Andrew Stegmann

Another Desalination Plant on the Cards for Cape Town

Cape Town Harbour may soon get a desalination plant as further studies into the viability of this option have been approved by Transnet SOC Ltd.

The plant will assist in converting ocean water into drinking water through seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), and if studies find this option to be viable it could become a reality by as soon as 2020.

Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Cape Town acting port manager, Alex Miya, told IOL that the next step would be to appoint consultants to perform studies that could be concluded by September.

In the meantime, the port will align with the City’s initiatives to supply extra water.

“The port is confident the municipality will ensure a water-resilient region through a mix of water sources. We have considered a few options to ensure economic sustainability. One is an SWRO plant for port use. This is being explored in conjunction with various regulatory authorities and has received support from Transnet to proceed with further studies,” Miya said.

If the plant is approved, it will be located at the Quay 700 port area and would be expected to provide an average of 1-million to 3-million litres of water a day.

The port has also been providing assistance with regards to the potential site availability for a permanent plant.

As dam levels have dropped below the 50% mark again this week, there can be no doubt that it is a worthwhile initiative to look further into so the city can provide more water for its residents and fight back against the looming threats of drought.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Cape Grace [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

SA 2019 Elections: Voting from Overseas; Special Voting Registration Info; Party Info; Registration Details

Written by Quintin Coetzee

South African general elections will be taking place on the 8th of May (a public holiday) this year. This is an opportunity for all South African citizens, living locally and abroad, to cast their vote for their preferred political party and have their say in who represents them in Parliament for the next 5 years. Voter turnout is traditionally quite low in SA, and parties have been going to great lengths to encourage all registered voters to turn up at the polls on 8 May to participate.

To confirm you are registered to vote, visit the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) website here. And to check the your info is correct on your My IEC profile, click here.

For certain voters, such as those living overseas, or those who need to cast a special ballot, there are extra steps that needed to be taken by 13 March, and we have outlined the process for voting (and voting days and times) for these voters below.

Voting from abroad

South Africans who will be overseas on voting day (residing or on vacation) needed to submit their intent to vote from overseas to the IEC via a VEC10 form by 13 March. If you have done this, your voting day will be 27 April. Polls will be open from 7am to 9pm on this day. You need to take your passport, as well as one of the following: a green, barcoded ID; a smart ID; a valid temporary ID. If you do not take the two documents on the day, you will not be allowed to vote, even if you are registered. For more info, click here.

Special vote (voting from home)

Special votes are available for situations such as pregnancy, disability, and physical infirmary. For voters needing to vote from their home, a VEC1 application form should have been submitted to the IEC by 13 March. If you have done this, you should have received an SMS notifying you of the outcome of your application after processing. To confirm whether you are registered for a special vote, click here. Special votes from home will be cast between 9am and 5pm on 6 May and 7 May.

Special vote (voting at a polling station)

Those who will be unable to vote at the polling station closest to the home, but will be able to vote at a different station, also needed to apply for such via a VEC1 application form, submitted to the IEC by 13 March. If you have done so, you also should have received a confirmation SMS. To confirm whether you are registered for a special vote, click here. Special votes from different polling stations will be cast between 9am and 5pm on 6 May and 7 May.

Political party manifestos

Each election, major South African political parties release manifestos, stating their vision for the country, and outlining their plans, should they take power. It is important to educate yourself on the issues important to each party, to make sure your values align with who you vote for. We have linked some of these manifestos below.

  • United Democratic Movement (UDM): Link
  • African National Congress (ANC): Link
  • Democratic Alliance (DA): Link
  • Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP): Link
  • GOOD: Link
  • Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF): Link
  • African Democratic Change (ADeC): Link
  • Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO): Link
  • Freedom Front Plus/Vryheidsfront Plus (FF Plus/VF Plus): Link
  • African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP): Link
  • Congress of the People (COPE): Link
  • African Transformation Movement (ATM): Link

Other information

Below we have a list of links to other important information worth reading before you cast your vote.

  • Voting station finder (map): Link
  • IEC mobile app (for checking your details, getting news, and receiving notifications of election results): Link
  • Find out who your Ward Councillor is: Link
  • Political party list: Link
  • How political party funding works in SA: Link
  • The Electoral Code of Conduct: Link
  • Voter frequently asked questions: Link

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Eskom Plans to Keep South Africa’s Electricity On This Winter

Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan has provided an update on the current electricity crisis in South Africa, stating that there is a plan for winter, and the next nine months.

At a media briefing on Wednesday (3 April), Gordhan said that Eskom and the Department of Public Enterprises has a better understanding of the challenges facing the power utility, and how to tackle them.

South Africa was hit with unexpected stage 4 load shedding in March, leaving roads grid-locked and citizens without power for hours at a time.

During that time, Gordhan could not provide any guideline on how to end load shedding, saying that an independent team of engineers was in the processes of assessing Eskom’s power plants to determine the extent of the problems.

While the team’s work is not yet complete – needing an additional few weeks – there is now enough information to plot a way forward, Gordhan said, particularly in preparation for the winter months, where demand on the grid is higher.

The minister said that while the aim is to ensure no future load shedding going forward – this is not a guarantee. “(If this aim fails), at the most, we will see only level 1 load shedding between now and the end of August,” he said.

Eskom chair, Jabu Mabuza, provided an update on major constraints that led to load shedding:

Coal stockpiles have improved;
Coal quality is also being focused on;
Eskom has been able to source more diesel, and is handling forward planning around diesel better;
Eskom is not retrenching workers, but is looking at voluntary separation packages to tackle its workforce issues.

Plan for winter

Eskom’s plan for winter is to look at different scenario’s based on available capacity on the national grid. The power utility has installed capacity of 46,500MW, with support from 2,000MW from renewable sources.

Unplanned outages due to boiler leaks, led to as much as 13,000MW being taken off the grid last month.

In a ‘no load shedding’ scenario, these unplanned outages need to be kept below 9,500MW, Gordhan said.

These are the scenarios:

Scenario 1

Unplanned outages is kept to under 9,500MW
No load shedding
Planned outages within a range of 3,000MW to 5,000MW

Scenario 2

Unplanned outages exceed 9,500MW
Maximum of 26 days of stage 1 load shedding over the 5 months
Eskom said that its units actually perform better in winter, due to lower temperatures, so it is confident it will be able to keep unplanned outages below the 9,500MW limit.

To keep the situation at scenario one, Eskom said it will increase supply from existing units, while bringing more power online.

Key to the plan, Gordhan said that there needs to be a shift from all South Africans in how they consumer electricity, along with more accountability from Eskom.

“Clearly plans are nice to have, the key is the discipline to ensure that implementation occurs. We need increased levels of accountability, said Gordhan. We are appealing to all to reduce the use of electricity. We don’t want load shedding,” he said.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: American Public Power Association [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Home Affairs Department to Review Residency Status of Foreign Pastors

Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele says his department is considering a review of their status as permanent residents.

The Department of Home Affairs is set to take a hard look at high-flying pastors who’ve moved to South Africa to run lucrative ministries.

Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele says his department is considering a review of their status as permanent residents.

So-called “miracle” pastors are also facing closer scrutiny from the South African Revenue Service, while the African National Congress has called for rogue religious leaders to be investigated by the CRL Commission.

Cwele told Parliament’s home affairs committee that becoming a permanent resident of South Africa involves certain conditions that must be met.

“There are many of these things in the public [eye], like these priests who come from foreign countries to do work here. We’ve asked the department to review their status. Because if you come here, you say you’re coming to run a factory – there’s no factory called a church.”

The minister says it’s not about being against people from other countries.

“Quite clearly, we are not xenophobic but if you come to our country under certain conditions you must stick to those conditions.”

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].