Day: August 23, 2024

Eskom has officially launched its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at the Eskom Academy of Learning (EAL) in Midrand, Gauteng.

‘This milestone marks a significant step in Eskom Distribution’s commitment to supporting the growth of the eMobility sector in South Africa and contributing to the country’s broader goals of reducing carbon emissions,’ the state-owned power utility said.

According to Eskom, the pilot project includes the procurement of 20 EVs ranging from light delivery vehicles to light trucks for operational use.

The pilot project also involves the installation of 10 charging stations at five Eskom sites across the country.

The other sites are Brackenfell in Cape Town, Mkondeni in Pietermaritzburg, Tlhabane Customer Network Centre (CNC) in Rustenburg and Marathon CNC in Mbombela.

These sites will serve as the foundation for Eskom Distribution’s long-term strategy to electrify its entire fleet by 2040.

‘We continue to focus on our long-term strategy to deliver a competitive, sust
ainable, and future-proof Eskom to ensure energy security, growth, and long-term sustainability for the benefit of South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa,’ said General Manager in the Office of the Eskom Group Executive for Distribution, Gabriel Kgabo.

By investing in eMobility and the charging infrastructure needed for EVs, Kgabo said Eskom was not only reducing its carbon footprint but also stimulating the local economy and creating new growth opportunities.

Kgabo highlighted Eskom’s support of the government to align South Africa with the global EV ecosystem market.

Key initiatives include the EV White Paper released by the Department of Trade Industry and Competition in December 2023 and the incentives announced by the National Treasury to encourage the local production of EVs from 2026.

Pilot Project Overview

The recently installed charging stations, in collaboration with Gridcars, feature state-of-the-art direct current fast chargers (60kW) and dual alternating current (AC) chargers (22kW). They are o
ptimised for overnight charging of fleet vehicles and daytime workplace charging for employees and visitors.

The power utility believes this initiative will serve as a blueprint for the future rollout of EVs across Eskom’s entire fleet.

‘It is one of the levers that will steer the organisation towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and will also contribute to stimulating the local EV market.

‘The successful launch of this infrastructure is a result of the dedicated efforts of the project team within Eskom. Their work is laying the groundwork for a future where electric vehicles play a central role in South Africa’s transportation landscape.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, joined by Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo, will this weekend conduct an oversight visit to water projects in areas that are experiencing challenges due to inadequate infrastructure.

The visit to Hammanskraal and Emfuleni, from 24 – 25 August, forms part of ongoing efforts by the ministry to ensure acceleration of water and sanitation projects, especially in areas experiencing water challenges.

Hammanskraal has been experiencing water quality challenges. The department, through its entity Magalies Water, intervened and initiated the Klipdrift Package Plant to treat 50 megalitres per day, which go to the Temba Water Treatment Works.

Magalies Water is also upgrading the Klipdrift Water Treatment Works from 42 to 92 megalitres per day, while work is being done to refurbish the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works.

Majodina will visit the Klipdrift Package Plant on 24 August to get a progress report on its construction and when it will start operating.

This will b
e followed by a site visit to the Babelegi Reservoir, as well as the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant.

‘The following day [25 August], Majodina will assess the state of water and sanitation in Emfuleni Local Municipality and visit the Leeuikuil Waste Water Treatment Works, and have an engagement with Rand Water on their intervention work in the area,’ the department said.

The inspections come as the Department of Water and Sanitation, through its entities, Magalies Water and Rand Water, alongside the City of Tshwane and Emfuleni Local Municipality, are working collaboratively to effectively address water challenges that are affecting these areas. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor, Gary van Niekerk, says plans to relocate flood disaster victims from a floodplain area in Lapland, Kariega, in the Eastern Cape, to a safer area in Ward 48 are progressing well.

Van Niekerk said the initial delay was caused by an application for approval by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on the residential usage of the identified land.

The Mayor said the approval, which has since been received from the department, came with conditions.

Among the conditions is that the metro must appoint an environmental specialist to monitor and guide the work to clear the building site, as well as the relocation and erection of temporary housing structures.

“The supply chain process to appoint this specialist started immediately after the go-ahead from the department was received, resulting in the tender process being concluded on Tuesday, 20 August 2024.

“The appointment of the specialist will now follow and should not take longer than the anticipated t
wo weeks,’ Van Niekerk said.

Van Niekerk said following the floods, Lapland residents were moved to temporary accommodation in the town of Kariega, but they went back to their area after the floodwater subsided, to wait for imminent relocation.

In Walmer, Van Niekerk said flood victims are waiting for the electrification of temporary housing structures before they can be relocated.

‘Availability of stock for electrification is causing the delays. Intervention measures have been put in place to speed up the process,’ the Mayor said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

Gauteng police have uncovered a drug lab with drugs and processing machinery with an estimated value of R80 million, at a plot in Douglasdale, Johannesburg.

The lab was discovered through the Organised Crime Unit and Police Emergency Service (PES) Flexi Team.

