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Introduction Digital transformation is revolutionising industries across the globe, and South Africa is no exception. At the heart of this transformation are cloud service providers in South Africa, which provide the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency businesses need to stay competitive. These providers are playing a pivotal role in enabling businesses to leverage advanced technologies and …
Introduction Software development is a cornerstone of the modern economy, driving innovation and efficiency across various sectors. In South Africa, the software development companies in South Africa landscape is vibrant and evolving, with numerous companies and talented developers contributing to the industry’s growth. Understanding the current state and future trends of software development in South …
Today marks the official launch of the Founders Cartel, a dynamic coalition of South Africa’s most promising startups, aimed at revolutionizing the local and global startup ecosystem. The cartel has been formed to help founders in the group share best practices, share knowledge, conduct business among themselves, and consolidate their efforts in pursuing opportunities. The …
Achievements and challenges: President reflects on sixth administration
As the term of the sixth administration draws to a close, President Cyril Ramaphosa has reflected on the achievements and challenges faced by government during this five year period.
South Africans are expected head to the polls in the National and Provincial Elections this week to elect leaders for the seventh administration.
In an address to the nation on Sunday, the President said that at the start of his term in office in 2019, South Africa “stood at a turning point”.
“We had endured a decade of corruption and state capture, of weak economic growth and the erosion of our public institutions. Today, we have put that era behind us. We have placed South Africa on a new trajectory of recovery and laid a strong foundation for future growth.
“We have taken significant steps to reform our economy by implementing a number of reforms that affect various sectors of the economy. In tackling crime and corruption, we have introduced a number of initiatives and measures to reposition our criminal justice system.
“We have faced many challenges along the way, which have tested our resilience and our resolve. Yet, in each instance, we have confronted these challenges together. We have remained united. We have worked in partnership and in solidarity,” the President said.
State Capture and corruption
President Ramaphosa said that the nation brought state capture to an end.
“We dislodged the criminal networks that had stolen billions from our people, that had eroded our public institutions and that had undermined the rule of law. Together, we worked to rebuild our law enforcement agencies, our security services, our state-owned companies and a number of other public bodies.
“Through the work of institutions like the NPA’s [National Prosecuting Authority] Investigating Directorate, the Hawks and the SIU, several state capture and corruption cases have been brought to court and billions of Rands in stolen funds have been recovered,” he said.
To further strengthen the work of the NPA, President Ramaphosa has now signed into law the establishment of the NPA’s Investigating Directorate against Corruption as a permanent entity.
“There is still much that we need to do to end corruption. However, as a country, we have sent a clear message to the corrupt that they can no longer expect to get away with their crimes with impunity and without consequence,” President Ramaphosa said.
COVID-19 pandemic
The President remarked that the COVID-19 pandemic, which swept across the world and pushed economies to their limits, was one of the defining moments of the last five years.
More than 100 000 South Africans died during the pandemic with some two million jobs lost.
“We introduced a massive package of social and economic support to protect vulnerable businesses, workers and households from the destructive effects of the pandemic. More than 5.7 million workers received wage support through the special UIF scheme.
“Through the introduction of the special SRD [Social Relief of Distress] grant, we provided relief to more than 11 million unemployed people at the height of the pandemic.
“Working together, we succeeded in administering more than 39 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. Even during the worst moments of the pandemic, we endured and we overcame. This is how we are as South Africans. We confront even the greatest of challenges with determination and courage,” the President said.
Rebuilding the economy
President Ramaphosa said rebuilding the economy following the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterised by South Africans coming together “in social partnerships to drive investment, to build infrastructure and to remove the obstacles to inclusive growth”.
He highlighted that as a result, the economy has now returned to levels seen before the pandemic and “we have recovered the jobs lost to the pandemic”.
“Together, we supported Eskom’s efforts to improve the performance of its power stations. We enabled investment in new electricity generation capacity on a scale that is unprecedented in our history.
“Working with financial institutions, development agencies, business and professional associations, we revitalised investment in infrastructure. The value of projects currently in construction is over R230 billion, including energy, water infrastructure and rural roads projects.
“Together, we mobilised more than R1.5 trillion in new investment commitments. This has led to the opening of new factories, mines, data centres and production lines.
