Ramaphosa might have clinched a deal for Eskom at COP26, but he had more important business at home
Monday’s local elections, with results expected to trickle in this week, may — or may not — have represented an existential crisis for the ANC and its hold on power.
On the conference itself, it is easy to be sceptical despite the greater sense of urgency since the release in August of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which UN secretary-general António Guterres called a “code red” for humanity. That does not augur well for the credibility of the summit and what may come out of it. Even those who accept the sincerity of the leaders attending it in Glasgow, might question if anything concrete has ever emerged from such conferences.
That could favour SA even if previous promises have not been honoured, with the promised $100bn a year funding for developing economies now delayed to 2023.