For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lumkile Nkomfe.

Making headlines: MKP calls for suspension of Madlanga Commission pending court hearing; Eskom says EAF exceeding 70% target so far in September; And, Treasury holds first round of workshops on fiscal anchors, broad public engagement to follow

MKP calls for suspension of Madlanga Commission pending court hearing

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has called on judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga to suspend the beginning of the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday, until the Pretoria High Court passes judgment on the legality of the Commission.

In July, MKP president Jacob Zuma and the party legally challenged President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence and said Firoz Cachalia’s subsequent appointment as Acting Minister was illegal.

The party rejected what it termed the “reckless and unlawful” decision of the Madlanga Commission to commence hearings on Wednesday, when the case is set to be heard in the Pretoria High Court on Thursday.

MKP national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said this “rushed and irregular” mid-week commencement is not a coincidence.

He said it is a calculated manoeuvre designed to pre-empt, undermine, and possibly frustrate the court challenge brought by the MK Party and Zuma.

Eskom says EAF exceeding 70% target so far in September

State-owned power utility Eskom says the Energy Availability Factor of its generation plants fluctuated consistently between 69% and 73% between September 5 and 11, with the month-to-date average currently at 71.64% and above the 70% mark.

During this period, planned maintenance increased, averaging 4 624 MW, as Eskom enters the summer period, the utility says.

Year-to-date, planned maintenance has averaged 5 243 MW, accounting for 11.17% of total generation capacity. This reflects a slight decrease from the previous week and a 0.7% rise compared to the same period in the prior year.

Unplanned losses from breakdowns remain significantly below the 10 000 MW threshold, recorded at 7 394 MW.

And, Treasury holds first round of workshops on fiscal anchors, broad public engagement to follow

The National Treasury has reported back on the first round of consultative stakeholder workshops on its Fiscal Anchors discussion document, which was published on March 12. The workshops marked the opening stage of a broader consultation process aimed at strengthening the sustainability, credibility and transparency of South Africa’s fiscal framework.

The discussion document outlines how slow economic growth and persistent budget deficits have led to a tripling of public debt over the last 15 years. This has forced the government to spend more on interest payments, crowding out services and investment.

In response to this challenge, the document proposes two broad reform options, the first being a numerical fiscal rule and the second an enhanced Parliamentary procedures model.

As a first step, the National Treasury convened three workshops with a broad group of experts with a direct interest in macro-fiscal issues.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

Don’t forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA