Government will appoint a new board for power utility Eskom, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Wednesday 25 October. Tabling the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament, Minister Gigaba said the new board will be appointed before the end of November. He said government is concerned at developments at the utility. The weak governance issues that are currently being experienced at the utility has led to a qualified audit opinion and a violation of some debt covenants with lenders. “The failures of governance, leadership and financial management at Eskom are of a grave concern. Eskom is simply too important…
Author: Staff Reporter
VW to develop BEE suppliers Following on from the successful VWSA Black-Owned Supplier’s Day held in 2016, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has extended its assistance to strategically align black-owned suppliers in the automotive sector by launching the Ntinga Project. The project was launched 19 October in Uitenhage. Ntinga is an isiXhosa word which means to soar and by offering business mentorship and training to up-and-coming suppliers, Volkswagen hopes they will rise to great heights in the automotive sector and beyond. The Ntinga Project started with over 300 suppliers being approached and assessed by the Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness Initiative…
By Linda Henderson It’s the middle of spring but nowhere is there a sign of new life in the dusty rural settlement that once was the bustling railway connection that freighted thousands of tons of produce and passengers to various destinations across the country. Run down railway houses with face brick verandas scatter the countryside as a reminder of the modest lifestyle that formerly sustained a bustling community of proud railway artisans. Conductors, stokers, wheel tappers and engine drivers reared families here and watered and fed with coal the puffing steam giants that crossed the Karoo and drove the economy…
Some guidelines to help you manage during water cuts, and even become independent of an unreliable municipal water supply, courtesy Rhodes University’s Environment Resources page. General Guidelines for Collecting Rain Water Roof 10mm of rainfall on a surface area of 100m2 will yield 1000 litres of rain water. Gutter & downpipe Essential for capturing and guiding rainwater into tank. Ensure gutters are cleaned from time to time! Tank Use a good quality tank, preferably with black lining, to prevent growth of algae. Filtration (a) Before: Keeps rain water clean and odourless – use a Pre-Filter (see below), or other options…
On Monday, 23 October, acclaimed designer David Tlale facilitated the second Buyel’ Ekhaya Fashion Development Workshop attended by over 70 aspiring young fashion designers and students at the Miriam Makeba Centre of Performing Arts in East London. The day ended with the announcement of 10 finalists from all over the Eastern Cape who will travel to Johannesburg to be mentored by renowned designer Thula Sindi from 6 November to 15 November 2017. At the BFD workshop, the young designers received invaluable advice from industry veteran Tlale who was also part of the adjudication panel who went through their creative portfolios and…
At least 150 musicians from the Diocesan School for Girls and St Andrew’s College performed Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis on the Monument Theatre stage during their recent prize-giving ceremonies.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional MEC Fikile Xasa told members of the Matatiele and Mount Fletcher Initiation Practitioners (MMIP) that the government would continue to execute the Customary Male Initiation Practice Act throughout the Province including in Matatiele. Speaking in a briefing session during his visit to the traditional leaders in the Maluti Region Xasa said Ulwaluko (traditional initiation) was an issue for the country and the nation. For this reason, the government got involved in the practice of the customs “only to save lives off abakhwetha”. The MEC was responding to a request by members of the MMIP to suspend…
A greywater system in a suburb – five steps to a beautiful garden Whether your garden is your green haven for relaxing in, the place to grow food for your family – or both – water restrictions mean you can’t water your flower beds or vegetable patch with a hosepipe. And as drought conditions in South Africa persist, and dams empty, it will become unthinkable to use drinking water for flushing toilets, watering gardens and washing clothes. People in Grahamstown and on the farms around us are discovering the health and economic benefits of subsistence farming, but water remains the…
Rhodes University student Natalie MacLarty, 22, has been selected to represent South Africa in the Polocrosse World Cup in Australia in April 2019. Only eight players make up the women and men’s team. This will be MacLarty’s second World Cup since she started playing polocrosse at the age of 14 at her home farm in the Elandslaagte district, KwaZulu Natal. She participated in the 2015 tournament that saw South Africa being crowned champions. The 2nd year B.Pharmacy student is particularly excited about her selection, as she will be playing alongside the world’s best male polocrosse player, her brother, Graeme. What…