Afrimat only waiting for CompTrib approval for Lafarge South Africa acquisition
JSE-listed midtier mining and materials company Afrimat says it is now awaiting approval from only the Competition Tribunal to proceed with its proposed acquisition of Lafarge South Africa. Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe consented to the acquisition on October 27, while the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank gave its approval for the [...]
National Treasury pencils in 21 February as budget day
South Africa’s national budget day is currently scheduled for 21 February, according to National Treasury, which added that the date still needed final confirmations. This year’s event will be closely watched, with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana having said during the medium-term budget presentation in November that significant cost-cutting measures will be undertaken within the government [...]
Multibillion-rand Cape Winelands Airport aims to receive first passengers in 2027
Cape Town’s proposed second big commercial airport, the Cape Winelands Airport (CWA), should receive its first passengers in 2027, says RSA.Aero MD Nick Ferguson. RSA.Aero is the project developer, with the first phase expected to cost between R5-billion and R7-billion.
China, DRC talking $7bn in finance, Tshisekedi says
China and Democratic Republic of Congo are discussing $7-billion in financing as part of a renegotiated minerals-for-infrastructure deal, President Felix Tshisekedi said Saturday at his second inaugural address in the capital, Kinshasa. Tshisekedi has been pushing for a restructuring of a 2008 $6.2-billion contract between the countries, which he says has provided little benefit to [...]
Koeberg manager suspended by De Ruyter is back and is 'crucially needed', says Eskom
Velaphi Ntuli has returned as the general manager of Koeberg nuclear power station after he was suspended in June 2021 over performance issues - allegations of which he has since been cleared. At the time of his suspension, Koeberg's Unit 1 had not returned to service in May 2021 as scheduled.
Revived gas bill has scant chance of making it through Parliament
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe re-published the Gas Amendment Bill on Friday for public comment despite the scant hope that it will be processed before Parliament dissolves at the end of March. The bill, which will regulate the gas industry's development and make provisions for black economic empowerment, has been in the [...]
Govt probe finds fake diesel at 70 garages – even after Mantashe's warning
An investigation by the Department of Mineral Resource and Energy has uncovered that 70 petrol stations across the country are selling dodgy diesel to customers, a clear sign profiteers are cutting corners as petroleum prices continue to skyrocket. The watered-down diesel is allegedly contaminated and mixed with illuminated paraffin.
Oxford Economics’ Sustainable Development scenario updated
Oxford Economics’ Global Climate Service has updated its Sustainable Development scenario, with a focus on the required mitigation funding. It has modelled a scenario in which mitigation funding reaches $250-billion a year, Oxford Economics Scenarios and Macroeconomic Modelling climate economist Manuela Kiehl informed.
New platinum group metals recycling facility opens in China
A new platinum group metals (PGM) recycling facility has opened in China, where the autocatalyst recycling market is expected to grow at the rate of 18% a year. Recycled PGMs are calculated to offer carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction of up to 98% when compared with mined PGMs.
Eastern Cape megabridges making steady construction progress after initial setbacks
Following delays and setbacks in recent years, roads parastatal South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) restarted works last year on the Mtentu and Msikaba megabridges, in the Eastern Cape, as part of the flagship N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project. The project covers 410 km between the N2 Gonubie Interchange near East London, in [...]
Nuclear energy conference in Ghana in May to be hosted by that country’s President
The Africa Nuclear Business Platform (AFNBP) has announced that its 2024 conference, to be held in Accra, Ghana, from May 27 to May 30, will be attended by Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The host agency for the AFNBP 2024 conference will be Ghana’s Ministry of Energy. “Many African countries including Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, [...]
Cadastre imminent, 2024 to be used as year to clear backlogs, says Minerals Minister
The introduction of an electronic cadastral system to record and enable online access to mining data is imminent, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe emphasised in an interview with Radio 702 host Clement Manyathela on Thursday. Mantashe disclosed to Manyathela that agreement had been reached with the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) for the [...]