Author: Agency
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) for South Africa that will allow the unit to have direct access to Interpol’s information system. “The MoU will strengthen the SIU’s investigating tools of trade and access to data systems to combat cybercrimes. Interpol NCB will provide the SIU with up-to-date training resources. The Interpol NCB has a network of data systems in 195 countries that the SIU can tap into,” the SIU said in a statement. The agreement was signed by SIU head Advocate Andy Mothibi and Interpol NCB’s…
The Freight Logistics Roadmap – aimed at addressing the serious challenges in that industry – has been approved for publication by Cabinet. The roadmap also sets out to reform the logistics system in the long run. Over the past few weeks, Transnet – South Africa’s government owned freight rail, ports and logistics company – has been hard at work to resolve severe truck congestion challenges at its Richard’s Bay port, including ramping up the number of locomotives available on its lines servicing the port. Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Monday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the…
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has urged the public to engage with the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023, which has been approved by Cabinet. IRP 2023 is now set to be published by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. The Minister urged communities, stakeholders and interest groups to engage with the IRP 2023 and send their submissions, as part of determining the country’s “energy future”. “This will underpin our responses in relation to how we are going to address the energy situation in the country. “What is significant about this is that… the IRP 2023…
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has released a White Paper that outlines a comprehensive electric vehicle (EV) roadmap for South Africa and the structure of a suite of policy interventions tailored to the automotive industry. “It is a product of constructive engagement with stakeholders, including within government, industry and labour, to chart a viable and sustainable transition path for the industry,” Patel said on Monday. At a media briefing in Pretoria, Patel said the primary goal of the White Paper is to set a course to transition the auto industry from primarily producing Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles…
South Africa has made progress in addressing the 20 technical compliance difficulties in its anti-money laundering system. This is according to the National Treasury following the release of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) technical compliance re-rating follow up report. “On 27 October 2023, the FATF Plenary formally re-rated 18 of the 20 deficiencies, based on the progress made by the South African authorities in the two-year period following the 2021 mutual evaluation (MER). Of these, fifteen were upgraded to be no longer deficient, as 14 recommendations were now fully or largely compliant, and one recommendation was rated as not…
The announcement of the four preferred bidders under the first bid window of the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Procurement (BESIPPP) Programme marks a “significant development” in South Africa’s pursuit for energy security. This is according to Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s written remarks at the announcement of the bidders on Thursday. The preferred bidders were selected following an independent evaluation of the bid submissions process held between August and October this year. “This first grid-scale energy storage programme in South Africa marks yet another important step towards the development of adequate electricity generation capacity to meet the…
The first consignment of energy equipment donated by the People’s Republic of China is expected to be received by Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa. The consignment handover is expected to be held in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday. “The donation forms part of the Technical Assistance Programme that was entered into in August 2023 during China’s Head of State Visit to South Africa. The first consignment which has arrived in South Africa consists of 450 gasoline generators which will be distributed to public service facilities across the country. “The generators will be used as backup to alleviate the…
The South African Police Service (SAPS) Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) unit has, in collaboration with the USA Department of Homelands Security, arrested three child online sexual predators in Gauteng. The trio was arrested in a simultaneous takedown operation in the past week, relating to a number of suspects who were identified as South African users who are involved in the possession, distribution, manufacturing, accessing and downloading of child pornography. Members of the SECI at Head Office and in Gauteng conducted the preliminary investigations on the users, and various provinces were identified where the suspects reside. After several months…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised that South Africa remains one of the preferred investment destinations and is an important gateway for markets and other business opportunities throughout the continent. The President was delivering remarks at the Procter & Gamble Plant launch in Kempton Park, in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. “As a clear demonstration of the value of trade between African countries, Procter & Gamble currently exports from South Africa to Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique and Botswana. We understand that the company is set to supply the African continent from South Africa through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. “The African…
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated President Joe Biden’s commitment to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beyond 2025 when it expires. “President Biden fully supports the reauthorisation of AGOA. But we don’t just want to extend AGOA – we want to work with the United States Congress to make it better. And that’s what this week’s dialogue is about,” he said on Friday. Blinken was addressing delegates through a video speech at the three-day AGOA Forum at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. Launched in 2000, AGOA grants exports from qualifying African countries duty-free…