Author: Agency

Former Eskom’s Kriel Power Station finance manager, Sifiso Masina, has been convicted of fraud and theft in the Kriel Regional Court. According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), Masina was sentenced to some eight years imprisonment, wholly suspended “on condition that the accused is not convicted of fraud and theft during the period of suspension”. The Hawks explained that the conviction and sentence come as a result of investigations into payments Masina made during 2011 and 2012 to two companies linked to him. “The companies are Mandlenkosi Logistics, which, during investigation, it was discovered that it belongs…

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Eskom is expected to implement various stages of load shedding over the upcoming long weekend. Stage 4 load shedding is expected to be implemented from 4pm today to 5am tomorrow (Thursday) morning and will drop to Stage 2 between 5am and 4pm tomorrow. From then on, Stage 4 will be implemented until 5am on Friday, followed by Stage 3. That pattern will continue until Sunday when Stage 4 load shedding will drop down to Stage 1 between 5am until 4pm, when Stage 3 load shedding will commence. On Wednesday morning, Eskom reported that some 16 283MW of capacity was unavailable due…

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The National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has called on the public to comment on the draft legislative amendments to give effect to the two renewable energy tax incentives, announced in the 2023 Budget. The proposals, which were published on Friday, assist in partially addressing the country’s energy crisis and encourage private investment into expanding electricity generation. “This initial batch of the 2023 draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (TLAB) covers these two specific tax amendments, and are urgent, due to the proposed early effective dates for implementation, and to enhance certainty for individuals and businesses that would…

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Eskom Acting Group Chief Executive, Calib Cassim, says the power utility has launched a national demand side management initiative which could save some 1500MW of energy for the grid. Cassim was addressing the National Demand Side Management Indaba on Monday. On Sunday evening alone, demand exceeded Eskom’s capacity availability by at least 3885MW. The deficit can reach more than 5000MW during afternoon peaks. Demand side management is seen as a tool that can help the power utility to potentially reduce load shedding. “Eskom needs to focus on the supply in terms of our own plants, as well as getting the…

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In his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is determined to tackle both the energy crisis and climate change together. “The country is faced with both an electricity crisis and a climate crisis, which we must tackle together. Our position is clear and principled: it is possible for us to prioritise our immediate energy needs without jeopardising our climate commitments, and we are determined to do so. “In fact, we must accelerate the pace of investment in new renewable electricity generation as an important part of the plan to overcome load shedding,” the President said on Monday. While the country…

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The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Mpumalanga says approval of the R350 grant follows a process – one being a verfification that the applicant does not receive an income. In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said applicants should note that if their application is still pending it means, it’s not yet verified. “The applicants must be aware that the agency does not only verify banking details but it also verifies citizenship with the Department of Home Affairs, and it also verifies with the Department of Employment and Labour to check whether the person is UIF [Unemployment Insurance…

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The National Skills Fund is expected to launch a training package in digital skills for unemployed youth in the country. This was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his weekly newsletter. According to the President, the move is aimed at ensuring that as investment into the digital economy continues to grow, South Africans are able to use their skills to take advantage of employment and economic opportunities. “To boost the job creation potential of these investments, the National Skills Fund will soon launch a new model for demand-led skills development, which will provide R800 million to fund training for unemployed…

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Stage 5 load shedding will now be implemented throughout the day until further notice. This was announced by State power utility Eskom following an increase in demand. Eskom had ramped up load shedding to Stages 3 and 5 on Monday after delays in return to service and breakdowns at power stations caused further constraints to the power grid. Meanwhile, Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has warned that the power grid is expected to come under increased pressure as demand soars over the winter period. The Minister was speaking in Tshwane on Tuesday afternoon following an outage…

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President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) on Thursday. The SAIC will be attended by delegates from varying industries in South Africa and across the world at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. In its 5th year since inception, President Ramaphosa convened the South Africa Investment Conference with an objective of achieving R1.2 trillion in investments targets. Investors heeding the call have over the last four conferences declared R1.14 trillion in investment commitments. “Of the 152 investment announcements made previously, 45 projects have already been completed, while a further 57 projects are currently under construction. These…

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Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says the withdrawal of the National State of Disaster on Electricity will have no impact on the ministry’s work going forward. Government formally withdrew the State of Disaster and its regulations on Wednesday. “The Minister of Electricity continues to be seized with that responsibility of reducing the severity of load shedding and its regularity. That’s why we have done extensive visits to the power stations of Eskom. We have got a better understanding at the granular level of what… it takes for us to be able to respond comprehensively. “[The State…

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