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Posted by Enviroadmin
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Thursday, 11 August 2011 22:25 |
Pretoria – The South African National Energy Regulator (Nersa) is in agreement with Energy Minister Dipuo Peters regarding the Independent Power Producer (IPP) procurement programme.
This comes after the department announced it will stop the renewable energy feed in tariff (REFIT), which was meant to attract investors (independent renewable energy producers) to new power generation going into the future.
The department will now go for a bidding process, where it will look for proposals on new generation capacity.
The department invites interested parties to submit proposals for the finance, construction, operation and maintenance of renewable energy generation.
The process will involve the submission of bids.
On Wednesday, Nersa said the department’s plans need to be aligned with the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and power parastatal Eskom’s Multi-Year Price Determination (from April 2010 to 31 March 2013). The IRP addresses South Africa’s electricity generation mix for the next 20 years.
The department wants to procure 3 725 megawatts and is working towards socio-economic and environmentally sustainable growth. It also seeks to start and stimulate the renewable energy industry in the country.
Among the allocated capacity across renewable technologies, 1850 megawatts will be procured from onshore wind energy, and a further 1450 megawatts is set for generation in the solar photovoltaic segment.
“The Energy Regulator will continue to execute its mandate in line with the New Generation Regulations issued on 4 May 2011 and the Electricity Regulation Act,” the regulator’s member primarily responsible for electricity, Thembani Bukula, said.
The department is scheduled to hold a mandatory bidders’ briefing session on 14 September. - BuaNews
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Posted by Enviroadmin
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Thursday, 14 July 2011 12:16 |
Mandela Day is an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and a global call to action for people to recognise their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them.
During the month of July, Trudon (Publishers of the Yellow Pages) will be distributing 2 500 trees to the fortunate residents of Nellmapius, Gauteng and Bloemfontein in the Free State, answering the worldwide call to spend at least 67 minutes of their time doing something useful within their communities, especially among the less fortunate. A global movement for positive change begins with small actions. As each person acts, they fuel momentum toward positive change, raising awareness and expanding the reach of Mr Mandela’s values – fighting injustice, helping people in need and practicing reconciliation.
In conjunction with South Africa's premier social greening social enterprise, Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), Trudon has generously sponsored 10 000 trees for distribution in low cost housing settlements across South Africa as part of their ongoing commitment to social upliftment and poverty alleviation.
“As Trudon is in the production of printed directories, we as a company need to contribute to preserving our environment by planting trees. Trudon prints 7 million books per annum and we believe that by partnering with Food & Trees for Africa we minimise our impact on the environment by the planting of 10 000 trees in low cost housing settlements across SA,” says Trudon’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Clarissa Smith.
The first Trudon Nellmapius distributions of 500 trees each will take place on 18 July at the Customer Care Centre, Corner Love and Lesedi Street at 10h00 and 19 July at the Multi-Purpose Centre, Corner Lesedi and Moreri Street at 10h00. A further 1 500 trees will be distributed to the excited residents of Bloemfontein on 27, (venue to be confirmed) and 28 and 29 July at Botshabelo Stadium. These Trudon trees will be planted by residents in their yards through the Trees for Homes Programme, a successful urban greening programme. In the process 50 unemployed residents of these settlements will be trained as community educators to spread environmental and climate change awareness, support the correct planting and good maintenance of these trees and report back to Trudon on the growth of their green gift.
Trudon has already distributed 1 500 to the residents of Nompumalelo near East London in the Eastern Cape. Another 1 500 trees have successfully been planted in Braamfischerville, Gauteng. Other beneficiary communities that will receive the remaining 4 500 trees include Delft in the Western Cape (mid August), Durban in KwaZulu Natal (beginning September), and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape (mid September).
“These trees are an excellent way to introduce complex issues like global warming,” said Trees for Homes Manager Joanne Lee Rolt. “This Trudon project is timely in the lead up to the United Nations COP17 meeting that will take place in Durban in a few months time when world leaders will get together to try to reach agreement on how to respond to this serious issue that threatens the well being of us all.”
For more information or to attend any of the Trudon Trees for Homes distribution events, please contact Joanne Lee Rolt on 011 656 9802/3 or
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Posted by Enviroadmin
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Monday, 09 May 2011 14:01 |
Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 08 May 2011
Title: Tourism is about people: Van Schalkwyk
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By Kemantha Govender
Durban - While much emphasis has been placed on tourism being an economic vehicle, is it also about people, said Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk at the opening of Indaba 2011.
