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Legislative Environment News

Batteries and decentralised power seen as key way to boost security of supply

By: Cameron Mackay 1st July 2022 Industry body the South African Energy Storage Association chairperson Mikhail Nikomarov emphasises the importance of a decentralised power system and the benefits it can provide, and how this can be supported using battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the local market. “Energy storage... →

Mutually respectful, beneficial foreign investments key – Bonakele

By: Donna Slater 24th June 2022 South Africa needs “very predictable, clear regulatory systems” as it seeks mutually respectful and mutually beneficial foreign investment, South African Competition Commission Commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele said at the Southern Africa France Business Forum on June 22. Hosted by Business... →

Reform, State capability, corruption must be addressed before South Africa can progress – Mavuso

By: Donna Slater 24th June 2022 Three critical issues stand in the way of South Africa moving forward in terms of developing and attracting investment, Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso said at the Southern Africa France Business Forum on June 22. Hosted by Business France, French Foreign Trade Advisors and the... →

An image of Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso

Economic strain, building ratings drive green buildings demand

By: Cameron Mackay 24th June 2022 The economic impact of Covid-19 and the introduction of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in South Africa are some of the factors driving the growth of the green buildings sector, states consulting engineers WSP Africa building services regional director Alison Groves. The local market has... →

Image of WSP Africa building services regional director Alison Groves

ALISON GROVES Refurbishment takes existing buildings and gives them a new function, rather than tearing them down and starting again, which is the least environment-friendly approach

Failure to tackle the construction mafia will have dire consequences, report warns

By: Darren Parker 20th June 2022 Government’s failure to adequately address the “construction mafia” will have dire consequences not just for the construction sector but for South Africa as a whole, as it is likely to result in the spread of such practices to other sectors of the economy. This is according to a Global Initiative... →

Industry body stresses need for import protection

By: Cameron Mackay 17th June 2022 Construction industry body Cement & Concrete South Africa (CCSA) is interacting with government to legislate anti-import dumping tariffs and protection for local cement materials and products. “We have capacity to produce around 22-million tons of cement a year, and we are producing only about... →

BRYAN PERRIE The cement industry is a large employer locally. If the industry suffers and cement plants close, it can have a severe knock-on effect on communities

Treasury gazettes new VAT regulations for valuable metal vendors

By: Darren Parker 14th June 2022 The National Treasury this week gazetted the Regulations on Domestic Reverse Charge Relating to Valuable Metal, which is meant to serve as an anti-abuse measure aimed at foreclosing schemes and malpractices to claim undue value-added tax (VAT) refunds from the South African Revenue Service (Sars)... →

Better assessment needed to overcome future crises – BLSA

By: Donna Slater 13th June 2022 In responding to crises on local soil, South Africa needs to ensure all collaborators have sufficient capacity to engage and plan for joint action, says Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso. She says South Africa has responded well to some of the recent crises it has been presented... →

New cement production capacity in Africa might be preferable to high transport costs

By: Darren Parker 10th June 2022 The rapidly rising cost of transport means that adding additional cement production capacity in Africa might be worth considering going forward. Before the outbreak of Covid-19, a long-term decline in shipping costs and the relative price of imported cement, which was also expected to gradually... →

Eskom’s wage talks raise unions’ ire as dialogue hits stalemate

By: Bloomberg 10th June 2022 Talks between South Africa’s beleaguered power utility Eskom and its biggest labour unions on wages have reached a stalemate, the latest crisis for the utility that’s struggling to boost electricity supply. The unions “responded with dismay” after negotiations failed to reach a conclusion during... →

Doris Tshepe appointed new Competition Commissioner

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 10th June 2022 Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has announced the appointment of Doris Tshepe as the new Competition Commission Commissioner. Cabinet was briefed on the decision on June 8 and gave its support for the appointment. →

WoodMac’s Maade expects economy to bounce back in 3 years if risks are mitigated

By: Darren Parker 2nd June 2022 Despite the most aggressive policy tightening cycle in decades, research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie (WoodMac) metals and mining markets head Derryn Maade has said the global economy is expected to manage a “soft landing pace of growth”, easing back to pre-Covid-19 trends within the next... →

