"Construction mafia" continue to interrupt a multi-million rand development at Kindlewood Estate in Mount Edgecombe, Durban. view more

Five men were arrested in northern KwaZulu-Natal for allegedly killing a vagrant and injuring another after accusing them of criminal activities. view more

Deep in rural KwaZulu-Natal province lies a place called KwaMandonya, located within the uMkhanyakude Municipality. view more

Screams of "help, help me, help me in room 101", still linger in the mind of a student who lived next door to murdered student. view more

Murray & Roberts (M&R) CEO Henry Laas says he will make every effort to convince its largest shareholder ATON - the German family-owned business, which owns 39% of the company and which has made a firm offer to acquire majority control of the South African engineering and construction group - of the commercial merits of its proposed acquisition of fellow JSE-listed company Aveng. M&R and Aveng announced on Friday that a friendly approach had been made by M&R to acquire the entire issued share capital of Aveng, as well as to facilitate the early redemption of R2-billion-worth of Aveng convertible bonds. M&R intends raising bank debt to fund the early redemption of Aveng's outstanding convertible bonds, which are due to mature in 2019. view more

Xina Solar One, which is owned by a consortium between Abengoa, the Industrial Development Corporation, the Public Investment Corporation and the Xina Community Trust, was officially launched near Pofadder, in the Northern Cape, on Friday. The 300 ha solar thermal plant, which was built by Abengoa, became fully operational on August 1 last year and follows the successful launch of two other solar thermal plants in the Northern Cape, Kaxu Solar One and Khi Solar One. view more

A rescue plan for South Africa's state-owned arms manufacturer Denel needed to be sped up so it did not negatively affect the capability of the army, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Friday. Speaking after delivering her department's budget vote, Mapisa-Nqakula said the appointment of a new Denel board last month was welcomed, but that more needed to be done to ensure Denel could deliver to the the SA National Defence Force, which was Denel's biggest customer. view more

Despite a budget cut amounting to billions, the purchase of a VVIP presidential jet by the South African Defence Force is not off the table. In her speech in the debate about the South African Defence Force budget on Friday, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said:  "I must now report to the House that ... the defence allocation has not improved." "The reduction translates to an R18-billion reduction over the MTEF (Medium Term Expenditure Framework)," she said. "This poses serious ... view more

The Department of Transport has this financial year set aside roughly R3-billion to upgrade the Limpopo and Mpumalanga sections of the R573 Moloto road. Over the medium term, this road project will receive R4.3-billion. view more

Transport Minister Blade Nzimande called for an end to warring board members and executives at entities within his department, urging them to prioritise turning the organisations around. Nzimande was speaking ahead of his budget vote at the Old Assembly chamber in Parliament on Friday morning. His sentiments echo those of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, who said only deployees of the highest calibre should be considered for state owned enterprise (SOE) positions. view more

Telecommunications group MTN South Africa and information and communications technology company Huawei have jointly deployed a commercial spectrum-sharing solution. CloudAir 2.0 will share spectrum between second-generation, third-generation, fourth-generation and narrow broadband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) radio technologies within the 900 MHz spectrum band. view more

JSE-listed Telkom on Friday said it expected its headline earnings per share (HEPS) and basic earnings per share (BEPS) for the year ended March 31, to have declined by between 15% and 25% year-on-year. HEPS are expected to be between 541.1c and 611.1c, representing a 110c to 180c drop on the 721.1c reported in the 2017 financial year, while BEPS are expected to decrease to between 554.1c and 628c in the 2018 financial year, compared with the BEPS of 738.8c achieved the year before. view more

South African power utility Eskom on Friday, said it had to evacuate contractor workers at the Kusile power station, in Mpumalanga, after a violent protest erupted by employees of SGB, a subcontractor of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa. Mitsubishi Hitachi is appointed by Eskom to design, manufacture, supply, erect and commission six 800 MW utility steam generators for each of the Kusile and Medupi power stations. view more

Tissue manufacturer Twinsaver on Friday opened a new manufacturing plant in Kliprivier, on the border of the Midvaal and Ekurhuleni municipalities, in Gauteng. The R500-million plant increases Twinsaver's tissue manufacturing capability to 75 000 t/y from 25 000 t/y - making it the largest tissue manufacturer on the continent. view more

JSE-listed Consolidated Infrastructure Group (CIG) has secured funding to turn around its power infrastructure services provider subsidiary Conco, which fell into financial dire straits in November. view more

Liberty Two Degrees, a property portfolio established by financial services and holdings company Liberty Group, on Friday announced its intention to convert to a corporate real estate investment trust (Reit) and list on the JSE as a new company (NewCo). view more

A multinational group of researchers have co-authored a paper to demonstrate that there are no roadblocks to sourcing 100% of a country's power supply from renewable sources. The researchers, from Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Finland's Lappeenranta University of Technology, the Netherlands' Delft University of Technology and Denmark's Aalborg University, authored a response to the 2017 review paper by University of Adelaide researcher Benjamin Heard and his colleagues.  view more

