Author: Agency

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…

The Information Regulator has invited all public and private bodies to submit their Annual Reports for the 2022-2023 financial year on access to information requests received and processed by 30 June 2023. In terms of section 32 of the Promotion of Access to Information (PAIA), the information officer of every public body must submit – on an annual basis – a report to the Regulator in respect of access to information requests received and processed by the public body. Section 83(4) of PAIA empowers the Regulator to also request the heads of private bodies to furnish it with reports about…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of 880 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to safeguard a number of Eskom power stations around the country. The President has informed Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Amos Masondo, in writing. According to the statement released on Saturday, the soldiers work with the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the prevention and combating of crime and maintenance and preservation of law and order in the Republic of South Africa under Operation Prosper. “Members of the SANDF employed will…

Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, is expected to visit Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in the Eastern Cape today. The Minister will visit the Volkswagen (VW) and Isuzu plants based in Gqeberha. “The Minister’s visit to the OEM’s is part of his continuous engagements with the automotive industry on their challenges caused by the current electricity crisis and possible short to medium term solutions,” his office said in a statement. Prior to Friday’s visit, Ramokgopa on Thursday visited the chief executive officer of the Mercedes-Benz East London manufacturing plant Andreas Brand. During the visit, Ramokgopa said government…