BLSA defends R18m support for private investigation at Eskom

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has defended the organisation’s decision to respond to a request by former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to fund a private investigation into crime and corruption at the State-owned utility and has also confirmed that BLSA provided R18-million to support the initiative. However, she insists that BLSA had no role in the appointment of George Fivaz Forensic & Risk, nor in vetting the lead investigator Tony Oosthuizen, who has been identified in media reports as having been an apartheid military intelligence operative who allegedly claims to have killed 20 anti-apartheid activist.
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Solar-powered PUE systems unlock more revenue, lower costs for African farmers, SMEs

Productive Use of Energy (PUE) applications powered by solar panels pose a massive opportunity for small businesses on the continent, particularly in the agricultural space, to increase revenue and achieve lower operational costs.

The Africa Solar Industry Association (Afsia) on May 4 published its ‘Productive Use Catalogue’, which unpacks the definition of PUE, as many stakeholders have varying definitions; its different applications; how beneficial it has been for many companies and end-users; and what could be expected in the near future.

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Preece shares details of Gold Fields’ ongoing renewables plans for South Deep

Gold mining company Gold Fields has revealed that is investigating the feasibility of installing additional solar and wind power at its South Deep gold mine, in South Africa. Interim CEO Martin Preece said on May 4 during the company’s first-quarter operational update that an additional 10 000 solar photovoltaic panels were planned for installation at the mine this year. However, he said the mine was reaching a limit in terms of how much solar could help before batteries had to be installed.
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Busa affirms support for an NHI backed by public/private collaboration

Business Unity South Africa (Busa) CEO Cas Coovadia on Thursday stressed the organisation’s support for the establishment of National Health Insurance, but only if there is collaboration between the private and public sectors. Speaking on Day 1 of the second Presidential Health Compact Summit, Coovadia said the partnership was important to coordinate healthcare delivery to South Africans.
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RES4Africa, University of Pretoria sign energy transition capacity building agreement

Sustainable energy organisation the Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa Foundation (RES4Africa) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Pretoria to share knowledge, build networks and cooperate on capacity-building initiatives, studies and dissemination of events of mutual interest. The agreement focuses on sharing expertise, capacity-building and coordinated efforts to support the country’s energy transition. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to drive sustainable development for resilient economies in South Africa, RES4Africa says.
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Key energy plan will be developed in a year’s time, says Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a gazette indicating a key section in law – which will allow the long-awaited Integrated Energy Plan to be developed – will come into effect. This comes after civil society groups lodged a legal application to compel him to do so. Earlier this year, environmental justice group The Green Connection and the South African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute filed an application calling for the Ramaphosa to bring into operation section 6 of the National Energy Act. This section allows for the development of an Integrated Energy Plan, to be overseen by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe. The IEP is the country’s overarching energy plan, from which others, like the Integrated Resources Plan, should follow. It guides proposed energy projects and deals with the security of supply, the use of economically available energy sources, and the universal accessibility of free basic electricity, among other things.
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AW-Energy, Namibian company sign wave energy technology agreement

Finnish near-shore wave energy technology company AW-Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kaoko Green Energy Solutions, in Namibia, for the development of renewable energy infrastructure and to produce green hydrogen from renewable energy sources, including wave energy. The initiative will operate in three phases, with Phase 1 entailing detailed site design and the fabrication and deployment of a WaveRoller wave farm on the coast of Swakopmund to deliver renewable power to support in-land resettlement and development.
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Organisations vindicated in battle for development of an Integrated Energy Plan

Environmental organisations the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (Safcei) and The Green Connection (TGC) say they have been vindicated to some extent, after struggling for more than two years to get Section 6 of the National Energy Act (NEA) into operation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on April 28 gazetted the decision to bring Section 6 of the NEA into operation, effective April 1, 2024, following legal proceedings launched by the environmental organisations in January to review government’s failure or refusal to bring Section 6 into operation.

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GreenCape reports highlight most promising green economy investment opportunities

South African nonprofit organisation GreenCape has released the 2023 edition of its yearly green economy market intelligence reports (MIRs), which highlight the most promising market opportunities in key green economy sectors in South Africa. The reports are published in partnership with the UK’s Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (PACT) programme, Germany’s Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the Western Cape Government Department of Agriculture.
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Plans for Karpowership’s Saldanha Bay project hit another delay

Karpowership SA has withdrawn an environmental impact assessment report for its proposed Saldanha Bay project, which forms part of its application for environmental authorisation. Given the withdrawal of this document, its application for environmental authorisation has lapsed, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE).
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