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The Political Task Team on Eskom has told the management at the power utility to expedite the fixing of the design defects at Medupi and Kusile power plants, says Deputy President David Mabuza.

The Deputy President said this when he responded to oral questions during a sitting of the National Council of Provinces on Thursday.

“From the onset, we must admit that Kusile and Medupi power stations have not achieved the desired levels of performance and reliability. This is due to a combination of operational, plant designs and maintenance inefficiencies.

“In order to establish for ourselves the progress being made in correcting the identified challenges, which in the main, involve design defects of the power plant, as the Political Task Team on Eskom, we undertook an oversight visit to Kusile power station in May 2021.

“We have stressed to the management of Eskom our stance that the defects identified at Medupi and Kusile power stations, must be corrected expeditiously to avoid further project delays and cost escalations,” he said.

He added that Eskom is making progress in developing and implementing effective technical solutions to the major plant defects at both the plants, in line with the plant defect correction plan.

Design defects at Medupi to be fixed by 2027

Mabuza said as part of implementing the plan, the major design modifications at all units at Medupi have resulted in a substantial improvement in the availability and reliability of the commissioned units at the power station.

He said the units now consistently achieve design output, with the exception of unit 4 – which suffered a generator failure resulting in a prolonged outage.

“There are however, long-term modifications to the milling plant that will still need to be carried out when maintenance outages are scheduled. Similar modifications have been carried out at Kusile units 1 and 2, with unit 3 currently on a planned outage for design defect correction.

“The timeframe for the completion of boiler plant defects solutions is October 2023 and corrections to the milling plant will be completed after December 2027, depending on the outage availability of units,” he said.

Several approaches are being implemented as part of correcting the design defects at Kusile and Medupi to ensure sustainability of these efforts:

• All defects are dealt with in accordance with the contractual conditions;
• The liable contractors are being held to account, within the provisions of the contract to correct the new plant design deficiencies at the contractors’ cost, while commercial and contractual issues are resolved through negotiation;
•  Eskom has also reached an agreement with the boiler contractor in terms of which the total boiler defect correction costs will initially be split on a 50 percent-share basis between Eskom and the boiler contractor at both Medupi and Kusile. Once this is completed, the liable parties will be responsible for the defect correction costs;
•  In order to ensure good governance, and compliance with Eskom’s commercial and procurement processes, Eskom is utilising its legal team to re-draft contracts, and to recover costs from liable contractors.

With red tape around the approval of business licenses also linked to corrupt officials soliciting kickbacks, government is committed to rooting out corruption and holding public servants to higher ethical standards, the Deputy President said on Thursday.

He said this when responding to a supplementary question during a hybrid sitting of the National Council of Provinces.

“We must on the outset say as government we are committed to only not only root out corruption, but to strengthen the environment in which public representatives and officials alike perform their duties and their responsibilities to the highest standard of ethics and integrity.

“The code of conduct requires government departments to establish ethics committees and to appoint ethics officers as a means of strengthening good governance and ethical conduct in the public service,” he said.

ANC NCOP delegate from the Eastern Cape, Mandla Rayi, had asked the Deputy President if there were programmes aimed at reskilling and retraining public servants about this new approach. This as he said red tape in government around the approval of licenses and other business-related applications is both a systemic and a deliberate act by some government officials who are soliciting bribes and kickbacks.

“Furthermore, as part of government’s efforts to ensure public service employees are at all levels displaying the highest level of integrity and accountability, the National School of Government provides various training programmes to officials in the public service which are targeted at improving the delivery of services and bringing back the integrity of the state,” Mabuza said.

Red Tape Team siezed with unlocking blockages

Deputy President Mabuza said government understood the negative impact of inefficient business processes and regulatory barriers on business investment and activity.

To overcome these challenges, the Presidency has prioritised the coordination of government measures regarding the ease of doing of business in South Africa.

“As communicated by the President earlier this week at the Africa Mining Indaba, these regulatory and administrative efforts anchor our economic recovery and reconstruction efforts.”

He said the Red Tape Office will deal with policy and regulatory matters that are coordinated at national government level, and also focus on the resolution of provincial and local functions, in partnership with the Presidential Coordinating Council.

South Africa on Thursday recorded 8 920 new COVID-19, says the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

Representing a 23.1% positivity rate, the figure brought the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 871 085.

