Day: May 13, 2024

Eskom has achieved an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of some 70.78% – a feat last achieved nearly three years ago.

This is according to Minister in The Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was briefing media on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan on Monday.

The power utility has suspended load shedding for more than a month.

‘As I stand before you today, the Energy Availability Factor of Eskom has breached the 70% mark. That’s significant. The last time we achieved this was in August 2021.

“The month-to-date statistics suggest that we are at 64.34% and the year to date we are at 59.92%. But we have breached the psychological mark of 70% as a result of this consistent performance.

‘This has happened over a period of time. It stretches from the appointment of [the current Eskom] board in October 2022. It gets to be codified in the Energy Action Plan unveiled by President Ramaphosa [in] July 2022, the appointment of the Minister in The Presidency responsible for E
lectricity, the stabilisation of the management team, the introduction of performance related incentive bonuses and the isolation of critical stations that required attention,’ he said.

The Minister reflected that as the country was plunged into higher stages of load shedding as a result of heightened and extensive maintenance and other factors, government argued that “the short-term pain would be eclipsed by long-term gains”.

‘The aggressive maintenance-led recovery plan is beginning to yield fruits. When we went into December 2023, transitioning into January 2024, we reached the highest levels of planned maintenance in the period of three years. We took out 18% of the total generating capacity into planned maintenance and these units are coming back.”

Ramokgopa said as a result of the improved performance of Eskom’s coal fleet, the power utility is less reliant on the Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs), which consume diesel.

‘What we are told in the public domain…[is] that the result of this improvement is
on the back of the burning of diesel. There could be nothing further from the truth. This is anchored by these machines that are at Kusile and many other power stations.

‘The load factor of the OCGT [has decreased] from what was previously 19.13% to now what is 6.8%. So we have reduced it by about 13 percentage points. What anchors this recovery is the performance of these coal fired power stations,’ Ramokgopa said.

The Electricity Minister warned that although there has been noteworthy improvement, more work must be done to resolve the energy challenge in its entirety.

‘We need to ensure sure that we bring other power stations to the levels of [best performers] Kusile, Lethabo, Majuba and Medupi so that across the entire fleet, when you use station by station, we should be above 70%.

‘Of course we don’t congratulate a fish for swimming because it must swim but we know where we come from. So I want to say to the [Eskom] team, thank you for breaching the 70% EAF… but we know that there are power stations t
hat require attention going into the future,’ Ramokgopa concluded.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Namibian Police Force in the Oshana Region are investigating a case of theft out of a motor vehicle after a 35-year-old Angolan man fell victim to unknown thieves who targeted his stationary vehicle at a shopping centre in Oshakati.

Inspector Frida Shikole of the Oshana Community Policing Sub-division confirmed this to Nampa on Monday, saying the incident occurred around 14h30 on Saturday.

According to Shikole, money in Namibian, Angolan and European currencies and other valuable items were stolen.

Shikole indicated that the victim, a self-employed resident of Ondjiva, parked his grey Toyota Hilux in the parking area where unknown suspects tampered with the door’s lock and gained entry.

‘They stole items such as a laptop, a Samsung tablet, two bags, two Angolan passports, a pair of shoes, an assortment of male clothes and a sizable amount of money: N.dollars 30 000, KZ38 000 and 50 Euros,’ she said.

No arrest was made yet and the stolen items were not recovered either.

Source: The Namibia Press Age
ncy

WINDHOEK: President Nangolo Mbumba commemorated Mother’s Day on Sunday, describing it as a day which provides Namibians with a vital opportunity to reflect on the endless love, sacrifice, and resilience that define the essence of motherhood.

In a press statement issued the Presidency on Sunday, Mbumba stated that the nation should recognise that Mother’s Day is a time to honour the memory of those who are no longer alive and to extend support and compassion to those who may be experiencing loss or hardship.

‘It is with deep respect and gratitude that I honour the infinite contributions of mothers across the globe and the land of the brave. The devoted caregivers who sacrificed their ambitions to prioritise the needs of their children, to the trailblazing industry leaders who have shattered barriers and paved the way for a brighter future,’ stated Mbumba.

Mbumba further mentioned that on this special day, the world is reminded of the countless sacrifices and contributions of mothers that have shaped lives a
nd society, stating, ‘We stand in awe of mothers for their pliability and their capability to take on the world while being nurturing, soft, and caring.’