“Working with private sector partners, we established the Youth Employment Service, which has created over 144 000 work experiences for young people. We have worked across government and with NGOs to implement the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which has created more than 1.9 million work and livelihood opportunities for unemployed South Africans,” he said.
Into the future
The President emphasised that the sixth administration and all of the work it has done is a springboard for building a better future.
“The last five years have been a time of rebuilding and recovery. It has been about working together not only to meet the challenges of the moment, but to put in place firm foundations for a better future.
“As this sixth administration draws to a close, and as we prepare for the seventh administration, let us build on the progress that we have made. At this moment in our path to renewal, we cannot afford to turn back. There is more work to be done,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Sun, 05/26/2024 - 19:50
The KZN South Coast, extending from Umkomaas to Port Edward, presents lucrative investment opportunities, both locally and internationally. Through its collaborative approach, South Coast Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE) is working with stakeholders to identify and package these unique opportunities for investors. Deborah Ludick Manager, Acting CEO of SCTIE, said the entity is committed to …
In today’s digital age, storytelling has found a new and vibrant platform through podcasting. As Nicolas Regisford, founder of the SA Podcast and Music Festival shares, I’ve witnessed firsthand the explosive growth of this industry, particularly in South Africa. The space is so attractive and enticing to content creators, we now need to work the …
Success in 2024 In 2024, our CEO anticipates that the Unlimited Web Hosting with Free Domain Name offer will have significantly expanded our customer base and strengthened our position as a leader in the web hosting industry. By providing unparalleled value and empowering individuals and businesses to establish a robust online presence, we will have …
President Ramaphosa signs GBV, NPA Bills into law
As the country marks 30 years of democracy, President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the aspiration to be a truly free and equal society cannot be achieved as long as criminals steal resources meant to benefit the people and the country’s women and children do not feel safe and free to walk in the streets.
President Ramaphosa said corruption and gender-based violence are two scourges that plague South Africa and corrode the country’s social fabric.
“Corruption and gender-based violence are affronts to the human dignity that is the inalienable right of every South African. These forms of criminality are holding our country back and preventing us from realising our full potential,” President Ramaphosa said.
He made the remarks at a ceremony to sign into law the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Bill and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Amendment Bill, held at the Union Buildings on Friday.
The two signed pieces of legislation will form part of government’s efforts to strengthen institutions, develop partnerships and build state capacity.
The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will coordinate and provide strategic leadership to the fight against GBV and femicide, and be multi-sectoral, drawing on the expertise of all stakeholders, including civil society, labour and business.
The establishment of the council was one of the resolutions of the first Presidential Summit on GBVF convened in 2018.
President Ramaphosa said that since the first summit important progress has been made. This includes the development of a National Strategic Plan (NSP) on Gender-Based Violence, and the founding of the Women's Economic Assembly, which aims to integrate women-owned enterprises into industry value chains, promote sustainable economic development, and empower women economically, among other things.
Around R21 billion was dedicated over the medium term to the implementation of the six pillars of the NSP, including the economic empowerment of women.
“We enacted new laws to strengthen the response of the criminal justice system to gender-based violence. We have worked to improve the support provided to survivors of gender-based violence through the establishment of new Thuthuzela Care Centres, new Sexual Offences Courts, and victim-friendly rooms at nearly all police stations across the country.
“Through these efforts, we have seen improvements in conviction rates and in stricter sentencing. While this progress is welcome, our greatest task is to prevent Gender-Based Violence from being perpetrated in the first place…. we want to end, once and for all, the violence that men perpetrate against women,” President Ramaphosa said.
While acknowledging progress made in implementing the NSP for GBVF, President Ramaphosa emphasised the need for the national response to be more coordinated between the different stakeholders.
“We need a national effort that is more inclusive, more focused, and better resourced. We are confident that this council will provide much of what we need and will further strengthen the national effort to eradicate violence against women and children,” the President said.
On the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill, President Ramaphosa highlighted that great progress has been made since the establishment of the Investigating Directorate within the NPA in the last five years.
“It has been five years since we established an Investigating Directorate within the NPA to investigate cases of corruption and other serious crimes arising from the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. These are five years in which great progress has been made.
“To date, the Investigating Directorate has taken 39 state capture and corruption cases to court, involving 212 accused persons and 68 accused entities. In the last five years, the NPA has also secured the conviction of almost 700 government officials for corruption,” President Ramaphosa said.
He noted the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit has restrained and preserved “state capture assets” to the value of more than R14 billion and over R6 billion has been recovered so far.
The signing into law of the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill will establish an Investigating Directorate against corruption as a permanent entity within the NPA.
The Investigating Directorate against corruption will be a permanent, prosecution-led agency with full criminal investigative powers.
“This legislation will help to overcome challenges with capacity and expertise within the NPA to investigate and prosecute complex corruption cases. The Investigating Directorate against corruption will be able to recruit and retain specialist skills to deliver on its mandate.
“Permanent criminal investigators will be appointed, with full police powers. The Investigating Directorate against Corruption will be able to reap the benefits of collaboration with the private sector and other social partners,” President Ramaphosa said.
He added that efforts are underway as part of the partnership between government and business to create a Digital Evidence Unit specialising in the identification, collection, analysis, and presentation of digital evidence.
The President called on all stakeholders, including government, business, labour and across civil society to support the effort to make the two new entities a success. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 05/24/2024 - 13:11
Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, driving innovation and providing essential services across all sectors. However, one area where many small businesses falter is in their legal protections, particularly regarding contracts. While downloading contract templates from the internet may seem like a cost-effective solution, it poses significant risks. Caveat Legal, a premier provider …
In light of the recent cautious stance by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on the prime lending rate and the persisting high inflation and cost of living, Lindie Malan, a renowned business coach, offers her expert advice on navigating these turbulent economic waters. The South African economy, much like the global market, continues to …
Introduction Promotional products serve as vital tools in corporate branding, offering both visibility and utility. Among these, fleece blankets stand out due to their versatility and practical appeal. In this blog, we will explore the various advantages of using fleece blankets as promotional items, focusing on their material benefits, customisation possibilities, and strategic uses …
Leveraging Absorption to Enhance Your B-BBEE Strategy and Support Youth Employment One promising solution to South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate lies in Absorption, a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) strategy that drives long-term employment and addresses the urgent need for job creation. Rajan Naidoo, Managing Director of EduPower Skills Academy, highlights that this initiative …
90 Minutes v 2 Minutes Deep research v Clicking a button To the uninitiated recognising an AI generated article can sometimes be difficult. At MyPR we do see a number of such submissions and present the findings below as a guide to the reader on what to look for when trying to spot an AI …
Media challenged to promote tourism within SADC region
Various stakeholders in the tourism sector have challenged media to use their space to promote tourism in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region.
The call was made during a virtual panel discussion on tourism media opportunities in the SADC Region, hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Brand South Africa, on Wednesday.
The panel discussion, which coincides with Africa Month, forms part of the series of conversations that will be facilitated by GCIS to showcase some of the success stories within the SADC Region.
Tourism Business Council CEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, said while the numbers may currently look good in terms of the tourists travelling to South Africa from the region and the continent, given the effects of COVID-19, there is a need to do more to bring young people in the region back into the toursim industry.
“Our job should be to make sure the region itself is attractive to international tourists. It is important to ensure that as a region, we get together and pull together our resources.
“To be attractive to the world, we need our journalists within the region and within various countries to cover tourism in way that is appealing to the international markets, in a way that it promotes travelling from those countries to South Africa, and in a way that will increase the level of tourists that are looking into South Africa,” Tshivhengwa said.
Tshivhengwa said journalists should look at how the region is building in terms of various aspects in tourism development, including issues of socio-economic development, the impact of tourism on communities, and how tourism is helping with early childhood development in various communities by way of donations and other means.
“We need to look for those things and cover them as well. There are many projects that are being done by government to uplift communities close to tourism attractions. We need to keep in mind that... it is our responsibility to promote [our region].
“Look for those stories that may not be popular in terms of selling advertising space, so that we can put those out there because as more people come in, more jobs will be created and the more prosperous the region is going to be,” Tshivhenga said.