In the 24-hours, the National Department of Health confirmed 21 COVID-19 related deaths.

“Of these, eight deaths occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours. The cumulative COVID-19 deaths are 100 630 to date,” said the NICD.

To date, 24 804 199 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

A provincial breakdown of the statistics reveals that the majority of new cases on Thursday were from Gauteng (39%), followed by Kwa-Zulu Natal (22%).

“Western Cape accounted for 16%; Eastern Cape accounted for 7%; Free State accounted for 6%; North West accounted for 4%; Mpumalanga accounted for 3%; Northern Cape accounted for 2%; and Limpopo accounted for 1% of today’s new cases,” said the Institute.

The 23.1% proportion of positive cases was lower than Wednesday’s 25.3%.

“The 7-day average is (24.7%) today, and is lower than yesterday (25.1%),” read the statement.

On hospital admissions, the Institute said there had been an increase of 150 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

Cabinet has given the go ahead for the implementation of South Africa’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LP Gas) Strategy to be implemented.

This was announced on Thursday by Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, during a briefing on the outcomes of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

The strategy – when implemented – is expected to bring some relief to the country’s constrained energy supplies.

“The strategy seeks to expand the LPG industry in the country. LPG will contribute meaningfully to the diversification of sources of energy.

“The strategy will amongst other interventions to regulate the pricing in the value chain, and support the manufacturing of LPG cylinders in the country. It will also educate the public about the benefits of using LPG as an alternative form of energy,” Gungubele said.

Earlier this year, Gungubele said the strategy would also deal with “the structural features of the current LPG market, existing infrastructure, the pricing structure and the current local manufacturing capacity of LPG cylinders”.

Land summit

Meanwhile, the Minister in the Presidency announced that the Land Administration and Land Tenure in Communal Areas Summit will be held in Gauteng at the end of this month.

“Cabinet adopted the Position Paper on Land Administration and Land Tenure in Communal Land Areas in March 2021. It directed that further consultation be undertaken witj all relevant stakeholders.

“The summit will be the culmination of the work that was done in the past year, which solicited inputs from various stakeholders,” Gungubele said.

Cabinet has welcomed the swift response by law enforcement officers in arresting suspects in connection with the murder of Hillary Gardee of Kwamagugu in Mpumalanga recently.

Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said Cabinet in its meeting this week continued to condemn the senseless killing of women.

The 28-year-old’s lifeless body was found abandoned outside Nelspruit after she went missing on 29 April.

During a post-Cabinet meeting media briefing on Thusday, Gungubele said Cabinet further condemned the killing of six people in Khayelitsha in Cape Town at the weekend.

“These senseless murders are a reminder that we must do more as a society to end violence and gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

Cabinet, he said, also urged all people in the country to work with the government in the fight against GBVF.

“Together we can ensure that our communities and spreads are safer for all,” he said.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has condemned in the strongest possible terms the killing of Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, allegedly by the Israeli Defence Force on Wednesday.

Akleh was shot in the head while on assignment in Jenin, covering Israeli raids on Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Another Al Jazeera journalist, Ali Samoudi, was also wounded after being shot in the back.

The Director-General of DIRCO, Zane Dangor, said the targeting of journalists in the occupied territories, and in conflict zones like Ukraine and Afghanistan, appears to be part of a pattern of silencing the free press, and is an outright contravention of international law.

“In a situation of occupation, protest action is one of the few ways in which Palestinians can make their voices heard. International human rights law obligates the occupying power to allow for the freedom of expression and protests.

“In other conflict zones, civilians and other non-combatants must be protected in keeping with the Principle of Distinction and other protective measures of the Geneva Conventions,” Dangor said.

The Director-General said the ability of journalists to cover events as they take place is essential, and efforts to intimidate and assassinate members of the media cannot be allowed to continue with impunity.

Rebuilding and relief efforts in KwaZulu-Natal have received a boost from Sasol after the chemicals and energy company donated mobile clinics and an emergency vehicle to aid in the reconstruction of the province.

This after the province – particularly eThekwini Municipality – was battered by heavy rains and flooding, which claimed the lives of at least 435 people and left a trail of destruction on infrastructure, homes and businesses.

Sasol Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Stakeholder Relations, Charlotte Mokoena, said the company is doing its part to aid vulnerable communities in the area.

“We are trying our best to act swiftly and provide consistent relief to those families most affected by the recent devastating floods.

