Author: Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded the country for being able to rebuild the supporting architecture to investigate and prosecute serious and other crimes within a short space of time. This comes after the announcement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) last week that it had reached a settlement with an international company implicated in corruption at Eskom. In his weekly newsletter to the country, President Ramaphosa described this as a huge development in the country’s effort to hold those responsible for state capture to account. The NPA Investigating Directorate finalised a landmark agreement with Swiss engineering company ABB Ltd to…

Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says President Cyril Ramaphosa is still engaging stakeholders with regards to the way forward following findings by an Independent Section 89 panel that the President may have violated his oath of office. The panel was formed to look into the circumstances around a robbery at the President’s Phala Phala game farm and found that President Ramaphosa may have seriously violated sections 96(2)(a) of the Constitution and Section 34(1) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities (PRECCA) Act – allegations the President said he “categorically denies”. At a media briefing last night, Magwenya said the President…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says Swiss engineering company, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), is expected to pay some R2.5 billion in “punitive reparations to South Africa” for its part in State Capture. The company was allegedly irregularly awarded a lucrative control and instrumentation contract at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station in 2015 after allegedly colluding with Eskom officials. “This settlement represents a bold and innovative step towards accountability and justice for alleged offenders, particularly in the form of restitution for the serious crimes committed at Eskom during the state capture period. “This agreement was reached in line with Section 64(e) of…

Cabinet has approved the 2022 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Decadal Plan, which serves as an implementation guide of the 2019 White Paper on STI. Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said on Thursday that Cabinet approved the draft plan in March 2021 and has since been enriched through further consultation with relevant stakeholders. The plan has five thematic focus areas which are as follows: – modernisation of agricultural, manufacturing and mining sectors; – exploitation of new sources of growth, particularly the digital and circular economy; – large research and innovation programmes in the areas of health and energy; – utilising…

People living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) who collect their medication from government clinics have the option of collecting their medication from a Post Office collection point. On the eve of World AIDS Day on 1 December, the South African Post Office (Sapo) said anyone who collects chronic medication from a government clinic, but who lives closer to a post office than the clinic, can request to collect their medication from the Post Office. “The service is aimed at patients who live or work closer to a post office than a government clinic. The main benefit of the service is longer service…

Mineral Resources and Energy Deputy Minister, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, says South Africa must find technological solutions that can maximise the usage of minerals such as coal with “minimal carbon” emissions. She was speaking at the 17th South African Geophysical Association conference held at Sun City on Tuesday. “As the DMRE [Department of Mineral Resources and Energy], we have emphasised moving from higher carbon emission towards lower carbon emissions as opposed to completely abandoning coal. “Technologies such as carbon capture usage and storage must be explored fully and so must mechanisms by which we could mix fossil energy sources with clean sources…

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has honoured Huawei for unearthing talent in the information communication technology (ICT) sector, especially during the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). “The 4IR imperatives require drastic digital transformation and skills development. Digital transformation cannot happen without skills acquisition,” the Minister said on Monday. Nzimande was speaking during the Huawei South Africa ICT Talent Development Annual Awards ceremony on Monday, celebrating and honouring the excellent Huawei ICT Academy Instructors. The programme is one of the initiatives in which Huawei collaborates with universities and colleges to train, develop and certify ICT talent across South…

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has adopted a hydrogen investment strategy aimed at unlocking value through funding and the provision of early-stage capital for the development of the hydrogen value chain. Sekgoela Sekgoela, a Senior Investor Relations Specialist at the PIC, on Monday said the strategy further seeks to leverage on more than 200 hydrogen projects that have been announced worldwide and the more than $250 billion (approximately R4.3 trillion) required for the development of a hydrogen economy in South Africa. “The South African government, through its Hydrogen Roadmap, has identified hydrogen as a possible investment avenue. Hydrogen promises to…

The repurchase rate (repo rate) in South Africa reached 7% after the SA Reserve Bank’s (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) agreed to a 75 basis points hike. The increase means that the repo rate will now be 7% per year from 25 November 2022, with prime now at 10.5%. The development was on Thursday announced by SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago during a press briefing. Addressing media, the Governor said three members of the MPC preferred the announced increase. “Two member preferred a 50% basis points increase,” he said. The level of the repurchase rate is now above the level prevailing…

While the South African economy has experienced various challenges, including electricity shortages, work is underway to ensure that the country attracts investment. “While there are many attractions and huge potential for investors in South Africa, there are a number of constraints on economic growth and social development. For more than a decade, South Africa has been confronted with a shortage of electricity,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa. The President made these remarks at the SA-UK Business Roundtable in London on the second day of his two-day State Visit to the United Kingdom, on Wednesday. “We have taken urgent steps to remedy…