International Mother’s Day is commemorated every year on 12 May, honouring all mothers and celebrating the essence of mothers and motherhood.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The MTC Dome and the Department of Physiology in the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Health Sciences have formalised a collaboration aimed at bolstering neuroscience research efforts.

The partnership, underscored by a recently signed memorandum of understanding, seeks to leverage the combined expertise and resources of both institutions to explore the connection between high-performance sport and neuroscience.

MTC Dome Chief Executive Officer Fanus Engelbrecht at a media briefing in Swakopmund on Monday noted that the primary objective of this collaboration is to provide postgraduate physiology students from UP with the opportunity to engage in research activities within the Neuroscience Lab, commonly known as the ‘braingym’ at the MTC Dome.

‘Students will participate in various tasks, including testing and interventions, to advance understanding of the relationship between neuroscience and sport performance,’ he said.

He added that this collaborative endeavour is designed to facilitate a symbiot
ic exchange of knowledge and expertise between the two parties.

‘Through hands-on experience in the Neuroscience Lab, students will enhance their practical skills while generating valuable data for ongoing research endeavours.

The outcomes of this partnership hold the potential to drive advancements in neuroscience, with broad implications for fields such as sports, medicine, psychology, and cognitive science,’ Engelbrecht explained.

He highlighted the MTC Dome’s commitment to cover all expenses related to student participation in order to foster collaborative research and knowledge exchange, ensuring that students can fully engage in this enriching academic experience.

The MTC Dome is the sole high-performance training centre in Namibia, providing state-of-the-art training facilities and support services to elite athletes across diverse disciplines.

The Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at UP, Tiaan de Jager, lauded the collaboration.

He highlighted UP’s commitment to research and said the univers
ity is one of the top research intensive universities.

‘We are doing pretty well on the global rankings and in medicine and many areas we rank in the top 1 per cent globally. Medicine and life sciences moved up significantly when most of the other universities dropped in the rankings, and one of the areas we improved in was anatomy and physiology, generally speaking, neurosciences,’ De Jager explained.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) announced that they have seized drugs with the value of N.dollars 1 739 153 during the period from 01 April up until 30 April 2024.

A media statement issued by Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, Head of NamPol’s Public Relations Division notes that a total of 150 suspects were arrested in relation to drug charges. Amongst the 150 suspects, 140 are Namibian nationals while six are reported to be Angolan nationals. The remaining four suspects apprehended are from Congo, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia, respectively.

Shikwambi said the drugs seized included 166 979.35kg of cannabis to the value of N.dollars 1 669 793.30, 293 full tablets of Mandrax valued at N.dollars 35 270, 147 units of crack cocaine to the value of N.dollars 14 700 and 39 grams of cocaine powder valued at N.dollars 19 500.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The National President, Retired Army Navy and Air Force Officers Association (RANAO), retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulhafeez Adewuyi, said the association has made progress in enhancing the welfare of its members.

Adewuyi said this at a news conference to mark the association’s 36th National Annual General Meeting (NAGM), on Monday in Abuja.

He said the decision to form the association was informed by the situation the pensioners found themselves in the 70s and late 80s.

According to him, once an officer retired from service, he goes into oblivion. Nothing is ever heard of him again.

‘Those who had health challenges died without any idea on how to seek help. It was like ‘to your tents O Israel’.

‘The objective of forming RANAO Association where officers come together, once every month to discuss issues affecting their welfare has been substantially achieved.

‘It has continued to foster the spirit of togetherness, espirit de corps, brotherhood and camaraderie.

‘Retired officers who spent a better part of their y
outhful life in the military use it to recharge their batteries,’ he said.

Adewuyi said the association organised into three tiers of administration, had its national headquarter in Abuja with seven zonal headquarters similar to the six Geopolitical Zones of the federation and FCT.

He said the former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, had described RANAO as an outstanding organisation that every retired military officer would aspire to join with pride.

According to him, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, confirmed that his pension was enhanced through the effort of RANAO and regretted he had not joined the association.

‘Today, we are here essentially to conduct the association’s 36th NAGM.

‘It is a culmination of all activities of the association, ranging from Chapter, Zonal and HQs activities, RANAO Day celebration, PSOs Meeting, BOT implements in the Association activities and so on.

‘NAGM fosters the reflection and loyalty that you feel for people with whom you have spent the b
etter part of your life,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria