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SAfrica says US to abstain from W.Bank loan decision

PRETORIA, March 12 (Reuters)

South Africa expects the United States to abstain from voting on its disputed loan application of $3.75 billion from the World Bank, on which a decision is likely in early April, a minister said on Friday.

The United States and Britain have threatened to withhold support for the loan for a coal-fired plant in South Africa, expanding the battleground in the global debate over who should pay for clean energy.

South Africa's Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan told a media briefing that a vote against the loan would be the "most unfortunate thing" to happen to Africa's biggest economy, which is facing a power crunch.

"The Americans are under a bit of pressure and they have indicated to us that they are not going to vote against but they'll abstain from voting," she said. "They're under particular pressure from their own lobbies."