Category: South Africa Government

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SA’s success story in elephant conservation

Source: Government of South Africa

Home to 44 000 African savanna elephants and a population that continues to grow, South Africa’s conservation efforts have demonstrated success when compared to the decline of elephant numbers in some other countries. 

“Our elephants are a national treasure, a keystone species, an integral part of our heritage and plays a significant role in maintaining a balance where the creation of value exceeds consumption, crucial for sustaining and increasing South Africa’s social and natural capital, which are fundamental for inclusive socio-economic development,” Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh said on Tuesday.

As South Africa joins the global community in celebrating World Elephant Day, the Deputy Minister noted that elephants in South Africa have also expanded their range over the past 40 years.

Most elephants in the country live in government-protected areas like Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe National Park, and Tembe Elephant Park. 

These parks are part of larger Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), where elephants often move freely across national borders and are shared with neighbouring countries. 

“In addition to these large parks, there are 89 smaller, fenced reserves that also support elephant populations. About 6000 elephants are owned privately or by communities, and in recent years, more and more communities have started to manage elephants themselves,” Singh said.

While South Africa’s success in recovering elephant populations offers hope for the species, the Deputy Minister warned that it also brings a difficult trade-off in the context of the country’s developmental agenda and needs. 

“As elephant numbers and ranges expand, encounters between people and elephants have increased, particularly in rural communities living near protected areas.

“Human-elephant conflict can result in crop losses, damage to infrastructure, and in some cases, injury or loss of human life. For many affected families, these incidents can threaten food security and livelihoods. 

“Managing these interactions is essential to ensuring that conservation gains do not come at the expense of community well-being. It requires innovative solutions that promote co-existence, such as, improved land-use planning, early-warning systems, community-based monitoring, and benefit-sharing initiatives that recognise the costs of living alongside elephants,” Singh said.

While re-imagining conservation in the country, South Africa’s aspiration is to ensure that thriving elephants contribute to improving the well-being of people and ecosystems simultaneously.

The country’s conservation efforts are guided by the four goals of the White Paper policy on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity, which are aimed at balancing conservation with sustainable use, transformation, access and benefit sharing.

The Deputy Minister was addressing the Elephant Indaba at Bonamanzi in KwaZulu-Natal, a province that is home to the second largest elephant population in the country.

The Elephant Indaba coincided with World Elephant Day that is being celebrated under the theme: “Matriarchs’ and Memories”.

World Elephant Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness of the urgent need to protect and manage the world’s elephants. –SAnews.gov.za

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Government condemns torching of Home Affairs offices in Germiston

Source: Government of South Africa

Government has strongly condemned the torching of a Home Affairs office in Germiston on Tuesday morning, allegedly by protestors. 

According to reports, protesters in the Germiston CBD allegedly set fire to the Home Affairs building during clashes over evictions as residents allegedly demanded to occupy Pharoe Park flats without paying rent.  

Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Acting Director-General, Terry Vandayar, said vandalism undermined the hard-won rights and freedoms of South Africans and unfairly burdened taxpayers with the cost of repairs. 

“Such acts of vandalism undermine the very rights and freedoms that South Africans have fought hard to secure and place an unnecessary burden on taxpayers who will ultimately bear the cost of repairs. 

“While the Constitution guarantees the right to protest, it must be exercised in a peaceful and lawful manner that respects the rights of others and safeguards public property. 

“Violence and destruction are not acceptable means of expressing grievances, and will not be tolerated,” the Acting Director-General said. 

Speaking to the media at the scene, William Ntladi, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Service, said they received calls about the fire just after 8am. 

He said the two-storey building had been severely damaged and there were no injuries reported. 

“The top section is the one that is well alight. The bottom one – we’re still battling to break in and see what’s happening. Resources are here, multiple fire stations, with multiple vehicles, and a number of firefighters are on site,” he said.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the department was gathering evidence and would open criminal charges against those responsible for setting the block of flats on fire. 

“Home Affairs is collating evidence and will open criminal charges against the anarchists who set a block of flats on fire in Germiston, which then spread to the neighbouring Home Affairs office. It is nothing less than an attack on our social infrastructure and cannot stand,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za 

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Minister sets his sights on revamped higher education sector

Source: Government of South Africa

By Nosihle Shelembe

Several far-reaching interventions have been announced to overhaul the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector to improve inefficiencies and ensure that the sector can meet the country’s needs and is fit for purpose in a changing world. 

The reforms, announced by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, are a response to a fragmented and uneven PSET sector that has locked young people out of opportunities, provided skills that do not meet the economy’s needs, has underperforming institutions and funding models that remain unstable.

“We will reimagine and reengineer our post-school education and training system for a changing world. South Africa deserves a system that delivers skills, knowledge, and opportunity for all,” the Minister said.

Manamela outlined his short-term and long-term vision for the sector during a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday.

“In the next three months, we will stabilise the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and set in motion a sustainable student funding model. We will establish the post-school education and training (PSET) Reengineering Task Team, bringing together expertise from across sectors to guide the redesign of our system. 

“We will strengthen the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) oversight, finalise their realignment, and ensure every SETA delivers measurable value. We will begin engagements with the National Treasury on long-term funding solutions,” the Minister said.

Additionally, the Department of Higher Education and Training will launch three major strategic projects focusing on Skills to Work Transitions, targeting young people not in employment, education or training; Career Choices (currently known as Khetha), targeting school learners from an early age to guide them into learning and work pathways; and Adult Literacy, targeting the four million South Africans who are functionally illiterate.

Over the next 12 months, the department will pilot autonomous colleges and new Community Education and Training (CET) models to improve agility and responsiveness. 

“We will review the CET landscape to ensure it plays a meaningful role in community development. We will launch technical and vocational education and training (TVET) curriculum pilots aligned with emerging industries. 

“We will establish a national PSET database to improve planning and accountability. We will begin the roll-out of the NASCA [National Senior Certificate for Adults] as an alternative pathway for school leavers,” he said.

Moreover, the department will complete legislative reviews, addressing gaps and contradictions that undermine system coherence. 

“To secure the future of our system, we will set up a multi-sectoral task team to review and consolidate three decades of policy and legislative reforms. This task team will learn from the crises that forced transformation, the Fees Must Fall movement, to institutional mergers, and will chart a deliberate, planned transformation for the next generation. 

“The aim is simple – to build a single, coherent, and high-performing post-school education and training system that is fit for purpose in a changing world,” the Minister said.

The department plans to accelerate infrastructure upgrades and ensure campus safety across the system.

“Over the next four years, we will fully implement a sustainable student funding model. We will consolidate SETA and CET reform. We will drive digital learning across the system, ensuring every learner can benefit from technology-enabled education. 

“We will institutionalise career guidance and lifelong learning pathways from school to work to retirement. We will deepen research and innovation capacity, strengthen our partnerships with industry, and expand our presence on the continent and globally.

“And we will ensure that our system, as a whole, delivers a clear and measurable return on the public investment it receives,” the Minister said. 

The work of the department will be guided by six core objectives as follows:

  • To integrate the system into a single, coordinated whole.
  • Expand equitable access to all who can benefit.
  • Ensure responsiveness to the needs of the economy, the labour market, and society.
  • Raise the quality of provision and learning outcomes.
  • Improve efficiency, governance, and accountability.
  • Guarantee sustainability – in funding, in institutional stability, and in the confidence of citizens.

These objectives are anchored in five strategic pillars.

  • Economic renewal and jobs – ensuring that graduates are employable and the institutions are aligned to growth sectors.
  • A green just transition – making the skills system a driver of climate resilience and low-carbon innovation.
  • Building public sector capacity, so that the state is equipped to serve the people effectively.
  • Research and innovation – to strengthen the country’s intellectual sovereignty and generate solutions from Africa, for Africa, and the world.
  • Social inclusion – to make sure no one is left behind – whether they live in a rural village, a township, an informal settlement, or a city. – SAnews.gov.za

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Police operations nab over 16000 suspects

Source: Government of South Africa

Over 16000 suspects have been arrested in Operation Shanela efforts over the last week, said the South African Police Service (SAPS).

This as a total 16, 571 suspects were arrested between 4 and 10 August 2025 across the country’s nine provinces.

During the arrests, police recovered stolen property and confiscated illicit goods and firearms.

The crime-fighting activities by the police included tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, stop and searches, as well as the tracing of wanted suspects. 

“These efforts reflect SAPS’s intensified, intelligence-driven approach to restoring public safety and dismantling organised criminal networks,” said the SAPS in a statement.

During the operations, 2 065 wanted suspects were arrested for serious crimes, including murder, rape, hijacking, and drug trafficking while 138 suspects were arrested for murder. 

A further 134 people were arrested for attempted murder ,154 for rape, and 1 390 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).

The number of those caught for driving under the influence of alcohol stood at 607, while 796 were arrested for drug dealing and 2 336 others were nabbed for the possession of drugs.

When coming to confiscations and recoveries, police recovered1 480 rounds of ammunition and 124 firearms confiscated while 52 stolen and hijacked vehicles were recovered during this period.

Other breakthroughs made by the SAPS include the arrest of a 32-year-old suspect after a vehicle entering the country from Eswatini via Paulpietersburg carrying 90 bags of dagga worth R4 million was intercepted.

The SAPS said it remains committed to protecting lives, dismantling criminal enterprises, and ensuring that the streets are rid of the scourge of criminality.– SAnews.gov.za

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Deputy President Mashatile to deliver a keynote address at the P20 Women’s Parliament

Source: President of South Africa –

Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile will on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, deliver a keynote address at the hybrid sitting of the P20 Women’s Parliament, scheduled to take place from 13 – 14 August at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chambers in Parliament, Cape Town. 

The event will be held under the theme “ Accelerating Equality, Sustainability and Shared Growth: Correcting the gender redistribution bias of growth and development – through the Women’s Charter,  the MTDP and the 2025 G20 Development ”. It serves as a platform to advance gender equality, inclusive development, and women’s empowerment.

As a build-up to the 11th P20 Speakers’ Summit, this platform seeks to align to the priorities and objectives of the Group of Twenty (G20) and P20 priorities, to ensure strategic emphasis on the acceleration and implementation of South Africa’s transformation agenda.

It will bring together Members of Parliament, leaders of civil society, international delegates, women’s rights advocates, and youth representatives to reflect on the legacy of the Women’s Charter and drive forward a unified agenda for women’s empowerment in the context of both national transformation and global cooperation.

The Deputy President is expected to highlight the pivotal role that has been played by women over the last seven decades, to advance gender transformation in South Africa. 

Details of the Deputy President’s address are as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Time: 09:55

The address will be live streamed on PresidencyZA platforms.

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to Deputy President Mashatile on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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Government committed to keep American markets open for SA

Source: Government of South Africa

Government committed to keep American markets open for SA

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has made it clear that the South African government is pulling out all the stops to keep the American market open for South African goods.

This is amid the recent imposition of a 30% unilateral tariff by the United States (US) on South African exports.

“We will at the same time accelerate our efforts to diversify markets and build on the efforts we have put in place to ensure predictability in trade and leverage all our existing partnerships to secure markets for our products,” Tau said.

He was addressing the media in Pretoria on the outcomes of a Cabinet meeting held last week on the US tariffs, along with the Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen.

Tau said government has been implementing a response anchored on five key elements: continued engagement with the United States to secure a deal and reduce the tariffs; the diversification of exports to alternate markets; an economic response package to vulnerable companies and workers; trade defense against import surge and dumping; and demand side interventions.

“Cabinet has approved that South Africa submits a revised offer as a basis for negotiations with the US. The new offer builds on the previous offer submitted in May 2025. The new offer substantively responds to the issues the US has raised in the 2025 National Trade Estimates Report,” Tau said.

The Minister said the USA-Africa Trade Desk has informed government that it will be shipping containers of poultry and pork to South Africa in two weeks’ time, which is testimony that these issues have been resolved.

“The shipments will come from the states of Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama through the Ports of New Orleans in Louisiana, Savanna in Georgia and Norfolk in Virginia,” Tau said.

Another significant request from the US was that South Africa consider reducing tariffs as a way to address the deficit and tariff disparity with the European Union due to the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement.

“South Africa continues consultations with industry and in this regard, in consultation with other members of the Southern African Customs Union, will identify specific lines to respond to this request.

“The recent imposition of a 30% unilateral tariff by the United States on our exports is a significant policy shift that necessitates a clear and decisive response. South Africa has accelerated its diversification efforts of export markets and enhanced competitiveness to mitigate the economic impact of losing preferential trade access.

“We are committed to strengthening our relationships, particularly under the AfCFTA, to build regional resilience. 

“We will also continue the work we have started with our European partners towards enhancing our trade and investment relations in a manner that unlocks sustainable growth and development and entrenches South Africa in new supply-chains,” Tau said.

Tau said government was looking at Asia, including Japan, Vietnam and Thailand, the Middle East and India.

“We are pursuing these markets because we see growing demand, existing negotiations and a positive reception to South African products. 

“This is not just about trade numbers; it is directly linked to job protection. Diversification is about protecting rural livelihoods and sustainable agricultural growth for our people.

“To achieve this, government is deploying dedicated infrastructure for market expansion, including trade and agricultural attachés, increased export certification capacity and a concerted effort to align our biosecurity standards with the requirements of these new markets,” the Minister said.

Earlier this month, government said was creating an economic response package to address job losses and lessen the impact of the US’ decision to impose a 30% unilateral tariff on its imports. 

The package will include the establishment of an export support desk and a localisation fund.

In May, South Africa submitted a comprehensive and ambitious framework deal aimed at addressing trade deficits and promoting mutually beneficial relations. 

The tariffs took effect from 8 August 2025.

Tau said a high-level negotiation team, including both the dtic and the Department of Agriculture has been identified and is ready to engage the US towards a mutually beneficial agreement.

“Our goal is to demonstrate that South African exports do not pose a threat to US industries and that our trade relationship is, in fact, complementary,” Tau said.

Tau said the unilateral tariffs imposed by the United States of America do not only apply to South Africa.

“They also affect over 130 trading partners with whom American consumers and producers interact,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin

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Report exposed electricity wires and illegal connections to save lives

Source: Government of South Africa

Report exposed electricity wires and illegal connections to save lives

Eskom has called on consumers to use electricity safely and report illegal connections as the power utility commemorates Electricity Safety Month.

According to Eskom Senior Manager for Health and Safety, Miranda Moahlodi, the power utility reported some “200 public injuries and fatalities” related to electricity.

“It is genuinely distressing to think that many electricity-related injuries and deaths go unreported to Eskom because communities feel compelled to protect the illegal connections responsible for these incidents.

“Furthermore, criminal activities are on the rise, evidenced by an increasing number of infrastructure vandalism cases, theft of electricity cables, and attacks on Eskom staff.

“We appeal to communities to help us curb the aggression and violence that Eskom employees are subjected to. Like everyone else, we also have families waiting for us at home after work,” Moahlodi noted.

The power utility urged communities to report exposed wires and illegal connections which “pose a serious threat to the safety of our community, infrastructure, and lives”.

“Poorly installed or tampered with electrical lines are among the leading causes of fires in informal settlements and residential areas. By reporting hazards early, we can prevent fires that devastate homes and disrupt people’s lives.

“Community safety is a collective effort. Each one of us has a part to play. If you notice a dangling/ low-hanging wire, an open electrical box, or unsafe connections running through trees, on the street or rooftops, please do not ignore it.

“Let us commit to regularly checking our electrical systems, reporting hazards, and adhering to safety guidelines. Most importantly, we must act swiftly and responsibly as soon as we identify a risk,” Eskom said.

Report crime and any illegal activities impacting Eskom’s infrastructure on Eskom’s Crime Line at 0800 11 27 22, send an email to eskom@whistleblowing.co.za or SMS 31090.

“Together, we can create safer homes, safer workplaces, and ultimately, a safer South Africa. Remember to contribute by reporting any illegal connections, exposed wires, or electrical wiring that appear dangerous to Eskom or your local municipality.

“By doing this, you could save a child’s life or the life of someone who is unaware of these dangers. Let us look out for each other and always practice electrical safety,” Eskom said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

NeoB

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Capitec, FNB partner with Home Affairs to deliver Smart IDs

Source: Government of South Africa

Capitec, FNB partner with Home Affairs to deliver Smart IDs

Capitec Bank and First National Bank (FNB) have signed up to the Department of Home Affairs’ new digital partnership model that aims to expand access to Smart ID and passport services.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, announced that the partnership will see the expansion of Smart ID and passport services from the existing 30 to hundreds more bank branches in urban and rural areas across South Africa.

It will further expand these services to digital banking applications.

“In fulfilment of the target set by Cabinet in the Medium-Term Development Plan, which tasks Home Affairs with expanding its services to 1 000 bank branches by 2029, the Director-General of the department, Mr Tommy Makhode, on 30 April 2025 wrote to
the Chief Executive Officers of ABSA, African Bank, TymeBank, Capitec Bank, Discovery Bank, First National Bank, Investec Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank, inviting them to join this transformative, digital-first new phase of the department’s existing collaboration with the banking sector,” explained the department.

It said the collaboration dates back more than a decade and has, until now, seen the successful delivery of Smart ID and passport services at only 30 branches across five different banks.

The original model relied on the costly duplication of Home Affairs staff and hardware inside bank branches and failed to take advantage of technology to dramatically expand services into all rural and urban areas where bank branches already exist, as well as onto secure banking apps that have come to be widely used across society.

The department said the new partnerships marked the beginning of the end for long travelling distances to reach Home Affairs services, for long queues, as well as for the Green ID book with its unacceptable vulnerability to fraud and identity theft.

It is also the next step in the new digital-first era of public service delivery that the Government of National Unity is building, said the department.

The Minister will visit Capitec and FNB this week to provide further information on how this reform will benefit all South Africans. On Tuesday, the Minister will visit Capitec Head Office in Stellenbosch and then on Wednesday he will visit FNB at the Portside Tower, in Cape Town.

“The department further reiterates its call for all other banks to similarly take up the invitation to work together, to ensure that all South Africans have access to Smart ID and passport services in their own communities.

“This reform marks a critical milestone on our journey to unlock the power of digital transformation to deliver Home Affairs @ home.” – SAnews.gov.za

 

Janine

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Parolee denied bail for allegedly impersonating former Hawks Head 

Source: Government of South Africa

Parolee denied bail for allegedly impersonating former Hawks Head 

The Hatfield Magistrate’s Court has denied bail to parolee Thabo Enoch Theletsane, who is facing charges of fraud and allegedly impersonating former Hawks Head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya.

Theletsane – who was out on parole after serving time for another fraud case – allegedly contacted a businessman on WhatsApp using Lebeya’s profile picture.

“[He] allegedly claimed his phone had been hacked and that the businessman would be contacted by ‘Mr. Mokoena’, purportedly a police officer from the cybercrime unit. Posing as ‘Mr. Mokoena,’ Theletsane allegedly told the businessman that his phone had been hacked and offered to ‘clean’ it. 

“He is accused of requesting the businessman’s frequently used contact numbers, which he then obtained. The accused allegedly asked the businessman to make a payment for a hard drive to store his information; however, this payment was not made,” the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement.

According to the statement, Theletsane then contacted another complainant “using the numbers supplied by the businessman”.

“He allegedly told the second complainant that their phone had been hacked and requested a payment of R50 000 for a hard drive to store their information. The complainant paid the money. 

“After realising they had been defrauded, both victims reported the matter to the police on 01 November 2024,” the statement read.

Theletsane was arrested in May this year following an investigation and subsequently applied for bail on the basis that he is a father of seven with “another on the way to provide for”. 

“Prosecutor Dikeledi Moganyaka opposed the bail application and read into the record an affidavit by investigating officer Mpho Phantinah Dlamini. The affidavit stated that the accused had deliberately given a false address during the investigation and had two previous convictions for fraud and forgery from 2020, making him likely to reoffend if released.

“In delivering judgment, the magistrate agreed with the State that the accused has the propensity of committing crime since he is alleged to have committed the current offences just days after being released on parole. The court also found his claims about the parole board to be unsubstantiated and ruled that releasing him would not be in the interest of justice,” the statement said.

The case was postponed to September. – SAnews.gov.za

 

NeoB

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eThekwini welcomes approval to develop new power generation capacity

Source: Government of South Africa

The eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba says the approval for the development of a new electricity generation capacity, marked a critical milestone in the city’s energy roadmap, aimed at diversifying energy sources, reducing reliance on the national grid, and improving energy security.  

The municipality has become the first metro in South Africa to receive ministerial approval to procure new electricity generation capacity directly from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), in what Xaba calls a “precedent-setting moment” for municipal-led energy transition.

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has authorised the city to move ahead with its Municipal Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (MPPPP), which will add 400 megawatts (MW) to the local grid — 100MW from solar PV and 300MW from gas-to-power.

“We are not only celebrating the decision by the Minister of Electricity and Energy to authorise the city to develop new electricity generation capacity, but we are also affirming our commitment to lead South Africa’s energy transition in a way that is secure, inclusive, and sustainable.

“We are excited that we are the first metro in the country to receive this determination from the Minister to procure new electricity generation capacity directly from Independent Power Producers (IPPs). This is a precedent-setting moment that reinforces the constitutional role of municipalities in ensuring they deliver quality services,” Xaba said.

Energy roadmap and milestones

In line with its energy strategic road map, the municipality launched its energy strategy in 2021, to respond to the national energy crisis.

As a result, the council resolved to initiate its own electricity procurement programme, through the Municipal Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (MPPPP).

Xaba noted that the decision was driven not only by necessity, but by a forward-looking vision of building a decentralised, diversified, and resilient municipal energy system.

“By July 2021, we issued a technology-agnostic Request for Information (RFI) to the market, targeting 400 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. This move allowed us to engage industry stakeholders, assess investment appetite, and lay the groundwork for meaningful public-private partnerships.

“A year later, our 400 MW business case received full endorsement from the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government. Subsequently, the National Treasury approved the project, positioning eThekwini as a national pioneer in municipal-led power procurement,” Xaba said.

The municipality convened the first Energy Transformation Summit in 2023, with key public and private stakeholders, reaffirming their commitment to a reliable, low-carbon, inclusive energy future.

A Section 34 Determination application was formally submitted and received the full attention of the Minister, and by October 2024, the Minister issued the draft Section 34 determination to National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), which launched public participation in March 2025.

Section 34 Determination outlines the procurement of new electricity generation capacity or transmission infrastructure to ensure a reliable electricity supply. NERSA then reviews the determination and provides its concurrence (or not) based on its regulatory mandate.

The final approval of the Ministerial Determination gives the city the green light to move to the next phase of the Request for Proposals (RFP).

According to the municipality, the programme will allow the eThekwini Municipality to procure 400 MW of new generation capacity (100 MW Solar PV and 300 MW Gas to Power (GTP), with a focus on dispatchable, reliable, and low-carbon energy technologies.

“Our energy strategy is embedded in our Integrated Development Plan (IDP), which is a legislated planning and performance management instrument. The inclusion of our energy mix in the IDP ensures that our power procurement is directly tied to broader development outcomes, job creation, economic growth, climate change and spatial transformation,” the mayor emphasised.

Xaba reassured the city’s ratepayers that the programme is financially sound, with preliminary modelling indicating that it would save the municipality approximately R5 billion over the duration of the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), translating to around R250 million in annual savings.

“These are savings we can redirect to the upgrading of infrastructure for basic services that will directly benefit our residents. Furthermore, this programme is catalytic as it is projected to unlock R8.5 billion in private investment and boost regional industrial activity.

“Most importantly, it will create an estimated 2 200 jobs during construction and operation phases. This initiative will also empower small businesses and promote inclusive enterprise and supplier development,” he said.

On energy security and environmental sustainability, Xaba said once fully operational, the new capacity will reduce eThekwini’s reliance on the national grid by 18%, significantly cushioning the city from up to Stage 3 load shedding.

“During this period our economy can stay productive, our hospitals, schools and police stations will continue operating without any disruption. The project supports both our Climate Action Plan and South Africa’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

“It is expected to avoid 250 000 tonnes of CO₂ [carbon dioxide] -equivalent emissions annually, a significant step towards achieving a just transition and low-carbon emissions.”

Procurement rollout process

The mayor also highlighted that the procurement will be rolled out in phases, with the RFP for Solar PV planned to be issued in December this year, while the construction expected by September 2027.

“The Gas-to-Power RFP will follow in 2026 and the details of which will be communicated in due course. This staggered approach allows us to align with demand profiles, strengthen local capacity, and manage implementation risks responsibly,” the mayor explained. –  SAnews.gov.za