Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 31 January 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The International Monetary Fund says South Africa has been handicapped by rolling power cuts and logistic challenges that reflect years of inadequate investment and poor management. The fund has cut the country’s forecast to just one-percent for this year. IMF chief economist, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, says it is essential to ensure that the power plants can get back online, to connect more renewable energy, and create a conducive environment to attract more private investment. He says the elevated public debt levels are also a major concern:

# The Freedom Front Plus in Gauteng says the Emfuleni Municipality should accept responsibility for the hyacinths and water lettuce taking over the Vaal River and hampering tourist activities. The party has been warning the municipality to stop dumping sewage into the river as it serves as a food source for the alien vegetation. The FF Plus’s Gerda Senekal says Rand Water should also accept responsibility for the problem and take urgent steps to clean up the river:

# And finally: Ten staff members from the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate are now able to analyse insects in the river network to assess water quality and ecological integrity. They recently underwent accreditation testing to obtain a three-year accreditation from the National Department of Water and Sanitation. Mayoral committee member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says it is important to periodically evaluate the health of the aquatic river systems and to do that successfully, various ecological indicators need to be assessed:

Stay tuned for more news………….