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African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the ANC has served court papers on Eskom and its former CEO, André de Ruyter, regarding the bombshell comments on the alleged involvement of senior ANC members in corruption at the power utility.

While addressing the media on Friday, Mbalula said: "We did follow up on De Ruyter and served court papers on Eskom and the former CEO this week.

"We think that there is something illegal committed by De Ruyter. The ANC is a political party that has not instructed anyone to go to Eskom and mess things up."

He was adamant that De Ruyter had made the allegations "without any shred of evidence".

"He just uttered and said the ANC is corrupt. We must accept that? No, we can't accept such.

"I cannot accuse the DA or any other political party of things that I don't have evidence of, because that would be hearsay. Still, when we challenge De Ruyter over his sentiments, they accuse the ANC of suppressing whistleblowers.

"Where did this whistleblower go with this information? Are the television studios he went to a whistleblowing office?" asked Mbalula.

He said the ANC would again give De Ruyter seven days to respond to court papers - and, should he fail to do so, the party would take further steps.

On Sunday, the ANC threatened to file criminal charges against De Ruyter if he did not report his allegations of corruption at Eskom, backed with evidence, to law enforcement agencies in seven days.

Despite the seven days not lapsing, Mbalula said the party had served the former Eskom CEO with court papers.

During an interview on e.tv's My Guest Tonight with Annika Larsen, the former CEO made wide-ranging claims regarding ANC leaders, accusing at least two of being involved in corruption at Eskom.

Mbalula was addressing the media on Friday to unveil resolutions related to the 55th national conference, which took place in December 2022.

The party promised to conduct "rigorous and regular monitoring and reporting on performance, which should inform the deployment of the ANC's best leaders".

He said the party, during its national elective conference, "interrogated the state of the ANC and its ability to mobilise society around its historic mission, such as the ANC serving as a vehicle that drives the programme of a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society".

As such, he said, the conference outcomes were a collection of ideas on how the party would continue to play a critical role in people's lives.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has welcomed the Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss President Cyril Ramaphosa's effort to seek direct access to the court to have the findings of a panel into the Phala Phala saga overturned.

The independent Section 89 panel released a report last year and said it found prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa breached anti-corruption laws. It also found that Ramaphosa had constitutional questions to answer regarding his actions following the burglary at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in February 2020.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the EFF called Ramaphosa's court application "irrational and senseless" and said the court dismissal provided more reason for his resignation and the party's planned national shutdown on 20 March.

"Ramaphosa has undermined the economy of South Africa by smuggling money into this country, not paying tax and violating the Constitution," the EFF said.

The party, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Tuesday, challenged National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to set aside resources to investigate the farm, gain access to footage and conduct interviews with all Ramaphosa's employees, including his advisor and protector.

In its statement, the EFF said it would observe developments and ensure that Mapisa-Nqakula held the president accountable.

"We, as the EFF, demand that Mrs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula must save herself from humiliation and from being held personally liable for the court action we are going to pursue and win if she refuses to set up accountability mechanisms against Mr Ramaphosa on Phala Phala crimes."

The EFF said Parliament had a duty to expose the "origins" of money found at the farm, subpoena the president, and reveal the role of the police.

According to the party, the South African Revenue Service (SARS), South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the Financial Intelligence Centre were negligent in tackling financial crimes.

"We carry the obligation, as public representatives, to protect South Africa's laws, particularly when they are threatened by powerful politicians in the state."

At the party's 10th anniversary media launch, EFF leader Julius Malema called Ramaphosa "incompetent" and said he did not have what it took to lead the country.

He claimed Ramaphosa, who he referred to as "the money laundering chief", was responsible for South Africa's greylisting by the Financial Action Task Force last Friday because he failed to declare millions of dollars to SARS and the SARB.

South Africa’s only opposition-led province plans to facilitate the construction of almost 6 GW of power generation capacity to counter nationwide electricity shortages and bolster the regional economy.

The Western Cape aims to add as much as 750 MW of supply by 2025 and to reach 5 700 MW by 2035, Premier Alan Winde, a member of the Democratic Alliance, said in an interview at Bloomberg’s Cape Town office on Wednesday. That should be sufficient to meet demand as the provincial economy expands.

State-owned utility Eskom, which generates more than 90% of the nation’s electricity, has been forced to implement rotational blackouts on a daily basis since 2008, with outages currently at record levels. South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has announced emergency measures and declared a state of disaster to help it address the crisis, but there’s no sign of it abating in the near term.

Winde met with Eskom’s former Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter, shortly after he tendered his resignation in December, to seek advice over how the province should approach energy provision.

“He said you’ve got to become independent as quickly as possible,” Winde recalled. The outgoing CEO didn’t provide much detail, but expressed that “there’s big trouble ahead and, you know, do what you can,” the premier said.

Winde has put a team together to expedite larger generation projects, and intends on assisting municipalities to boost their power supply with a budget that will be announced in mid-March. The World Bank is providing an adviser, Karen Breytenbach, who previously led South Africa’s independent power producer office, to help shape the plans.

One of the key challenges for South Africa’s power system is its inadequate transmission grid. A shortage of connections meant that not a single wind project was selected in the national government’s latest award of contracts to private producers to supply additional electricity.

The Western Cape government has yet to determine which transmission options — Eskom infrastructure, municipal grids and micro grids — will work best and in what combination, according to Winde. The province plans will have to take into account its growing population, which is projected to hit 8-million in the next six years, up from 7.2-million currently.

The ANC has targeted a $250-billion green hydrogen industry by 2050 as part of long-term plans to reduce the nation’s reliance on coal, create a new export industry and use cleaner technologies. Some of those plans include reviving a mothballed ArcelorMittal steel plant in Saldanha, along the coast north of Cape Town, to utilise the fuel.

Sasol has said it would potentially accelerate its own plans to develop and export green hydrogen to meet growing demand from Europe.

A green hydrogen industry, which is dependent on the development of renewable energy, will have to benefit the local economy, according to Winde. Eskom estimates the nation requires 53 GW of clean energy capacity by 2032 to make up for coal plant closures and reach a secure level of supply.

“You can’t have hydrogen exports to Europe and loadshedding in South Africa,” Winde said, using the local term for blackouts. “I mean, the citizens will just burn everything down.”

While Police Minister Bheki Cele dismissed concerns about a looming reshuffle, saying Cabinet positions were not inherited, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele says only President Cyril Ramaphosa knows when he will make changes to his executive.

At the same time, Gungubele defended former deputy president David Mabuza, saying it was inaccurate to describe his tenure as being forgettable.

Cele, who has been under fire for his performance, said he would not stop working because there was an expected Cabinet reshuffle.

The police minister, who was in violence-plagued Westbury in Johannesburg on Thursday morning, downplayed questions on whether he was worried about how changes in the executive might affect him when Ramaphosa finally reshuffles his Cabinet.

"Why do you cry at the wrong funeral? Don't go and cry at the wrong funeral. If you want to know anything about reshuffling, you know the man to ask. He is in Mahlamba Ndlopfu or [the] Union Buildings as we speak," Cele told journalists.

Pressed if he was worried, he answered: "Why should I be worried? Why should I be concerned? I was put here, I did not apply, I did not send any CV, and I did not ask why I am put [in this position], and I shall not ask why I am being removed.

"So why should I be worried? This is not inheritance. Akulona ilifa lakithi leli [This is not my family's inheritance].

"This is a job; you do the job when you are given [it], and when the job is taken and given to someone else you go on with life. So, you think I can stop working and be worried . heyi, akukhona estokveleni la, kuyasetyenzwa la [this is not a stokvel, we are working here]."

On Tuesday, News24 reported Ramaphosa was considering redeploying Cele as the new intelligence minister when he announces changes to his Cabinet.

The push for Cele to head intelligence comes amid a spike in violent crimes and a staggering backlog in DNA results hampering criminal cases.

He has also been accused of going to war with senior members of police management, accusations he has publicly denied.

On Thursday, Gungubele reiterated only Ramaphosa knew when changes would be made to his Cabinet and was giving the matter the urgency it deserved.

He said, on questions relating to the reshuffle, "only the president knows the date and time when it will happen".

Gungubele, who was giving feedback on resolutions taken during Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, also took the opportunity to defend Mabuza.

The Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said on Wednesday that President Cyril Ramaphosa cannot respond to rumours and generic suggestions around individuals, who he is not even aware of, allegedly involved in corrupt activities at Eskom.

Ramaphosa is instead urging people to take information on corruption to law enforcement agencies so that it can be fully investigated.

On Tuesday Ramaphosa broke his silence over an interview given by former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter, saying he should have gone to any of the country’s law enforcement institutions with the information he purports to have.

Last week de Ruyter raised serious allegations against an unnamed senior African National Congress (ANC) politician in a television interview in relation to corruption at Eskom.

Political parties, unions and the public have since asked de Ruyter to name and shame the implicated Minster, after he publicly announced that there are Ministers involved in the Eskom corruption.

“Law enforcement agencies now operate independently, investigate without any fear or favour, so anybody who has information that could assist in curbing the levels of corruption at Eskom is urged to take that information to law enforcement agencies so that it can be fully investigated,” said Magwenya.

He said its public knowledge that Eskom has been in the grip of criminal syndicates operating inside and outside of the utility.

He explained that the President has been on record to express his concerns about corruption at Eskom and other criminality at the entity in the form of diluted quality coal, theft of spares, sabotage, fraud and corruption.

“What Andre has said is nothing new to the extent that we know that there is corruption at Eskom, more importantly government has responded to that level of criminality that exists within Eskom through a multi-disciplinary task team that has been deplored to Eskom through the NATJOINTS. That team includes all law enforcement agencies,” said Magwenya.

