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Western Cape Human Settlements on Qolweni housing project in Plettenberg Bay

Qolweni housing dream edging closer to realisation

The first 66 qualifying beneficiaries of the Qolweni Phase 3A (169) housing project in Plettenberg Bay, can soon look forward to living in a dignified manner. This project that has been long overdue is nearing completion, with this first batch of units expected to be handed over by the end of April.

On 18 June 2021, the Bitou Municipality handed the project over to the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WCDoHS). Excluding professional fees, this project has an allocated budget of R33,5 million. Construction began in September 2021 and will be conducted over two phases. All 169 qualifying beneficiaries have been approved on the Housing Subsidy System (HSS).

Minister Simmers said: “I am delighted with the progress of this historic project. This development is the epitome of how swiftly housing opportunities can be delivered, when all stakeholders work towards the common goal of improving the lives of our people. This development is hugely significant and I want to applaud officials in my Department and in the Bitou Municipality, but more so community members for their patience and perseverance, along with the contractor for hitting the ground running. There are many that can learn valuable lessons from what is transpiring in this area. As construction continues, my request to all stakeholders is to ensure that we don’t allow elements to derail the progress, as this will only further delay what all of us are hoping to achieve. This update once again demonstrates our commitment to being transparent.

As the Western Cape government, we remain committed to accelerating human settlement delivery, while promoting social inclusion through the development of integrated, resilient, safe and sustainable human settlements in an open opportunity society.”

Source: Government of South Africa

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South Africa most unequal country in the world: World Bank report

WASHINGTON— South Africa is the most unequal country in the world, with race playing a determining factor in a society here 10 percent of the population owns more than 80 percent of the wealth, a

World Bank report said.

“South Africa … is the most unequal country in the world, ranking first among 164 countries,” the Washington-based institution said in a report called ‘Inequality in Southern Africa’.

Nearly thirty years after the end of apartheid, “race remains a key driver of high inequality in South Africa, due to its impact on education and the labor market,” it said.

When race is considered as a factor in income disparities, the report added, “its contribution to income inequality amounts to 41 percent, while contribution of education is reduced to 30 percent.”

“The legacy of colonialism and apartheid, rooted in racial and spatial segregation, continues to reinforce inequality.”

The country’s neighbours that make up the rest of the Southern African Customs Union — Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia — all finish high on the list of the most unequal countries in the world.

Gender also plays an important role.

In the region, women earn on average 30 percent less than men with the same level of education.

The pay gap between men and women reaches 38 percent in Namibia and South Africa.

The uneven distribution of agricultural land is also a factor driving inequality, especially in rural areas.

In Namibia, 70 percent of the 39.7 million hectares of commercial agricultural land “still belong to Namibians of European descent”, the World Bank said.

The report was produced before the Covid-19 pandemic and its authors used the Gini coefficient — an indicator of income inequality — to rank countries.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Limpopo Provincial Government hosts Education Indaba, 10 Mar

Limpopo Provincial Government led by Premier Mr. Chupu Stanley Mathabatha will, on Thursday 10 March 2022, host the Education Indaba under theme: “Moving Limpopo towards educational excellence”. The aim is to explore avenue and interrogate the declining trend in the National Senior Certificate performance. Limpopo Education Indaba will look at other contributing factors generally affecting the sector in the province.

Education is one of the apex priorities adopted in the Limpopo Development Plan (LDP) thus requiring sustained attention towards improvement thereof. This follows, the directive made by Premier Mathabatha that the province should host an Education Indaba before the end of the fourth quarter as part of Provincial Government’s concerted efforts to enhance education in the province.

The Premier, MECs, Executive Mayors, Heads of Departments, Director-General, experts and various stakeholders in the education sector will attend this all-important session. Members of the media are invited to attend as follows:

Source: Government of South Africa

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President Cyril Ramaphosa hosts President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique on State visit, 11 Mar

President Cyril Ramaphosa will host His Excellency Filipe Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique, on a Working Visit to Pretoria tomorrow, Friday, 11 March 2022.

President Nyusi will attend the 3rd Session of the Bi-National Commission of Cooperation (BNC) between the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Mozambique.

South Africa and Mozambique share strong historical ties arising from the solidarity formed during the two nations’ struggles against colonialism and apartheid.

Beginning in 1997, bilateral relations between South Africa and Mozambique were conducted at the level of the Heads of State Economic Bilateral Forum (HOSEB).

However, on 13 December 2011, the two countries signed an agreement on the establishment of Bi-National Commission of Cooperation (BNC), thus elevating the status of the relations to highest level.

The BNC comprises a Political and Diplomatic Committee; Defence and Security Committee; Economic Committee, and Social Committee which promote cooperation in these areas.

Since the establishment of the BNC in 2011, cooperation has resulted in the signing of a range of sectoral agreements and memoranda of understanding.

The BNC is preceded by meetings of senior officials and Ministers. The two Heads of State are also expected to share views on regional, continental and global issues of mutual interest, particularly peace, security and economic development matters.

The Commission will evaluate progress on all outstanding projects and the implementation of commitments of the 2nd BNC, and will reaffirm the bilateral relations and enhance cooperation between South Africa and its eastern neighbour.

Source: Government of South Africa

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African Union Urges Putin to End Conflict

Senegalese President and chair of the African Union Macky Sall has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a lasting cease-fire in Ukraine. Sall’s talk with Putin comes just a week after Senegal abstained from a U.N. vote to condemn the Russian invasion. African nations have interests in seeing an end to the war but also in not upsetting Putin.

Sall’s request as chairman of the African Union Wednesday was a contrast to his actions as Senegalese president a week prior, when Senegal joined 16 other African countries in abstaining from a U.N. vote to condemn the Russian invasion.

Senegal is considered a beacon of democracy in West Africa, so the move came as a surprise to many.

“[Non-alignment] has been the default posture for many African countries over the years where they prefer not to get involved or not to get in between great power rivalries,” said Joseph Siegle, the director of research for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. “And so, it isn’t a vote of support for Russia, but a vote for trying to maintain neutrality.”

Russia has a plethora of business dealings throughout the African continent. Senegal, for example, signed a $300 million deal with Russian oil company Lukoil just last year. The company also has operations in Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria. Russian mining companies are also active throughout Africa, from extracting diamonds in Angola to aluminum in Guinea and uranium in Namibia.

Most notably, Moscow is Africa’s leading supplier of weapons. Since 2015, it’s signed military agreements with more than 20 African countries.

Furthermore, private Russia military companies with close ties to the Kremlin have gained an increasingly strong foothold in African countries such as Mali and the Central African Republic.

So, while it may be in the best interest of many African countries to avoid tension with the Kremlin, leaders are beginning to feel the ripple effects of the war.

“Russia is a country that exports a lot of products, notably gas and raw materials like wheat,” said Abdou Rahmane Thiam, head of the political science department at Dakar’s University of Cheikh Anta Diop. “That can have an economic impact especially with regards to trade.”

Luckily, the African Union does have some sway, Thiam said.

“International relations are not only decided by major world powers — the African Union is still a regional institution. It can be considered an influential voice,” Thiam said. “Russia also needs Africa. It’s in their best interest to listen to the spokesperson of the African Union.”

In a statement about the call, the Kremlin referred to the invasion as a “special military operation to protect Donbass” and did not mention Sall’s request for a cease-fire. Instead, it stated that Russia was asked to safely evacuate foreign citizens and said both leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to further develop Russian-African relations.

Source: Voice of America

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Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group Announces Expansion of Marine Manufacturing in Asia

TEMECULA, Calif., March 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Group”), a part of the Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan) group of companies, is proud to announce yet another expansion of their manufacturing capabilities for the growing Marine market. With this expansion, they have become one of the largest manufacturers providing localized assembly in both Busan Korea and Hangzhou China. This expansion represents their commitment to and support of the growth of the Asian shipbuilding industry.

Their Hangzhou China facilities are now equipped to manufacture and deliver marine skids and provide full integration and assembly in-house. This allows for greater quality control and reduced cost for their customers. The new, larger facility in Korea provides full-system Marine solutions. Together, these facilities now provide full localization for design, engineering and manufacturing.

As a unified Nikkiso Group, they are the only company that offers the core technology components completely in-house. They provide fully integrated turnkey fuel system solutions, cargo handling solutions and complex LNG missions. Through their China facility, they can now offer in-country full string testing and provide full fuel gasket testing to ensure meeting engine requirements. Their service capabilities in China and Korea have also been expanded with additional service offerings, long-term service agreements and more field service specialists.

“We are proud to be helping lead the way in the LNG powered Marine market and providing significant benefits to our Marine customers. Nikkiso CE&IG will now be able to provide complete systems and support our customers with a complete factory supported solution,” according to Peter Wagner, CEO of Cryogenic Industries and President of the Group.

Marine continues to be a major focus of the Group, and this expansion provides a strong support structure for future growth. The locations also eliminate the need for ocean freighting for shipment delivery, resulting in shorter delivery times to their customers.

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a part of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment and small-scale process plants for the liquefied natural gas (LNG), well services and industrial gas industries. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.

For more information, please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
[email protected]