Author: Agency
SA Government is working hard to address deficiencies in the fight against organised crime and illegal financial flows that led to greylisting, says Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana. “Since February, when South Africa was grey listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a large number of government departments and agencies – including the police and the Hawks, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Special Investigating Unit (SIU), State Security Agency (SSA), the Reserve Bank, Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) and South African Revenue Service (SARS) – have been working hard to address these deficiencies,” the Minister said. Delivering the Medium Term…
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has warned the public against sharing a message that is circulating and promising free data. “The department would like to warn members of the public to desist from participating in sharing the false information and cautions against opening such links as they are fake and harmful,” the DCDT said on Monday. The department said government is striving to ensure that it brings about digital equilibrium by ensuring that it embarks on various activities aimed at connecting the unconnected and leveraging opportunities for everyone to participate in the digital economy. “DCDT has been…
SA Government has established a partnership with business to work together in four critical areas, including energy, logistics, crime and corruption, and employment to give impetus to efforts currently being undertaken. President Cyril Ramaphosa said this while delivering an address to the nation updating on the Economic Recovery progress on Monday. “We continue to collaborate with organised labour and civil society to ensure a whole-of-society approach to addressing the most important challenges our country faces. All of this gives us hope that we are turning the tide on the many challenges that we face,” the President said. This month marks…
Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) will need in excess of R50 billion investment in the next five years to improve capacity and the freight rail performance. In recent years, Transnet has experienced challenges characterised by the condition of the network, security issues, including cable theft and infrastructure vandalism, as well as the unavailability and reliability of the locomotives. Addressing a webinar on the state of freight and rail in South Africa, TFR Acting General Manager: Rail Network and Projects, Bessie Mabunda, said the entity requires a combination of funding to deal with the network backlog and to continually maintain the network…
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has officially launched a commercialisation enterprise to accelerate the pace and increase the scale of the commercialisation of its technologies and intellectual property (IP). CSIR-C3, pronounced as CSIR C-Cubed, will drive all aspects of technology commercialisation and provide adequate financial resources along the technology de-risking process through to commercialisation. According to the research organisation, the standalone enterprise will hold all CSIR IP and act as an incubator for start-up enterprises underpinned by strong technical and non-financial support. It will enable the commercialisation of CSIR IP through the development of a network of…
Government is expected to officially relaunch South African Airways (SAA) in Cape Town on Thursday. The event – which will mark two years since SAA returned to the skies – will also be used to announce the restart of the state-owned airliner’s direct flights to São Paulo, Brazil. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said the relaunch was a milestone for the airliner which had run into turbulence after it was grounded for 16 months and underwent business rescue and averted liquidation. “The upcoming event marks a very significant step in the resurgence of South African Airways. We look forward to…
South Africa is beginning to turn the corner in resolving the energy crisis. This according to Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was briefing the media on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan in Pretoria on Monday. Improved performance of Eskom’s generating fleet meant the suspension of load shedding over the past weekend and much lower stages of the planned power outages during the week. “We have turned the corner, although we are not out of the woods yet. We are beginning to show sustained improved performance over an extended period of time and this…
South Africa Cabinet announced on Thursday that it has given the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS) the green light for implementation. The move, according to the Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, will ensure South Africa becomes a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen. “Government has identified possible funding for green hydrogen projects and the draft Green Paper received extensive feedback from stakeholders,” she said on Thursday. The Minister was briefing the media on the outcomes of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. Ntshavheni explained that the GHCS gives effect to the Hydrogen South Africa Strategy that was approved by Cabinet in 2007…
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has challenged tech conglomerate Meta to deal with misinformation and called for fair treatment when dealing with developed and developing countries. Speaking at the Meta for Government engagement on Wednesday, the Minister decried Meta’s platforms that are still flooded with fake news and misinformation. The engagement was in partnership with the Presidency and Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), and Meta, the parent company of Facebook. “Anybody can be a journalist because of the ability of social media to be able to communicate and share information instantly.” The Minister also posed a question to…
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele has called on the union representing State Information Technology Agency (SITA) workers and the department to find an amicable resolution to the deadlocked wage negotiations. Earlier this week, members of the Public Servants Association (PSA) announced their strike action when wage negotiations had hit a dead end. “The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has been alerted by SITA of the deadlock with negotiations and the subsequent protest action. The department acknowledges the rights of employees to embark on such action. “Although the department has noted calls for the Minister to intervene,…
Africa can produce more energy than it requires within the next 30 years if it takes advantage of its natural resources. This is according to Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was delivering a keynote address on Green Hydrogen at the Africa Energy Week held in Cape Town. “We need to have a Pan African view in the exploitation of this energy carrier and our view is that by 2040 Africa can produce up to 50 times more energy from renewables than the world’s estimated demand. “This is as a result of our location advantages. I…
South Africa’s Census 2022 national results has shown an upward trend in ownership of refrigerators, televisions and cellphones. “The overwhelming majority (92.1%) of households in the country owned a cellphone in working order, a notable increase from the 3.3% in 2001. Just under four-fifths (79%) of households owned televisions compared to the 52.6% in 2001,” Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said. Furthermore, the data from Census 2022, which he handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday in Pretoria, shows that the ownership of a refrigerators/freezers increased from 53.8% in 2001 to 83.2% in 2022. “In contrast, households owning a radio…
