A Durban policeman is allegedly at the centre of the incident that saw 40-year-old Woolaganathan Govinden Tromplen Place being physically assaulted by a group of men view more

Constable Ndumiso Simiso Khumalo,30, also faces charges of defeating the ends of justice view more

According to police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele Pinetown SAPS are investigating a case of attempted murder. view more

What many would not assume of the Greytown native is that she a critical member and only female shooter for the KwaZulu-Natal team that participates in the annual National Key Point Shooting Competition view more

Freight logistics group Grindrod has started construction on a new, R105-million AutoPort, just off the N3 in Camperdown, KwaZulu-Natal. The 270 000 m2 property is located between Pinetown and Pietermaritzburg. view more

One of the first questions posed to Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe after Cabinet finally approved the 2019 edition of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019) in October related to the ongoing capacity addition gaps for solar photovoltaic (PV). While the IRP 2019 envisages total solar PV additions of 8 288 MW over the period to 2030, representing a material scale-up from the current installed base of 1 474 MW, the plan does not envisage any utility-scale installations in ... view more

The Ministries of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation have teamed up to breathe life back into government's war-on-leaks programme. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu directed the departments under their watch to fund and train youth to assist local government to reduce nonrevenue water from malfunctioning infrastructure. view more

President Cyril Ramaphosa would not be attending the annual four-day World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next week, his office said on Thursday.  He would be skipping the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London on Monday.  view more

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has conceded it will take a long time for Eskom to recover fully from the damage caused by State capture. Gordhan also explained that, in response to allegations of political interference at Eskom, the Memorandum of Incorporation of Company explicitly laid out the responsibilities, duties and rights of the shareholder. He was responding to a parliamentary question from the newly inducted chairperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters in her capacity as an MP. view more

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has welcomed the South African Reserve Bank's (SARB's) decision to reduce the repo rate by 25 basis points, thereby "providing another boost to the stagnant economy". The federation's economist Marique Kruger is of the view that the current sociopolitical and economic situation, characterised by slow business activity and poor investor sentiments, led to the rand depreciating for the better part of last year, also resulting in higher prices for imported inputs. view more

Global miner Glencore Alloys and Merafe Resources have started a Section 189A process. The companies confirmed on Friday that written notice had been given to its employees at its joint venture (JV), the Rustenburg Smelter, in the North West. view more

Infrastructure provider Openserve has been hit by reduced speed on international browsing, with international voice calling and mobile roaming also impacted, after an "unusual" dual cable break on the submarine systems connecting South Africa to Europe. The West Africa Cable System (WACS) and South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable (SAT3/WASC) consortiums for the Atlantic Ocean cable systems are working to determine the loss of service on both submarine cable systems. view more

As Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams sits down with Telkom over the potential retrenchment of up to 3 000 employees, the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has called for the JSE-listed group's board to be axed. In a statement on Friday, Fedusa slammed Telkom's "gross leadership failure over the last five years and a lack of strategic direction and planning" after the information and communications technology group embarked on a Section 189 consultation process earlier this week. view more

Construction activity in sub-Saharan Africa will grow at an average rate of 7% in the next two years, international consultancy and construction company Mace's latest cost update for the region indicates. According to the report, continued economic growth is likely set to support construction activity. view more

Ogilvy South Africa outgoing CEO Alistair Mokoena is preparing to take on the role of country director at Google South Africa from April 2020, succeeding former CEO Luke McKend, who left the firm in November 2018. Mokoena will oversee the commercial business for Google South Africa. view more

South African stock exchange 4 Africa Exchange (4AX) on Friday welcomed the iHealthcare Group of companies, with its securities admitted to the official list by opening of trade at 09:00. The occasion was marked at 4AX's offices in Johannesburg, with 4AX and iHealthcare Group representatives in attendance. view more

Bearings supplier SKF has launched a green finance framework, allowing the company to, by engaging in green financing, become more aligned with the group's climate objectives to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its manufacturing and supply chain operations, as well as supporting customers to reduce their emissions. Within the green finance framework, SKF intends to finance investments that support the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient growth and lower environmental impact. view more

Aim-listed Ncondezi Energy is on track to submit a tariff financial model for its integrated 300 MW coal-fired power project and coal mine in Tete, Mozambique, to strategic partners at the end of this month. The company is targeting a competitive tariff rate in line with tariff rates recently agreed with Electricidade de Moçambique. view more

