Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma has written a letter to the World Bank to support a $3,75- billion (R28-billion) loan application by Eskom, it was reported yesterday.

“The president wrote the letter to emphasise how important Eskom’s development programme is for South Africa,” said Treasury head Thoraya Pandy. The government has also given guarantees for the loan, which could be approved early next year.

The money would be used to finance, among other things, the construction of a solar power installation at Upington, a railway line in Mpumalanga and the Medupi coal-fired power station near Lephalale in Limpopo. – Sapa