New MEIBC agreement guided by inputs from employers’ organisation

By: Darren Parker 30th May 2022 The Consolidated Employers’ Organisation (CEO) has secured a “landmark” victory for its members after lengthy discussions with other stakeholders at the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC), whereupon a new MEIBC main agreement has been agreed upon. “The agreement was... →

More arrests expected in corruption case against Gama and other ex-Transnet officials

By: News24Wire 27th May 2022 Former Transnet CEO, Siyabonga Gama, who is among the five people accused of R93-million fraud and corruption in a case relating to the procurement of 1 064 locomotives by the State-owned freight rail company, was released on R50 000 bail following his arrest on Friday. Gama is facing charges... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama

Former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama arrested

By: News24Wire 27th May 2022 Five former Transnet officials have been arrested by the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority's Investigating Directorate on Friday morning on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering. News24 has established that two of the five include former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama and Eric... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama

Labour Court scuppers AMSA’s attempts to squash Numsa strike

By: Darren Parker 24th May 2022 The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has welcomed the decision of the Labour Court to dismiss the application by steel producer Arcelormittal South Africa (AMSA) to interdict the ongoing national strike at all its plants. Numsa members have been on strike since May 11,... →

Alexforbes launches new transformation policy

By: Darren Parker 19th May 2022 Financial services company Alexforbes Investments launched its new transformation policy on May 19. The policy launch took place in conjunction with the publication of the company’s new Transformation Survey, which helped inform the policy. →

Alexforbes Investments CEO Ann Leepile

Ramaphosa tables fourth part of Zondo report, Parliament to start working on published parts

By: News24Wire 18th May 2022 President Cyril Ramaphosa tabled the fourth part of the State Capture Inquiry's report with Parliament on Tuesday - and, in a turnaround from the African National Congress's previous stance, affected committees will deal with the published parts of the report. "Parliament confirms receipt of Part... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Input into draft National Labour Migration Policy, Employment Services Bill requested

By: Donna Slater 16th May 2022 The Mpumalanga Department of Employment and Labour is inviting stakeholders to make inputs at a May 19 workshop on the draft National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) and the Employment Services (ES) Bill, following their February 28 release. The workshop – to be held at 10.00 at the MacBest... →

Creecy issues call for air quality appeals panel nominees

By: Darren Parker 13th May 2022 Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has initiated the process to appoint an expert panel in terms of Section 3 of the National Environment Management Act, to advise her on appeals related to air quality matters currently under consideration. The Department of Forestry,... →

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy

Stats SA given R2.8bn for current financial year

By: Donna Slater 10th May 2022 Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele reports that through the 2022/2023 budget vote for Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the entity will, over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), be given R2.8-billion in the 2022/23 financial year; R2.6-billion in 2023/24 and R2.8-billion in... →

New infrastructure vulnerable to climate change owing to mismanagement, corruption

By: Darren Parker 10th May 2022 New infrastructure was just as vulnerable to climate change as ageing infrastructure, said South African Local Government Association (Salga) senior climate change adviser Slindile Maphumulo on May 10. She explained that, while ageing infrastructure was vulnerable to being damaged or destroyed... →

Groups welcome expiry of enviro authorisation for proposed coal-fired power station

By: Donna Slater 10th May 2022 The Pretoria High Court confirmed, on May 3, that the environmental authorisation for the planned 600 MW KiPower coal-fired power station had expired, meaning the proposed power station cannot be built. KiPower was intended to be built outside Emalahleni, in Mpumalanga – a region with poor air... →

ECSA elects its first female president

By: Darren Parker 6th May 2022 The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) elected its first female president Refilwe Buthelezi following the sixth term council special meeting on May 5. ECSA has not had a female president since its inception, with ECSA stating on May 6 that the election of Buthelezi in the engineering and... →

NPA, Eskom meet to collaborate on State capture and organised crime

By: Donna Slater 6th May 2022 The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), led by National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter met on May 5 to discuss appropriate collaboration on State capture cases and other organised crimes against Eskom. Batohi and De Ruyter were accompanied... →

Nersa to hold public hearings on municipal tariff benchmarks in May

By: Darren Parker 6th May 2022 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) will approve its yearly percentage guideline increase and review municipal tariff benchmarks at a public hearing on May 13. This follows the publication of a consultation paper on March 30 on the review of the municipal tariff guideline... →

City of Jhb clamps down on construction of illegal structures

By: Darren Parker 6th May 2022 Over the past four months, from January to April, the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Development Planning has issued almost 300 compliance notices to property owners who have erected illegal structures without approved building plans, a statement issued by the city’s development planning... →

Unions in passenger bus wage talks ink 6% wage deal

By: News24Wire 6th May 2022 The South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council (Sarpbac) has announced that unions at the passenger bus wage talks have accepted a 6% wage offer and signed a deal with employers in the sector. This comes after months of tense negotiating between employer representatives and labour at the... →

Competition practice note published to improve conduct, entry barriers, inclusivity

By: Donna Slater 4th May 2022 The Competition Commission published a practice note on the Promotion of Competition and Inclusion in Supplier Panels of Banks and Insurers on February 28, building on the enforcement and advocacy work the commission has undertaken with insurers and banks over time. The commission reports in a... →

Sick Dudu Myeni no-show in court, warrant of arrest issued against former SAA board chair

By: News24Wire 4th May 2022 An illness kept former South African Airways board chairperson Dudu Myeni away from court on Wednesday, forcing a second postponement of her case relating disclosure of the identity of a protected witness at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry in 2020. A warrant of arrest was issued against... →

Former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni

Mavuso warns State’s potential new powers could be abused

By: Darren Parker 3rd May 2022 The State’s potential new powers that could arise from a permanent ratification into law of various Covid-19 regulations beyond the state of national disaster can be abused, warned Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso on May 3. In her latest weekly newsletter, she added that... →

Photo by Creamer Media
BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso

CBE calls for changes in approach to urban development

By: Darren Parker 26th April 2022 Following the mid-April flooding in KwaZulu-Naal that caused widespread damage and killed more than 400 people, the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) has called for new ways of tackling urban development, saying South Africa can no longer repeat what had been done in the past. CBE CEO Msizi... →

CBE CEO Msizi Myeza

Clean coal a ‘figment of the imagination’, says Olver

By: Darren Parker 26th April 2022 The concept of clean coal is a figment of the imagination, according to science, said Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) Secretariat executive director Dr Crispian Olver on April 26. “There is no such thing,” he said, speaking at the PCC-JSE Financial Sector Forum on Just Transition Framework... →

PCC Secretariat executive director Dr Crispian Olver

Pesticides, batteries and lubricants producer responsibility consultation process starts

By: Schalk Burger 20th April 2022 Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has started a consultation process with regard to the requirement of the pesticides, batteries and lubricant oils sectors to implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) measures. “All producers of the identified products must... →

RMB CEO calls for localisation rules to be waived to catalyse transition to renewables

By: Schalk Burger 19th April 2022 Financial services firm RMB CEO James Formby says South Africa urgently needs a “megawatts first” policy and that localisation rules, which make renewable energy more expensive, should be waived. Local material content rules increase the cost of wind and solar energy production. Import tariffs,... →

Wind farm in South Africa

Sacci urges govt to do everything possible to assist KZN flood victims

By: Donna Slater 14th April 2022 The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) urges government to do “everything in its power” to assist KwaZulu-Natal businesses impacted by the recent flooding. Sacci also encourages insurance companies to attend to claims expeditiously, while condemning the few who are allegedly... →

Salba questions overarching powers granted to Health Minister to handle pandemic

By: Donna Slater 13th April 2022 The South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba) is concerned that the government’s lifting of its state of disaster, and alternative proposal to handle the pandemic through the regulations under the National Health Act of 2003, will introduce extraordinary measures taken under the state... →

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