Indaba, Africa's biggest travel and tourism show, officially opened at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
"When we talk about tourism, we often talk about policies, statistics and objectives. Tourism is much more than that. Tourism is about people. The magic ingredient that differentiates tourism from every other economic sector is people," said van Schalkwyk.
The minister thanked the tourism sector for its contributions and said tourism is poised to play a greater role than ever before on the global stage and in the lives of South Africans.
"International tourism arrivals to South Africa grew by 15.1 percent in 2010, with the undoubted tourism highlight being our country's successful hosting of the World Cup. We are ready to turn this new potential into long term, sustainable growth," he said.
His message was aligned to this year's theme for Indaba, "Playing globally, winning locally", which encapsulates the ideals of shared and inclusive growth and job creation in the South African tourism sector.
This can be achieved by establishing a strong international presence in support of becoming a global player.
The minister said the recently-announced National Tourism Sector Strategy targets were only possible through a collaborative effort by all tourism stakeholders.
The targets aim to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals to 15 million, the number of domestic trips to 50-million, increase tourism's contribution to the GDP from an estimated R189.4 billion in 2009 to R499 billion and aims to create 225 000 new tourism jobs by 2020.
"The ball is in our court to take our existing achievements to new heights. We have to take hands to leverage the strength and depth of our industry. We will not be able to achieve our vision for the next decade if we do not embark on this journey together," he added.
With nearly 3 000 international hosted buyers and visitors attending Indaba, the minister stressed that it remained Africa's most important tourism and business networking gathering, with the thousands of meetings taking place expected to generate millions of rands into the tourism economy.
Multi-Grammy award winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo, acclaimed actor John Kani, Durban mayor Obed Mlaba and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize were among the high-profiled guests.
Meanwhile, South African Tourism launched the second phase of their global marketing and advertising campaign "20 Experiences in 10 Days" internationally.
It set to showcase the destination to one billion people in over 600 million households in the next financial year on television commercials, print media and online.
It features the authentic experiences in South Africa of couples and friends from China, Brazil, Angola and Germany - key core and emerging markets.
"We believe that the best way to describe our country is that nothing about South Africa and her people is ordinary and that it is through our people that the destination experience is enhanced for visitors.
"The global economic crisis and the way it has fundamentally changed the world's economic and consumer landscape has necessitated a fresh look at how we continue to attract arrivals in the face of fierce competition from other destinations," said Thandiwe January-McLean.
She said SA Tourism's key marketing strategy will also pay particular attention to emerging markets which have shown considerable potential, in the Americas, Asia and Africa.
Additional global SA Tourism campaigns this year include the continuation of the National Geographic Adventurers Wanted campaign as well as a new Sho't Left Campaign encouraging domestic travel by South Africans. -BuaNews
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Posted by Enviroadmin
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Monday, 09 May 2011 13:39 |
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The Mail & Guardian's search for the elusive Ministerial Handbook -- that get-out-of-jail-free card for officials caught with one or more hands in the state cookie jar -- started with the Sunday Times exposé of the overspending of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka since he took office.
You can now download a copy of the Ministerial Handbook HERE
According to the weekend paper Shiceka spent more than R1-million on a trip to Switzerland to visit a girlfriend in jail, flew family members around the country, and paid for stays at the exclusive One & Only hotel at the V&A Waterfront.
Shiceka insisted that much of the Sunday Times story was fabricated, but did justify spending R55 793 on a one-night stay at the One & Only, where he also put up his wife and a "father figure", claiming that "the Ministerial Handbook allows it".
In recent years the Ministerial Handbook has been held up as putting an official stamp of approval on everything from excessive spending on pimped-out ministerial cars to long stays at five-star hotels by ministers who turn their noses up at their official residences.
To see whether the handbook really allows for "father figures" to be paid for at the taxpayers' expense, the M&G approached the department of public service and administration for a copy.
This reporter was gobsmacked to be told that it was a "classified, confidential document" and that to see it we would have to jump through a series of bureaucratic hoops.
"If you're sending us questions then we can answer your questions. But if you want to see the document, then you need to fill out a PAIA request," departmental spokesperson Dumisani Nkwamba told us.
Source: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-04-15-the-elusive-ministerial-handbook/
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Polokwane - Residents of Polokwane are being urged to use water sparingly as the city's reservoirs run low. 
