Category: Key Issues

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has confirmed the outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) in the Western Cape and Norther Cape provinces.

The department said it has received reports of die-offs of wild rabbits and hares from the Karoo areas in the Western and Northern Cape.

“State veterinary services, private veterinarians and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment were involved in field investigations. Post-mortems were performed and samples collected to confirm the cause of the deaths.

“Diagnostic tests were performed at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Laboratory and the cause was confirmed as Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease,” the department said in a statement.

RHD is a disease caused by a virus, Calicivirus, resulting in a high number of deaths in rabbits and hares, and the sudden death of animals due to bleeding in the organs including the liver, kidney and spleen.

The department said this is the first detection of the disease in South Africa and at this stage, it is still unclear how the disease could have entered the country, since the importation of rabbits and hares is not allowed.

The department said investigations are underway to determine whether illegal importation could be the source.

“Control of RHD in rabbitries relies mainly on vaccination, but the vaccine is not available in South Africa. This increases the importance of biosecurity measures in rabbitries and anywhere where rabbits or hares are kept.

“Biosecurity measures are difficult to implement in wild populations. The occurrence of RHD in the Karoo is therefore of great concern, as our indigenous Red Rock rabbit, endangered Riverine rabbit and hare species are highly susceptible to this disease,” the department said.

The department warned that carcasses of RHD-infected rabbits might be a major source for viral spreading, since the virus seems to be highly resistant and stable, even when exposed to harsh environmental conditions.

Rabbit owners have been advised to ensure that their rabbits are secured and must prevent any contact with other rabbits or hares, either directly or indirectly through people or equipment.

Members of the public have also been encouraged to report any dead or dying rabbits or hares to the nearest State veterinarian for investigation.

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele says Cabinet has considered and approved a comprehensive package of measures to address damage to public infrastructure and the economy by restricting the trade of waste scrap and semi processed metals.

The Minister hosted a briefing in Pretoria on Friday following this week’s Cabinet meeting.

He said the meeting considered the policy measures to restrict trade in scrap metal to limit damage to public infrastructure and the economy.

This follows the gazetting on 5 August 2022 for public comment of the “Draft Policy Proposals on Measures to Restrict and Regulate Trade in Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Waste, Scrap and Semi-Finished Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metal Products to Limit Damage to Infrastructure and the Economy” by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition; and consideration of the extensive public comments received.

“Details of the measures to be implemented will now be processed for publication in the Government Gazette by the relevant Ministries and a detailed media release containing details of the measures will be released by GCIS as soon as the necessary legal work has been finalised,” said the Minister.

South Africa will also engage with the SADC, African Union and the Southern African Customs Union to ensure a coordinated approach to fight this crime collectively as a region.

Meanwhile, the Minister said Infrastructure South Africa, in partnership with GIZ, a German development agency, will host its third Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) in Cape Town, from 28 to 30 November 2022.

“This year’s symposium will focus on green hydrogen as an important growth sector in the country’s investment strategy.

“The symposium will bring together decision-makers, financial institutions, academics and international authorities. The event will afford the country the opportunity to showcase some of the large and low-cost world-class green hydrogen production hubs,” said Gungubele.

The demand for green hydrogen-based products such as ammonia and synthetic jet fuels is rising.

The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in South Africa has been researching green hydrogen with a focus on green mobility and the use of platinum group metals.

“Cabinet approved the Hydrogen Society Roadmap earlier this year. The roadmap is one of government’s strategies and policy direction aimed at bringing together a variety of public and private stakeholders and institutions around a common vision on how to use and deploy hydrogen and hydrogen-related technologies, as part of the country’s economic development and greening objectives,”  he said.

In South Africa, hydrogen is extensively used in the chemical and fuel-refining sectors, but it is currently produced mainly from non-renewable sources such as coal and natural gas.

The South African Post Office (Sapo) has encouraged motorists to renew their annual car licences at its branches, as it saves customers money, since they do not charge commission for the service.

“The benefit of renewing your car licence at a post office branch is that there is no extra commission at all, unlike shops that queue on behalf of the customer.  You also receive your new licence immediately; there is no need for a second trip to collect the new licence – another time saver,” Sapo said on Wednesday.

The post office said renewing the car licence at its branches would be quick and affordable.

“When you renew your car licence at a post office, you need to present your identity document and a completed renewal form. The form can be downloaded from the post office website and completed in advance. It also saves time if you hand in a copy of your identity document,” Sapo said.

Vehicles that are registered in KwaZulu-Natal need to provide proof of address that is not older than three months.

“This is because KwaZulu-Natal registration numbers indicate the town where the vehicle is registered. For fleet owners post office offers a bulk renewal service – another time saver.

“The fleet owner pays the licences by EFT, and does not need to leave his or her desk to do the renewal. If you are interested in using this service, speak to your nearest post office or send an email to SocialMedia@postoffice.co.za,” Sapo said.

The post offices website lists the branches that offer the vehicle renewal service: https://www.postoffice.co.za/Products/Domestic/mvlbranches.html.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has invited stakeholders to submit comments on the draft National Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) Strategy framework.

The National Faecal Sludge Management Strategy encourages sustainable sanitation management along the sanitation value chain to prevent health hazards and protect the environment.

It also enhances the operation and maintenance of on-site sanitation systems and prevents groundwater contamination.

The department said that sanitation has an economic value, and South Africa has recognised the need to pursue sanitation resource recovery, recycling and reuse.

“The strategy, therefore, creates a transition from treating sanitation as waste to treating it as a resource and using it to create economic activity and value, as well as job opportunities,” the department said.

On Tuesday, the department held a national stakeholders consultation workshop on Faecal Sludge Management Strategy, where various stakeholders got a chance to make inputs into the draft strategy.

The workshop aimed to obtain inputs on the draft FSM strategy for on-site sanitation systems. It also highlighted the expected impact of safely managed sanitation along the sanitation value chain.

Among the stakeholders who attended the workshop held in Boksburg were higher learning institutions, private sector, government departments affected by faecal sludge, and Non-Governmental Organisations. The stakeholders shared the lessons learned on faecal sludge management.

Professor Alfred Odindo from the University of KwaZulu-Natal opened the session with a presentation on how-to “Transition Towards a Circular Economy in Sanitation”.

Odindo said that, to transition waste to waste resources to create economic opportunities relied on the circular economy [and] this would use resources available in cascading systems, “thus creating multiple values of economic growth, and sustainability the goods of today become the resources for tomorrow”.

“The circular economy replaces the extractive ‘take-make-dispose’ linear system, which is constrained by resource availability, with the 3R approach. Definitions focus on either raw materials or on system changes,” Odindo explained.

The principle of reducing waste, reusing and recycling resources and products is often called the 3Rs.

Odindo also noted that one of the challenges that could impede implementing the strategy, would be a lack of financial capital, a sentiment echoed throughout the workshop.

The workings of the strategy will rely on the four pillars of the sanitation value chain, including capture and containment, emptying and transport, treatment and end-use, and disposal.

The stakeholders identified challenges in each of the pillars, and suggested strategic management solutions.

With capture and containment, it was discovered that technical aspects of on-site sanitation, including design, volume and location, would be a challenge. However, this maybe rectified by installing private household functions.

While discussing the emptying and transporting pillar, the stakeholders noted that more pits are being built, while the existing ones are already full, giving an impression of a lack of planning.

The meeting suggested that the Water Service Authorities (WSAs) appoint service providers or provide services themselves to clear out pits.

Written submissions on FSM should be submitted to fsmstrategy@dws.gov.za, before 5 December 2022.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says South Africa will need funding in the form of grants in order to implement the Just Energy Transition.

He was speaking during the weekly presidential media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday.

Magwenya revealed that South Africa will need at least R1.4 trillion over five years to transition from high to low carbon emissions.

“This money will need to come from various sources including the funding that industrialised countries have promised to developing countries and from commercial financial institutions.

“At the UN Climate Change Summit last year, France, Germany, UK, US and the European Union pledged around R140 billion to support the just transition. An initial amount of R10.7 billion has been received in low-interest loans from Germany and France.

“While South Africa welcomes low-interest (or concessional) loans, a substantial portion of this funding needs to be in the form of grants,” he said.

Magwenya said the move towards lower carbon emissions is imperative as the toll will begin to weigh heavily on South Africa’s economy.

“South Africa’s exports need to remain competitive in a global economy where goods from countries with high carbon emissions will soon attract high tariffs. Unless we reduce our emissions, many of the goods we seek to export will find key markets closed to them. Thus, South Africa’s economy will struggle to grow and create jobs.

“We need to access finance for infrastructure development and industrialisation when more and more banks are not investing in high emission industries. Our companies will struggle to get financing for infrastructure, factories and other projects,” Magwenya said.

The spokesperson emphasised government’s position that a Just Energy Transition must bear in mind the socioeconomic consequences of moving towards lower carbon emissions.

“A just transition is needed to ensure that the shift to a low-carbon economy does not negatively affect workers, communities and broader society.  For example, new jobs and opportunities need to be created for workers in the old power stations that are being decommissioned and those in the coal mines that supply them. They need to be skilled and reskilled to take up positions in new industries.

“Affected communities need to benefit from the building of new renewable energy plants and new industries that produce materials for renewable energy, electric vehicles, green hydrogen and mining for minerals needed in the new economy. Community members should be able to participate directly in these industries and indirectly through the businesses that will support new economic activity,” he said.

The National Planning Commission (NPC) has called for a sense of urgency in the execution of the National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector.

Cabinet recently approved the Framework, which provides five pillars on interventions in professionalising the public service.

The pillars include pre-entry recruitment and selection within the public service; induction and onboarding; planning and performance management; continuous learning and professional development; and career progression and incidents.

“The focus should now be on implementation. While some aspects of the framework will need legislative amendments, ministerial directives and regulations, others can be implemented immediately,” the NPC said on Thursday.

The framework is an important milestone towards realising the National Development Plan’s (NDP) goals for a capable and developmental state. The NDP is the blueprint for socioeconomic transformation of the country.

“Ultimately, the Framework institutionalises meritocracy in the state’s human resources practices by giving effect to the NDP’s recommendations about to the type of public sector required to drive a developmental state agenda in a democratic system of government.

“Countries which have institutionalised professionalism in their public service system, especially those which are part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) such as Australia and Estonia, and in Asia such as China and Singapore, are making significant progress in their development commitments. The NPC urges South Africa to follow suit,” the NPC said.

Amendments to legislation

The NPC has welcomed the initiative to amend the existing legislative framework so that the NDP recommendations related to building the capacity of the state are written into law, specifically through amendments to the Public Service Act (103 of 1994), the Public Administration Management Act (11 of 2014) and Public Service Commission Act (46 of 1997).

The commission has urged the finalisation of these as they are at the core of institutionalising a professional state across all spheres.

The amendments to the Municipal Systems Act (32 of 2000), which the President recently signed into law, sets the trend by, among others, barring municipal officials from holding party political office.

“The amendments to the Public Service Act are of particular importance as they aim to devolve administrative powers to Heads of Departments thereby aligning them to their financial responsibility as prescribed in the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) (1 of 1999).

“This will free Ministers to focus on strategic policy issues. The Act, as it currently stands, assigns final accountability and authority on human resources and organisational establishment to Ministers while the PFMA assigns the powers to manage public resources to Heads of Departments.

“MISTRA’s 2013 study on the evolution of the post-apartheid state indicates that this inconsistency exacerbated conflicts between the political and administrative heads of departments across government, including at state-owned enterprises and may be the cause of the high turnover of the Heads of Departments,” the NPC said.

Expediting these amendments will contribute to the implementation of the NDP’s recommendation to stabilise the political-administrative interface.

“The NPC also welcomes the decision to designate the Director-General in the Presidency as the Head of Public Administration, nationally, and Directors-General in the offices of the Premiers, provincially, and the extension of tenures to ten years, subject to performance, as a step in the right direction towards establishing stability.

“The proposed amendments to the Public Administration Management and the Public Service Commission Acts are equally important measures for the implementation of the Framework and the proposals in the NDP,” the NPC said.

The amendments aim to create a single public service and repurpose the Public Service Commission as the custodian of norms and standards for the administration of the state including of local government and of national and provincial public entities covered by the Public Finance Management Act.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has called for vigilance and caution amid rains experienced in several parts of the country.

This comes after the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a warning for widespread rain as well as embedded thunderstorms with prospects for rainfall over much of South Africa remaining favourable, especially over the eastern half of the country.

CoGTA spokesperson, Lungi Mtshali, in a statement said: “In particular, there is a moderate to high risk of localised flooding of a disruptive nature, especially over North-West, Gauteng, the Free State, as well as adjacent parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape.

“The Minister calls on South Africans to be on alert and cooperate with governent by adhering to the warnings being issued especially as water moves quickly downstream, and that flooding can occur even when there is no rain.”

The department has also issued safety tips.

Safety tips:

• People living in low-lying areas must take special care during storms, as sudden floods might affect them. They should monitor the rising water levels and evacuate the areas to a safer place or higher spot when the water level rises.
• Do not cross through flooded roads or bridges:  use other routes.
• Avoid crossing low-lying bridges, streams and rivers.
• Never try to walk, swim or drive in swift-flowing water. Even if the water is 15cm deep, it can sweep you off your feet;
• Motorist must be very careful and avoid driving through flooded areas.
• Drive to and park at safer areas.
• The public must monitor weather alerts on radio and television.
• The public should contact their municipal disaster management centres or the nearest police station or call the national emergency numbers (112, 10177 or 107) when faced with threats.
• Do not try to drive over a low-water bridge if water is flowing strongly across it and the ground is not visible.
• Teach your children about the dangers of floods.
• Keep your important documents in a water-resistant container.
• Keep your cell phone in close proximity to you and have emergency numbers at hand.
• Be especially vigilant at night. It is harder to recognise potentially deadly road hazards.
• Do not camp or park your car along rivers or washes, especially during heavy rains or thunderstorms.
• If you are on foot, be aware that low-moving water can also be dangerous during flood conditions. If you come upon moving water, do not walk into it.
• Where possible, communities are encouraged to try to avoid contact with any flood waters. The water may be contaminated with raw sewage, oil or other dangerous substances, and may also be charged with electricity from fallen power lines.

Eskom says large electricity supply debt racked up by municipalities is negatively affecting its financial performance.

This after the high court in Pretoria handed down a R1.3 billion order against the Emfuleni Municipality for failing to pay its Eskom current account and arrears.

“The overdue debt is impacting negatively on the public utility’s liquidity, financial performance and sustainability, leaving the public utility no option but to borrow in order to meet its financial commitments,” Eskom said.

According to Eskom, the Emfuleni municipality has failed to pay some of its account “despite the municipality’s healthy revenue collection of about 90%” from customers.

“[Eskom] has started with the execution steps against the municipality to recover some of the municipality debt including attaching the local authority’s bank accounts and moveable assets. Emfuleni Municipality is currently indebted to Eskom to the amount of R5.3 billion despite several litigations brought by the power utility since March 2018 to get the municipality to service its account,” Eskom said.

Furthermore, the power utility said it has served the municipality a summons for non-payment of its R3.4 billion bulk electricity supply bill.

“This resulted in Eskom and the municipality’s customers applying to the court to transfer the municipality’s electricity distribution license or part thereof to Eskom. This application is to be heard in March 2023 and would set a precedence for municipalities failing to pay their Eskom debt and complying with the Electricity Supply Agreements (ESA),” the power utility said.

Meanwhile, Eskom says stage two load shedding will now be implemented all day, from 9am on Tuesday (today) until further notice.

The power utility had night load shedding on Monday.

“This is necessitated by a breakdown of a Duvha generating unit and a delay in returning to service another Duvha unit. Eskom will provide a further update as soon as any significant changes occur,” the power utility said.

Eskom has announced that load shedding will be implemented from 4pm to 5am every evening “until further notice”.

This as the power utility continues to battle breakdowns at power stations and for the recovery of emergency generation capacity.

“The nightly implementation of load shedding is mainly due to the need to preserve emergency generation reserves owing to a high level of breakdowns. Eskom will publish a further update as soon as there are any significant changes.

“Load shedding is implemented only as a last resort in view of the shortage of generation capacity and the need to attend to breakdowns,” the power utility said.

By Sunday afternoon, some 14 107MW of capacity was offline due to breakdowns with a further 4963MW out on planned maintenance.

“[On Sunday morning] a generation unit at Kriel Power Station was returned to service while the return to service of a unit at Majuba Power Station has been delayed,” Eskom said.

Eskom says investigations are underway following a flue gas duct [FGD] – or chimney – failure at Kusile Power Station’s unit one.

The power utility said the failure occurred last month while the unit was on a forced shutdown for repairs.

“Investigations and assessments are in progress to establish the cause of failure and to ascertain the extent of the damage, as well as the recovery scope of work. While it is uncertain at this point, it is anticipated the unit may remain offline for a few months and this duration shall become clearer over the next few weeks. Access to the area has also been restricted as part of precautionary measures.

“Consultations with various specialist stakeholders, including the Original Equipment Manufacturer, are in progress to determine best course of action to restore the plant as quickly as possible,” the company said.

Eskom explained that as a result of the failure, Kusile’s unit two has been put offline as a precautionary measure.

“The failed section of the Unit 1 flue gas duct [FGD] is located inside the flue chimney. The ducts are made from steel sections welded together and surrounded by a windshield, which is made of reinforced concrete that also houses the Unit 2 and Unit 3 flue gas ducts.

“Unit 2 was off load at the time while Unit 3 was generating electricity. Unit 4, whose FGD duct is housed on a separate flue chimney, is currently on load, generating full load to the national grid.

“As part of precautionary measures put in place, the return to service of Unit 2 has been put on hold while Unit 3 continues to run at stable load,” Eskom said.