International relations
US Treasury Secretary Yellen to meet President Ramaphosa on South Africa trip
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will meet South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa on 25 January during her visit to the country, the Treasury said on Monday.
“She will meet with government, business, and civil society counterparts to discuss how to strengthen our bilateral relationship and address regional and global issues of concern, including deepening economic ties and advancing a just energy transition,” it said.
Yellen is expected to push the government of President Cyril Ramaphosa to pursue its fledgling transition to cleaner energy and away from a heavy reliance on coal. South Africa has been promised $8.5 billion from rich nations to help, but most of that is in loans, not grants, and the country is dealing with an energy crisis that risks curbing economic growth.
While the US is among countries backing the project, authorities may ask the US for additional financial support.
Yellen arrives a day after South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign minister Naledi Pandor deflected criticism of joint military drills planned with Russia and China, saying that hosting such exercises with “friends” was the “natural course of relations”.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg.
My first hope is thst she pops her head in Captain Spineless’ door and says “your allowance has just been suspended indefinitely, goodbye” and leaves.
Someone is either facilitating a meeting or she is going to be delivering a message. Watch this space.