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Committed to using technology for good, Samsung partners with Africam and The Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit to expand its Wildlife Watch pilot. Harnessing the technology in its Galaxy S21 Ultra and new S23 Ultra devices to broadcast live, 24/7 streams of wild animals in the Balule Nature Reserve, part of Kruger National Park. Coinciding with …
Dear Editor The Gauteng Provincial Department of Social Development’s (DSD) directive dated 4 October 2023 to all Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) and child protection NGOs who operate baby savers to immediately halt and shut down this life-saving intervention, has condemned abandoned babies to their death. The directive shows that DSD has little understanding …
On Thursday, 19 October 2023, the Multi-Party Charter (DA, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, ACDP, ISANCO, UIM and SNP) will host an event on the steps of Parliament, Cape Town to formally welcome the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) as the Charter’s newest member. The event will include a signing ceremony where the ACDP leadership will …
Africa can produce more energy than it requires - Minister Ramokgopa
Africa can produce more energy than it requires within the next 30 years if it takes advantage of its natural resources.
This is according to Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was delivering a keynote address on Green Hydrogen at the Africa Energy Week held in Cape Town.
“We need to have a Pan African view in the exploitation of this energy carrier and our view is that by 2040 Africa can produce up to 50 times more energy from renewables than the world’s estimated demand.
“This is as a result of our location advantages. I think we have some of the radiation levels of any parts of the world and we also have some of the best wind speeds along the coastal areas,” he said.
The Minister emphasised, however, that Africa must provide its own “interpretation” on what a just energy transition constitutes.
“We have got an opportunity to define a Just Energy Transition with African characteristics and in this instance, it is about universal access, the exploitation of critical minerals that are key to development of green hydrogen and realising its potential.
“We can see that by smelting African iron ore locally, we are likely going to create much needed jobs and therefore the skills that are required to support that transition. In that way, in addition to broadening the industrial base, we are really getting people in good quality jobs…this is in addition to the decarbonisation agenda,” he said.
Honing in further on green hydrogen, Ramokgopa moved to allay fears that green hydrogen production will bear a heavy toll on South Africa’s water resources.
“It is important that in the conversation around the potential of green hydrogen, we confront what essentially is an objective inherent risk associated with the exploitation of this resource and the strain that it’s putting on our water resources.
“There’s a rich body of literature that suggests that coastal countries can use sea water to produce green hydrogen and therefore eliminating the strain that is likely it’s likely going to place on limited water resources...especially countries like South Africa where water is a scarce commodity,” he said.
The Minister explained that Sub-Saharan Africa’s resources have the capacity to “produce anything between 5000 and 13 000 million tonnes per year” of green hydrogen.
“We think that could come at about $2 per kilogram…essentially by 2050 and therefore making green hydrogen financially competitive compared to other energy sources.
“I did make the point that it could also contribute significantly to the national revenue funds of many African countries of up to $20 billion and that could distributed to ensure that we are able to expand on social infrastructure, improve the quality of life of our people and ensure that we put Africa on a pedestal for significant growth going into the future,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 10/17/2023 - 15:29
Pretoria, South Africa – 17 October 2023: Jaguar TCS Racing heads into the 2024 season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship off the back of their best performance to date and with one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid. Between Kiwis Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy, they hold 15 wins, 37 …
Dear Editor The implications of the National Treasury’s discussions with the World Bank to access a $1 billion loan (R19 billion) for Eskom’s unbundling and to upgrade Transnet’s locomotives are a matter of considerable concern. Among these are: A deeply constrained national fiscus South Africa’s budget deficit is expected to grow to 6.5% of GDP, …
Knowing your neighbours’ routines and being aware of their movements significantly increases the chances of noticing when something is amiss. On 12 October at approximately 15:00 Fidelity ADT successfully apprehended a suspect in Kimberley. The incident unfolded when a neighbour spotted an unfamiliar individual inside a customer’s yard. The neighbour promptly alerted the homeowner, who …
Durban to host official BRICS Games 2023 opening ceremony this afternoon
The National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government will host the 5th BRICS Games official opening ceremony today.
