Author: Agency

As winter approaches, Cabinet says it welcomes the finalisation of the contract for 400 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity through the standard offer programme, which will be added to the grid by the end of May 2023. Cabinet announced on Thursday following a meeting the previous day. “Cabinet noted the progress made in the implementation of the Energy Action Plan (EAP), while it acknowledges significant constraints that remain against the national grid,” the Cabinet statement read. In addition, the Department of Health has identified 213 hospitals for exclusion from load shedding, with 76 of these already exempted. According to Cabinet,…

The South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has hiked the repurchase rate (repo rate) by 50 basis points to 8.25%. The increase means that the repo rate will now be 8.25% per year from 26 May 2023, with prime now at 11.75%. This was announced by South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Lesetja Kganyago during a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday. “At the current repurchase rate level, policy is restrictive, consistent with elevated inflation and risks. The policy stance aims to anchor inflation expectations more firmly around the mid-point of the target band and to increase confidence…

Eskom Acting CEO, Calib Cassim, has announced that if a series of interventions to reduce power demands and improve reliability is unsuccessful this winter, load shedding could intensify to Stage 8. “It is going to be a difficult winter,” he told the media on Thursday. Citing the contributing factors, Cassim said the State-owned entity is approaching the cold season with 3 000 megawatts (MW) less capacity compared to last year, due to units 1, 2 and 3 of Kusile Power Station and 1 unit of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station being currently offline. “However, the focus during this winter, first and…

Communication and Digital Technologies Minister, Mondli Gungubele, says the department is extensively engaging with various stakeholders and roleplayers to ensure broad and substantive consultations are done regarding the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. Tabling the department’s R3.5 billion budget for 2023/2024 in Parliament on Wednesday, Gungubele said five provinces, including the Free State, Northern Cape, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, have successfully switched off and are currently receiving television broadcast on a digital platform. However, Gungubele said despite the successful switch off of the five provinces, he is currently facing legal action from stakeholders, who argued that the switch…

A groundbreaking initiative is set to grow the agricultural sector in the iLembe District Municipality, according to KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni. Nkonyeni said the provincial government plans to focus on growing cannabis and other indigenous plants as well as facilitate entry into markets so that all organic agricultural products can be exported to foreign countries. Through this initiative, the province will afford an opportunity for the youth and unemployed graduates to get involved in farming. The MEC made the comments when she addressed stakeholders, including business, traditional leaders, agriculture professionals and experts in organic farming, recently. “We…

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) is seeking comments from interested parties on the proposal to prohibit the export of certain ferrous and non-ferrous waste and scrap metal. This also includes the temporary suspension of the price preference system, insofar as it relates to certain ferrous and non-ferrous waste and scrap metal for a further period of nine months. In the Government Notice No. R. 2802 — published in the Government Gazette No. 47627, dated 30 November 2022 — Trade, Industry and Competition Minister, Ebrahim Patel published a Trade Policy Directive and Notice, in terms of sections 5…

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, on Tuesday told Parliament that government will open a bid in July to procure additional renewable energy. Mantashe, who was delivering his Budget Vote speech for the 2023/24 financial year, said Bid Windows 7 and 8 will each give 5 000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. “The requests for proposals for the procurement of this capacity will be issued to the market in the second and fourth quarter of this financial year respectively.” In addition, he said the second and fourth quarters will see further requests for proposals for the procurement of battery…

As a response to the fast-changing communication environment, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) will fast track the upskilling of its workforce and upgrade the Information and Communications Technology systems to meet new demands. “We live in a rapidly changing world in which technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace. During COVID-19, the GCIS embraced technological platforms to facilitate remote meetings, connectivity and communication,” Minister in the Presidency is Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Tuesday in parliament. Delivering the GCIS budget for the 2023/24 financial year, the Minister said technology has now become the norm and has allowed the GCIS…

The National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (NPA AFU) has been granted an order of restraint on some R102 million worth of assets to be frozen from 45 accused persons. According to NPA Investigating Directorate spokesperson, Sindisiwe Seboka, the order is related to allegedly unlawfully awarded police tenders worth millions of rands. “The 45 persons, whose assets have been restrained, are facing charges relating to 53 contracts that were unlawfully awarded to the 26 companies. The State is alleging that companies that are effectively owned and controlled by Kishene Chetty and his father, Krishna Chetty were unlawfully awarded contracts by…

South Africa’s infrastructure drive to revitalise the economy and create employment continues to gain momentum, says Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. “In this regard, the Minister of Transport, Sindi Chikunga, broke ground for the Ashburton Interchange Project, worth R2.4 billion, in Msunduzi Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, which will improve the seamless movement of cargo from the Port of Durban into the country and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region,” the Minister said on Thursday. Ntshavheni was addressing a media briefing in Cape Town on the outcomes of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. The Ashburton Interchange is part of the larger N2…