Author: Agency

Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee to Nominate a Person for Appointment as Public Protector has shortlisted eight candidates for the position with interviews expected to be held in August. The term of current incumbent, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, ends in October. She is currently suspended. The eight candidates vying for the position are: Current acting Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka Advocate Oliver Josie Johannah Ledwaba Muvhango Lukhaimane Advocate Lynn Marais Professor Boitumelo Mmusinyane Advocate Kwena Tommy Ntsewa Advocate Tseliso Thipanyane “Committee Chairperson Cyril Xaba said the candidates will be interviewed over two days, 23 and 24 August 2023. He said the committee…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says although South Africa continues to rank in the top five African countries with the best infrastructure, more can be done to improve its development. The President was addressing the nation through his weekly newsletter on Monday. He highlighted that good infrastructure can be the foundation of greater and faster economic growth and addressing poverty. “However for this world class infrastructure to continue to support our developmental goals, it has to be properly, effectively and efficiently maintained. And decisions on infrastructure investment have to respond to the growing need and upgraded appropriately. “We have good quality infrastructure,…

Government has noted Fitch’s decision to affirm South Africa’s long-term foreign and local currency debt ratings at ‘BB-’ and maintain a stable outlook. According to Fitch, South Africa’s credit rating is constrained by low real gross domestic product (GDP) growth hampered by power shortages, high level of inequality, a high government debt-to-GDP ratio, and a modest path of fiscal consolidation. National Treasury said the ratings are supported by a favourable debt structure with long maturities and denominated mostly in local currency as well as a  credible monetary policy framework. “Government is implementing urgent measures to reduce load-shedding in the short…

More than 2 000 cases and arrests have been made in cases linked to criminality at Eskom. This was announced by Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, during a media briefing on Monday. “Over the period from April 2022 to date, there are 2 147 Eskom cases that have been reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and about 1 586 of these are under investigation. Since that period…126 arrests have been made. “In addition to the technical solutions that we are seeking to resolve the issues at Eskom, we are also focused on addressing some…

Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has apologised to the nation for Stage 6 load shedding that was implemented on Thursday. The Minister was speaking during a media briefing on Monday. Eskom implemented Stage 6 load shedding last week following breakdowns and delays in returning to service of generating units. “I want to express our sincere and profuse apology for having taken you through a very difficult stage of intensive load shedding. “Firstly, load shedding is unacceptable. The second part is that going to higher stages of load shedding, especially Stage 6, should not become the norm.…

Realising the benefits and opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) requires proactive collaboration between all levels of government and businesses, says Director of Africa Bilateral Economic Trade at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Calvin Phume. Phume was addressing the AfCFTA awareness workshop, which took place in Bloemfontein, in the Free State. The workshop was part of a nationwide series aimed at equipping export-ready South African Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs), private sector, women and youth-owned enterprises with knowledge on the benefits of trading under the AfCFTA, The AfCFTA is a flagship project of the…

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the call President Ramaphosa had with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, about the ongoing negotiations between Russia and the UN about the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The discussions also revolved around the African Leaders Peace Mission and the need for a permanent and sustainable solution to the movement of grain from Russia and Ukraine to the international markets. As part of ongoing engagements on the conflict in the Ukraine and the Black Sea Grain Initiative , President Ramaphosa also held a telephone discussion with …

President Cyril Ramaphosa will unveil two statues of the Father of the Nation on 18 July 2023 in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, as part of the International Nelson Mandela Month celebrations. The programme spearheaded by the Nelson Mandela Museum is in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture; OR Tambo District Municipality and King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality. According to the statement, the statues will be unveiled at the Nelson Mandela Museum, Bhunga Building in Mthatha and Nelson Mandela Museum Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu. “The two statues of Nelson Mandela will resemble Nelson Mandela as a Statesman and the…

Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has challenged estate agents and property managers to improve the ease of doing business through digitisation. “We can’t be doing things manually in this day and age. We need to move all our interactions  online — from exams, payments, applications and renewal of Fidelity Fund Certificates (FFC),” Kubayi said. Kubayi made the remarks during a stakeholder engagement with property practitioners and real estate companies in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The engagement aimed at providing a platform between sector stakeholders and government to discuss areas of partnerships and improvements to provide sustainable human settlements. The engagement follows…

Stage 4 load shedding has been implemented immediately with Stage 6 expected to return from 2pm this afternoon (Wednesday). This as state power utility Eskom continues to battle generation unit breakdowns. By Tuesday afternoon, some 16 313MW were offline due to breakdowns with further losses overnight. “Due to the loss of additional generating units overnight, the extensive use of Open Gas Cycle Turbines and the inability to replenish pumped storage dam levels, Stage 4 load shedding will be implemented at 7am [on Wednesday] until 2pm. “Thereafter, Stage 6 load shedding will be implemented from 14:00 today until 05:00 on Thursday.…

The Government of Ireland has invited South Africans interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in Ireland to apply for the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme to study at Ireland’s world-renowned higher education institutions. The Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme is a flagship programme of the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa offered to South African students. The programme is part of the broader Ireland-Africa Fellowship Programme offered by the Government of Ireland. Through the programme, professional women and men, with leadership potential from South Africa will avail of relevant postgraduate study opportunities in Irish higher education institutions. “The scholarship broadly supports leadership…

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has called for incentives to reward those that use cleaner fuels as a measure to reduce air pollution, which affects human health and the environment. “Vehicle subsidies may be offered for example towards buyers of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, electric and hydrogen run vehicles. While fare subsidies are known to attract more numbers of commuters from use of private cars,” Chikunga said on Monday in Pretoria. Addressing the 41st annual Southern African Transport Conference (SATC 2023), she said the contribution of road transport to the Republic of South Africa’s (RSA’s) Greenhouse emissions (GHG) has increased to…

Gauteng Metrorail has advised commuters to seek alternative transport after its service experienced disruption at most of its lines on Monday, due to adverse weather conditions. “Refunds are facilitated at Metrorail train stations for affected commuters. Metrorail remains committed to operating trains safely. We would like to apologise to commuters for the inconvenience caused,” Gauteng Metrorail said. The cold weather has a negative impact on the infrastructure and its components (tracks, crossover points, electrical cables, etc.). The overhead wires also experience tension, which results in power instability and failure. Delays were experienced in the Saulsville to Pretoria line, Centurion to…

South Africa’s electricity generation capacity continues to show signs of improvement and stabilisation, says Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. This follows work done in the past two weeks. The Minister was speaking on Sunday during his weekly media briefing on progress made regarding the implementation of the Energy Action Plan. Outlining the generation performance for period 3 -7 July 2023, the Minister said that Eskom has been able to maintain the increased energy availability of more than 60% resulting in lower levels of load shedding. “The progress we’re making is tribute to the fact that we’ve stayed…

National Treasury has outlined the basic characteristics and requirements for the solar panel incentive, which is meant to help individuals in their immediate decision making regarding any solar installation services. This follows an announcement by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana at the tabling of the National Budget earlier this year that tax incentives would be provided to households installing rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV). “Government proposed this programme to encourage households to invest in clean electricity generation capacity, which can supplement electricity supply. The incentive will only be available for one year to encourage investment as soon as possible,” National Treasury said.…

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the global competitiveness of the local automotive industry. The CSIR partnership with AIDC, a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency, signals a significant milestone in advancing the growth and development of the South African automotive industry. The MoU, the CSIR said, provides a framework for joint programmes and co-development initiatives with an intent to bolster the sector. Acting CSIR Group Executive, Sipho Mbhokota, said he was elated about this move, which…