GCIS Acting Director-General, Nomonde Mnukwa said South Africa is committed to promote and achieve the objectives of the SADC institution, and the region remains a foreign policy priority for South Africa to achieve regional development and integration.
Mnukwa said the tourism sector is considered as one of the cornerstones of the SADC regional economy, and the sector directly contributes around US$19.4 billion of the total SADC GDP.
“The tourism sector directly sustained around 2.5 million jobs in the region and a total of more than 6.3 million jobs depend on tourism, which includes direct and indirect jobs in the tourism sector.
"Travel and tourism is an important driver for job creation across the world, and our government is committed to partner with the stakeholders to invest in projects that work for people, the planet and prosperity,” Mnukwa said.
Mnukwa also echoed the sentiment that media plays a critical role in promoting tourism opportunities in the SADC region, noting that the sector has the potential to provide opportunities for all people, build resilience, and accelerate climate action and greater sustainability for the planet.
According to Statistics SA, tourism continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic levels and already contributes around 3.7% to the country’s GDP. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Thu, 05/23/2024 - 09:08
Business coaching – a discipline that has changed, evolved, and transformed in leaps and bounds since the 1800s. This year marks a milestone for the craft, as ActionCOACH Southern Africa commemorates 17 years of operation. It is a chance to also reflect on the road that brought us here, and the journey ahead for business …
International Day for Biodiversity calls for collective action to protect biological resources
As the world celebrates International Day for Biodiversity (IDB), Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Barbara Creecy, has called on all South Africans to participate in restoring and protecting South Africa’s biological resources.
The United Nations (UN) has proclaimed May 22 as International Day for Biodiversity to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
This year’s theme, ‘Be Part of the Plan’, focuses on everyone’s commitment to preserve biodiversity and stop and reverse biodiversity loss.
The department said Cabinet recently approved the White Paper on the Conservation and the Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biological Diversity as the guiding framework, which sets out the goals and objectives aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
“South Africa is rich in biodiversity, which is crucial for our ecosystems to function effectively, providing us with clean air, water and medicinal resources amongst the many benefits we derive. The White Paper is a milestone achievement for South Africa, as it is aspirational and advocates for a society where all people have a high quality of life, a voice and a nurturing earth supporting them,” said Creecy.
According to the department, the White Paper also promotes the equitable benefits of biodiversity for South Africa’s current and future generations.
Strategic objectives have been set, including the improvement of biodiversity management to strengthen the economy, rural development, job creation, and social well-being.
“The IDB celebration complements South Africa’s initiatives aimed at realising the White Paper’s objective for the conservation and sustainable use of our biodiversity to have an inclusive, transformed society living in harmony with nature,” Creecy explained.
As countries gear up for the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention to Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) to be held in Colombia later this year, the Minister said it was imperative to remind the international community of their commitments to the GBF.
This includes adequately funding and capacitating developing countries to ensure they can implement their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
The NBSAP includes mobilising the public towards practices that sustain biodiversity’s long-term benefits by incorporating indigenous knowledge and citizen science which are essential to support the sustainable management and use of biodiversity.
“I encourage business, environmentalists, academia and civil society to engage with the policies and strategies to determine how each can contribute to the targets of conserving our precious natural assets. Your actions, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on preserving the diversity of life on our planet for current and future generations.
“Together, let’s celebrate biodiversity and work towards a sustainable future,” Creecy said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 05/22/2024 - 09:54
Johannesburg, South Africa, 22 May 2024 – Topco Media, a leading B2B media, digital and events company, proudly announces that Nedbank returns as the platinum partner of the highly anticipated Nedbank Top Empowerment Conference scheduled for the 17th and 18th of July 2024, in Johannesburg. This year’s conference holds special significance as it coincides with …
The Coca-Cola system, consisting of The Coca-Cola Company and its authorised bottler Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (https://www.CCBAGroup.com), has announced its intention to grow its investment in Kenya by up to $175 million over the next five years, should the business achieve its anticipated growth targets in the country.
Hosting Kenyan President H.E. Dr William Ruto at The Coca-Cola Company's headquarters in Atlanta, Sunil Gupta, CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, said, “The Coca-Cola system has been an integral part of Kenya's landscape for more than 75 years. Today, we are excited to announce our intention to strengthen this legacy through a substantial investment.”