Worldwide, there is significant interest in the development of small and medium modular reactors (SMRs). "At the moment there are 11 countries developing about 50 SMR designs and four units are under construction or have a certified design," said University of Pretoria Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Professor Johan Slabber at the SMR session of the National Nuclear Regulator's 2nd Nuclear Information Conference on Thursday. South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), which was effectively terminated in 2010 (although the possibility of reactivating the project is being considered), was an SMR. (Slabber noted that the PBMR had started as a small reactor but was then enlarged because of economics.) "Modular reactors are defined as advanced reactors that produce electric power up to 300 MWe," he explained. "The trend in development has been towards design certification of small modular reactors." view more

Public engagement by nuclear regulatory bodies benefits the regulators as well as the public. So highlighted Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) director general: strategic planning Liane Sauer in her keynote address to the National Nuclear Regulator's second Nuclear Regulatory Information Conference on Friday. view more

An innovative sand pumping initiative between eThekwini Municipality and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has successfully reinstated sand along eroded sections of Durban's popular Golden Mile and could offer similar benefits for beaches extending further northwards. The municipality and TNPA proposed the initiative late last year to tackle beach erosion exacerbated by climate change and inclement weather and a trial project was conducted in October 2017. view more

In November 1988, the Ministers responsible for civil aviation in 40 African countries agreed a declaration on a new African air transport policy. This was immediately designated the Yamoussoukro Declaration, after the city in which it was adopted (the capital of Ivory Coast). Among other things, the declaration stated that the Ministers, "Convinced that air transport is an important tool for the promotion of social good and economic development in Africa and in the world, ... Considering the need for African countries to exchange traffic rights in a liberal manner in order to develop air services among themselves, ... Recognising the fragility of the present air transport industry in Africa and the smallness of its market, ... Strongly resolved to considerably restructure African air transport in order to make it contribute more significantly to the national development of African States and to the continent's social and economic integration, Agree to commit ourselves, individually and collectively, to promote a climate of cooperation and solidarity which is necessary for the safeguarding and development of international air transport activities in Africa ...." This would be done in accordance to guidelines contained within the Declaration, which covered matters such as the integration of airlines, costs and tariffs, improved management, the financing of air transport operations, computerised reservation systems, and aircraft noise. view more

The South African government said on Friday that it was conducting a review of food safety legislation in a bid to prevent another deadly outbreak of listeriosis. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported this week that the death toll from what the World Health Organisation deems the world's worst-ever listeria outbreak in South Africa has risen to over 200. But government said the number of cases of listeria have declined drastically cases since identification of the source of the food-borne bacteria and the recall of implicated products. view more

Anadarko Petroleum is seeking to raise a record $14-billion to $15-billion from banks and export credit agencies for its huge liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique, sources close to the matter said. Fast-growing gas demand from China and Southeast Asia is reassuring export project developers sitting on huge untapped gas discoveries in Mozambique and elsewhere that the market cycle is turning after three years of low prices. view more

Creamer Media's readers continue to be part of the mobile revolution.  Over 20% of Creamer Media's online readers view the websites on their mobile devices. To cater for this growing mobile readership Creamer Media offers an Engineering News Online app for iPhone and Android users.  These apps offer access to all content available on the Engineering News Online website and also offers additional benefits such as push notifications to alert the reader of breaking news items and the opportunity to save articles for a later read through the app's bookmarks functionality. view more

The Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) will on Monday morning present the agreement to trade unions and government to be signed, as the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has called for a postponement and asked for more time to consult with members. Fedusa's affiliate, the Public Servants Association (PSA) is the only union who has not agreed to the three-year, above-inflation wage deal. All seven Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) affiliates are ready to sign the agreement after the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) consulted with its members over the weekend. view more

Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about Energy Minister Jeff Radebe's belief that the energy sector can contribute $25-billion of the $100-billion investment target set by President Cyril Ramaphosa. view more

A solar and lithium-ion microgrid installed on Robben Island last year has produced 650 000 kWh of solar energy so far. Since adopting a green system, the island has produced an average of 3 250 kWh/d of power, says SOLA Future Energy CEO Dominic Wills. view more

Aspen Pharmacare, Africa's biggest generic drugmaker, said on Thursday it had secured a €3.4-billion ($4-billion) credit facility for refinancing debt at three of its subsidiaries. Aspen, which has operations in 50 countries, said the facilities were 70 percent oversubscribed and would be used for Aspen Finance, Pharmacare Limited t/a Aspen Pharmacare and Aspen Asia Pacific. It did not provide further details. view more

Nuclear and renewables are being pitted against each other in South Africa, which is not helpful in the energy solution space, says professional engineer Dr Anthonie Cilliers, arguing that the technologies should complement one another as part of the broader energy mix. Speaking to Engineering News Online on the sidelines of the AtomExpo 2018, in Sochi, Russia, this week, he noted that South Africa needed to adapt its financing, technology and especially communication to save its tainted nuclear reputation. view more