The ceremony will take place at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban.
The latest edition of the 2023 BRICS Games will see young athletes aged between 19 and 21 across BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations battling for various honours within five sporting codes.
These include swimming, badminton, table tennis, tennis and beach volleyball.
The games will be played simultaneously across Kings Park Swimming Pool, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Curro Hillcrest High School and Bay of Plenty from October 18 to 21.
“Following the BRICS leaders’ recommendation, the 2023 BRICS Games will be an expanded championship programme which will see more sporting and the inclusion of Paralympians in the code of tennis for the first time at the games.
“The opening ceremony will officially unveil competing teams from all the BRICS nations.” – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Tue, 10/17/2023 - 10:47
Leading South African truck and trailer body building company Serco’s premises in Gauteng are now fully powered by solar energy! The company’s ongoing commitment to green initiatives have seen a state-of-the-art 150kW hybrid solar system introduced with 370 x 405Watt panels, and the latest high voltage inverters coupled with 320kW’s of batteries, installed at the …
Jozi Padel, October 22nd, 2023 – Hamba Bamba Funda, a distinguished Section 18A non-profit organization dedicated to early childhood development from conception to 2 years, is thrilled to announce its upcoming Padel Charity Event on October 22nd. Mark your calendars for a day brimming with exciting activities, all in the spirit of empowering caregivers in …
Disaster response teams on the ground amid rains
Communities in the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) in the Eastern Cape have been urged to remain vigilant amid the rainy weather conditions.
The municipality said it has experienced heavy rains in most parts of the district, which has caused severe damage to houses and caused roads and bridges to overflow.
“Communities are urged to remain vigilant and on high alert during this time and at all costs avoid crossing overflowing bridges, roads and rivers. ADM disaster teams are on the ground conducting assessments working closely with the local councillors.
“The extent of damage will only be clear once this has been concluded. Affected communities are encouraged to report damages to their ward councillors to expedite ADM disaster response,” said municipal spokesperson, Nonceba Madikizela-Vuso.
Durban motorists must exercise caution
Meanwhile, in Durban, the eThekwini Municipality has urged motorists to buckle up, switch on headlights and drive safely as many roads have been affected by heavy rainfall.
A number of roads were closed on Monday night due to heavy rainfall.
The affected roads include Curnick Ndlovu Highway N2 bridge, N2 North bound in Umlazi, R102 and Glen Anil, M4 southern freeway, M25 towards Phoenix and KwaMashu Highway, Kloof Village Road and Maytime offramp in Hillcrest, Duffs Road and Glen Anil in Durban North, Sparks Road from Sherwood towards Randles Road, M4 South from Victoria Embankment, Plamview Drive near Palmview Primary School, and South Coast Road near Delta.
According to the South African Weather Services outlook for 16 to 17 October 2023, showers and thundershowers will be experienced in the eastern parts of the country with widespread rains over the eastern parts on 16 October 2023 and over the north-eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal on 17 October 2023. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Tue, 10/17/2023 - 11:26
In a quick response, Fidelity ADT’s community operations managers, played a crucial role in the apprehension of suspects involved in a series of armed robberies in Kempton Park. On the afternoon of October 11th, Fidelity ADT Community Operations Managers received a tip-off about suspects fleeing from Centurion towards the Moot Region, Pretoria. Without wasting any …
The municipality has suspended fishing at Zeekoevlei due to high heavy metal levels, but people are still fishing in the Lotus River canal
In a swift response to a suspicious activity, Fidelity ADT, a leading security company, successfully prevented an attempted petrol and car oil theft, as well as fraudulent card usage at a petrol in, Gallo Manor. At 10:41 AM, three suspects arrived at the garage in a silver Hyundai hatchback. They ordered the petrol attendant, to …
Minister welcomes return of Kusile Unit 1
The Ministry of Electricity says the return to service of unit 1 at Kusile Power Station marks a critical milestone in the quest to "recover South Africa’s economy”.
