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The global financier announced that it had approved a $1 billion loan to help the country’s shift to cleaner forms of energy

World Bank loan will support South Africa’s energy transition

The global financier announced that it had approved a $1 billion loan to help the country’s shift to cleaner forms of energy

As South Africa steps into a new chapter with the Climate Change Act, it is crucial to question the depth of its commitment and the substance of its promises. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

COP27: SA receives an extra $10-bn to shift from fossil fuels

But the funding will come at a price, given that the $8.5-bn pledged last year, was mostly in the form of loans

President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa: SA will require R1.5-trillion to fight climate change

President says the country needs more money to meet its targets in transitioning from coal to renewable energy

The Presidential Climate Commission has objected to extending coal-fired power stations beyond their natural lifespan. (Waldo Swiegers/Getty Images)

How Eskom’s growing debt will bite consumers

The power utility, already burdened by a debt of R396‑billion, has taken on a R9-billion loan from the World Bank, causing economists to warn of tariff hikes

The lockdown provided us with a prism through which we could look at our crazy lives and simplify them. It was a strange and special time

OPINION| Building business sustainability is not just an expensive, developed-world problem

African businesses have the power to reduce the effect of climate change through sustainable business models and circular economy practices

Unique approach: Ireland convened a citizen’s assembly to devise abortion legislation that would win broad support

Assemble citizens to resolve issues

They represent a range of views and are tasked with reaching an agreement on divisive issues

The World Health Organisation must recommit  to the democratic principles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (Reuters)

Ebola in the Congo: a forgotten conflict became a danger to world health

Local communities are wary of the sudden arrival of outsiders and of their interest in regions where there’s been violence for years

$3.05-billion of the loan was dedicated to completing the Medupi coal-fired power station in Limpopo. (Madelene Cronje/M&G)

Cancel Eskom’s odious debt to the World Bank

It was never in the public interest to incur a debt of $3.75-billion to build coal-burning Medupi

Some 1.5-million people were eligible to vote in the vast predominantly Muslim state, which is approximately twice the size of former colonial power France but has a population of just 4.5-million. (Luca Pistone/AFP)

Opposition cry foul over Mauritania ruling party victory

With a clear majority, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, former head of the domestic security service, has won outright

Surveillance technology is increasingly being used to monitor civilians.

Gaza protests bring bloodshed but scarce gain as anniversary looms

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered at least weekly along the border in protests dubbed the Great March of Return

Bucket toilets and human ­excrement running in the streets is not unusual in some of the ­country’s municipalities.

​Women should design public toilets

Consulting women about their needs would go a long way towards ensuring their health and safety

Young people who are pessimistic about their economic futures are unlikely to sit idly by waiting for change. They will demand it. Photo: Nichole Sobecki/AFP

Youth is Africa’s prime challenge – but it could be an asset

Africa’s population growth will cause most countries to become younger, a trend that will occur at the same time as the rest of the world ages

Delegates attend the opening of COP24 UN Climate Change Conference 2018 in Katowice, Poland. (Reuters/Kacper Pempel)

World Bank pledges $200bn towards climate change

The bank’s announcement coincided with a UN climate summit currently underway in Poland

A different measure of poverty shows 70% of the world’s poor live in what the World Bank considers middle-income countries. (Zammit Lupi/Reuters)

The World Bank’s optimism about global poverty misses the point

The global poverty plot is thicker than what the World Bank would have us believe

Eskom’s balance sheet was poor and affected its ability to secure long term bonds from the market, according to Eskom CEO Phakamani Hadebe. (Paul Botes/M&G)

Land tenure is the foundation of people’s security

Land tenure determines who can use land, for how long and under what conditions

The memorial service for Ahmed Kathrada at the Johannesburg City Hall on April 1

In search of a truly new dawn

With the liberal world order in a state of crisis, genuinely democratic alternatives must be found

Big boost: China has received a $350-million loan from the Brics bloc’s New Development Bank to build a shopping mall in Chongqing as part of its small cities sustainable development programme.

Brics bank fails to live up to hype

The New Development Bank is facing questions about the transparency and fairness of its loans

David Harrison

Spending on education pays big dividends

But the predicted growth of countries in Africa will mean they won’t qualify for funding

For working five or six hour days in noisy conditions

Mozambique cracks open its cashews to boost the economy

The country’s cashew nut industry, one of the world’s biggest, was dealt a body blow first by the 1977-1992 civil war

Last week the commission, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, heard evidence of how the utility allegedly supported the Guptas’ mining interests. (Paul Botes/M&G)

Energy regulator forces Eskom to cut its costs

Nersa has told Eskom it cannot pass cost increases on to consumers. Rather, it will be expected to cut operational costs and inefficiencies