Hundreds of mismanaged infrastructure projects have stalled in Kenya and it will cost around $10-billion to revive them, the IMF said in a report whose findings point to a growing power struggle at the heart of government. Amid mounting public anger over ballooning state debt and a series of graft scandals, President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday confirmed acting finance minister Ukur Yatani in the post after its previous incumbent, Henry Rotich, was charged with financial misconduct - an accusation he denies. view more

JSE-listed MTN Group has appointed Gordian Kyomukama as the new CEO of MTN South Sudan, effective January 21. Lily Zondo, acting CEO over the past few months, will resume her role as CFO with immediate effect. 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 return of load-shedding, together with what is a truly dire prognosis for system stability, should surely have been the wake-up call government required to finally begin implementing its very own Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP 2019). Instead, the only indication that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy is even slightly alive to the crisis is the issuance of a Request for Information (RFI) for emergency supply solutions. view more

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) has elected BMW Group South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa CEO Tim Abbott as its new president. He will serve a two-year term. view more

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has allocated a €1.2-million grant to provide training to help resource-rich countries improve their mining revenues. The bank's Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex approved the pioneer grant from the Transitional Support Facility for the project on Financial Modelling for the Extractive Sector (Fimes) in December.  view more

South African private-sector airline Airlink, which, for some time now has had a franchise agreement with State-owned flag-carrier South African Airways (SAA) - which is currently under business rescue - announced on Thursday that the two airlines had replaced that franchise agreement with a new commercial relationship, which would come into effect on June 11. One consequence of this change in relationship is that Airlink will no longer use SAA flight codes (with the prefix SA8), instead adopting its own, unique, flight code, which will be prefixed 4Z. "While we intend working with SAA's business rescue practitioners to find a solution that enables SAA to continue its important role in the Southern African market, we have a responsibility to take action to preserve Airlink's viability as a financially-robust, independent and privately-owned airline," stressed Airlink CEO and MD Rodger Foster. "However, should SAA's circumstances worsen, then Airlink will activate the transition sooner - immediately, if necessary." With its own flight code, Airlink will be able to develop new routes and flight frequencies on its own. It will also be able to enter into new agreements with major international airlines. It will allow the airline to increase its commercial reach. view more

Beer maker South African Breweries (SAB) and its parent company AB InBev Africa have announced that its breweries across South Africa will have on site solar facilities by the end of this month. This forms part of a multibillion-rand investment to ensure 100% of electricity requirements at AB InBev's manufacturing sites across Africa come from renewable sources by 2025. view more

The South African Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee has unanimously voted to reduce the repo rate from 6.5% to 6.25%. As a result of the cut the prime rate will fall to 9.75%.  The repo rate is the benchmark interest rate at which the Reserve Bank lends money to other banks. Before Thursday, the last time the bank changed the rate was in July 2019, when it was cut by 25 basis points to 6.5%. The rate stayed unchanged at 6.5% at the MPC's two previous meetings in September and in November. view more

At this year's World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, TeamSA will present a picture of a country that, while facing many challenges, is moving forward and implementing serious structural reforms, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel noted during a pre-WEF media briefing, on Thursday. Patel said a major message that would be communicated to investors would be that, since last year, the country has undergone a peaceful election and change of leadership, the results of which were broadly welcomed by markets. view more

Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about Business Unity South Africa's statements to President Cyril Ramaphosa that inadequate electricity supply is the biggest risk for businesses and the South African economy and the President's commitment to ensuring businesses and households are able to invest in self-generation.   view more

South African Airways, the embattled national airline, seems to be in its death throes. Although no official announcement has been made, indications are that government could finally jettison the entity, which has suffered losses of more than R30-billion over the past 13 years. In the strongest indication yet that the flag carrier will soon cease to exist in its current form, the airline has put nine of its airplanes up for sale, including Airbus passenger planes used on long-haul flights. National Treasury has also not yet provided bridging finance of R2-billion the company needs to continue its operations. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on Thursday morning did not want to commit government to the airline's future, saying everyone should "keep their fingers crossed" while Treasury looks for funding. view more

South African Airways (SAA) has put up for sale nine of its Airbus aircraft, according to a tender document seeking proposals from interested buyers that was seen by Reuters on Thursday. SAA, which was placed in a form of bankruptcy protection late last year, is selling the Airbus A340-300s and A340-600s, as well as 15 spare engines, the document said. view more