Motorists are in for more relief this month, as both grades of fuel are expected to decrease for the second month in a row. Illuminating paraffin and LP Gas are also expected to decrease, with an increase in the price of both grades of diesel. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has announced the following price changes: 93 grade petrol is expected to decrease by 24c. The price of 95 grade petrol is expected to decrease by 17c. Diesel 0.05% Sulphur is expected to go up by 18c. Diesel 0.005% Sulphur will cost 12c more. Wholesale illuminating paraffin…

With improved funding for South Africa’s Just Energy Transition, the country will be able to invest significantly in bolstering the electricity grid and new renewable energy generation. In his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said this will significantly help to end load shedding. The President’s newsletter comes after his participation at the New Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris last week, where several world leaders gathered. “With improved funding for our Just Energy Transition, we will be able to invest substantially in strengthening our electricity grid and new renewable energy generation. “This will make a…

South African government is making strides in the development of a policy for the hemp and cannabis sector, as stakeholders have collectively agreed on regulatory reforms. “These reforms will unlock the potential of cannabis in African traditional medicine; pharmaceutical and complementary medicines; human and animal ingestion, and multiple industrial applications,” the Presidency said on Friday. Given the need for more urgent implementation, under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) – together with the Presidency – government convened a Phakisa Action Lab from 19 to 23 June 2023. The Action Lab brought together more…

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says the success of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) depends on the investment in infrastructure in the areas of electricity generation, transportation, as well as freight and logistics distribution. “This is because Africa’s trade integration has been hampered for decades by the ageing infrastructure and too many regulations which require reforms,” Mashatile said. Addressing the All Africa Business Leaders Awards on Friday, the Deputy President said investing in infrastructure is crucial to unlocking the potential for Africa to experience growth at faster rates but more importantly, to ensure inclusive diversification. “In this regard, we…

State power utility Eskom says it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with The Kingdom of Netherlands to collaborate in job creation, economic growth initiatives and improvement of the environment around the Grootvlei Power Station in Mpumalanga. In July last year, the two parties signed a similar LOI. The power utility explained that the new LOI provides an “integrated and sustainable approach” for the power station’s repurpose from a coal fired station to a renewable energy hub which will also create other training and job opportunities for the surrounding community. “This marks a milestone in South Africa’s transition away…

Applications for the 2023 BRICS Future Skills Challenge are now open. The SA BRICS Business Council is looking for the country’s best up-and-coming tech gurus to represent the country in this year’s BRICS Future Skills Challenge. The challenge is described as a multi-day online “skills Olympics” or “Hackathon competition” where youngsters from BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will be solving real-world problems in their specific future skill areas. Hosted by South Africa, the event will take place in Johannesburg from 12 – 15 September 2023. This year’s programme will focus on energy, water and…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the enthusiasm of the Netherlands and Denmark in working with South Africa to strengthen economic relations, including exploring opportunities in green energy sectors. “Both countries have shown great interest in becoming key trading partners in the green hydrogen and green energy sectors,” President Ramaphosa said on Tuesday at the SA-Denmark-Netherlands Business Forum, which was held in Pretoria during the State visit of the two countries in South Africa. President Ramaphosa had earlier hosted Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, who are on an official joint working visit in…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the African Peace Initiative to Ukraine and Russia was a ‘historic’ effort to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the two countries. The President was addressing the country through his weekly newsletter following his return from the European countries. African Heads of State from Senegal, the Comoros, Zambia and South Africa, together with the Prime Minister of Egypt and envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda travelled to the two Eastern European countries to hold talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader President Vladimir Putin over the weekend. “This initiative has…

South Africa and France have entered into a cooperation protocol agreement to improve the Special Investigating Unit’s cyber forensic capabilities. The agreement is expected to also yield the establishment of an anti-corruption academy in Tshwane, which will serve the SIU and other law enforcement agencies and anti-corruption agencies within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Commonwealth and Non-Commonwealth countries. It was signed by Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, on Monday. Lamola said the cooperation agreement will add much needed skills to strengthen the SIU’s capacity in…