Category: News

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is set to increase its capital spending over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) with a budget of over R50 billion for rolling stock and infrastructure investments.

“We have increased our capital spending due to the reopening of some of the key corridors. Now we plan on spending R50 billion from this financial year and over the next three years to support the modernisation of the passenger rail network and the implementation of our turnaround plans,” PRASA Group CEO Hishaam Emeran said.

He made these remarks during the Southern African Railway Association’s two-day conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

“We are making significant strides in recovering the passenger rail network. To date, 26 corridors of the 40 corridors have been recovered, with over 19 million passengers using the services to date. Just on the corridor recovery we have spent R3.6 billion to date in this financial year, with more than 6 000 jobs created.

“This investment will go a long way in contributing to the growth of the economy. We are not just rebuilding the passenger rail network; we are modernising the entire network. This is an ambitious and bold plan, and we intend to use the allocated budget to turn this vision into a reality,” Emeran said.

Projects under PRASA’s ambitious capital programme for the next three years include the rolling stock modernisation programme; depot modernisation programme; walling, station modernisation programme; perway infrastructure; electrical infrastructure; signalling and telecommunications and digitisation of our systems.

He said measures have been put in place to ensure PRASA increases its capital spend, including addressing challenges within supply chain management and capital projects capacity challenges.

“Where we have recovered the passenger rail services, we have introduced the new Electric Motor Units (EMUs), otherwise known as Isitimela Sabantu. The trains that we are introducing are high-tech that come with CCTV cameras, automatic doors, air-conditioning, and high-tech safety measures, designed with the safety of commuters in mind.

“These trains are manufactured here in South Africa, in Springs, Gauteng, by Gibela. Our depot modernisation programme will include the installation of intelligent fencing at the various rolling stock depots and staging yards, incorporating CCTV as well as integrated security systems to replace the existing fencing,” Emeran said.

In addition, PRASA is revitalising the signalling system, bringing in modern telecommunications in line with the European Train Control System ushering a new era in signalling safety.

“Work has started in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape to resignal the passenger rail network to ensure the safe passage of the trains and increasing the frequency of our services. These projects are all part of our ambitious capital programme where we intend to invest in the economy,” he said.

World Rugby has determined that there is insufficient evidence at this time to proceed with charges against South African rugby player Mbongeni Mbonambi.

Mbonambi was accused by England’s Tom Curry of using discriminatory language during the England versus South Africa Rugby World Cup 2023 semi-final last Saturday.

In addition, a further allegation was brought forward in recent days about a previous match in the Autumn Nations Series 2022.

“Any allegation of discrimination is taken extremely seriously by World Rugby, warranting a thorough investigation. Having considered all the available evidence, including match footage, audio and evidence from both teams, the governing body has determined that there is insufficient evidence at this time to proceed with charges.

“Therefore, the matter is deemed closed unless additional evidence comes to light,” World Rugby said in a statement on Thursday.

The body said it accepts that Curry made the allegations in good faith, and that there is no suggestion that the allegation was deliberately false or malicious.

“World Rugby is also concerned by the social media abuse that both players have been subjected to this week. There is no place in rugby or society for discrimination, abuse or hate speech, and World Rugby urges fans to embrace the sport’s values of respect, integrity and solidarity,” it said.

This news comes ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final where South Africa will take on New Zealand, also known as the All Blacks, at Stade de France in Paris, on Saturday.

The Rugby World Cup final kicks off at 9pm and will be broadcast live on SuperSport and SABC.

Excitement is mounting in the country, with supporters looking forward to watching the historic World Cup final game, which will also be screened at various fan parks.

The City of Cape Town has announced three public viewing areas and the Free State province will have a fan park at the SaamTrek Fan Park – Phakisa Raceway.

“The World Cup this year has been one of the most exciting and unifying sporting events in our nation’s history. For the final, the City is pleased to announce three public viewing sites in the CBD, Langa and Mitchells Plain where residents can get together and hopefully watch the Springboks make history by winning the title for a fourth time,” Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said.

Free State MEC for Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Thabo Meeko, called on citizens to back the national rugby team at the SaamTrek Fan Park – Phakisa Raceway.

Entrance will be free. Additional activities and entertainment include a kiddie’s village, biker stunts show, car drifting, music performances, food stalls, and tourism products exhibitions.

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has urged the residents of Phoenix and Joe Slovo to store enough water ahead of tonight’s planned upgrade on the water main supplying the two areas in Milnerton.

The city said residents of Phoenix and Joe Slovo have been experiencing low water pressure, and the water and sanitation maintenance team will be upgrading a section of the pipeline to improve the water pressure in these areas.

