Day: September 10, 2024

South Africa is expected to receive some R628 million in European Union (EU) grant funding in support of its green hydrogen agenda.

This was announced during a media briefing with the Minister of Energy and Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and European Union (EU) Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson.

‘The [first] European Grant is close to R100 million. It will be [used] in the implementation of the strategy for Transnet. The other European Union Grant of almost half a billion Rand will go to the development and construction of infrastructure in the South African green hydrogen value chain.

‘These two…grants will be implemented in a way so that they contribute to South Africa’s strategic objectives of firstly adding value in the local economy and…higher in the value chain and also develop the knowledge economy for growth in other sectors,’ Simson said.

Minister Ramokgopa told the gathering that South Africa is determined to ‘take advantage of one of
the new emerging frontiers…green hydrogen’.

‘We think that green hydrogen provides some of the best opportunities for the country to reindustrialise given the fact that we are sitting on significant mineral endowments in our country, our ability to beneficiate locally and our ability to access more lucrative markets – the European Union being one of those markets.

‘The European Union stands ready to meet its own targets and as part of that, a greater degree of appetite to pay a premium in relation to green hydrogen. We are sitting on significant endowments, and we want to exploit those endowments for the benefit of the South African economy but also to help our partners to meet their own targets in relation to cleaning the economy,’ Ramokgopa said.

Meanwhile, Minister Tau added that the grants will also assist South Africa to achieve its net zero targets.

‘But also…there’s the opportunity of greening significant parts of our value chain and therefore decarbonising in certain industries and regions.

‘It i
s a great opportunity. We, working with the [Industrial Development Corporation], have got a green hydrogen commercialisation strategy. At the implementation level, the Ministry of Energy and Electricity will be leading us but at the back of that, we will be able to provide the necessary support,’ Tau said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has rejected a joint report by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture on the completion of the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance in Hankey, Eastern Cape.

The report was presented to the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture on Tuesday morning.

According to the department, Macpherson will soon be meeting with Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie to establish a way forward.

The Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance has been plagued by delays since a tender for its construction was issued in April 2014, and to date millions have been spent on the project, but construction remains 37% completed.

‘In my discussions with Minister McKenzie, we both agree that the progress which has been achieved in the centre remains wholly inadequate and that serious action needs to be taken to limit any further wastage of taxpayer money.

‘Not only have both departments failed to brief the
Ministers on the report presented to Parliament, but it furthermore is simply unacceptable that despite three contractors being involved in the project over a period of 10 years, construction has not even been halfway completed with further delays expected,’ Macpherson said.

He said the life of Sarah Baartman ‘remains an important reminder of our painful past, and it is therefore imperative that we give her the respect and dignity she deserves’.

‘However, the work which has been done at the Remembrance Centre thus far fails to honour her memory and has instead become a problem which continues to cost taxpayers millions. This simply must end,’ the Minister said.

Macpherson emphasised that a meeting with Minister McKenzie will help to resolve any concerns while developing a joint vision of how the construction of the project can be completed in the shortest timeframe possible, thereby possibly providing solutions that can be replicated at other memorial projects across South Africa.

‘For too long, the South
African State and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure as implementing agents have spent millions on memorial projects just for the projects to remain incomplete or fall into a state of disrepair.

‘This era of this fruitless expenditure has to come to an end, and I know that both Minister McKenzie and I are committed to achieving this goal. Let us Build South Africa,’ the Minister said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) says it will henceforth issue Outline Business Case (OBC) Certificate of Compliance and Full Business Case (FBC) Certificate of Compliance within seven days.

This follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu to the commission’s Director General, Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, ‘to accelerate investment in national infrastructure through innovative mobilisation of private-sector funding.’

In a statement signed by Ifeanyi Nwoko, Acting Head of Media and Publicity, ICRC, in Abuja on Monday, the commission said it had streamlined its approval processes to issue the certificates.

Nwoko said that the move aimed to accelerate the turnaround time for approvals by the commission.

He quoted Ewalefoh as saying, ‘in line with President Tinubu’s charge and the Renewed Hope Agenda, we have updated our approval processes.

‘This process aims to issue either the OBC or FBC to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that meet the requirements within seven days.

‘This
is part of the current administration’s efforts to accelerate infrastructure development, bridge infrastructure gaps, and stimulate the economy through private sector investment in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives.’

He said by streamlining its processes, the commission was not compromising its stringent approval steps or key requirements.

‘Therefore, only business cases that are viable, bankable, offer value for money, and meet all other requirements will be approved.

‘The ICRC cannot achieve this alone; I urge all chief executives of MDAs to match our momentum and align with the President’s charge to accelerate infrastructure development.

‘This will ensure that PPP projects are delivered within record time without being stalled.

See also FG reiterates commitment to improving Nigeria’s infrastructure economy through PPP

‘The commission is ready to partner and collaborate with all MDAs to achieve this.’

Nwoko said the ICRC was established to regulate the Federal Government’s PPP initiatives,
address Nigeria’s physical infrastructure deficit and promote economic development.

The statement said an FBC is a comprehensive document outlining the detailed investment plan, capital and operating costs, benefits, risks framework, and negotiated financials associated with a PPP project.

It is prepared and submitted by the MDA to obtain the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approval, as required by Section 2(2) of the ICRC Establishment Act.

‘This formed the basis for secure funding, approvals, or partnerships.

‘In contrast, the OBC is less detailed than the FBC but provides a determination of project viability and bankability, offering a solid foundation for the project’s overall strategy and direction.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

In a deliberate effort to enhance understanding of demarcation processes, the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) is conducting consultations to educate stakeholders about the ward delimitation process.

According to the MDB, these consultations are held in all municipalities, targeting traditional leadership, ward councillors, ward committees, municipal officials, and other stakeholders.

Every five years, the MDB delimit wards preceding the Local Government Elections (LGE) in compliance with the Municipal Structures Act (MSA) 117 of 1998, as amended.

‘The next LGE will be held in 2026. The plan is to hand over the final wards to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) towards the end of 2025.

‘It should be noted that over the years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of voters resulting in a proportional increase in the number of wards in municipalities. Consequently, this results in a change in the configuration of wards in municipalities,’ the MDB explained.

Wards are delimited by the
MDB and entail the division of the whole geographic area of a municipality into smaller geographic areas, called wards.

According to the organisation, Schedule 1 of the MSA provides for certain procedures and criteria to which the MDB must comply.

The MDB must, amongst others, ensure that all wards in a municipality have approximately the same number of voters.

The number of registered voters in each ward, may not vary by more than 15% from the norm.

The norm is determined by dividing the total number of registered voters on the municipality’s segment of the national common voters roll by the number of wards in the municipality.

In a municipality with 30 000 voters and 10 wards, the average number of voters per ward would be 3 000. A variation of 15% can be added or deducted, resulting in a range of 2 550 to 3 450 voters per ward in this municipality.

The organisation said the education and awareness drive commenced in July 2024 to allow stakeholders sufficient time to understand the process and be able
to participate effectively during the ward delimitation process and make informed inputs.

The agency will now embark on the nationwide public consultations to be conducted for the same purpose.

‘Once the draft wards are drawn, intensive community consultations will be rolled out to obtain public views before the process is finalised.’

This process is expected to take place between March and April 2025.

Although, the consultations by way of public meetings are not legislated as per the MSA, it will be conducted to reflect MDBs resolve to enhance its public engagement processes.

‘The MDB remains committed to driving meaningful public consultations and that all affected communities are empowered to actively participate in demarcation processes.

‘This will enable them to make informed decisions that will enhance spatial democracy, access to economic opportunities and efficient delivery of services,’ said Chairperson of the Board, Thabo Manyoni.

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday expressed concern over the flood that affected parts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno.

The President extended condolences to the government and people of the state, especially to the families that lost their means of livelihood.

Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, said in a statement.

‘The worst flood in recent decades, triggered by the overflow of the Alau Dam, has displaced thousands of residents and affected facilities such as the Post office and the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

‘While relevant authorities are still assessing the damage wrought by the flood, the President calls for the immediate evacuation of people from affected areas.

‘Tinubu assures Gov. Babagana Zulum that the Federal Government is ready to collaborate to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the affected people,’ said Onanuga.

He said the President ordered the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assist the flood victims, and remained co
mmitted to mobilising federal resources to support the state during this difficult time.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Significant progress has been made towards the delivery of title deeds to qualifying residents, says the City of Cape Town.

Speaking during the handover of title deeds to qualifying residents in Elsies River, the City’s MEC for Human Settlements, Carl Pophaim said approximately 12 000 title deeds need to be delivered to qualifying residents.

‘The city is making significant progress towards reaching this goal, one title deed at a time. The city has made significant progress with its title deeds programme and over recent months, we have delivered title deeds in communities across the city.

‘[The] City’s Human Settlements title deeds programme has been the cornerstone of the city’s work to empower communities, by promoting home ownership and sustainable development in communities,’ Pophaim explained, adding that more beneficiaries will be empowered.

City teams will also explore innovative ways to help more residents to ensure that more families have security of tenure and access to opportunities.

‘The City
‘s Human Settlements Directorate has demonstrated its commitment to creating a more inclusive society with this innovative programme. We are grateful for the support of our communities and all stakeholders for assisting us in making this programme a success.

‘We have many more title deeds to deliver to qualifying residents and we will be reaching many more areas in the weeks to come.’

Pophaim has encouraged residents to reach out to the city to find out more about the title deeds programme.

What you need to know

If you or a family member is a beneficiary of a city unit without a title deed, here is what you need to do:

Identify the easily recognisable title deed agents visiting your area.

Have the following documents ready: owner ID and spouse ID (if applicable), marriage certificate (if applicable).

In the event of a death, provide a letter of authority and death certificate.

If you missed the team, bring along the required documents and visit the department at the Cape Town Civic Centre, 2nd Floo
r Human Settlements Kiosk Monday to Friday between 9am – 12pm.

For more information or if you want to verify that the agents are legitimate, contact 021 444 0333 or email [email protected] or visit your local housing office.

The title deed email request must include the following information:

Body of the email:

Name and surname: (The name in which the title deed is registered)

ID number and

address.

For more information, contact the Human Settlements Call Centre on 021 444 0333 business hours: Monday to Friday between 07:30am and 16:30pm.

Source: South African Government News Agency