Table of contents for 2021-10-08 in DFA News

Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za Sasol has announced big plans for a potentially massive “green hydrogen” project which could produce additional renewable gas for export markets, create jobs for the country, and boost economic growth. The global integrated chemicals and energy company this week announced a feasibility study to explore the potential of Boegoebaai, in the Northern Cape, as an export hub for green hydrogen and ammonia. Sasol said it had signed a memorandum of agreement with the Northern Cape Development Agency to lead the feasibility study. The project has the potential to produce up to 400 kilotons of hydrogen per annum, which will require renewable energy in the order of 9 gigawatts. This equates to approximately 20 percent of South Africa’s installed capacity. Sasol’s executive vice president for energy Priscillah Mabelane…

Reuters CASABLANCA, Chile - Down a dusty farm track in Chilean wine country, behind a wooden gate wrapped in chains, forestry experts are nursing a plantation of saplings whose bark holds the promise of potent vaccines. Quillay trees, technically known as Quillaja saponaria, are rare evergreens native to Chile that have long been used by the indigenous Mapuche people to make soap and medicine. In recent years, they have also been used to make a highly successful vaccine against shingles and the world’s first malaria vaccine, as well as foaming agents for products in the food, beverage and mining industries. Now two saponin molecules, made from the bark of branches pruned from older trees in Chile’s forests, are being used for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by drugmaker Novavax Inc. The…

Sandi Kwon Hoo COSATU in the Northern Cape has criticised government departments for wasting public funds, while claiming that there is no money to pay their workers. Public servants marched from the Kimberley City Hall to the Premier’s Office yesterday to hand over a memorandum in commemoration of Global Day of Decent Work. SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) provincial chairperson Senzo Mpalala denied that the march was poorly attended. “It only took 12 disciples to spread the gospel,” Mpalala said. Cosatu provincial treasurer Platina Moletsane pointed out that senior government officials were deployed if they stole public funds while workers were immediately dismissed. “These officials are intimidating workers and are placed on special leave if they are involved in wrongdoing. The ANC is friendly to us now because they want…

LEWIS Hamilton returns to the scene of a memorable triumph in pursuit of a record-equalling third Turkish Grand Prix win this weekend, but wary of more than one threat to his world championship crown. Eleven months on from a spectacular victory for Mercedes in treacherous rain-hit conditions that secured him his seventh drivers’ title with three races remaining, the 36-year-old Briton is this year only two points ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with seven to go. That knife-edge advantage offers him little protection, and he knows also that he may face a grid penalty if forced to take a fresh power unit, as the Dutchman did two weekends ago in Russia, for a contest likely to be run in similarly wet weather. Last year’s event was the first at…

Mihlali Baleka CREDIT where credit is due! Peter Shalulile is a breath of fresh air to South African football. The form he has shown for the last three seasons speaks volumes about the striker’s humility and eagerness to be better every day. We are still in the early stages of the PSL campaign but Shalulile has already shown glimpses of being the player to beat for the elite individual accolades. But, of course, that’s if he remains fully fit. In nine starts for Mamelodi Sundowns this season, Shalulile has scored seven goals. But if you thought those numbers were crazy, how about the fact that he’s scored 29 goals and registered eight assists in 48 appearances for Masandawana? This is a player that joined Sundowns just over a year ago,…

Sandi Kwon Hoo sandi.kwonhoo@inl.co.za THE POLICE are investigating the origins of the devastating fires that destroyed farms and resulted in livestock, wildlife and game losses and widespread damage to grazing land in the Northern Cape last week. Provincial Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform spokesperson Zandisile Luphahla said yesterday that the fires appeared to have been deliberately orchestrated. “We have requested the police to investigate the cause of the fires as the Province has never experienced fires of such a magnitude before. The fires spread as far as Ritchie, Hopetown, Danielskuil, Olifantshoek and Upington, where large areas of the veld were burnt. We encourage members of the public to report any information regarding who might have started the fires to the police,” said Luphahla. He added…

Thami Magubane thami.magubane@inl.co.za THE DEPARTMENT of Water and Sanitation has warned residents to refrain from dumping foreign objects into sewerage systems as these cause blockages and create environmental and health hazards for communities. This comes as the department has started an assessment of wastewater management by municipalities aimed at ensuring that municipalities manage their wastewater treatment plants properly. In a statement, acting chief director Siboniso Mkhaliphi said the main source of pollution in communities come from wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) due to sewerage blockages and poor operations and maintenance as well as those operating above design capacity. He issued a stern warning to communities that sabotage infrastructure by dumping foreign objects. “There are people who still flush foreign objects such as newspapers, disposable nappies and sanitary towels. These may not…

