LOCAL NEWS

• US deputy secretary of state, McKeon, says that the department left no diplomatic stone unturned when confronting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. McKeon responded to Ramaphosa’s suggestion that if US Biden had agreed to meet with Putin unconditionally days before the invasion, it would have been averted.
  • McKeon stressed that SA abstaining from voting at the UN General Assembly to condemn Russia was not seen by the US as endorsing the invasion. He added that the abstention would not impact US relations with South Africa. - Daily Maverick
• SAA’s privatisation deal could stall, as transport minister Mbalula failed to appoint two crucial air permitting councils that need to approve the deal. Approval is required from the SA International Air Licensing Council and the Domestic Air Licensing Council.
  • However, the terms of office of these councils expired in March 2021, and Mbalula failed to appoint new office bearers. Aviation experts believe that the failure to appoint the councils was a deliberate move to avoid scrutiny of SAA after it came out of business rescue in April last year. - Moneyweb
• Eskom stalls its Koeberg maintenance project to reduce the risks of load-shedding. Replacement of three steam generators and Koeberg unit 2 will be placed on hold so that the unit currently outed can return online in June as expected during peak demand season.
  • Maintenance was expected to extend the plant’s lifespan by 20 years with the end date in 2024/25 if repairs are not conducted – Fin24