“This investment is aimed at accelerating the Coca-Cola system's capacity and capability expansion over the next five years. Our decision to invest underscores our belief in the long-term potential of Kenya's economy,” Gupta said.
Luisa Ortega, President of The Coca-Cola Company's Africa Operating Unit, emphasized the importance of collaboration with the government to create a stable policy environment. "The Coca-Cola system has been part of communities in Kenya for more than seven decades. We are excited to continue growing our business and supporting communities across Kenya for many years to come," said Ortega.
The Coca-Cola system has a rich legacy of refreshing Africa and making a difference in the East Africa region, where it is a major employer, directly employing 10,000 people.
The Coca-Cola system also works with over 500,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises across the region, giving the company a direct connection to the experiences shared by many businesses in Kenya and across the East African region.
“Our value chain supports livelihoods for over a million people in distribution, sales and other roles,” said Gupta. “We source close to 8,000 metric tons of mango puree from East African farmers. We believe in the region's potential and its ability to achieve significant growth through collaboration between public and private sectors. Our business in Kenya is centered on a local approach - we hire locally, produce locally, distribute locally and source locally.”
“We are optimistic and fully committed to Kenya's future. We foresee great social and economic advancement, and this is why we continue to invest in our Kenyan business as well as community programs that help strengthen Kenya's prosperity,” Ortega concluded.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Coca Cola Beverages Africa.
ISSUED BY:
Wendy Thole-Muir
Group Head of Reputation and Communication
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Tel: +27 83 795 8524
Email: WThole-Muir@ccbagroup.com
Clifford Machoka
Senior Director
Public Affairs
Communication & Sustainability
East & Central Africa
Coca-Cola Africa
Tel: +254 734 109 260/1
Email: cmachoka@coca-cola.com
About The Coca‑Cola Company:
The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company's purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca‑Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee, and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We're constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Follow us on Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/42DbAWX), Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4bKvZ0m) and LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.co/4bpOQ03).
About Coca-Cola Beverages Africa:
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 18,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 720,000 customers with a host of international and local brands. The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA shareholders are currently: The Coca-Cola Company 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 33.5%. CCBA operates in 15 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho and Malawi.
Learn more at https://www.CCBAGroup.com
Follow us on LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.co/4dfq8AC)
Celebrate World Ocean Day (8 June) this year with clean-ups, water sports, live music, entertainment and so much more at Scottburgh’s Ocean Festival running from 6 to 9 June. Embracing this year’s World Ocean Day theme Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean & Climate, the event invites participants to celebrate the ocean while playing their part …
At this month's SoCreative Summit 2024, the British Council (www.BritishCouncil.org) launched its hotly anticipated new eLearning platform, SoCreative; a series of free online courses designed to help aspiring African entrepreneurs grow sustainable creative businesses, supporting them in their journeys.
The fifth edition of the annual, highly-popular SoCreative Summit, hosted by British Council and Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) in partnership with PACE, took place at the vibrant Victoria Yards venue in Johannesburg. Dubbed a ‘gift' to the creative industries given that there is no charge, the Summit was attended by cultural makers, artists, fashion designers and anyone deserving of the title ‘creative' – both in-person and virtually, serving as a platform to nurture innovation and promote the growth and vitality of Africa's creative economy.
The launch of the SoCreative eLearning platform coincides with the culmination of the SoCreative Summit annual series. Explains Farai Bayai Ncube, Regional Arts Director Sub-Saharan Africa: British Council: “This final summit's theme, ‘Emergence', embodies the complete dedication, creativity, and vision of our delegates and partners who have contributed to its success over the past five years.
“By this same token, the emergence of our SoCreative eLearning programme will serve in its legacy, and like the summit itself, is free to those who wish to gain knowledge.”
Ncube says that the SoCreative eLearning programme was developed by academic practitioners within Africa and the United Kingdom's creative economies, and aims to fill the creative knowledge business gaps that exist in the ecosystem. “The challenges facing creative entrepreneurs have been revealed in previous summits and multiple conversations with our programme stakeholders, and so we have developed the platform in an attempt to address these shortfalls through fostering an ecosystem in which young entrepreneurs can thrive.”