“This requires that the water supply to these areas be shut off to enable the work to be done safely. Residents in these areas are kindly requested to store enough water in advance and also to keep their taps closed during this period to prevent water loss and/or damage when the water supply is restored,” the city said in a statement.

Water supply in Phoenix and Joe Slovo will be shut off from 8pm on Thursday until 3am on Friday.

The city said a water tanker will be made available to provide water for domestic consumption, where required.

“The city sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused, but it is imperative that it maintains its water supply infrastructure to benefit its customers.”

For updates on the maintenance work and location of tankers, follow @CityofCTAlerts Twitter account

Three people including two customs officers and an Air Namibia attendant have been sentenced to at least 10 years imprisonment following their conviction on drug related charges.

The convicts – Sydney Bilankulu, Courdel Khoza and Thabo Dikgale – were found guilty of dealing in drugs, possession of drugs and defeating the ends of justice and sentenced in the Alexandra Magistrates’ court.

According to a National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) statement, a fourth convict Oscar Osigwe, entered a plea and sentence agreement and was sentenced to eight years in jail in 2017.

The NPA explained that in 2016, Osigwe arrived at OR Tambo International Airport with some 1295.8 grams of cocaine in the form of plastic wrapped bullets he had swallowed.

“Osigwe told the court that a Nigerian man in Brazil had given him the drugs and bought him a ticket to South Africa. He further told the court that the Nigerian man said that there would be people at the ORTIA, who would be waiting for him and that his identity was already shared with these people.

“On arrival, while he was waiting in the queue, he was told to stand aside by two SARS customs officials [Khoza and Dikgale].

“Whilst searching for him, he was informed by Dikgale that they had been waiting for him. They thereafter went with Osigwe, to a hotel where his sim card was replaced with a new sim card that would be used to communicate with him after he had excreted the drugs. They gave him instructions on where to drop off the bag with drugs after the excretion was completed,” the statement read.

An on-duty police officer at the airport, Sergeant Nathan Govender, subsequently received a tip-off about Osigwe and the cocaine he had brought into the country.

“[Govender] gathered a team that went to the hotel where Osigwe had checked in. On arrival, they questioned Osigwe, who agreed that he had excreted 71 of the drugs and 18 were still inside his stomach.

“Osigwe received a call from the accused to move to the drop-off point, where he was followed by the team.  He handed the bag of cocaine to Bilankulu who was together with Dikgale and Khoza and they were all arrested,” the statement said.

The World Bank Board has committed to support South Africa’s efforts to promote long-term energy security and a low carbon transition with a $1 billion Development Policy Loan (DPL).

“We are pleased to support South Africa’s government, which has taken decisive reforms to address the challenges posed by the energy crisis. These reforms will benefit the people of South Africa – particularly the most vulnerable households – the economy, the environment, and advance the energy transition,” World Bank Country Director for South Africa Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly said on Wednesday.

The operation supports reforms in two critical areas. It facilitates the restructuring of the power sector through the unbundling of South Africa’s power utility, Eskom.

It supports the opening of the power market and aims at improving Eskom’s efficiency by redirecting its resources toward investments in transmission and maintenance of existing power plants.

The operation also supports a low carbon transition by encouraging private investment in renewable energy, including by households and small businesses, and strengthening carbon pricing instruments.

The World Bank noted that South Africa has been facing an ongoing energy crisis, which has had a marked negative impact on productivity and safety, at a time when the country has been working to implement a just transition to a low carbon economy.

In 2022, load shedding averaged eight hours per day, costing 2-3% of GDP growth to the economy.

“This operation comes at a crucial time for South Africa as it will provide much needed fiscal and technical support, enabling us to pursue our policy priorities in the energy sector including easing the electricity crisis in the long term, stimulating private sector engagement and creating jobs in the renewables space,” National Treasury Deputy-Director General: Asset and Liability Management Mmakgoshi Lekhethe said.

South Africa is among the world’s top 20 greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters. Energy represents 81% of South Africa’s emissions, of which 45% comes from electricity.

“The operation is expected to enhance economic activity and job creation from new investments in renewable energy generation. Poor and vulnerable households will be cushioned against recent increases in electricity tariffs. Poorer households and businesses – particularly women and Black women-owned businesses – will be supported through access to credit by commercial banks to enable them to invest in solar technology,” the World Bank said.

The operation will also contribute to gradual reductions in water and air pollution, as a result of reduced reliance on coal for power generation.

