Day: July 19, 2022

2nd Free State Industry 4.0 Summit: Accelerating economic growth and development of the Free State through innovative 4IR technologies

Accelerating Economic Growth and Development of The Free State Province Through Innovative 4IR Technologies for Eradicating Poverty and Unemployment” is the focus of the second Free State Industry 4.0 Summit from 21 to 22 July 2022.

Hosted by the Free State Provincial Government (FSPG) in collaboration with the Central University of Technology at the Bloemfontein Campus, the summit will seek to consolidate the gains of the previous summit, particularly considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the province’s socioeconomic fabric.

The two-day event will showcase various 4IR-related technologies and investment opportunities in the province, enabling an interactive platform for multiple stakeholders, particularly youth, to engage with 4IR-solution providers and other service providers operating in the sector.

In the 2022 Office of the Premier Budget Vote Speech, Premier Sisi Ntombela said, “In this age of the knowledge economy, ICT is a catalyst for growth and development. In government, ICT enhances efficiency, transparency, accountability, and innovation for improved service delivery.” ” With an ailing economy and the youth unemployment rate at an old-time high, the advent of the 4IR presents us with a wonderful opportunity to transform and restore confidence in the economic prospects of our province.

Following the successfully hosting of the inaugural 4IR summit in 2019, the Free State has implemented initiatives such as:

The Free State Artificial Intelligence University, together with CUT and Microsoft SA

The Botshabelo Digital Hub with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA)

Introduction to 4IR training that focused on lower-level Government workers such as cleaners and security personnel with the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA)and CUT

Data-driven, State-of-the-Art COVID-19 War Room with University of the Free State (UFS) and Vodacom

“People should not be afraid of change but rather equip themselves with the 4IR skill set that will keep them relevant in their workspace. The first, second and third revolutions were focused on the humanization of physical labour. At the same time, machines do the work, while the fourth involves dehumanizing intellectual labour where machines think. The world is moving towards an era of artificial intelligence and the public sector, institutions of Higher Learning and Corporate giants, are coming together and collaborating to stay relevant with the times,” said Prof Alfred Ngowi, acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

The objectives of the 2nd Free State 4th Industrial Revolution Summit will be to:

Showcase various 4IR-related technologies and investment opportunities in the province.

Enable an interactive platform for various stakeholders, particularly youth in the province, to engage with 4IR-solution providers and other service providers operating in the province

Demonstrate how 4IR technologies can be deployed to enhance a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth.

Enhanced collaboration between various stakeholders is critical to enable effective identification and subsequent deployment of 4IR technologies across the Free State to unlock associated benefits. For further information, please visit: https://www.cut.ac.za/events/2nd-fs-4ir-summit

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister Senzo Mchunu applauds private companies for donations a fight against Day Zero in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality

The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu inspected boreholes donated by the Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa and the Gift of the Givers in a bid to ensure water supply to communities of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality amidst water supply challenges in the Municipality. Minister Mchunu was accompanied by the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Oscar Mabuyane and the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Ms Eugene Johnson.

Minister Mchunu however cautioned the community members not to over-use water because of water augmentation efforts through boreholes. He said the more the boreholes that are being donated, the more water restrictions will be implemented to ensure that there is a reduction of water usage in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan.

“The completion of these boreholes is merely a necessary security measure to preserve water. It doesn’t mean that people must now relax and use water wastefully because there are now boreholes that assist with water supply. This is exactly the opposite…the more the boreholes are being donated here in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, it is the more water restrictions will be applied by the municipality. This is to ensure that there is enough water available in the Municipality than the water that is being consumed”, said Minister Mchunu.

Minister Mchunu inspected a borehole in Walmer Township in Q Section, donated by the Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa which envisages to drill nine more boreholes in Gqeberha which would generate 10 million litres of water per annum, with a capacity to benefit 500 households in those nine areas.

Ntsako Baloyi, Head of Sustainability at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa says provision of water by the boreholes is at no cost to the communities. “The boreholes are not running with electricity and are purely dependent on the solar system. As a beverage company we take health and safety very seriously, and therefore all our water goes through thorough testing before it gets into the taps. The supply of water is at no cost to communities and we will be maintaining the boreholes for two years before we hand them over to the Municipality”, he said.

Minister Mchunu also inspected a borehole donated by Gift of the Givers at Elizabeth Donkin Psychiatric Hospital. The boreholes donated by the Gift of the Givers in various parts of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan can augment water supply to the Municipality by six billion litres per day. This water is still to go through the required tests before being used for consumption. At the moment it is utilised for other uses.

The third borehole is at the Coegakop Ground Water Development Project and is a project of the Metro. The completion date for this project which includes treatment capacity on site, is 30 Oct. 2022. The project on completion will give the Metro a Yield of 12 MLD. Its design is such that it can raise the yield to 20 ML/D, which creates assurance of supply for the long term.

Minister Mchunu highlighted that despite the interventions made by the Department of Water and Sanitation to ensure water supply to the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan, the contributions made by the Non-Governmental Organisations and private sector have made a tremendous difference in the area.

“It is very important that we continue with the partnerships of this kind because government can’t make these kinds of interventions alone, and we have made it known that we are out there to promote partnerships in order to address water supply challenges in the country. I need to however emphasise that the augmentation of water to this Municipality by the boreholes does not mean that we have more water to waste. The more the boreholes generated here in Gqeberha, the more water supply restrictions there will be to ensure that there is enough water for everyone in the area”, said Minister Mchunu emphatically.

For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 082 874 2942

Source: Government of South Africa