In a statement, police said they also found two unlicensed firearms, ammunition of high caliber firearms, pullet guns, and replica firearms at the premises.

Two illegal immigrants who were found at the premises were arrested.

‘The police have been observing and monitoring a plot where suspicious activities were taking place. On Thursday morning, the police executed a search warrant where they discovered that the premises were used to manufacture drugs. Chemicals used to manufacture drugs, machinery, and finished products were found at the premises,’ the statement read.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, applauded the team for their hard work.

“More than ten drug labs have been discovered by the police in Gauteng i
n the last five months. This is evidence enough that we are making inroads in identifying and dismantling drug labs in our province.

‘I am proud of my members who have been working with diligence to identify and close down the existing drug labs in our province,’ Lieutenant General Mthombeni said.

Police said the arrested suspects will appear before the local Magistrate’s Court in due course. They will face charges that include the manufacturing of drugs, possession of unlicensed firearms, and possession of ammunition.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The youth is a strategic resource and an intellectual reservoir of ideas essential for moving the country forward, says the Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga.

‘Our youthful population represents a blessing with limitless potential-a strategic asset for the current and future well-being of this country and continent,’ Chikunga said.

Delivering a keynote address at the South African Youth Economic Council (SAYEC) 3rd annual job imbizo, held at Melrose Arch on Thursday evening, Chikunga argued that while the current socio-economic conditions pose a direct threat to national stability and undermine future prospects, it is not the youth who are a threat to national security.

According to Chikunga, the conditions under which the youth continue to exist, create opportunities for both known and unknown threats to emerge and become institutionalised.

‘Without a more purposeful, quantifiable, and deliberate investment in their potential and capabilities, South Africa will not
be in a position to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend.

‘No country on earth has been able to industrialise or re-industrialise while neglecting the role of youth in the economy. A trained, capable, and industrious youth is the crucial ingredient currently missing in South Africa’s industrialisation puzzle,’ Chikunga said.

She emphasised that placing the youth at the centre of re-industrialisation must be accompanied by fundamental changes in the structure, systems and institutions.

This must also be accompanied by fundamental changes in patterns of ownership, management, and control of the wealth producing resources in favour of all South Africans, particularly the marginalised, vulnerable and poor, who are primarily Africans and women.

She said youth participation in the economy should not be reduced to hopping from one internship to another.

To prepare the youth for meaningful participation in South Africa’s era of industrialisation, the Minister stressed the need for a reimagined industria
l strategy that is both fit for purpose and responsive to rapidly changing global economic patterns.

‘These patterns range from automation and the rise of artificial intelligence in manufacturing to the ongoing geopolitical realignment. Such a strategy should be anchored on robust economic and market intelligence in order to enhance the quality of decision-making in support of our goals of productivity, industrialisation, commercialisation, and beneficiation,’ Chikunga said.

Chikunga added that addressing youth unemployment requires targeted, sustainable interventions with clearly articulated exit opportunities.

“High levels of youth unemployment require special programs. The National Youth Service Programme must better educate, develop, train, and empower youth, and enable them to participate in the reconstruction of society,’ Chikunga said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, and KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer, have announced plans for an urgent meeting to develop a decisive response to the construction mafia challenge across the country.

In a statement, Minister Macpherson said they have jointly agreed that an urgent meeting with all the respective MECs in all provinces and the Ministers in the Law Enforcement cluster should be held in KwaZulu-Natal.

The decision follows a meeting between Macpherson and Meyer, during which Meyer presented a report detailing the resurgence of construction mafia activities in KwaZulu-Natal.

‘Shortly after I was appointed as Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, I vowed to deal decisively with the construction mafia and to restore the rule of law at construction sites across the country.

‘During a recent oversight visit to the uMkhomazi water project, I learnt how an altercation with the construction mafia led to the death of three people and the a
ssault of another. This is simply unacceptable. We will never be able to attract additional infrastructure investment, and turn the country into a construction site, while this lawlessness continues,’ Macpherson said.

The Minister stated that this is why it is imperative to host the meeting with Public Works MECs across the country and the Ministers in the Law Enforcement cluster to develop a comprehensive plan to turn the tide against the construction mafia ‘to not only attract additional infrastructure investment but protect the lives of our people.’

Beyond addressing the construction mafia, the Minister and MEC Meyer discussed the potential reform of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to ensure it benefits recipients and contributes to job creation.

They also explored how national and provincial governments can collaborate to expand infrastructure development in KwaZulu-Natal.

‘KwaZulu-Natal is a province of such immense potential, and I therefore look forward to working closely with the MEC to
unlock economic growth and job creation in the province,’ he said.

The Minister added that he will be meeting with MECs in other provinces and mayors in the week ahead to see how they can work together to improve the lives of our people.

‘It is only through working together towards a common vision that we can unlock South Africa’s potential. Let’s Build South Africa,’ the Minister said.

Source: South African Government News Agency