South Africa eyes Rovuma gas

President Jacob Zuma wants to kick-start the country's economy using Mozambique's offshore gas reserves. But do the numbers add up?

With dreams of nuclear power fizzling out, South Africa's government now has its eyes firmly on Mozambique's gas. Mmamoloko Kubayi, the country's energy minister, told parliament in May—less than two months after her appointment—that a gas pipeline from Mozambique to South Africa will be a medium-term priority. In August, President Zuma's first move as chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional trade bloc was to announce the establishment of a regional Natural Gas Committee to ensure that bloc's gas benefits its member countries. "The discovery and exploitation of natural gas within our region should constitute the backbone of our regional economic integration," Z