Eskom on Monday announced that the unit had returned to service a month and a half ahead of schedule since it was taken offline late last year.
The ministry said the Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has welcomed the development.
“The return of the unit, which had been out of commission, together with unit 2 and 3 since August 2022 following safety concerns with the structural integrity of the stack, comes two months ahead of schedule and adds 800MW onto the grid.
“This marks significant overall improvements to generation performance with Kusile Unit 3, which came back online on 29 September 2023, also returning back to service two months ahead of schedule.
“The third of the units (Unit 2) is now expected to similarly return to service in November 2023, whilst Unit 5 will come into commercial operation in December 2023,” the statement read.
The Ministry highlighted the impact that the return of the unit will have.
“The return of the Kusile units represents a critical milestone in our quest to recover South Africa’s economy, protect jobs, advance universal access and improve the quality of life.
“The Minister remains focused on bolstering the country’s electricity generating capacity by giving accelerated attention to the expansion and strengthening of transmission infrastructure to accommodate new renewable generation capacity.
“The Minister congratulates Eskom’s Generation team for the sterling hard work to bring back stability and credibility to the Eskom generation fleet and reducing the intensity and severity of load shedding,” the statement said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 10/17/2023 - 10:58
In our fast-paced modern society, where change is a constant and innovation is imperative, good corporate governance should not just be a set of static rules. It should be a dynamic service that fuels success. According to Bushra Razack, the CEO of Philippi Village, an organisation that provides a safe space and opportunities for local …
Dear Editor The DA has today submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application for all relevant documentation relating to the controversial and long-outstanding Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP). As a result of the FRAP process, many fisherfolk in traditional communities have had their applications rejected. Many of these fisherfolk come from established …
Cabinet’s concurrence of the Tourism Sector Masterplan welcomed
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has welcomed Cabinet’s concurrence of the Tourism Sector Masterplan, which was gazetted on Friday.
“Implementing the masterplan will create opportunities for inclusive participation of all sectors of society, including women, youth and people with disabilities. This plan also gives impetus to the recovery and sustained growth of the sector,” said de Lille.
Due to its multiplier effect, labour intensity and value chain that creates significant employment opportunities, tourism is recognised as a priority sector of the South African economy.
The sector’s interlinkages with other economic sectors provides business opportunities for Small, Micro to Medium Enterprises, which is why it was identified as one of seven key sectors in South Africa's Re-Imagining Industrial Strategy, approved by Cabinet in 2019.
This is the basis upon which the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan (TSRP) was converted into a comprehensive Tourism Sector Masterplan.
The conversion of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan into the Tourism Sector Masterplan was one of the key priorities given to Minister de Lille by President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of her performance agreement. This priority has now been achieved, said the department.
“The masterplan aims to galvanise industry, labour and government to collectively act on a shared vision, identify priorities, and deliver economic activity and jobs for all South Africans,” de Lille said.
As the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan has a lifespan of three years, from 2021/22 to 2023/24.
The department had embarked on a process to convert the TSRP into the Tourism Sector Masterplan. “This entailed the integration of all TSRP interventions into the Tourism Sector Masterplan, with the extension of the timeframe for implementation up to the 2025/26 financial year,” the Minister said.
Additionally, the vision, mission, guiding principles and values of the National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) 2016 – 2026 were adopted.
Institutional and governance responsibilities for developing and implementing the masterplan were added in accordance with the masterplan guidelines to prepare, develop and implementation of the masterplan.
The TSRP was a three-year, highly focussed intervention and product of collaboration with key stakeholders from the government, the private sector and other social partners aimed at mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism economy and charting a roadmap for recovery.
It proposed various measures to protect and rejuvenate supply, reignite demand and strengthen enabling capability for tourism recovery.