The Washington Post Donald Trump, a businessman, entertainer and former US president whose personal brand has always been closely intertwined with his wealth, is no longer in the top tier of America’s richest people. At least not according to Forbes. The former president was left off the Forbes 400 list of America’s richest people for the first time in a quarter-century, the magazine reported Tuesday. The business magazine estimates his net worth fell by about $600 million during the coronavirus pandemic as big-city properties – the core of his assets – lost value, leaving him with a $2.5 billion fortune. The 400th entry on Forbes’s list, the Arkansas-based investment banker Warren Stephens, logged a net worth of $2.9 billion by comparison. Losing a spot on Forbes’ widely followed ranking marks…

THE OFFICE of the Sol Plaatje Executive Mayor and the ANC in the Northern Cape were quick to dispel reports that mayor Patrick Mabilo was placed on special leave on Wednesday. The spokesperson for the Office of the Executive Mayor, Persome Oliphant, yesterday dismissed the rumours as “fake news”. “We have noted social media reports that Sol Plaatje Municipality executive mayor, Alderman Patrick Mabilo has been put on special leave until the local government elections that are set to take place on November 1,” said Oliphant. “These reports circulating on social media are incorrect. Mabilo will continue in his capacity as executive mayor until the 2021 local government elections are held. “The executive mayor remains focused on service delivery.” ANC Frances Baard regional secretary Wende Marekwa said that Mabilo had…

Mihlali Baleka HUGO Broos’ appointment as the new Bafana Bafana coach was met with bemusement in May. This was perhaps due to the fact that many a discerning fan believed that the team needed someone who would churn out the results immediately. And based on his coaching record, Broos didn’t fit this criteria. In a career that has spanned more than two decades, the Belgian-born coach has been hell-bent on giving youngsters a chance: establishing new dawns. His exploits have worked before. He unearthed the talents of Manchester City and Belgium legend Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht. But perhaps the best moment of his career was winning the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon. The Indomitable Lions went through a transformation phase under Broos prior to that tournament, with the…

Dineo Faku dineo.faku@inl.co.za MPUMI Zikalala was named the chief executive officer (CEO) designate of Pretoria head-quartered Kumba Iron Ore, making her the latest woman to lead a JSE Top 40 listed mining company. Zikalala joins Natascha Viljoen who was appointed as the first woman CEO at Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats) in April last year. Zikalala, Viljoen and Nolitha Fakude, the chairperson of Anglo American’s management board in South Africa are the three women who head the interests of Anglo American Plc in South Africa. Commenting on her appointment Zikalala said it was a privilege. “My focus will be to build on Kumba’s strong safety and operational performance track record, strengthening strategic partnerships and unlocking further value from the business. I look forward to joining Kumba’s world-class team and contributing…

MaryAnne Isaac maryanne.isaac@inl.co.za Registration is now open for those qualifying to write their 2022 Senior Certificate (SC) examination and will be written between May and June 2022. A SC qualification was established as a qualification for adults that is equivalent to the current National Senior Certificate (NSC). The SC retains its qualification structure but will utilise the National Curriculum Statement subjects to support the qualification. The SC also allows candidates to obtain university endorsements. As in the case of the NSC exam, they can also qualify for admission to Bachelor, Diploma or Higher Certificate programmes at higher education institutions. Who qualifies to write the Senior Certificate examination? Adult learners, aged 21 years and older, who have a General Education and Training Certificate (GETC), or a Grade 9 school report…

Lance Fredericks BY THE time I arrived on the scene and had learned to ride a bicycle, the restrictions had been relaxed. Which restrictions, you ask? Well, for one thing at the time when my parents and their generation were cyclists your bicycle had to be roadworthy. What made a bike roadworthy? I am glad you asked; firstly a bicycle had to have a white reflector in front and a red reflector at the back – usually fitted down by the wheels. Next, your bicycle had to have a headlight – and here’s the thing, battery-operated or rechargeable headlights were not around. Your light ran on dynamo-power. The dynamo had a tiny wheel that would be pressed up against the back tyre. That tiny wheel turned a magnet inside a…

Neville Motlhabakwe OLYMPIC skater Boipelo Awuah (pictured) will compete in her first event since her aborted attempt to do so in Tokyo earlier this year. Tomorrow’s competition in Pretoria will be the stage for the Kimberley teenager competing for the first time since sustaining a pelvic fracture in an accident during training just days before making her Olympic debut. Boipelo's father Baffour Awuah confirmed that her coming back home to South Africa helped her recovery immensely. He said she completed her treatment under specialist care in no time. “Within a short time she was healed,” he said. Thrashers Skatepark in Pretoria will be the venue for this weekend’s Street Skateboarding tournament. The event is set to showcase invited athletes from around South Africa competing in the Men’s and Women’s Divisions,…