“Stepping up for the greater good of our country and impacted communities is a responsibility we all share. We hope Sasol’s efforts provide some respite and comfort to distressed families as they start to rebuild their lives,” Mokoena said.

Sasol Media Relations Manager, Matebello Motloung, said the company has set aside at least R7.5 million for relief efforts in the area.

“R5 million has been set aside to provide key infrastructure such as schools and clinics. The R2.5 million is what has gone towards providing immediate on the ground support, working together with the Charities Aid Foundation Southern Africa (CAFSA), the provincial government, various municipalities and Imperial Logistics.

“Sasol has consistently been on the ground supporting families in need across the province. In the last two weeks, it has distributed around 2 000 food and hygiene parcels, blankets and mattresses to distressed families in areas such as Mandeni, KwaDukuza, uMlazi, Tongaat, Pinetown, Verulam, Pietermaritzburg and Phoenix,” Motloung said.

South Africa has recorded 10 017 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 862165.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said that this increase represents a 25.3% positivity rate.

“The proportion of positive new cases/total tested today is 25.3%, and is higher than yesterday at 23.0%. The 7-day average is 25.1% today, and is higher than yesterday at 24.7%,” the NICD said on Wednesday.

The majority of new cases are from Gauteng at 39%, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 21%.

The Western Cape accounted for 17%; Eastern Cape and Free State each accounted for 6% respectively; Mpumalanga and North West each accounted for 3% respectively; Northern Cape accounted for 2%, and Limpopo accounted for 1% of the new cases.

The National Department of Health (NDoH) has reported 50 deaths and of these, 10 deaths occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 100 609 to date.

Meanwhile, there has been an increase of 164 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

South Africa has conducted 24 765 642 tests in both public and private sectors.

The total number of vaccines administered in the last 24 hours is 59 358, taking the overall total to 35 307 618.

The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) will tomorrow facilitate the signing of the new Global Fund grant, valued at over R8.8 billion, for the next three-year cycle for HIV and TB response in the country.

In his capacity as the Chairperson of SANAC, Deputy President David Mabuza has delegated the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, to officiate the signing ceremony, which will take place in Pretoria.

In a statement, the National Department of Health said at country level, the grant is administered through a structure known as the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (GF-CCM), which is chaired by the SANAC CEO, Dr Thembisile Xulu and is co-chaired by a SANAC Civil Society Forum Deputy Chairperson, Solly Nduku.

The GF-CCM is a multi-stakeholder structure mandated by the Global Fund to oversee grant implementation and features representatives from government, civil society, development partners and the private sector.

“The Global Fund has approved an amount of US$546 766 625 for the period April 2022 – March 2025, which will continue to support the HIV programme and expand the Tuberculosis programme in South Africa,” the department said.

Phaahla will be accompanied by several Ministers and Deputy Ministers, who are all members of the SANAC Inter-Ministerial Committee.

Key ambassadors from countries that are both contributors and beneficiaries of the Global Fund will be in attendance, with the Ambassadors of France, US, European Union, African Union forming part of the speakers on the programme.

Heads of development partner agencies such as WHO-SA and UNAIDS-SA, as well as civil society representatives have also been invited.

The South African Post Office (Sapo) will no longer pay beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R350 grant at its branches.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Post Office said this move will result in shorter queues at its branches.

“The new round of applications for the SRD grant has opened.  The application app now includes an option where beneficiaries can receive their grant from any Pick n Pay, Boxer, Shoprite, Checkers or USave merchant,” Sapo said.

The Post Office has encouraged beneficiaries to opt for this option, as branches will no longer pay out SRD grants.

“If you have already reapplied for your SRD grant, you can still select the option to collect your grant from any Pick n Pay, Boxer, Shoprite, Checkers or USave. Log on to https://srd.sassa.gov.za and respond to the security SMS you receive on your phone. You can then include merchants in your application and submit the updated application.

“Beneficiaries must have their own cell number to withdraw their grant at supermarkets. If you do not have your own number, it is best to get your own SIM card and use that number to apply for your grant. You can also change your cell number on the above website.”

Beneficiaries will be assisted to reset card pins at the cash pay points and the card can then be used at merchants at ATMs.

South African Social Security Agency beneficiaries who receive their old age, disability or child grants can still collect their grants from any Post Office branch.