When Nelson Mandela's African National Congress came to power almost three decades ago, South Africa was blessed with a surfeit of electricity a legacy of the apartheid regime's obsession with self-reliance in the face of crippling sanctions against its White supremacist rule. The democratic government that replaced it prioritized expanding access, electrifying 2.5 million
It was meant to be the climate justice blueprint, the deal that showed how rich countries could help developing economies end their reliance on coal and go green. Almost 18 months on, South Africa’s $8.5 billion transition showpiece looks more like a cautionary tale.