South Africa declared a state of disaster so the government can accelerate its response to widespread floods and free up funds for assisting with reconstruction. It was the second such pronouncement in less than a week. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday declared a national state of disaster over an energy crisis that’s crippling the nation’s [...]

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that incentives will be introduced to help facilitate solar investments by businesses and households was arguably the high point of a State of the Nation Address, where the declaration of a state of disaster and the appointment of an Electricity Minister stole the headlines. But can such investments really help to [...]

Tile company Italtile has delivered underwhelming results for the six months to December 31, 2022, with the group’s trading profit 8% lower year-on-year to R1.4-billion, while operating costs increased by 9% year-on-year. “I think most disappointing for us really was the performance by our manufacturing division, which makes up about 40% of our group profits. [...]

Construction of the Msikaba cable-stayed bridge near Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape, should be complete in the last quarter of next year.  Work on the project, which forms part of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road rollout, started in earnest in 2019.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) says the Coastal Waters Discharge Permits (CWDPs) issued to the City iof Cape Town were preceded by marine-impact assessment studies that indicated that there is no immediate ecological disaster or major risks to human health forthcoming as a result of the effluent discharged through the Cape [...]

Business organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) says neither the creation of a new post for an Electricity Minister, nor the declaration of a state of disaster, as announced during President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address last week, provide a clear opportunity for business to partner to relieve the energy crisis. “It is [...]

UK nuclear fusion power company Tokamak Energy and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA, the government agency responsible for British nuclear fusion energy research and development) have jointly announced that the company is to build its prototype spherical tokamak, designated ST80-HTS, at the UK Fusion Cluster. The UK Fusion Cluster is located on the UKAEA’s [...]

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) is seeking public comment on electricity procurement determinations received from Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe that are intended to open the way for Eskom to procure new emergency and cross-border capacity. Mantashe has granted Eskom an exemption from the Electricity Regulations on New Generation Capacity [...]

Nelson Mandela University's (NMU's) FishForce Academy has developed a mobile game to help law enforcement officers in the fisheries sector. The game features a virtual simulation environment of inspecting a fishing vessel to ensure compliance with the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA). The game was designed to focus mainly on bridge inspections and specifically on the [...]

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Through the just energy transition investment plan, R1.5-trillion could be invested in South Africa over the next five years in new frontiers of renewable energy, green hydrogen and electric vehicles, says law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH). Moreover, with the national state of disaster being declared amid crippling power cuts, South Africa’s [...]

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SoNA) was delivered amid severe crises across critical economic and social spheres in South Africa, with industry respondents recognising both the good and the bad ideas contained in government’s plans. Business Unity South Africa (Busa), firstly, expressed concern about the President likening the Covid-19 crisis to that [...]

The Presidency’s Rudi Dicks, who also heads the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM) secretariat, believes the controversial decision to classify the electricity crisis a National State of Disaster will support an acceleration of the implementation of the Energy Action Plan and ensure greater security of electricity assets currently exposed to crime, vandalism and sabotage. Speaking [...]