Kenya hopes to grow its economy and boost manufacturing after building nuclear power plants, a Kenyan academic has told African Utility Week in Cape Town. "We envisage we will become a middle-income industrial country by 2030. With nuclear coming onboard, that will gave us baseload which will sustain manufacturing," said Karatina University lecturer Thuo Njoroge Daniel Butti. view more

Lesedi Nuclear has rebranded the company descriptor from 'nuclear services' to 'power generation, mining, oil & gas' to reflect its extended offering, purpose and vision for the future. Lesedi revealed its new identity and brand positioning to its internal stakeholders on May 11, with the external launch having taken place at the African Utility Week on May 15. view more

JSE-listed Stefanutti Stocks' operating loss widened to R451-million for the financial year ended February 28, compared with the R106-million loss incurred in the prior financial year. The company on Thursday reported that goodwill and intangible assets of R667-million had been impaired, predominantly relating to the goodwill that arose from the Stocks Limited acquisition. view more

The findings of data inquiries being undertaken by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and the Competition Commission are on track for publication in June and August respectively, Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Dr Siyabonga Cwele said on Thursday. Delivering the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services' budget for the year ahead, he explained that Icasa's planned release, next month, of the findings of its Priority Market Study should list markets prone to ex-ante regulation and priority markets to be subjected to market review processes. view more

Eskom is going ahead with tentative plans for new nuclear capacity amid uncertainty about whether the technology will be included in the updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which government has indicated will be released for public comment soon. Eskom acting general manager for nuclear new build Loyiso Tyabashe said on Thursday that the Eskom team would continue its preparatory work for nuclear until it was told otherwise. view more

Energy planning in South Africa should take into account energy security and energy equity, highlighted energy consultancy NuEnergy Developments MD Des Muller in his address to the National Nuclear Regulator's second Nuclear Information Conference on Wednesday. Energy security was important while lack of energy equity was a major problem in Africa. Still in South Africa, some 20% of the population did not have access to electricity, although this was being worked on. He pointed out that, only a few years ago, South Africa had suffered from severe power cuts, known as load-shedding, due to inadequate electricity production by national power utility Eskom. "We've taken a decade to get out of it [load-shedding]. Now we're talking about excess electricity again!" he said. "We don't want to go from one [energy] crisis to another crisis." view more

Professional services firm Deloitte's Human Capital Trends 2018 report titled 'Rise of the Social Enterprise' showcases a profound shift facing business leaders globally. This shift reflects the growing importance of social capital in shaping an organisation's purpose, guiding its relationships with stakeholders and influencing the ultimate success or failure of the enterprise. view more

Property developers Abland, Giflo Develoments and architects SOM have started work on a new mixed-use precinct called Irene Boulevard, in the south of Pretoria. This site will become the new four-star rated green headquarters of industrial company Barloworld Logistics, which will be vacating its offices in Sandton to occupy the new site. view more

The Life After Coal (LAC) Campaign and Greenpeace Africa say the Department of Energy (DoE) will face a legal challenge from them if the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) ignores constitutional obligations. The LAC Campaign and Greenpeace Africa believe human rights, and specifically the right to a healthy environment and to water, are as important as economic cost when planning South Africa's energy future. view more

Representatives from more than 45 Indian companies have been in Cape Town for the African Utility Week, with the hope of cracking deals in everything from the supply of galvanised wire to solar inverters and water generators.  Indian Chamber of Commerce director general and CEO Rajeev Singh commented on the sidelines of the event that African countries could benefit from India's experiences in being the third-largest producer and consumer of power in the world. view more

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed two agreements with African nuclear regulatory bodies at the National Nuclear Regulator's (NNR's) second Nuclear Regulatory Information Conference on Thursday. The agreements were designated "Practical Arrangements" and were between the IAEA and the NNR and between the IAEA and the Forum for Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa. In his keynote address to the conference, also on Thursday, IAEA deputy director general and head of the Nuclear Safety and Security Department Juan Carlos Lentijo pointed out that the agency, and his department in particular, supported the development, in member countries, of the skills necessary to ensure nuclear and radiological safety and security. International cooperation in the area was key, as it also promoted global nuclear safety and security. view more

International information and communications technology (ICT) group Datatec posted earnings per share (EPS) of 20.5c for the year ended February 28, compared with the 1.4c reported in 2017, owing to the profits on the disposal of two businesses during the period under review. The company, however, reported an underlying loss a share of 5.6c for the 12 months under review, compared with EPS of 11c the year before, while headline earnings a share plunged into the red from earnings of 2c a share in 2017 to a loss of 19.1c in the 2018 financial year. view more

Just as founder Henry Ford had a vision of "opening the highways to all mankind", US car maker Ford says it wants to open the skies. Ford is the only automaker on the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) rule-making committee, and a proactive participant in the regulatory conversation around the integration of drones into civil aviation airspace. view more