Author: svadmin

Water and Sanitation Director-General, Dr Sean Phillips, has assured Gauteng residents that the planned closure of the Lesotho Highlands Water Tunnel for six months will not affect water supply to Rand Water and the availability of raw water.

Phillips was briefing the media in Pretoria on Friday on the planned maintenance work on transfer and delivery tunnels of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which is scheduled to start from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025.

The tunnel system includes a transfer tunnel, linking Katse Dam with Muela Power Station and Muela Dam, and a delivery tunnel linking Muela Dam with the Ash River Outfall Works between Clarens and Bethlehem.

Phillips said the inspections and maintenance of the tunnels must be conducted at intervals between five and 10 years.

‘The last maintenance was conducted in 2019. During the shutdown of 2019 it was found that the steel liners in the tunnel urgently need extensive maintenance on both the Republic of South Africa and Lesotho side,’ Phi
llips said.

The planned maintenance work is being overseen by the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission, a joint governance body between South Africa and Lesotho and will be jointly undertaken by the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA) and the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), which is an entity under Water and Sanitation Department.

Phillips said the work required to be undertaken during the shutdown period includes grit-blasting the steel-lined section around the entire circumference and re-applying corrosion protection on the tunnel lining, and other maintenance and repair work identified during the 2019 maintenance shutdown.

Phillips reiterated that the work to be undertaken requires a lot of time as it is expected to protect the infrastructure for another 20-30 years.

‘This much-needed maintenance is critical to maintain the integrity of the delivery tunnels as a tunnel failure will risk the transfer of the 780 million m3/annum of water to the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), from which
Rand Water draws water to supply its customers. The six months period required to conduct maintenance is thus crucial to avoid any catastrophic event which may result from a lack of maintenance.’

On the impact of the maintenance work on the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) and Rand Water, Phillips noted that 700 million m3 per annum will be transferred in 2024, a shortfall of 80 million m3 from the normal annual transfer volume.

After the shutdown period, he said, the water transfers will be increased to enable the shortfall in transfers to be recovered.

The Director-General said an analysis was undertaken in May 2023 to assess the risk to the IVRS’ performance due to the outage, and to determine the impact of the shutdown on water availability to users in South Africa.

‘The analysis indicated the impact of the outage on the overall IVRS will be insignificant considering that dams in the IVRS such as the Sterkfontein Dam and others are relatively full.

‘This means that the closure of the tunnel for ma
intenance will not result in any disruption of water supply to Rand Water, and to the municipalities in Gauteng and other provinces which are customers of Rand Water.

‘The standard operating rule is that Sterkfontein Dam releases water to the Vaal Dam when the Vaal Dam reaches a minimum operating level of 18%. The department’s analysis indicates that this is unlikely to occur at any probability level in the 2023-2024 operating year. Hence, releases from Sterkfontein Dam to support the Vaal Dam are not envisaged for the current 2023-2024 operating year and Sterkfontein Dam remains full to date,’ Phillips explained.

He said further analysis will be undertaken in May 2024 to ensure there are no likely risks to water supply from the IVRS in the 2024-2025 operating year.

‘The fact that the Sterkfontein Dam is full means that it can provide a reserve supply of water to top up the Vaal Dam as needed.

‘The shutdown will also not have any significant water supply implications for domestic users along the Liebenber
gsvlei River and its tributaries in the Free State during that period.

‘Licensed irrigators along the Liebenbergsvlei River and its tributaries will be provided with notices to restrict their abstraction during the shutdown period to certain days of the week, so that they abstract water from rivers fed by the Saulspoort Dam in a sustainable way during the tunnel closure,’ Phillips said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Eskom anticipates that load shedding will likely be ‘maintained within Stage 2’ this winter period.

This is according to the power utility’s Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane, who was speaking during the State of the System and Winter Outlook media briefing held at Megawatt Park on Friday.

He said the forecast was made on the anticipation of the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF) reaching 14 000MW during winter – down from the anticipated 15 000MW during the same period last year.

The UCLF is the rate at which generating units breakdown and do not perform optimally.

‘For winter 2024… the likely scenario from our assumptions is that load shedding will be maintained within Stage 2 at most. In the extreme case where the unreliability increases, that component may go occasionally [to] Stage 5 but we really think that on the basis of what we see, the performance of the fleet, load shedding will stay within Stage 2.

‘This is on the back of the decrease of the backline unreliability capacity reduction of 1
000MW which is what we use for our baseline assumptions,’ he said.

Marokane said although the reduction may look minimal, it is critical for managing the intensity of load shedding.

‘What is really important as we go into this season’s forecast is that the base level for UCLF number is lower by a 1000MW. When you understand the capacity that we have, it does not look as a big number but when you actually understand the implications in terms of the levels of load shedding, to be able to bank that capacity is an important aspect,’ he said.

The CEO explained that the power utility has been hard at work to lower the UCLF.

‘When you look at the time period between the last winter and now, you can actually see the reduction in unplanned losses – a 9% drop. It is mostly coming from the priority stations that were targeted as focal points.

‘We also have the benefit of the early return of the four Kusile [Power Station] units that were out. The losses are averaging around 14.2GW. Our focus on targets in this fina
ncial year is to keep this below 14GW. This is where the first capacity release is coming from. The decline… is not as fast as we want to [and] our focal point this year is to deal with six or seven key areas that causes unreliability and once we tackle them we should be able to see ourselves comfortably at lower levels than this,’ he said.

Marokane insisted that the power utility will be digging their boots in deeper this winter to further reduce losses at power stations.

He urged South Africans to do their part by using electricity efficiently and sparingly this winter.

‘Over the winter period, work continues and we are targeting to reduce the unplanned losses by a further 1.7GW. This will be made up of 1.3GW from partial load loss reduction but also…demand side management initiatives are also underway.

‘Our ability to beat load shedding this winter still depends on our collective collaboration and to this extent, we’ll be launching the energy saving campaign this May asking all of us to play our part i
n this regard,’ Marokane said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has described Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo as its ‘pillar of support’.

Its Executive Chairman, Malam Jalal Arabi, stated this when he received Uzodinma on a courtesy visit to the Muslims pilgrimage office on Thursday in Abuja.

Arabi, who expressed delight at hosting the governor, commended his interventions toward ensuring that intending pilgrims from Imo participated in this year’s pilgrimage.

‘You have been a pillar of support to us in the commission through your support that ensured the participation of Imo pilgrims in this year’s exercise.

‘You supported us in 2023 and did same this year in spite of the fact that you are a Christian and governor of a predominantly Christian State.

‘For us, you’re a symbol of peaceful religious co-existence and unity in the country,’ he said.

The NAHCON boss presented a letter of commendation to Uzodinma and an award of excellence for his support and promotion of peaceful religious co-existence and unity.

Responding, U
zodinma expressed sincere appreciation for the honour shown him.

He restated his firm belief in peaceful inter-faith co-existence to promote development and prosperity in Imo and the country as a whole.

Uzodinma was one of the governors that subsidised the 2024 Hajj fare which enabled intending pilgrims from his state to participate in this year’s Muslim pilgrimage.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, has described Dr Phil Mjwara’s farewell as bittersweet for both the department and the country’s science community.

The Department of Science and Technology (DSI) hosted a farewell for Mjwara, the longest-serving DG in the country, recently.

After serving for 18 years as DG, Mjwara has been praised for his significant contributions to the department and the country.

Mjwara, whose last day in office was on 28 March, was praised for his visionary leadership and dedication to a broader perspective.

‘That’s one thing I enjoyed about you is you always contextualise and look at the bigger picture. But at the same time being specific about what needs to be done,’ Nzimande told the attendees at the farewell.

According to the Minister, Mjwara has played a crucial role in implementing key policies and institutional interventions with his strategic insights.

‘I want to thank you for teaching me to be a science policy person. You know
those who come from what is called a Marxist intellectual tradition. They usually are very arrogant about science. But thank you very much for teaching me many aspects of science that I didn’t know about,’ he told Mjwara.

