Any body see this news back in late August re: South African...

Any body see this news back in late August re: South African interest in Botswana coal?

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/869fb0004c89e657a812fa29ed3234b0/SA-to-source-coal-from-Botswana-20120830

South Africa could source a sizeable percentage of its coal requirements for power generation from Botswana. President Jacob Zuma says the recently signed bilateral agreement with Botswana on energy will help both countries meet their energy demand.

Botswana currently accounts for 60% of Africa's coal reserves. Zuma says this could help ease the energy deficit. He was speaking at the end of his two day state visit to Botswana.

The visit not only focused on the mutual needs and priorities of both countries, but also brought into sharp focus the importance of regional intergration. Great spin-offs could be realised, if the bilateral agreements signed lead to actual delivery programmes, especially in energy generation and infrastructure.

Zuma is particularly excited about the energy agreement. "Both countries need each other in terms of energy, but also the coal that is here is going to be very useful in terms of the size of the consumption. South Africa will certainly consume more," says Zuma.

He wrapped up his visit with a tour of Botswana's diamond hub. The country's diamond beneficiation programme has been widely hailed, with De Beers planning to relocate its core functions to Botswana by the end of next year.

Zuma was upbeat about relations between the two countries, describing the overall tone of discussions as positive.


W