“This is anticipated to lead to substantial improvements in the quality of life of South African households in the long term. South African authorities will also receive technical assistance to identify future reforms necessary to manage the social costs associated with the decommissioning of coal-fired power.

“The operation has been a collaborative effort between the government, the World Bank and three partners, namely the African Development Bank (AfDB), KfW Development Bank (KfW), and Government of Canada. It was informed by South Africa’s development priorities, including the Presidential Energy Plan and the Just Energy Transition,” the World Bank said.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Usindiso Building fire is expected to hold its first public proceedings today in a bid to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly inferno which claimed the lives of at least 77 people.

Thursday’s commission is chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe with Advocate Thulani Makhubela and Vuyelwa Mathilda Mabena making up the rest of the commission.

“The Commission…was established to inquire, with expedition, into the circumstances surrounding the fire at Usindiso Building and generally the prevalence of buildings or immovable properties in the Johannesburg Central Business District being abandoned by their legitimate landlords or owners and taken over by criminal syndicates or other groups. And leased out to and populated with tenants, who do not have the means to afford other forms of housing, without providing basic services such as water, electricity, refuse removal and sanitation and paying rates and taxes,” the commission’s secretariat said in a statement.

The tragic building fire occurred in August this year and caused an outcry for the City of Johannesburg to deal with the issue of inner city housing.

At the time, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the site of the fire and lamented the loss of lives.

“We are very saddened as government about the passing of so many people here in Johannesburg. This is unprecedented.

“Johannesburg has never had an incident like this where so many people die as a result of a fire in the centre of the city. This is tragic. This is very sad and I want to pass my condolences and that of the government to the families of those who have passed on and those who are still in hospital.

“We’ve got to go to the bottom of what caused this fire. It’s a wake-up call for us to begin to address the situation of housing in the inner city that a building like this…once the lease had expired, it was then hijacked and we need to get on top of this and find effective ways of dealing with problems of accommodation; of housing and services in the inner city,” he said at the time.

President Ramaphosa further called for agencies to enforce “law and order” in the inner city.

“The lesson for us is that we’ve got to address this problem and root out those criminal elements because it is these types of buildings that are taken over by criminals who then levy rent on vulnerable people and families who need and want accommodation in the inner city,” he said.

Days after the inferno, City of Johannesburg City Manager Floyd Brink confirmed to a media briefing that the building belonged to the city but was hijacked some years ago.

“I wish to…confirm that the affected building belongs to the City of Johannesburg. It is a building that was previously leased to the provincial Social Development Department and used as a shelter for abused women.

“At the conclusion of the lease, some challenges were encountered with the occupants and as a result of the hostilities and stalemate, the building was invaded and hijacked.”

He added that in October 2019, the City through its Group Forensics and Investigation Services raided the building “and as part of the operation realised the arrest of over 140 foreign nationals by Home Affairs and a suspect was incarcerated and charged for illegally collecting rental from tenants at the building,” Brink said.

Today’s hearings will commence at 10am.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Sihle Zikalala, will visit Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape on Friday to give progress on and unveil the massive construction of rural bridges.

These bridges are being constructed in six provinces, and are aimed at connecting communities and guaranteeing their safety.

“Minister Zikalala is adamant that no child should miss schools in rural provinces such as the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Limpopo and North West because the rivers swell when it rains.

“This will be one of the massive rural infrastructure investments made by a government in post-apartheid South Africa,” the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) explained.

The department announced that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will provide significant technical support and therefore the work is expected to be executed swiftly.

“Some of these rural community bridges were destroyed during the flood disasters and their absence has disconnected communities and made their lives difficult.”

The construction work phase will see 134 rural bridges constructed in the country in the coming months.

“This will significantly upscale the rural infrastructure development in poorly serviced areas with public amenities,” the DPWI said.

Zikalala is also expected to unpack employment opportunities and the lasting legacy for the communities.

“The escalation in the building of the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme is one of the Minister’s top priorities in the building programme, together with unblocking projects that have stalled for various reasons.”

The programme, the department explained, is being undertaken together with the Department of Defence and provincial Departments of Transport.

The Free State MEC for Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Thabo Meeko, has called on citizens to back the national rugby team at a fan park that will screen the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.

Entrance will be free at the SaamTrek Fan Park – Phakisa Raceway, which will screen the Rugby World Cup final as the Springboks take on New Zealand on Saturday in Paris.

Additional activities and entertainment include a kiddies village, biker stunts show, car drifting, music performances, food stalls, and tourism products exhibitions.

Meeko said events of Tourism SaamTrek magnitude are aimed at positively impacting the local economy by getting more visitors to Matjhabeng Local Municipality, and provide the necessary exposure and awareness to the tourism products in the region.