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit has obtained a preservation order against assets related to a PPE matter worth R27 million in the Northern Cape. The order was granted against the assets of well-known Kimberley businessman Somandla Sibisi and his companies Macronym 37 and Aphiwokuhle Holdings. The frozen assets include a residential property bought for some R900 000, a business property – known as Live Café – bought for more than R2 million, kitchen equipment bought for over R300 000 and a 2013 model Audi A1 car bought for R130 000. NPA regional spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, explained that…
The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Energy Mobility Education Trust have concluded a three-year partnership agreement to fund postgraduate students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and commerce fields. The agreement is said to focus on traditionally marginalised groups and contribute to the transformation of the education landscape, with a specific focus on South Africans who are Black, female or people with a disability. According to the Energy Mobility Education Trust CEO, Vuyo Mwase, the move will promote academic, scientific, and technological cooperation by supporting full-time studies for South African postgraduate students at the Honours level for…
Eskom’s transmission expansion and strengthening will require a “considerable amount of resources” that will require government and the private sector to work together. This is according to Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, when he was briefing media on the progress of the Energy Action Plan. “We are looking to tap into the liquidity that is available from the private sector to allow us an opportunity to expand the grid so that we are able to accommodate the renewable energy solutions that have been rolled out in the country, and a number of them have not been…
The South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago has announced that the repo rate will remain unchanged at 8.25%. Kganyago made the announcement in Pretoria on Thursday after a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). He said South Africa’s load shedding has increased and prices for commodity exports continue to weaken. In the near term, stronger El Niño conditions threaten the agricultural outlook, while global climatic events present additional risks. “Energy and logistical constraints remain binding on the growth outlook, limiting economic activity and increasing costs,” said the Governor. The GDP growth forecast for 2024 and 2025 is unchanged…
A Vereeniging-based cable manufacturing company aims to create jobs for locals through the expansion of its cable manufacturing facility starting from October 2023 to 2025. M-TEC is one of the companies that made investment pledges at the fifth South African Investment Conference that was hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Johannesburg in April this year. Pledges made at the conference contributed to bringing the total value of investment pledges, over a five-year investment mobilisation period, to R1.51 trillion, thereby exceeding the initial target of R1.2 trillion set by President Ramaphosa. M-TEC made the R70 million investment pledge, and says there…
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has welcomed the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (NERSA) decision to approve the trading and import/export license applications by the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA). The NTCSA is wholly owned by Eskom as the state-owned company is being restructured into the generation, transmission and distribution subsidiaries. “This is great news for the people of South Africa. We now have in place all the critical elements for creating a more dynamic, a more responsive and a competitive electricity industry. “The granting of these licences means that the National Transmission Company of South Africa…
Nangamso Matebese has been appointed to the advisory team in the Office of Deputy President Paul Mashatile. “Ms Matebese is being seconded to the Office by the Development Bank of Southern Africa to serve as economic affairs advisor to the Deputy President,” a statement read on Monday. “Matebese brings critical experience to the Presidency, having been responsible for infrastructure coordination among her many past responsibilities.” Matebese is a qualified Chartered Banker with qualifications from Harvard Business School. She has over 14 years of experience in investment banking, infrastructure and project finance, fund administration and management, and portfolio management. The Office…
South Africa will use its Chairship of the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance (AGHA) to advance the green hydrogen agenda on the continent and support opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, technology transfer, economic and employment opportunities. This is according to Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was handed Chairship of the AGHA on the sidelines of the Inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS), which took place from 04-06 September 2023 in Nairobi Kenya. “Green hydrogen and its associated large scale renewable energy production has the potential to support the expansion of the electricity transmission infrastructure, to add additional renewable energy…
Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, says officials are committed to making the country’s border posts safer, less porous and more efficient in the facilitation and easing of trade, as well as the legitimate movement of people. “The South African government is committed to putting in the latest infrastructure and relevant technology in its efforts to modernise and upgrade our ports to be on par with the current global best practices on border management,” Motsoaledi said. Addressing media in Pretoria on Wednesday, Motsoaledi said the main objective of upgrading border posts is to make it easier for law-abiding people and…
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCOD) is expected to officially launch the Masters’ Deceased Estates Online Registration System in October. In a webinar to inform the public about the new online service, Advocate Kanyane Mathibe, Chief Director for Strategy and Policy in the Office of the Chief Master said the system seeks to enable the Masters’ offices to serve clients in a quicker manner and reduce queues. “We then embarked on a journey to develop an online deceased estates registration system that cuts the time in half that you can now register or report estates in the comfort…
Stats SA has announced that South African real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2023, which measured is from April to June. Six industries on the supply side of the economy grew in the second quarter, with manufacturing and finance driving much of the upward momentum. “On the demand side, the country benefitted from a sharp rise in investments in machinery and equipment, which included products related to renewable energy. Despite a decline in the overall household consumption, consumers continued to spend more on restaurants and hotels,” Stats SA said on Tuesday. The GDP…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has outlined to suspended Public Protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane the constitutional processes that pertain to her suspension or potential removal from office, which therefore prevent her from reporting for duty. In a letter on Monday, the President set out the conditions preventing Mkhwebane’s return to the office. “The President was responding to a letter he received from Adv. Mkhwebane earlier on the same day in which she expressed her intention to report for duty today, Tuesday, 5 September 2023, until the expiry of her term of office on 14 October 2023 or any lawful removal in terms…
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has warned the public of a fake website sent to unsuspecting job seekers informing them of the success of their job application, while requesting a refundable R250 to be paid for background checks. “The website, which may look real to an untrained eye, is illegitimate and fake. PRASA does not have a .org (dot org) domain or a dedicated vacancy website. PRASA does not charge job applicants for background checks, nor does our recruitment process involve payments,” the agency said on Monday. PRASA has advised the public to look out for the…