The SoCreative eLearning platform is aimed at early-stage entrepreneurs who want to turn their creative pursuits into sustainable, fulfilling business endeavours. The free, self-paced courses are designed to guide users through the entire process; from learning about Africa's creative industry to finding the right market for their ideas, distinguishing their businesses, finding investors, business management skills and more. The courses include: Launching your Creative Enterprise, Growing your Creative Enterprise, Social Impact through Entrepreneurship and Creative Economy Policy.
Upon completing the programme, participants receive a certificate of achievement, which makes them eligible to apply for ongoing support through mentoring, coaching, incubation and acceleration creative economy programmes via the British Council's network within participating countries.
Says Skinder Hundal, Global Arts Director: British Council: “While this may be the final summit in this format, we will continue to create platforms that enable young people to lead innovation, to become visionaries and to shape their futures. The impact of this investment and collaboration will inspire future global leaders, making a positive impact in Africa and the world in the years to come.”
Register for the SoCreative courses here: https://apo-opa.co/3wITzuA
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of British Council.
Issued by:
MSL
Media queries:
Roxanne Manning
roxanne@rvmcommunications.co.za
+27 76 826 8333
About the British Council:
The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. In 2019-2020 we reached over 75 million people directly and 758 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive a 14.5 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.BritishCouncil.org
Site to be used for 1,000 affordable housing units
Babanango natural spring to benefit thousands of residents in KZN
Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, says the department is in a process of transforming water spewing from the natural spring in Babanango to a quality drinkable water that will benefit more than 250 000 households in Zululand and uMzinyathi District Municipalities.
The Minister said this is part of the department’s effort to diversify South Africa's water resource mix for water security.
Mchunu launched the Babanango/Inhlengile Spring Water Project during an inspection site visit to the project at Ulundi Local Municipality.
The Babanango Water Spring Project is part of the emergency upgrade of the Babanango/Inhlengile Communal Water Supply Scheme undertaken by uMngeni-uThukela Water as the implementing agent.
It is a cross-boundary water project supplying water to the District Municipalities of Zululand and uMzinyathi.
Due to the sporadic water supply from their taps' water supply shortage in the area, the community of Inhlengile, under Inkosi Mahlobo Ntobela discovered the water springs that could be developed and be used for communal water supply in Babanango.
This prompted their traditional leader, Inkosi Ntobela to request the department’s intervention on the discovered water springs.
The department conducted scientific tests on the spring water which revealed that the spring water contained elements that were not suitable for human consumption.
The department then appointed uMngeni-uThukela Water as the Implementing Agent to upgrade the spring water project initiated by the community.
A contractor was appointed by the water entity which has commenced with construction work to improve the quality of the spring water.
Mchunu said the Babanango/Inhlengile Water project is now at 70% complete and will produce about 0.5 megalitres of purified water from the spring to benefit the communities of the two districts.
He said part of the work includes the construction of a water treatment works and a packaging plant which will purify the spring water to be able to provide clean drinking water supply complies with SANS 241 [drinking water specification that states the minimum requirements for potable water to be considered safe for human consumption].
“From the water treatment works and the packing plant, purified water will then be transferred by a 6 kilometres pipeline to a 500-kilolitre water storage tank, which will supply freshwater to the communities,” Mchunu explained.
Mchunu said the project will bring a much-needed relief of water supply not only to the area of Inhlengile in Babanango, but also to the communities in both the Zululand and uMzinyathi District Municipalities.
The Minister also noted that the water resource project is more sustainable and more reliable than water supply by means of water tinkering, and from the boreholes.
“This is part of our core business of water resource management because water that is received from the natural spring in this area will be processed to the required standards. It is our duty as the Department of Water and Sanitation to develop and maintain such resources so that they benefit the people and the generations to come,” Mchunu said.
“As the department we are also advancing the Sustainable Development Goal 6 established by the United Nations General Assembly in ensuring that we provide clean water and sanitation for all,” Mchunu said.
The Minister said the communities of the two districts are expected to receive freshwater supply harvested from the natural springs by end of July this year. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Mon, 05/20/2024 - 10:52
Banks paid out hefty bonuses, though performance targets were not met