AU's decision to largely leave the Western Sahara issue to the UN had been 'a big win for Morocco, which believes the AU-led efforts are biased'. Louw-Vaudran told ISS Today this week that since then, Western Sahara was no longer discussed as a crisis within the AU, including in its Peace and Security Council. 'South Africa… and some other countries are still trying to support Western Sahara, but it's no longer such a huge emotional, explosive issue, because Morocco really is, apart from South Africa, achieving its goal to stifle any debate about the Western Sahara within the AU. It has got more and more countries siding with it, like Kenya now.' Louw-Vaudran said that despite rumours that Morocco would launch a campaign to get the SADR expelled from the AU, it hasn't happened. With strong opposition from the likes of South Africa and Algeria, 'it would be very, very difficult'. Sceptical SADR Foreign Minister Mohamed Beisat is sceptical about claims that Morocco is gaining support for its autonomy plan. He told ISS Today that Kenya and Ghana's reported switches had only been announced in joint statements with Morocco — not in their own statements. He added that it was irrelevant what any other country or leader thought. 'They want the world to vote in the referendum instead of the Sahrawis themselves,' he said, referring to the UN decision that the Sahrawis must hold a referendum to decide on independence, autonomy or integration with Morocco. Morocco now insists that the option of independence is off the table. 'I don't see the point of Mr Zuma to choose for the Sahrawis or Mr Marco Rubio or Mr Macron or Mr Netanyahu or anyone else. The choice is for the Sahrawis.' That is true. But in Zuma's case, it appears that in an increasingly transactional, self-interested world, many countries and others are backing Morocco's plan because it has something concrete to offer — from fertilisers to tourism, fisheries and renewable energies. SADR by comparison, sadly, does not. DM
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Mail & Guardian
Operation Vulindlela: Big on policy but low on results
Mixed bag: President Cyril Ramaphosa's Operation Vulindlela is stronger on policy than implementation. Photo: GCIS The government's flagship economic reform programme, Operation Vulindlela, has registered modest progress in the second phase of its roll-out — particularly in visa reform — but faces mounting criticism for delays in key infrastructure areas and a lack of transparency in outcomes and expenditure. The latest These visa reforms aim to 'attract skills, investment and tourism through a streamlined and modernised visa system'. The home affairs department has also upgraded its digital verification system to enable remote authentication and reduce downtime — a step toward building a digital identity system. Yet the gains made in visa systems are in contrast to widespread delays in fixing constraints in water and sanitation, electricity and freight logistics. Most work so far has been legislative, with little tangible implementation. Operation Vulindlela, initiated during President Cyril Ramaphosa's first term, aims to boost economic growth through structural reform. Ramaphosa has touted the operation as a key achievement, and in his latest 'The reduction in load-shedding over the past year was supported by the reforms we introduced to unlock private investment in electricity generation, while reforms in the telecommunications sector have brought down the cost of mobile data,' he wrote. Launched in May after cabinet approval, But despite policy work being under way in several areas — with the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill, the Water Action Plan, the Digital Transformation Roadmap and the Local Government White Paper among the documents drafted — implementation remains limited. The progress report itself concedes that of the seven priority areas in phase two, only visa reform has moved into tangible outcomes. The electricity sector reform includes the establishment of the National Transmission Company of SA, which will eventually separate power utility Eskom's grid from generation and distribution. The government has also finalised a national wheeling framework to enable third-party access to the grid. Yet, the new transmission company still awaits licensing as a market operator. The National Energy Regulator of SA is also finalising market codes for private wholesale. Legal adviser and social activist Nkanyiso Ngqulunga was scathing in his assessment, saying Operation Vulindlela represents an acceleration of neoliberal policies that are proving counterproductive. 'It has been a complete failure. The unbundling of Eskom has not yielded any positive results but rather put the country's energy generation into the private sector,' Ngqulunga said, adding that the reforms have not attracted the promised investment. 'It hasn't attracted investment as intended. We are implementing policies that have been proven to fail — allowing the private sector in with the hope that it will boost the economy is counterintuitive.' Ngqulunga believes the government should focus on building state capacity and investing in public infrastructure. 'We need to unlock opportunities by empowering public assets,' he said. 'At a time when the government is underperforming, geopolitical tensions are high and tariff wars are growing, it's misguided to think these reforms will attract investment.' In logistics, a new Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager division has been created to modernise operations and enable private operator access. In December, the rail, port and pipeline parastatal released network access tariffs and received 98 slot applications from private freight operators. Conditional awards will be announced by 15 August. Ntokozo Buthelezi, an economist and researcher, is concerned about the Vulindlela initiative's accountability. 'I remember from the budget speech, the minister mentioned phase two and I wondered what happened to phase one,' she said, adding that she found it to be 'vague' with regard to outcomes and money spent. 'We don't know what happened, how much was spent and what the outcomes were. There is so much secrecy — we have no clue as the public on how investment and loans are spent by the government,' she said, also criticising the absence of oversight. 'They don't tell us much. It's just numbers — billions here, billions there — but no tangible outcomes.'
