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☆ Explainer: The Phala Phala farmgate scandal hanging over South Africa's Ramaphosa
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing. But with less than a month to go before the party chooses its next candidate, he is battling for political survival. HOW IT ALL STARTEDEverything changed for Ramaphosa when South Africa's former spy chief, Arthur Fraser, walked into a police station in June and accused him of money laundering and covering up a large theft of cash. Ramaphosa, acknowledged there had been a break-in and said that cash proceeds from the sale of game had been stolen. RAMIFICATIONSThe affair has been a huge embarrassment for Ramaphosa who has repeatedly spoken about taking a tough line on graft.

[1/3] South African president Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at the Green Hydrogen Summit at Century City in Cape Town, South Africa, November 29, 2022. The inquiry centred on the theft of a millions of dollars of cash from the billionaire president's farm in 2020, which came to light in June. The country's biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has called for an early election and the report has plunged the governing African National Congress (ANC) into crisis. The ANC's executive committee is due to meet to discuss the panel report on Thursday evening. Asked by Reuters about a local media report that Ramaphosa was due to address the nation on Thursday, Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenya said: "An announcement is imminent.

[1/5] Yael Gabay, The Plant Based Treaty global co-director with a team give away free vegan burgers during COP27 climate summit in Red Sea resort at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 14, 2022. "We have to move away from animal production." "It would result in more intensive livestock production that would require larger areas of land to produce the animal feed, putting pressure on forest land," Reisinger told Reuters. THE OTHER WHITE MEATCampaigners have even protested the food kiosks at the summit selling burgers and chicken - foods they say don't belong at a climate conference. "When you enter the conference, you have the scent of grilled animal meat in your nose.

☆ South Africa's Ramaphosa focuses on the poor as he seeks ANC re-election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ramaphosa was concluding the African National Congress (ANC) executive committee meeting before an elective conference next month chooses the party's candidate for 2024 national elections. The president faces multiple challengers from within the party, mostly allied to his predecessor Jacob Zuma. Much may depend on whether Ramaphosa is seen as the best candidate to revive the fortunes of the ANC, the popularity of which is at an all-time low. He also pledged to forge ahead with policies to improve the standard of public education and introduce universal health insurance. The ANC's black empowerment initiatives were also mentioned, with Ramaphosa saying the measures need to be more "broad-based".

☆ In meat-loving South Africa, climate concerns whet appetite for veggie burgers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Workers prepare a plant-based polony used as an alternative or meat substitute at meat processor Feinschmecker, in Germiston, in the East Rand region of Johannesburg, South Africa, October 11, 2022. That could be heartening for climate scientists, who say shifting diets from emissions-heavy meat and dairy towards more plant-based foods is vital to the fight against climate change. Plant-based meat substitutes are growing by 6.5% a year and sales are expected to reach $561 million by 2023, according to Research and Markets - more than half Africa's share of a global market forecast to hit $162 billion by 2030. But the popularity of veggie alternatives would have been unthinkable even a decade ago and the market is outstripping forecast growth for meat. She gave up meat over climate concerns and her diabetes.

☆ Explainer: Why methane emissions are threatening climate stability
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Tim Cocks | Avi Asher-Schapiro | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Methane emissions have emerged as a top threat to the global climate, with scientists and policymakers calling for aggressive action to curb the output. At last year's U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, more than 100 countries pledged a 30% cut from 2020 methane emissions levels by 2030. "If you're interested in the climate impacts, we'll be experiencing in 2050 ... you'd be absolutely screaming about methane emissions." WHERE IT COMES FROMThree-fifths of the world's estimated methane emissions are from human activity; the rest are from natural sources like swamps. The European Union recently endorsed labeling some natural gas projects as "green" in a major boost to the industry.

[1/3] A destroyed tank is seen in a field in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in Kasagita town, in Afar region, Ethiopia, February 25, 2022. Earlier on Wednesday, the AU had invited media to what it described as a briefing by Obasanjo. It was only when the event began, about three hours behind schedule, that it became clear a truce was about to be signed. Implementation of the peace agreement signed today is critical for its success," said Obasanjo, adding that this would be supervised and monitored by a high-level AU panel. Neither Eritrea nor the regional forces participated in the talks in South Africa and there was no mention at Wednesday's ceremony of whether they would abide by the truce.

☆ EXCLUSIVE S.Africa's energy transition plan needs $46.5 bln, five times pledges - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Giant wind turbines dot the landscape at the Darling Wind Power national demonstration project near Cape Town July 17, 2009. The project is the country's first independent wind power producer and currently has four turbines, with plans for another six. South Africa is also seeking to become a hub for so-called green hydrogen and electric vehicle manufacturing -- both of which could attract significant private sector investment. Coal makes up four-fifths of South Africa's power generation, so turning state utility Eskom to renewables is a priority for the government. Moving South Africa's economy into greener energy will require vast funds in the longer term, with some analysts estimating at least $250 billion over the next three decades.

☆ Explainer: How methane leaks accelerate global warming
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Methane, the main component of natural gas, can leak from pipelines and drill sites, and is also emitted from farming and food waste. Scientists normally compare the warming effects of methane and carbon dioxide over one century, and over that timescale methane is 28 times worse. "If you're interested in the climate impacts we'll be experiencing in 2050 ... you'd be absolutely screaming about methane emissions." WHERE IT COMES FROMThree-fifths of the world's estimated methane emissions are from human activity; the rest, from natural sources like swamps. The European Union recently endorsed labeling some natural gas projects as "green" in a major boost to the industry.

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