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Fine weather conditions ahead for SONA
Fine weather conditions ahead for SONA
With less than a day until President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town, attendees of the joint sitting of Parliament can expect fine weather conditions.
“We are expecting fine weather conditions with a minimum of 17°C and a maximum of 24°C. For the Western Cape, there will be a 30% chance of showers and rain along the south coast but it will be a fine day with no precipitation in Cape Town,” South African Weather Service (SAWS) Meteorologist and Forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela told SAnews on Wednesday.
The joint sitting will see attendees, including Members of Parliament (MPs) and invited guests, walking the red carpet ahead of the President’s speech.
Winds can be expected on the southerly to south easterly direction at between 10 and 20 kilometres per hour (km/h). If there are any gusts, this will be at about 60 km/h.
Around the coastal areas between Cape Agulhas and Cape Columbine, there could be damaging winds and waves. These conditions could result in difficulty in navigation at sea.
The President will address the nation on Thursday, 6 February, at 7 pm, at the Cape Town City Hall.
SONA is convened by the President in terms of the Constitution to provide the nation with an update on government's commitments and programme of action for the new financial year.
It is a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), presided over by the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the NCOP. The President's address is the sole item on the agenda.
This will be the first SONA of the seventh administration. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 02/05/2025 - 14:36
231 views
Thunderstorms expected in several parts of the country
Thunderstorms expected in several parts of the country
Severe thunderstorms are expected over the North West, Gauteng, extreme south western Mpumalanga and eastern and central parts of the Free state as well as the western parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal and parts of the Easter Cape.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) on Sunday said isolated showers and thundershowers can be expected over the east and central parts of the country.
“Along the south-west parts of the country a cold front is expected to make landfall resulting in showers and rain along the south coast,” meteorologist at the SAWS, Samkelisiwe Thwala said.
Yellow level 2 and Yellow level 1 warnings have also been issued.
“A Yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms causing heavy downpours, large amounts of small hail, strong damaging winds and excessive lightning that will result in localised flooding of susceptible settlements, roads and low-lying areas, localised damage to properties as well as localised disruptions to municipal services are expected over the North West, Gauteng, extreme south western Mpumalanga and eastern and central parts of Free state as well as the western parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal and extreme eastern parts of the Easter Cape.
“A Yellow level 1 warning for damaging winds leading to difficulty in navigation at sea, and small vessels at risk of capsizing in locality is expected between Cape Agulhas and Plettenberg Bay as well as between Coffee Bay and Port Edwards,” she said.
In addition, a Yellow level 1 warning for strong damaging winds that could lead to localised damage to settlements both formal and informal, are expected in places over Chris Hani District Municipality, Walter Sisulu Local Municipality and Senqu Local Municipality as well as the central and the southern parts of Northern Cape and over the western parts of the Free State.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the national Reconciliation Day message to the nation in Vredendal in the Western Cape tomorrow.
“Sunny conditions can be expected with cool temperatures with no anticipation of adverse weather,” Thwala said of Monday’s commemoration.
Asked on whether Gauteng can expect heatwave conditions in the new week, Thwala said there “is no heatwave expected for the upcoming week as temperatures are expected to range between warm and hot.”
She urged holiday makers visiting various places across the country to stay safe and adhere to the severe weather alerts issued. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Sun, 12/15/2024 - 13:20
151 views
Court Bid to Block TotalEnergies Gas Project off West Coast
Fishers and activists want government to reverse environmental authorisation
Interesting facts about four of South Africa’s biggest and oldest coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)!
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are the ‘nature reserves’ of the sea, conserving marine biodiversity to protect threatened species and ocean health. South Africa is home to some 41 MPAs which play a vital role in ocean conservation, although currently only 5% of the country’s ocean space is protected by these vital areas. In celebration of …
Cape Town schools closed, 15 000 people affected by severe weather
Cape Town schools closed, 15 000 people affected by severe weather
The Western Cape Government (WCG) continues to provide shelter, food, and blankets to the homeless as the province faces heavy downpours, resulting in the closure of many schools.
The province announced that schools in the Cape Town metro districts, Cape Winelands and Overberg districts as well as parts of the West Coast district have closed today.
“In the interests of learner and teacher safety, and after extensive consultation with the Provincial Disaster Risk Management Centre and the South African Weather Service (SAWS), a decision has been taken to close schools in certain districts in the Western Cape [on Thursday],” Western Cape MEC for Education, David Maynier, said on Wednesday.