Mjwara holds a BSc, MSc, and PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand. His academic career includes serving as a Professor of Science and Technology Policy at the University of Pretoria, and physics lectureships at the Universities of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and Fort Hare.

Nzimande also saluted Mjwara for the outstanding work and the role he played in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He was also lauded for outstanding projects he was involved in such as hydrogen strategy, vaccine manufacturing innovations, indigenous knowledge systems projects and the National Policy Data Observatory.

‘Being in the department has been a learning curve for me and your presence has truly anchored me as a science policy person,’ Nzimande
added.

The Minister also congratulated Mjwara because, for the first time in South Africa, the country has developed the capacity for the local production of vaccines.

He gifted the retiree with a shield and a spear as a symbol for the fights he fought and conquered as a civil servant.

‘I want to say something to the staff of DSI that indeed we have very big shoes to fill.’

Mjwara also took the podium to thank the guests for honouring him with their presence. He paid tribute to the Ministers and Special Advisors who have worked with him and his team over the years.

‘I appreciate that Ministers provided us with roles and gave us the space to do what needed to be done. The role was very clear.’

When he began his journey at DSI, he expressed his desire to create a machine that would make everyone proud.

‘I am proud that we built this machinery. It will take somebody very skilful to [try to] dismantle this. I want to say here that I wish them all the best in trying to do it. Because it’s been designed with
all the checks and balances to make sure that those who have the ambitions to destroy this will not get into the entire DSI family I’m very proud of,’ he said, an utterance which was met with cheers.

He expressed his sincere gratitude to his staff from the Pretoria and Cape Town offices for all the support they provided to him and his family.

Mjwara gave a special dedication to his assistants. ‘I am grateful that they all stayed with me because I can be very difficult.’

He paid tribute to his wife, his three adult children, and his newly wedded daughter-in-law. ‘I know that I haven’t always been present and I apologise for not being there all the time but I hope now you know where I was,’ he quipped.

He said that he has not taken their support and sacrifice for granted.

During the event, Bongiwe, Mjwara’s daughter, shared some personal anecdotes and paid tribute to her father’s character and achievements.

‘With everything, he ran the household very systematically and had great organisational skills with
everything. It is amazing to see everything that our father has done and how he has remained as a person. He’s been to all these places, met all these people but continues to remain humble.’

She described her dad as a humorous man with a charming smile.

‘I just hope that in your projects going forward you’ll continue to use him but also let him enjoy life, enjoy his legacy and his family. You have set such a beautiful standard for excellence, respect, and humility and we are proud of you.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

The China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) with support of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, renovated and donated learning materials to China-Assisted Model Primary School Nyanya, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the distribution of the learning materials was done at the inauguration of the upgraded primary school in Abuja.

Mr Zhou Hao, Managing Director, CRBC Nigeria, whole handing over the materials to the school, said that the items would promote and strengthen education in Nigeria.

Hao emphasised the need for a better learning environment for teachers and students as education was important.

He added that among peoples of different continents, there was a common ground that transcends ethnicity and nationality which is children, who fill the world with hope and brightness.

‘ Children represent the future’s expectations and aspirations, and they rightfully deserve a better life.

‘ We believe that improving children’s educational conditions and environments is a shared goal among
people from all sectors both China and Nigeria.

‘ Thus, as a Chinese company operating in Nigeria, we are very eager and honored to contribute our part to the educational efforts in Nigeria,’ he said.

He noted that looking at the developmental needs of the Nigerian government and people; CRBC was committed to serving the socio-economic development and improved the livelihood of Nigerians.

‘ With nearly 10 projects being implemented in Nigeria, covering areas such as roads, railways, flood control, terminals, and chemical industries,

‘ We will fully utilise our own resources to continuously promote the development of infrastructure and boost economic in Nigeria through our actions,’ he said.

Earlier, Mr Zhang Yi, Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria said that CRBC among others are actively fulfilling their social responsibilities by giving back to the local people.

Zhang said the company does this while carrying out production and operation activities in Nigeria.