“This initiative responds to the Free State Provincial Tourism Sector Strategy 2020 – 2030, which states that sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors, with various sports events that can attract tourists and provide authentic local experiences,” the MEC said.

Peace agreements are more sustainable when women are at the table, says International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor.

“It is, therefore, disheartening to note that the percentage of women in peace negotiations today stands at a measly 19% in UN-led processes, down from 23% in 2020,” said Pandor on Wednesday.

She was speaking during the open debate of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).

As the UN gears up for the 25th anniversary of resolution 1325, Pandor believes that enhanced international efforts are needed to focus on commitments made in advancing women’s participation in all peace processes.

“We made the same call in 2019 when this Council unanimously adopted resolution 2493, as proposed by South Africa.”

The Minister said the UN Secretary-General report points to several concrete actions that Member States can take to reverse the trend of the declining number of women representation in peace negotiations, which South Africa is in agreement with.

However, Pandor noted that the current global security environment may contribute to the reversal of progress in the implementation of the WPS agenda.

“We, therefore, re-emphasise our call for urgent action to secure peace in the Israel-Gaza war, conflicts on the African continent and Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“In this context, it is alarming that the number of women and girls living in conflict-affected settings has increased by 50% in 2022 compared to 2017 owing to the increasing number of armed conflicts since then.”

South Africa, according to Pandor, initiated the Gertrude Shope Annual Dialogue Forum in 2015 and the Women Mediators Network to train cohorts of African women negotiators and peace monitors.

The training has made an immense contribution to drawing women in communities together and is setting targets for women’s direct participation in delegations and negotiating teams. “This initiative has shown how empowered women can contribute to peace and stability and support other women living in vulnerable conditions.”

She told the Member States that South Africa continues to contribute to training and capacity building for women in peace processes at continental and local levels.

“Some of the trainees are now members of various peacebuilding initiatives in their respective countries,” she said.

Pandor expressed her appreciation to partners including the African Women Leaders Network, FemWise Africa, the African Union’s platform for women mediators and the Norway government.

“In the same vein, we commend the efforts of the Secretary-General as articulated in the Action for Peacekeeping Initiative Plus and the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy, which continue to positively advance the WPS agenda.”

She also noted South Africa’s contribution in championing female peacekeepers and making a difference on the ground.

Pandor paid tribute to the dedicated women who have been deployed in different missions across Africa. These include Major Felicia Thobeka Mswane, Lieutenant Colonel Martha Masango, Major Seitebatso Pearl Block, and Lieutenant Colonel Fhulufheto Kouter.

The Minister recognised the fundamental role played by civil society organisations in the search for sustainable peace in the Middle East amid the Israel-Palestine war.

She gave a special mention to Women of the Sun of Palestine and Women Wage Peace of Israel who are urging parties to engage in dialogue and diplomacy to reach a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace.

“This is an example of positive activism and inspirational leadership by women striving to find a solution in the context of the continued occupation of Palestine.

“We encourage these women to continue with their solidarity amid adversity and the deepening political and security crisis.”

Government is expected to officially relaunch South African Airways (SAA) in Cape Town on Thursday.

The event – which will mark two years since SAA returned to the skies – will also be used to announce the restart of the state-owned airliner’s direct flights to São Paulo, Brazil.

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said the relaunch was a milestone for the airliner which had run into turbulence after it was grounded for 16 months and underwent business rescue and averted liquidation.

“The upcoming event marks a very significant step in the resurgence of South African Airways. We look forward to the official relaunch of SAA, along with the introduction of its first intercontinental flight to São Paulo, Brazil,” Gordhan said.

In a statement earlier this year, SAA revealed that it will fly four times a week to São Paulo with two flights each departing from Cape Town and Johannesburg.

At the time, SAA Interim CEO, Professor John Lamola, said the airliner took the decision to introduce the long haul flight following thorough sustainability analysis.

“We are overjoyed to announce São Paulo as our first international destination since the airline successfully emerged from an intensive Business Rescue process and COVID-19 lockdown. It also marks our return of our long-haul service out of Cape Town. The teams at SAA are working hard behind the scenes to gear our operations for this much-anticipated route launch to South America.

“Our decision to begin the relaunch of our long-haul service with São Paulo was taken based on a rigorous analysis of the viability of the route. Sustainability has been at the heart of SAA’s approach since our restart,” he said.

The first flight to the South American country is expected to depart from Cape Town next Tuesday with the Johannesburg flight to follow suit on November 6.