Thabi Shomolekae

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Thabi Shomolekae

Thabi Shomolekae is a Creamer Media Senior Writer for Polity.org.za

De Lille investigates her department over nonpayments

24th July 2019 Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille has revealed that she is implementing a Contract Management System, and a Consequence Management System in her department to keep track of payment to service providers. This comes after she launched a full-scale investigation into The... →

New Nelson Mandela collectable coin series unveiled

17th July 2019 Paying tribute to the legacy of South Africa’s first democratically elected President and global icon Nelson Mandela, the South African Mint, on Wednesday, unveiled the last edition in the ‘Life of a Legend – Nelson Mandela’ Protea collectable coin series. Since 2013, the coin series has... →

The 1 oz R25 gold coin

Use Mandela Month for water awareness – DWS

11th July 2019 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on Thursday called on Gauteng residents to use their 67 minutes this Mandela Month towards cleaning freshwater sources and called on people to stop polluting water. The DWS urged water users not to take water for granted, and pointed out that former... →

Photo by Reuters
Former President Nelson Mandela

Police service considered the most corrupt institution – survey

11th July 2019 The tenth edition of the Global Corruption Barometer Africa has revealed that the police service is considered the most corrupt institution. Released on African Anti-Corruption Day, the GCB report revealed that a global average of 47% of people believe that most or all police are corrupt and in... →

Everyone has a choice to indulge in corrupt behaviour or not – Gordhan

28th June 2019 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordon on Thursday evening distinguished between corruption as a concept and the moral choices made by individuals that enable corruption to take effect. Gordon was joined by EOH CEO Stephen van Coller, EOH chief commercial officer Fatima Newman and National... →

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordon

Concerns about not being employed trouble 39% of graduates – PPS Index

26th June 2019 Financial services provider PPS has revealed that 39% of students are concerned that they may not be employed immediately after their tertiary education. PPS released its 2018 Student Confidence Index, which revealed that 36% of professionals thought the government should draft conducive policies... →

UCT ranked in top 20% of world’s universities

19th June 2019 The University of Cape Town has moved up two places to 198 in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, placing it in the top 20% of the world’s universities. UCT keeps its title as the top university in Africa. Early this year in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject,... →

BLSA appalled by threats to SARB independence

10th June 2019 Business Leadership South Africa on Monday said it condemned what it called “deliberate attempts” to undermine the South African Reserve Bank’s legitimacy and called out the African National Congress for threatening to collapse the country’s economy. BLSA said in a statement that the ANC seemed... →

Lesufi returns to Gauteng education portfolio

31st May 2019 Following what he calls “non-partisan feedback” Gauteng Premier David Makhura on Friday returned Panyaza Lesufi to the province’s Education portfolio as Education and Youth Development MEC. On Wednesday, Makhura had announced that Lesufi would lead the Finance and e-Government portfolio, but... →

Education and Youth Development MEC Panyaza Lesufi

Competence development a key focus for Sandvik

24th May 2019 Global engineering company Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology Southern Africa will launch its Mechatronic Training Program, which is a competence service offering that aims to take advantage of the changing world of business by equipping their current workforce with competencies to work on... →

HANDS-ON Experience-based training groomed artisans for real operations

Software provides support for project’s design phase

24th May 2019 To help avoid construction failures for building contractors and consulting engineers, construction fastening and fixing supplier fischer fixings SA’s design software FIXPERIENCE has been developed as a tool to provide safe, reliable and professional support for the design phases of construction... →

Photo by Creamer Media
ON ITS KNEES The construction industry is currently “dismal and pitiful” considering the inherent infrastructure that exists in South Africa and the opportunities that abound

Micromine software upgraded to increase performance

10th May 2019 Following the positive effect of current worldwide exploration on the demand for mining software solutions specialist MICROMINE’s products, the company will release the latest version of its three-dimensional (3D) modelling and mine design software, Micromine 2020, in the last quarter of this... →

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE The upgraded Micromine 2020 offers enhancements to implicit modelling and pit optimiser modules

First factory-fitted payload management system launched

10th May 2019 Japanese yellow metal equipment manufacturer Komatsu and its subsidiary, mining equipment solutions provider MineWare, launched the first factory-fitted payload management system – the Argus PLM – during the bauma 2019 trade fair, held in Germany last month. The Argus PLM drives whole-of-mine... →

GROWING DEMAND More than 280 MineWare systems currently support more than 130 surface mining operations throughout South Africa, North and South America and Australasia

Sector focuses on cost, project control solutions

10th May 2019 While the mining sector is mainly focused on old production methods, the economy has changed the market in terms of commodities, labour structure and technology. This has led to the sector being more sensitive to cost and expenditure, which has resulted in the focus on better financial or cost... →

PLANNING PROCESS Correct project control tools manage costs better to ensure that there is no overspending on projects

Operator training service for mining to be launched in S Africa

3rd May 2019 Workforce development provider Immersive Technologies will launch the Operator Performance Analytics (OPA) service to compare and improve operator skills and behaviour in South Africa later this year, following consistent growth in mine-related training and the use of mining simulation-based... →

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Through simulation-based training operators are trained on how to respond to real-life situations without putting them and machinery at risk

Digital technologies address mine modernisation

3rd May 2019 Mineworkers and communities are negatively affected – through frequent and large-scale retrenchments – by the twenty-first-century trend of mine modernisation, which shows that the mismatch between twenty-first-century jobs and twentieth-century skills sets needs to urgently be addressed by... →

WITS DIGIMINE CONTROL ROOM DigiMine is equipped with digital systems that allow for hands-on research into ‘the mine of the future’

Theoretical balance crucial in applied competencies assessment

3rd May 2019 In assessing applied competencies in terms of training and working on mining machinery, there must be a balance between theoretical, practical and workplace competences that are suited to a specific outcome or job, says mining transport products and services supplier A & R Engineering business... →

IN-SERVICE TRAINING Artisans provided with competence to perform in the workplace

Upskilling of mineworkers required

3rd May 2019 The South African mining education and training sector is in a dire state, with not enough focus on adult basic education and the proper upskilling of mineworkers, states socioeconomic development facilitator Economic Development Solutions (EDS) MD Janine Espin. “General large-scale intervention... →

JANINE ESPIN EDS ensures that mines are legislatively compliant particularly in terms of the human resources component of the social and labour plan

Wits School of Mining Engineering climbing up global rankings

3rd May 2019 The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) School of Mining Engineering has improved its standing in the global QS World University Rankings to thirteenth position. The school moved up from twenty-second place in 2017 to fifteenth in 2018. →

CUTHBERT MUSINGWINI Wits School of Mining Engineering has the largest student enrolment of all mining schools on the African continent

Versatility key to Vanguard embracing Industry 4.0

19th April 2019 The heavy lifting and abnormal loads sector has embraced Industry 4.0 and incorporated many new technologies, such as three-dimensional (3D) modelling of heavy lift solutions and real-time data monitoring, says heavy rigging and lifting company Vanguard lead sales and project manager Dale Huddy.... →

Oxygen tanks successfully installed

19th April 2019 In February machine moving and rigging specialist Lovemore Bros successfully installed new oxygen tanks at 27 provincial hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, after removing redundant oxygen tanks. Lovemore Bros was awarded the contract from gas supplier Afrox and industrial gas supplier Air Liquide in... →

Lack of knowledge a concern in flooring industry

12th April 2019 A lack of knowledge, specifically among structural engineers on specifications for concrete floors, poses a challenge to the industry, says concrete technical services provider The Concrete Institute (TCI) MD Bryan Perrie. “Concrete floors are effectively concrete pavements and should be... →

CONCRETE FLOOR SPECS Concrete floors must also be aesthetically pleasing, with minimal surface defects and cracking

Company launches loose-lay flooring range

12th April 2019 With vinyl flooring continuing to gain much more traction in the market, owing to beneficial properties and an appealing aesthetic, vinyl flooring and wall-protection solutions specialists Polyflor South Africa (SA) has launched the Polysafe QuickLay polyurethane reactive (PUR) collection for... →

ADHESIVE-FREE FLOORING The specially formulated studded emboss works as a barrier and allows for moisture to escape from the subfloor

Demand for concrete flooring continues to increase

12th April 2019 The demand for concrete flooring continues to grow at a robust rate, as more commercial, retail and residential customers opt for polished concrete, says diamond tools and equipment manufacturer Diamond Products director Brian Clark. This robust growth is reflected in the company’s increase in... →

STAIN AND SLIP RESISTANT Concrete can achieve a high-quality and aesthetically pleasing polished finish

New machine collection for floor preparation launched

12th April 2019 Floor grinders and dust extractors manufacturer HTC Sweden AB launched a new line of smaller grinders and dust extractors, the Start and Grind collection, to assist flooring contractors when preparing floors, earlier this year in Sweden. The collection will be launched in South Africa in the... →

QUINTIN BOOYSEN There is a huge lack of knowledge on industrial flooring requirements, which leads to small contractors delivering inferior-quality flooring

Energy storage a viable solution to load-shedding

5th April 2019 Amid State-owned power utility Eskom’s announcement of there being a high risk of rotational load-shedding, which will be implemented only if absolutely necessary, power management company Eaton South Africa MD Seydou Kane says energy storage solutions can play an important role in creating more... →

SEYDOU KANE Energy storage solutions provide not only flexibility but also cost savings, should they be integrated into a company’s power grid

Demand for utility-scale battery solutions increasing

5th April 2019 Advancements in energy storage technology are starting to reflect in the rise of utility-scale battery solutions, which could revolutionise the ability of intermittent renewables to have higher penetration into the grid, says solar energy company SOLA Future Energy CEO Dr Dom Wills. The company... →

ROBBEN ISLAND BATTERY ROOM SOLA stores excess solar power in lithium-ion batteries and deploys it as the sun sets, resulting in an overall reduction of the diesel used to operate generators

Interest in hydrogen storage increasing

5th April 2019 Interest in hydrogen energy storage continues to grow, owing to the very large storage capacity that liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology offers, compared with other technologies. Currently, most hydrogen is stored as a cryogenic liquid or is compressed under high pressure, which are... →

EIA recommendations essential for new mining projects

22nd March 2019 It is crucial for mining companies to consider the recommendations of all the environmental impact assessments (EIAs) before the start of any new mining projects, says waste management solutions provider Interwaste business development and marketing director Kate Stubbs. Her statement follows the... →

Photo by Bloomberg
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Mining has a large environmental impact that affects not only the health and wellbeing of mining communities

Industry adopting more sustainable approaches to mining activities

22nd March 2019 As water balances are being calculated more precisely, the principles of reducing, reusing and recycling water are being adopted more strictly, as is the separation of clean from dirty water on mines. Consulting engineering firm WSP environment and energy senior associate Karen King states that... →

Photo by Creamer Media
WASTE REDUCTION Using cleaner production techniques, environmental control technologies and process re-engineering can further reduce waste output of mines

Gold surface tailings re-treater increases environmental spend

22nd March 2019 South African gold producer DRDGOLD is continuing its progress on environmental initiatives, having increased its environmental spend by 23% to R51.6-million for the 2018 financial year. Total spending of R24.9-million in the first six months of the 2019 financial year was 28% higher than the... →

HARD AT WORK DRDGOLD reclaims and retreats gold mining waste – mine dumps – of previous miners

Recovery process aiding cyanide detox

22nd March 2019 To assist mining companies in managing and recovering cyanide, engineering consultancy AZMET Technology & Projects developed the AZMET cyanide recovery process (AZ-CRP) to provide an alternative to cyanide detoxification. AZMET’s focus is to provide a simpler and more cost-effective solution for... →

Software simplifies food manufacturing processes

15th March 2019 With supply chain waste, as well as health and safety issues, affecting the food and beverage industry, software company Syspro Africa’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can allow for and help simplify food manufacturing processes. Syspro Africa professional services manager Doug... →

Photo by Bloomberg
POOR PLANNING Too often, poor planning in the supply chain results in too many incorrect products, which leaves too little cash to keep the right products in stock

Movement calls for Brazilian chicken import ban

15th March 2019 Following the recall by a Brazilian producer of more than 450 t of chicken because of potential salmonella contamination last month, nonprofit trade advocacy movement FairPlay founder Francois Baird says the South African government has to ban Brazilian chicken imports until all producers can... →

Photo by Bloomberg
CHICKEN FOOT CHICKEN BASE Brazil now accounts for more than 60% of South Africa’s chicken imports, while local producers claim imports are not necessary at all

Gas discovery potential indicator of more local resources

8th March 2019 A significant gas condensate discovery, made by petroleum company Total South Africa, shows there are potentially more petroleum resources available in South Africa, which will definitely create more exploration interest, says Total South Africa exploration and production MD Adewale Fayemi. This... →

GAME CHANGER Brulpadda was drilled in a challenging deep-water environment

Waipec focuses more on sub-Saharan Africa

8th March 2019 The third West African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Waipec) was a success, bringing sub-Saharan African companies together to learn from one another about best practices to move the industry forward and how to survive in the competitive landscape, says Petroleum Technology... →

BANK ANTHONY OKOROAFOR Gas should be an opportunity to create a viable economy and a vibrant way of growing Nigeria’s gross domestic product

Pumps range eliminates leakage of corrosive chemicals

8th March 2019 Using the Verdermag pump range in the chemicals and petrochemicals industries eliminates leakage of corrosive and hazardous chemicals, as it is an encapsulated pump and therefore leak-free, states pump manufacturer Verder Pumps South Africa sales engineer Rob Shaw. The Verdermag centrifugal pump... →

ONE OF A KIND Vedermag is the only magnetic drive pump that can handle up to 20% solids

Growth boosts fuel distributor

8th March 2019 The 100-million litres supplied to logistics, construction and mining companies in 2017 compared to the 151-million supplied in 2018, shows a significant growth of 51%, which fuel distributor Advent Oil MD Lebo Mbethe hopes will serve as a catalyst for the business in 2019. She attributes this... →

GROWTH IN NUMBERS Hunger for taking up new changes in a demanding market will catalyse growth for Advent Oil

Energy efficient lighting solution successfully installed

22nd February 2019 Luminaires and glass-fibre-reinforced polyester poles manufacturer BEKA Schréder is proud to have worked with consulting engineers and project managers firm Bicon Consulting Engineers, consultant company WSP, and information technology specialists RM Consulting in providing a successful energy... →

ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTS BEKA LEDpost bollards and LEDduo up- and downlighters illuminate the hotel

Economic climate poses threat to effective project management

15th February 2019 Although there is much room for growth and the implementation of effective project management tools in mines across Africa, the current global economic climate has led companies to refrain from investing in project management software, says mining software solutions provider CCS Mining &... →

PROJECT MANAGEMENT The right control helps mining companies understand where they have already overspent, but more importantly, assists them forecast the project-to-completion and highlight upcoming problem areas

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