‘After learning about the
aging of some of the school’s office desks and chairs, classroom, blackboards and bathroom facilities, CRBC took the initiative to ask the Chinese Embassy for instructions.

‘ They expressed their willingness to undertake the repairs of the school and provide learning materials for students so as to provide a better learning environment for all,” he said.

Also, Dr Alhassan Sule, Executive Chairman, Education Bureau of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) commended Chinese Government for their continuous support towards improving the quality of education in the country.

He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment towards strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

On his part, Mrs Dada Galadima, the acting Headmistress of the school expressed gratitude to CRBC and the embassy for their unrelenting efforts to contribute to the growth and development of students.

NAN reports that the learning materials includes notebooks, pencils, erasers, rulers, sports equipment, desks, chairs among others.

Sourc
e: News Agency of Nigeria

The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) stakeholders gathered in Abuja on Thursday to promote food security nationwide through the 50×2030 survey initiative.

The thrust of the 50×2030 survey workshop, organised by the ACReSAL project in collaboration with the World Bank, focused on bridging agricultural data gaps and promoting evidence-informed decision-making.

Malam Balarabe Lawal, Minister of Environment, said the 50×2030 Initiative, led by the World Bank and FAO, aims to develop a fit-for-purpose, integrated, and financially sustainable agricultural survey programme.

He said the initiative will address the country’s data needs and foster a culture of data use for decision-making.

’50×2030 Initiative is a World Bank and FAO led global agriculture and climate statistics programme working in minimising data gap.

‘And building national statistics systems and promoting evidence -informed agriculture in 50 low, lower-middle and middle-income countries around the world by the year 203
0.

‘In Nigeria, 50×2030 Initiative will work closely with the ACReSAL team, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in designing and implementing climate and agriculture focused survey programme in 36 states and FCT,’ Lawal said.

He said the survey will incorporate an ACReSAL specific module to track progress and inform decisions.

‘Data from the survey programme will inform national programming and policies in the agriculture sector and will inform climate change policies,’ the Minister said.

Abdulhamid Umar, the National Project Coordinator of the ACReSAL Project said that indeed 50×2030 is an initiative of the World Bank for 50 countries in the world, who are members of the Bank.

‘The initiative is to provide strength and capacity for those nations to enable them capture and gather reliable data from the agriculture site, in other words to ensure food security in the nation.The project will reach out to 36 states and the FCT,’ Umar said.

Vinay Vutu
kuru, Social Development Leader, World Bank said that the project would address the impacts of climate change and food insecurity in Nigeria through data-smart agriculture.

Mr Koffy Dominque, FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS said that 50×2030 Survey is aimed at bridging the agricultural data gap.

Dominque said it will also build strong national data systems that will produce and use high quality, timely agricultural survey data in Nigeria.

Dominque who was represented by Tofiq Braimah, said that FAO is committed to continue this effort to make sure adequate capacity is built at national level to sustain the production of agricultural statistics in Nigeria.

‘This effort will be designed in such a way that National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will be in the driving seat of this data production to ensure that technical assistance provided in this 50×2030 initiative is sustained.

‘With this collaboration, data on core agricultural variables as well as inc
ome and labour productivity, production methods and environment as well as use of machineries and equipment will be collected to regularly avail data on agriculture.

‘Once again, FAO in collaboration with the World Bank team, is on board to assist the NBS and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in implementing the 50×2030 approach to have an annual agricultural survey in Nigeria for the next five years,’ he said.

Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security said that the initiative would unlock the potentials of the agriculture sector and foster economic growth.

Abdullahi who was represented by Mr Oshadiya Olanipekun, Director, Lands and Climate Management Services in the ministry said that food security is imminent in the country through the use of data-smart agriculture.

Mr Yemi Adeniran, Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the NBS said that the launch of the initiative marks the beginning of the significant partnership between ACReSAL
and NBS.

Adeniran said this would facilitate the production of agriculture and climate related data in Nigeria till 2030.

‘Data and evidence are very key to development solutions across the world. Data enables government and development partners to formulate policies to address development challenges,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria