A good week
The forestry, fisheries & environment ministry, led by Barbara Creecy, has all but sunk Karpowership’s hopes of supplying SA with 1,220MW of electricity from three costly floating power stations by refusing to grant it environmental authorisation. The Turkish firm hit back, accusing the ministry of allowing "a misinformation campaign, funded by special interests" to derail the deal. But it still didn’t quantify the potentially destructive impact the powerships could have on birds, fish and fishing communities. Good move.
A bad week
Deputy state security minister Zizi Kodwa’s testimony at the Zondo commission was revealing in its denial. Kodwa refused to accept that he was compromised even though he accepted a R1m "loan" from a "friend" — former EOH executive Jehan Mackay — who is implicated in fraud and corruption. Tell us Zizi, when is cold, hard cash not a bribe, if not when it is given to the ANC’s national spokesperson, who has the power to dish out preferential treatment in the awarding of government contracts?