He noted that Ramaphosa does not have the names of the ANC politicians allegedly involved in the corruption at Eskom and, therefore, he cannot factor that in his cabinet reshuffle.

Meanwhile, Magwenya said there is a sense of urgency in the appointment of the Minister of Electricity, saying in a matter of days the announcement will be made.

Ramaphosa announced during his State of the Nation Address last month that the new minister would assume full responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the electricity crisis response.

The minister will be responsible for driving the various actions being coordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee to urgently end loadshedding.

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has reiterated his party's call to establish an ad hoc committee on President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala scandal.

This after the Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed Ramaphosa's efforts to seek direct access to overturn an independent panel's findings he might have violated the Constitution and committed money laundering in connection with the ongoing Phala Phala saga.

The report had concluded there existed prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa might have committed a serious violation of the Constitution.

He had launched the court application to set aside the Section 89 report.

According to Steenhuisen, the judgment confirms the case could only be fully investigated, to the necessary extent, by a National Assembly ad hoc committee.

He said the DA would table a motion with National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to establish an ad hoc committee on the Phala Phala matter.

The party wants to bring the case to the constitutional body empowered to deal with it.

"As we have previously argued, the Phala Phala scandal does not begin and end with the president, and as such, it necessitates an ad hoc committee that will have the full powers to summon and investigate Cabinet ministers, law enforcement bodies, and other state institutions allegedly involved in this cover-up," Steenhuisen said.

He added an ad hoc committee should have followed when the scandal first broke.

"The first witness that must be called by this committee, is Cyril Ramaphosa himself. It is highly irresponsible conduct by the president to bat the Phala Phala scandal between Parliament and the courts all in an attempt to evade difficult questions and full transparency and accountability."

Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa needed to take the country into his confidence about what truly transpired at Phala Phala in Parliament, "the body to which he is constitutionally obligated to account".

The apex court's ruling means the president will have to turn to the High Court if he wishes to challenge the report, which has been the basis of attacks on his leadership.

The court did not make findings on the merits of the Ramaphosa's case.

Deputy President David Mabuza has resigned as a Member of Parliament, ending his term as Deputy President of the country.

The resignation follows his request to President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down from the position of Deputy President, which Ramaphosa announced in his reply during this year’s State of the Nation Address debate.

Ramaphosa expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Mabuza.

“The Deputy President has undertaken the responsibilities of his office with dedication. I am grateful for the support he has provided to me throughout his term and for the leadership he has provided to the work of government,” Ramaphosa said.

He said Mabuza’s contribution has been valued by the many constituencies with which he has engaged, including traditional leaders, military veterans, civil society formations and international bodies.

“As Leader of Government Business, he has ably managed the relationship between the Executive and Parliament, working to ensure that the transformative legislative programme of this administration is advanced,” he added.

Ramaphosa will make an announcement in due course about the appointment of the new Deputy President.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) tabled that an ad hoc parliamentary committee to probe the serious allegations of endemic corruption at Eskom attributed to the African National Congress (ANC) be urgently established

Following former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s recent interview, as well as news reports of crime cartels linked to Eskom, DA leader John Steenhuisen proclaimed that power stations “are under siege from a corrupt network of ANC-connected cartels.”

He also noted the involvement of Ministers serving in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet, as revealed by investigative news reports.

Steenhuisen said it would be treasonous and unforgivable if allegations of the ANC sabotaging the country’s electricity system to further their corrupt aims proved to be true.

An inquiry “would have the power to subpoena any individual it deems necessary to come before it for questioning, including Mr De Ruyter himself. The inquiry will have the power to provide recommendations for further actions based on the testimonies and evidence gathered,” he said.

A plenary will take place on March 16 to decide whether to establish the ad hoc committee.

In efforts to bring an end to the capture of State-owned entities and institutions, Steenhuisen suggested that the ANC support the DA’s request for a parliamentary ad hoc committee to clear its name and to identify the perpetrators of corruption.

South Africa's official unemployment rate fell for the fourth consecutive quarter, moving further away from a record high struck during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Unemployment fell to 32.7% in the final three months of 2022 from 32.9% in the July to September period, the statistics agency said on Tuesday.

But the total number of unemployed people edged up to 7.753 million people in October to December from 7.725-million in the previous three months.

According to an expanded definition of unemployment that includes those discouraged from seeking work, 42.6% were without work in the fourth quarter, down from 43.1% in the third quarter.

Africa's most industrialised economy has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with a yawning divide between the rich and poor remaining almost three decades after the end of apartheid.

The official unemployment rate hit a record high of 35.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday broke his silence over an interview given by former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter.

Ramaphosa said de Ruyter “should have gone to any of our law enforcement institutions with the information he purports to have.”

“Those are institutions that have no outside influence and would interrogate the matter without fear and favour,” said Ramaphosa.

This comes after the former Eskom CEO said there was political protection for some of those blundering the power utility, alleging that there was a high-level African National Congress politician involved in the corruption.