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Gerrie Fourie's tearful farewell to Capitec family
At an emotional AGM, the bank's long-serving CEO and founding member stepped down after 25 years. Fourie thanked his executive team and the Capitec board for their trust and support at his final AGM as CEO. Picture: via Capitec's website On Friday, 18 July, Capitec's now-retired CEO Gerrie Fourie stepped onto the stage at the bank's annual general meeting (AGM) in Stellenbosch for the final time, marking the end of a 25-year journey with the company he helped build from the ground up. From the outset, Capitec chair Santie Botha made it clear that this would not be a routine AGM. Botha's opening address set the tone for an emotionally significant farewell to one of the bank's most influential figures. She said Fourie was hand-picked by Capitec co-founder Michiel le Roux in 2000 to be part of the executive team that would build a new kind of bank. 'Over the past six years, I've had the privilege of working closely with Gerrie and observing his modus operandi first-hand,' Botha added. 'He is a phenomenal leader and CEO. His approach to business is unique and he sets a very specific tone from the top.' ALSO READ: Is South Africa's unemployment rate really only 10%? Fourie built what Botha called an 'A-team' of leaders, with zero tolerance for non-performance. He demanded a deep understanding of the business and was known for challenging assumptions, asking difficult questions, and drilling into the detail when needed, she added. He recognised when the numbers didn't add up and always pushed for clarity and accountability. Although he was guided by vision and long-term strategy, Fourie believed nothing beats decisiveness and execution delivered at speed. 'Thank you, Gerrie, for dreaming big and showing South Africa what is possible with dedication and focus. Over to you,' said a visibly emotional Botha. ALSO READ: Government meets with Capitec CEO about unemployment statistics Reflection Fourie's presentation began in his characteristic relaxed and engaging manner, as he shared the latest performance statistics and milestones achieved under his leadership. But the tone soon shifted as he began to reflect on the people who made the journey meaningful. 'To the Capitec team, it was a tremendous 25 years working with you,' said Fourie. He recounted how, during a systems outage in August 2022, staff worked around the clock to restore services. Further, 'Our consultants don't close a branch at 5pm. They wait until the last client leaves. That is our family.' ALSO READ: Capitec's outgoing boss bemoans SA's high real interest rates Gratitude and pride Fourie thanked his executive team and the Capitec board for their trust and support. 'You know, I actually thought this morning – everything I asked for, I got. And I know it sounds windgat [like a braggart],' he said, laughing. He highlighted the decision to invest in 2020, during the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, when other companies were pulling back. 'It was scary. But over three years, we invested an additional R6 billion – and that is how we created what Capitec is today. 'The board's boldness and decisiveness helped us get there.' Fourie then turned to his family. 'This is the difficult part,' he said, his voice wavering. He thanked his wife, Reinie, for supporting his career and creating the space he needed to focus entirely on Capitec. 'From my side … thank you. And to my dad – my biggest supporter.' He concluded with a tribute to his successor, Graham Lee. 'Graham started in 2002 as my business analyst. He couldn't speak a word of Afrikaans,' Fourie joked. But, he said, Lee brought all the right qualities to lead Capitec into the future – from technological insight and data fluency to execution ability and, 'most importantly, a passion for people'. 'It's a privilege to hand the baton to you,' he said tearfully as the audience rose in a standing ovation. Capitec share price This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
