5 important things happening in South Africa today

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:

• Real reason for Eskom’s improvements: Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told Parliament that Eskom staffers were demoralised when he started the job, and incentive schemes were the answer. “As I speak to you, we have introduced a performance bonus incentive – linked to the performance of the units – and that’s why you are seeing the improvement we are making”. He also told MPs that they’ve also delayed the decommissioning of coal plants to keep staff employed.[EWN]

• Room for medical schemes under NHI: Organised business groups said they have been led to believe that parliament will amend the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill’s provisions on the future role of medical schemes and soften the proposal to restrict them to offering cover for services not provided by NHI. [Business Day]

• The failure of the SAPS: The murder rate in South Africa has reached its highest mark in 20 years. A report released by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) this week painted a bleak picture, showing a steady climb in the murder rate over the past decade to an apex of 45 per 100,000 in the last year. The study underscores the failure of the police – under the leadership of Police Minister Bheki Cele – to fulfil its constitutional mandate to prevent, combat and investigate crime. [News24]

• Halting liquor licenses: Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi said the government had “halted the issuing of liquor licences in an effort to help end the fight against drugs and the sale of illicit goods”. However, the Gauteng Liquor Traders’ Association (GLTA) said that this is untrue and, at the moment, there are no plans to cease the issuing of liquor trading licences, but added the issuing of licences will continue in a more stringent, vigorous and balanced manner to maintain social order, responsible consumption of liquor and diligence among its members and affiliates. [TimesLive]

• Markets: The South African rand weakened against a stronger U.S. dollar on Wednesday despite better-than-expected local retail sales data. On Thursday (16 November), the rand was trading at R18.26 to the dollar, R22.62 to the pound and R19.79 to the euro. Oil is trading at $80.58 a barrel. [Reuters]