According to the MEC, all other schools in the remaining districts will be open unless approval has been granted for closure.
“Our default position is always to keep schools open but are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place and the damage already caused in certain areas.
“So far, 20 schools have been granted permission for closure across the province, the majority of which are in the Cape Winelands district,” the MEC explained.
Over the past few days, 137 schools have reported some form of damage to infrastructure, either because of flooding or heavy winds. Most of the cases are minor, while 49 cases require urgent attention.
Level 8 warning
Meanwhile, a Level 8 warning has been issued by the SAWS for disruptive rain.
This warning remains in place for heavy rain, flooding, and mudslides, particularly in the Cape Town metro, Drakenstein and Stellenbosch regions.
The province is also expecting strong winds to persist over the interior regions and along the coastal areas of Saldanha Bay and Cape Agulhas over the next few days.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, the PDMC and other stakeholders are monitoring the series of cold fronts very closely.
“Virtually all WCG departments are working together to mitigate the possible impact of this weather system.
“All stakeholders will remain vigilant, and I urge members of the public to also do so. Disaster management teams are working tirelessly to keep members of the public out of harm’s way. For this, we are very thankful.”
The WCG said they have been working closely with all affected municipalities, national departments, as well as non-government organisations (NGOs), who have been working tirelessly to safeguard lives and assist residents in need during the current floods.
Chief Director of Disaster Management, Colin Deiner, explained that over the next several days the centre will continue to monitor the situation closely.
He stressed that a critical aspect of the overall response is to ensure all disaster officials and organisations are adequately resourced to keep up the good work they have been doing.
Humanitarian support
Meanwhile, about 4 000 structures have sustained damage across Cape Town, impacting 15 000 people.
“With the help of NGOs, 11 000 hot meals are being provided each day across Cape Town metro to people affected by the weather.”
The Western Cape Department of Social Development is coordinating humanitarian relief efforts for affected communities with partner NGOs like Gift of the Givers Foundation, The Warehouse Foundation, Ashraful Aid, Al-Imdaad Foundation, Islamic Relief SA, and the Community Chest of the Western Cape.
In addition, many rivers are reaching full saturation levels and run-off could increase exponentially. This is being closely monitored by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Dams
Many of the province’s dams are also rising rapidly, with Clanwilliam Dam currently sitting at 90.89%, Berg River Dam increased to 104.06%, the Theewaterskloof Dam at 76%, while Misverstand Dam has risen to 161%.
“A controlled release of water from Wemmershoek Dam into the Berg River was carried out as a precautionary measure. This controlled release is necessary to reduce the risk of flooding downstream.”
Electricity
According to the provincial government, electricity faults are being reduced. However, 11 000 people are still without Eskom power in numerous areas, including Citrusdal, De Doorns and Touwsrivier.
In Delft, around 1 500 Eskom customers are without electricity.
“The power utility is working hard to restore power.” – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 11:25
335 views
Western Cape prepares for inclement weather
Western Cape prepares for inclement weather
The Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Department says the province is expecting a series of cold fronts with adverse weather conditions starting this weekend and continuing into most of next week.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC, Anton Bredell, said the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) was briefed on Saturday by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) on the approaching weather systems.
The weather service has since issued several warnings for heavy rains and rains:
- A level 4 warning for heavy rain and potential flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape on Sunday.
- A level 6 warning for high winds of between 80 and 90km/h over the western and south-western parts of the Western Cape on Sunday.
- A level 4 warning for winds of between 50 and 70km/h for the Namakwa district as well as the central and eastern parts of the province.
- A level 6 warning for waves between 6 and 8 metres along the coastline between Alexander Bay and Cape Agulhas from Sunday, spreading to Plettenberg Bay by the afternoon.
- A level 4 warning for disruptive snowfall over the mountains of the Western Cape as well as the southern high ground of the Namakwa District on Sunday.
Bredell said the PDMC is on standby and the various municipal district disaster centres are ready to be activated if needed.
“Emergency, rescue and social services are prepared to respond to any eventualities,” the department said in a statement.
Ready to assist
Meanwhile, provincial departments are represented at the PDMC and will be ready to provide support if needed.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation said catchments and dam levels are being monitored closely and regular updates will be made to the PDMC as the weather systems develop.”
