Local sectoral professional organisation Women in Nuclear South Africa (Winsa) announced on Friday the election of its new president. She is radiation protection professional Tebogo Motlhabane, a scientist with the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI). She replaces Nomathemba Radebe, a senior advisor in quality assurance at Eskom, who held the presidency since 2015. Winsa is part of the global Women in Nuclear (Win) network. The election was conducted online, with voting starting during the virtual special annual general meeting on July 30. The online polls were closed on August 6 (Thursday). The post of president was also contested by Mologadi Kekane who is one of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation’s radiation protection managers. Kekane now becomes Winsa’s deputy president.
Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), which recently disbursed loans worth R4.5-billion to two Gauteng metropolitan councils to support ongoing infrastructure delivery amid coronavirus-induced liquidity constraints, reports that it is gearing up to support several other municipalities to help close funding gaps that have arisen during the pandemic. Between June and July, the State-owned development finance institution disbursed a R3-billion loan to the City of Johannesburg and R1.5-billion to the City of Tshwane for the roll-out of infrastructure programmes, including the construction and upgrade of electrical, water, sanitation, refuse, road and stormwater facilities, as well as to support human settlements projects.
The development and peaceful use of nuclear technology could further underscore its value by helping to meet Africa’s developmental needs, says African Commission on Nuclear Energy (Afcone) executive secretary Messaoud Baaliouamer. He says the safe and peaceful use of nuclear technology has already proven to be beneficial in human health, such as in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases.
According to the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), the South African government should rather shift its renewed interest in building new nuclear power generation capacity to ethical, equitable and sustainable energy plans.
As “South Africa faces another push for nuclear energy” when the country is in crisis from the Covid-19 pandemic, SAFCEI is calling for “no more nuclear energy”.
Deputy President David Mabuza has blamed the failure of municipalities to pay their debt to Eskom for ongoing service delivery issues. In replies to written questions from the National Council of Provinces submitted on 5 August, Mabuza said municipalities experiencing severe electricity challenges were often suffering as a result of usage in excess of the notified maximum demand, as well as a failure to honour debt repayment to Eskom.
When a pump used for agricultural applications fails, it poses a significant risk to the food production cycle, revenue generation and, ultimately, the food supply chain during a time when South Africa is facing food-security pressure. The local agriculture industry cannot afford to lose crops through a lack of irrigation, says compressor and generator rental company Rand-Air business development manager Henry Fourie.
Engineering solutions company BMG’s Boer Slim and/or Smart-Farming agricultural team works closely with farmers throughout Southern Africa, assisting them with the selection, installation and operation of new electromechanical systems. These projects are designed to improve efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and limit maintenance requirements.
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