Trade conditions remained in negative territory in December, with the Trade Activity Index, compiled by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci), having remained below the neutral 50-point level, at 44. The index had, however, improved by one point in December. view more

Total will drill the world's deepest offshore well in Angola, in waters more than two miles deep, as the African country works to reverse years of declining output. The well in Block 48 will be 228 m deeper than Total's Raya-1 well in Uruguay, completed in 2016, according to contractor Maersk Drilling. view more

Uganda expects the planned development of two oil fields to cost at least $5-billion, as the government seeks to resolve a tax dispute with the companies that own the sites and pave the way for increased infrastructure spending. That amount is part of the $15-billion to $20-billion that the East African nation anticipates will flow within three to five years to its nascent oil industry, including a refinery and crude pipeline, Energy Ministry Permanent Secretary Robert Kasande said Tuesday in an interview in the capital, Kampala. view more

Siemens and Ghana reached a preliminary agreement to upgrade the nation's electricity grid using €250-million of financing from Germany. Siemens and Ghana Grid Co will also use the funding to improve the country's ability to supply other West African nations, including Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin, the Ghanaian presidency said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. view more

JSE-listed Vivo Energy has confirmed that its subsidiary in Morocco has received a report from the investigators in charge of the Conseil de la Concurrence's (CdC's) ongoing review of the competitive dynamics of the Moroccan fuel retailing industry. Based on the procedures specified in the rules, Vivo Energy Maroc will have the opportunity to make further submissions to the CdC over the next two months before the report is submitted to the CdC board for review and a formal judgment on the matter. view more

Ethiopian Airlines will start constructing a new $5-billion airport later this year, its CEO was quoted as saying on Wednesday, as the rapidly-expanding carrier outgrows capacity at its current base in Addis Ababa. The airport, which will cover an area of 35 km2, will be built in Bishoftu, a town 39 km south east of the capital, and have the capacity to handle 100-million passengers a year, the State-run Ethiopian News Agency quoted Tewolde Gebremariam as saying. view more

Telecoms company Telkom told unions on Wednesday it could cut up to 3 000 of more than 15 000 staff as it struggles with declining performance in fixed voice and fixed data services. Like other African telecoms firms, Telkom, in which the government holds a stake of about 40%, is trying to keep pace with a surge in demand for the internet and data with growing smart phone usage. view more

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Wednesday signed a trilateral agreement with two companies, 3Sixty Global Solutions Group (3Sixty GSG) and Tautomer, which is aimed at accelerating the commercialisation of technologies developed by the science council. (3Sixty GSG is a subsidiary of the Numsa Investment Company, and Tautomer is a partner company of 3Sixty GSG.) The agreement will permit the companies to investigate collaboration and investment opportunities at the CSIR. It will open the way to investments in research and development projects. It was signed by CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini, 3Sixty GSG CEO Khandani Msibi, and Tautomer MD Martin Magwaza. "Engagements with 3Sixty GSG have led to the identification of strategic investment opportunities with the CSIR," reported Dlamini. "These engagements come at a time when the CSIR is at the pinnacle of rolling out its new strategy to focus on industrial development. The agreement also allows for the initiation and execution of specific technology development projects." view more

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said on Thursday that the government was still trying to find additional financing for troubled State airline South Africa Airways (SAA). Mboweni was speaking at a meeting with business leaders in Johannesburg to discuss what message they will take to the World Economic Forum in Davos this year. view more

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan said they reached an agreement on the operation of a giant dam on a Nile tributary, a sign of easing tensions in the region. The countries issued a joint statement along with the US and World Bank, which had participated as observers at meetings in Washington this week. The pact lays out a plan to fill the reservoir in stages - a process crucial to ensuring a reliable flow to Egypt, which depends on the Nile for almost all of its fresh water. view more

South Africa's electricity provider Eskom said no load-shedding was expected for the rest of the week as their emergency resources have been used to ensure that there was adequate generation capacity to meet the demand, but warned that the risk remained. "Despite a constrained and vulnerable system, no load-shedding was implemented [on Wednesday] today. Our emergency resources, namely the open cycle gas turbines and pumped storage schemes, were used cautiously today in order to ensure that they remained at adequate levels to supplement capacity for the rest of the week," the power utility said in a statement on Wednesday night. view more