Overall, the plan proposed seven strategic interventions underpinned by specific actions aimed at helping the sector recover to pre-pandemic levels and positioning the sector for long-term sustainable growth.
The plan is aligned to the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP), in particular to the ERRP's priorities in the areas of employment creation, infrastructure investment, green economy or sustainability interventions inclusion of women and youth as well as skills development.
The Tourism Sector Masterplan is available on the department’s website at: www.tourism.gov.za and a copy of the gazette can also be viewed on: https://www.tourism.gov.za/AboutNDT/Publications/Government%20Gazette%20Number%2049503%20-%20Tourism%20Sector%20Masterplan.pdf. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Tue, 10/17/2023 - 10:54
Andre Barnard, NSRI Hermanus duty coxswain, said: Just after 04h00, Sunday, 15 October, NSRI were alerted to a 73 year old fisherman on a fishing boat suffering a medical complaint deep-sea off-shore between Agulhas and Hermanus. NSRI EOC, NSRI Agulhas duty controllers, NSRI Hermanus duty controllers, WC Government Health EMS Metro Control and an EMS …
Dear Editor The DA will submit a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the Presidency over GCIS’ plan to develop a streaming service, which will cost the taxpayer R1 billion. In the context of unemployment and the cost-of-living crisis, the DA is appalled by reports that GCIS (Government’s Communication and Information System) …
Dear Editor The DA notes with great concern reports of strike action by State Information Technology Agency (SITA) workers, with the looming possibility of a “total shutdown until demands are met”. Members of the Public Servants Association (PSA) announced their strike on Monday, 16 October, after wage negotiations with the Department of Communications & Digital …
Social Development hands over uniforms to learners in Majuba District
Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, who is also the District Development Model (DDM) champion of Amajuba, has handed over school uniforms to 128 learners from 25 schools in the district.
The handover took place on Monday at Christ the King Catholic Church in Madadeni, Newcastle.
Bogopane-Zulu encouraged the learners to stay in school in order to break the cycle of poverty through education. She emphasised that where one comes from does not necessarily dictate where they are going.
“Don’t let your current situation at home make you think you will not succeed,” Bogopane-Zulu said.
Each of the 128 learners received two vests, three undergarments, three pairs of socks, a tracksuit set, shirts, a jersey, a pair of shoes, two trousers, a tie, a skirt or tunic for girls and a belt for boys.
The month of October is Social Development Month (SDM), which is celebrated annually to mark the nation’s commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in society. This year, Social Development Month is commemorated under the theme: "Working together to eradicate poverty and other social ills".
In line with theme, Bogopane-Zulu, in partnership with PETCO and Mpilenhle Recycling, will formalise the sectors of waste pickers and sorters.
The department designs and implements integrated development programmes aimed at community mobilisation and community development through social facilitation to raise human potential in communities.
“The department's strategy is aimed at rooting out the causes of poverty and improving the livelihoods of poor households and communities, which is anchored on the principle that people are the drivers of their own development.
“Meaningful community development strategies should be geared toward overcoming poverty and promoting human development in all its dimensions by creating a space for communities to participate and influence decisions that affect their lives,” the department said.
The Deputy Minister will today visit the Madadeni landfill site to implement a plan to include ablution and recreation facilities. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Tue, 10/17/2023 - 08:54
For many small and medium enterprise (SME) owners, running a business isn’t just a job but an integral part of who they are. The boundaries between personal and business life often blur, meaning that the health of their businesses is inextricably tied to their personal, emotional, and mental well-being. This means that the many unique …
Sony Unveils INZONE Buds – Truly Wireless Gaming Earbuds with the Industry’s Longest Battery Life[i], Advised by Fnatic INZONE Buds join the acclaimed INZONE range as its first truly wireless gaming earbuds, bringing the industry’s longest 12-hour battery life1 with less than 30ms low latency. Also introducing the lightweight INZONE H5 wireless headset and a …