According to Bredell, strong winds, combined with rain-saturated soil increase the risks of trees and tall structures being toppled.
In addition, the provincial department said various government services may be affected by the inclement weather and residents are asked to stay informed by monitoring the latest weather reports through trusted local news platforms and the local municipality’s social media pages.
“Services are also being activated to support the vulnerable and those impacted by the inclement weather,” the MEC added.
Other provinces
According to the SAWS, very wet, cold and windy conditions associated with an intense cold front and steepening upper-air trough are expected to start affecting the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, the North West and Free State, spreading along the Lesotho border on Monday.
“The public and small stock farmers are advised that very cold conditions and snowfalls are expected,” the statement read.
The SAWS also issued a warning about high fire danger conditions that are expected over theFree State, eastern parts of the Northern Cape, western parts of North West, Eastern Cape, south-western parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Call for caution
In the meantime, residents have been urged to stay warm and safe.
“With the end of the school holidays, many people may be travelling home. We ask residents to please be extremely cautious on the roads.
“Due to the combination of high winds, heavy rain, and snowfalls over high mountains expected, we urge residents to please reconsider travel and outdoor activities next week and avoid unnecessary travel,” the MEC cautioned. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 07/07/2024 - 11:44
98 views
TotalEnergies will destroy our livelihoods say small scale fishers
South African fishers joined a picket outside the company’s AGM in France last week
African Oystercatcher bucks the trend in crashing bird populations
Haematopus moquini has gone from “Near Threatened” to “Least Concern” on the Red Data List
Minister conducts site inspection at Lighthouse Precinct project
Minister conducts site inspection at Lighthouse Precinct project
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille visited the Lighthouse Precinct project in the Cape Agulhas National Park on Tuesday to inspect progress on site and to impress on all stakeholders the importance of working together to grow the country’s tourism offerings.
The project is one of many being implemented by the Department of Tourism across the country as part of the Tourism Sector Master Plan’s objectives to stimulate demand by investing in new and maintaining existing tourism infrastructure and attractions.
The Lighthouse Precinct Project in the Agulhas National Park in the Western Cape is a R54.9 million investment by the department into the area to ensure that the site remains attractive to visitors and supports tourism development in the surrounding communities.
The project is being implemented together with the SANParks and overall progress on site is now at 73% and it is anticipated that it will be completed in June this year.
The park is located in the Southern Overberg region of the Western Cape and stretches along the coastal plain between the towns of Gansbaai and Struisbaai and includes the southern-most tip of Africa.
“Investment in infrastructure by government shows the private sector that we are serious about growing our tourism offering and by government investing, we are creating the conditions conducive for further investment by the private sector.
“As a top tourist destination, we remain committed to constantly diversifying and growing our tourism offering so that we remain an attractive destination that keeps visitors coming back,” de Lille said after the visit, along with the Mayor of the Cape Agulhas Municipality, Paul Swart, the Deputy Mayor of the Overberg District Municipality, Helen Coetzee and other councilors from the region.
The project was funded in two phases. Phase 1 was completed in 2018. Phase 2 is currently under construction and includes:
• Construction of a restaurant
• Interpretation centre (including vendor stalls, ablution facilities, curio shops, booking office and lecture theatre)
• Construction of reception area/offices
• External works and bulk infrastructure
The project also has a significant socio-economic benefits as so far the project has employed 77 people including 48 youth, 50 women and two persons with disabilities during construction.
Eight sub-contractors from surrounding communities were also employed on the project to do work such as brick and steel work, stone cladding, laying of kerbs and channels.
De Lille said all stakeholders were pleased with the progress of the project and have agreed that they must continue working as partners, the department, SANParks, the Cape Agulhas and the Overberg District Municipalities to ensure that the project continues to benefit the area for many years to come.
“We must work together to ensure its continued success and to ensure that the attraction is properly maintained and looked after so that it can bring economic benefits to tourism and the surrounding communities,” de Lille said. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Tue, 03/26/2024 - 14:06
263 views
Graduation Day for 20 Aghuhlas Peace Officers
The Cape Agulhas municipal area is now in a stronger position to combat crime after 20 Peace Officers (PO’s) graduated in Bredasdorp yesterday from the PO-programme. For the Overberg region, we have now completed PO training and placement of 73 PO’s. This includes the 19 in Swellendam, 18 in Theewaterskloof, who graduated in December 2023, …