Category: MIL-OSI

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has warned motorists that multiple roads in the Eastern Cape and North West provinces have been closed due to heavy rainfall.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the RTMC said several roads across the Overberg, Garden Route and Central Karoo regions have been affected by flooding.

“Severe weather conditions are expected to continue in the Garden Route and the surrounding areas today after heavy winds, rain, and flooding occurred.

“Motorists are further advised not to cross flooded roads. Motorists are urged to cooperate and comply with official notices and comply with all the rules of the road. It is always better to arrive home late than not to arrive at all,” authorities said. –SAnews.gov.za

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System will today hear testimony relating to the seizure of a consignment of drugs at the Durban harbour on 22 June 2024, but proceedings will take place behind closed doors.

The testimony of Witness H will focus on the seizure of the drugs, their handling and storage at the DPCI/Hawks office in Port Shepstone, as well as the subsequent theft of the drugs from the office and the findings of investigations into the matter.

In a statement issued on Friday, commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said the commission had ruled that the entire testimony would be heard in-camera, meaning there would be no public access to the proceedings.

“It has come to the attention of the Madlanga Commission that some media houses seem to have missed the ruling yesterday evening that the hearing of Witness H will be held fully in-camera,” Michaels said.

The commission’s hearings this week and next week are focused on drug seizures by South African law enforcement agencies and the theft of such drugs.

According to the statement, the commission’s evidence leaders applied on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, for Witness H to testify in-camera because the evidence relates to ongoing investigations and could not be presented publicly without potentially undermining investigations and possible criminal prosecutions.

Two media houses responded to the application and indicated that they would not oppose it.

Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga subsequently issued a ruling on Thursday evening confirming that the testimony of Witness H on 8 May 2026 “will be in camera with no video or audio feed to the public”. – SAnews.gov.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed Hillside Aluminium’s contribution to South Africa’s economy, skills development and job creation, while reaffirming government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for investment and industrial growth.

Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration of the South32 Hillside Aluminium smelter in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, the President said the operation had made a significant contribution to the country’s industrial capabilities since it began operations in 1996.

“When President Nelson Mandela opened the smelter in April 1996, he said: ‘The ultimate yardstick by which we must measure our efforts is the extent to which they promote sustained economic growth and development, create jobs and eliminate poverty.’

“Today, we can say that Hillside Aluminium has delivered,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said the smelter currently supports 3 650 direct and indirect jobs and contributes to an estimated 29 000 jobs across the economy. 

“Hillside Aluminium is not only a smelter; it is a producer of skills. It is known for its highly skilled artisans, rigorous engineering, tight process control and an uncompromising safety culture,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said the apprenticeships, bursaries and learnerships provided by the company have strengthened South Africa’s national skills pipeline and prepared young people for industries of the future.

The President also praised the company’s community investment initiatives, including support for health services at Ngwelezana Hospital through a dedicated paediatric burns unit, water projects in the King Cetshwayo District and school refurbishment projects.

“All of these projects make a real and lasting difference in the lives of thousands of people in this area,” he said.

President Ramaphosa further welcomed South32’s pledge at this year’s South Africa Investment Conference to invest R3.9 billion towards upgrading rail infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape.

He acknowledged the difficult operating environment faced by smelters in recent years due to rising costs and market pressures, while commending Eskom for engaging with industry on long-term electricity solutions.

“We welcome the discussions between Eskom and South32 about a long-term electricity solution for Hillside Aluminium when the current contract ends in 2031.

“We are encouraged by the commitment by South32 and Eskom to develop an energy solution that supports the smelter’s competitiveness and brings renewable energy into the national grid,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa said reliable infrastructure in energy and logistics remains critical to improving the competitiveness of South African industries.

“Transnet has turned the corner and has moved from decline to recovery, and from planning to implementation.

“Investment, reform and delivery are now firmly underway in rail and port infrastructure,” he said. 

The President said government’s structural reform agenda continues to gain momentum, with progress being made in restoring rail volumes, implementing reforms and attracting private sector investment.

“South Africa is transitioning to the early stages of a multi-operator rail system, with 11 private train operating companies having been granted access to freight rail lines,” he said.

The President reiterated that inclusive growth and job creation remain government’s foremost priority. 

“Sustained domestic investment, including the investment by South32, is essential to advance this priority,” he said.

Congratulating South32 on the milestone, the President described the company’s longevity as “a story of South Africans choosing excellence, shift after shift and year after year”.

“You are demonstrating what can be achieved when long-term investment, operational excellence and partnership between industry, labour, communities and the state come together,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za

Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe has been conducting site visits across flood-affected communities to ensure the smooth progress of relief interventions as heavy rains continue to disrupt large parts of the metro.

By Thursday afternoon, more than 1 000 residents had been evacuated from flooded areas, with the majority coming from low-lying informal settlements.

“The preliminary assessment indicates damage to critical infrastructure, including roads and electricity networks. We have also seen residents forced to leave their homes, significantly disrupting their normal lives,” Lobishe said.

The municipality, in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and churches, is providing displaced residents with essential support.

“Working with stakeholders, such as NGOs and churches, we will ensure that affected residents are provided with basic necessities while being accommodated in community halls,” Lobishe said.

Accompanied by municipal technicians, Lobishe also conducted an oversight visit to the Cuyler Bridge and the Swartkops River in Kariega to assess the structural condition of the bridges and monitoring rising water levels to ensure the safety and security of nearby communities.

Officials also evaluated potential risks that could necessitate further evacuations, particularly overnight, and discussed measures to mitigate further damage.

Lobishe said disaster management teams remain on high alert, operating around the clock to assist affected residents.

“As the rain continues and more areas remain flooded, we plead with residents to cooperate with disaster management officials on the ground so that we can limit injuries and avoid fatalities,” the mayor said.

Dams reach full capacity

Amid the widespread flooding, the municipality confirmed a significant turnaround in water security, with all major dams supplying Nelson Mandela Bay now at full capacity.

This includes Impofu Dam, the metro’s largest water source, with a capacity of approximately 107 000 megalitres, reached full capacity for the first time since 2016.

According to Lobishe, dam levels surged dramatically from 39% to 100% within just two days, following substantial rainfall in catchment areas, estimated at close to 100 000 megalitres.

The following dams are currently full:

•    Impofu Dam – 107 000 megalitres.
•    Kouga Dam – 128 000 megalitres.
•    Churchill Dam – 35 300 megalitres.
•    Groendal Dam – 13 700 megalitres.
•    Loerie Dam – 18 800 megalitres.

Lobishe described the development as a major relief for both residents and the business community of Nelson Mandela Bay.

“[While this brings much-needed relief], this also poses a challenge for us as the city to ensure that we work on our infrastructure to preserve this water and stretch it as much as possible for us to survive the dry winter season,” Lobishe said.

She emphasised that improved water security not only enhances living conditions of residents but also boosts economic growth and investment attraction.

According to the Senior Director for Water and Sanitation, Barry Martin, the drought, despite occasional slight improvements, has been the longest in Nelson Mandela Bay’s history. – SAnews.gov.za

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) and Santam have announced a partnership to strengthen the country’s early warning and forecasting capabilities and ensure communities are better prepared to deal with severe weather-related occurrences and disasters.

A joint statement issued on Thursday said Santam has sponsored the SAWS with the installation of nine automatic weather stations (AWSs) across the country.

This partnership is motivated by data that shows South Africa is experiencing increasingly frequent and severe weather events, with heightened floods, storms and fires, which cause loss of life and billions of rands in damage.

Early warning systems play a key role in warning people of impending hazards and are therefore not a luxury but cost-effective tools to enhance preparedness, save lives and reduce economic losses. 

Despite this, there are still major observational gaps across parts of South Africa.

According to the Santam Group CEO, Tavaziva Madzinga, the strategic partnership with the SAWS will play a critical role in enhancing disaster risk management in the country.

“By strengthening its observation and forecasting capabilities, we are helping to ensure that early warnings are accessible, credible and localised, so that South Africans can act before weather hazards escalate into disasters.

“This collaboration allows us to do more and reach further. By strengthening early warning systems, we are saving lives and helping South Africans avoid preventable loss by building greater resilience to extreme weather,” he said.

Madzinga added that from an insurance perspective, early warnings help reduce losses across households, businesses and the broader economy.

The 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal are estimated to have cost over R50 billion in damages.

The SAWS’ Acting CEO, Dr Jonas Mphepya, hailed the collaboration as a prime example of public-private partnership.

 He said the new AWSs were a welcome addition to the SAWS’ observation network.

“Currently, our network boasts 273 AWSs, 211 Automatic Rainfall Stations, 26 Lightning Detection Network Sensors, 25 Climate Stations and 12 Meteorological RADAR systems, among other things. 

“In a time of frequent and intensifying severe weather events, the importance of reinforcing our observational infrastructure, which the bedrock of our weather and climate services, cannot be overemphasised,” Mphepya said.

 The installations include four AWS units in Limpopo and Mpumalanga piloted during 2021 and 2022, as well as five additional stations that have recently been commissioned in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng. 

These stations are operational and integrated into the SAWS weather observation system network, providing critical weather data.

“The locations of the new stations were identified through a needs-driven process led by the SAWS, focusing on areas with known observational gaps and heightened exposure to disruptive rainfall, flooding and severe weather events. 

“The eastern seaboard, stretching from the Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and into north-eastern parts of Limpopo have experienced repeated episodes of extreme and disruptive rainfall in recent years, while additional gaps were identified in parts of the Western Cape and Gauteng,” the joint statement said.

Beyond infrastructure, the partnership also places strong emphasis on awareness and education. Santam works with municipalities, schools and community organisations to improve understanding of weather warnings and how people should respond to them. 

This includes targeted education campaigns, school-based initiatives and community radio programmes in local languages in high-risk areas.  –SAnews.gov.za

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has expressed confidence and satisfaction in progress being made at the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ) in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Minister paid a visit to the facility on Thursday where he was joined by the Deputy Minister of the Department of Science and Technology, Nomalungelo Gina, the provincial MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Reverend Musa Zondi and the provincial MEC for Transport and Human Settlement, Siboniso Duma. 

The RBIDZ has received funding from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) Special Economic Zone (SEZ) programme. It has R252.39 billion investment in the pipeline with 23 investors and one strategic partner.

Tau visited Nyanza Light metals, which is housed in the industrial development zone. The company is constructing a R15 billion titanium dioxide pigment manufacturing plant. The plant will be the only one of its kind in Africa and will employ 3 000 people during construction and up to 850 permanent jobs during the operations.

“The project has attracted financing from the dtic’s SEZ programme, which establishes designated, geographically focused areas to attract foreign and domestic investment, aiming to accelerate industrial growth, exports, and job creation. 

“Other several development finance institutions, including the Industrial Development Corporation, the African Development Bank, and other partners such as the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have funded the project and have committed to supporting this project as co-mandated lead arrangers.

“We are particularly thrilled about this initiative because it presents a model that can be replicated in similar projects, “said the Minister.

He added that the initiative shows how private sector funding can be mobilised alongside support from development finance institutions at the national and continental level as well as international partners. 

“Significantly, the project also mobilises technology transfer from China, which is indicative of our ability to build our industrial base in the country and in terms of our ability to ensure that we beneficiate material locally and we ensure that industrialisation happens at source,” said the Minister.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the RBIDZ, Thabane Zulu said the facility is at a point where it is ready for implementation.

“We are at a point where we are ready to implement. Amongst others, the contract was signed for piling, which would be to prepare the infrastructure for the development to take place. So, for the next few months, you will see massive infrastructure investment, and the building of the actual plant that would be able to produce on this site,” said Zulu. 

The Nyanza Light metals project received direct support of R118 million from the dtic. – SAnews.gov.za