Cape Times 2025-12-15

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has signed a landmark 25-year concession agreement worth R1.4 billion with WASAA CEF SOC Ltd to develop and operate a new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal at the Port of Durban’s Island View Precinct. TNPA on Friday said the project is a critical step in advancing South Africa’s Just Energy Transition, supporting the shift in the gas sector towards cleaner energy sources while contributing to the decarbonisation of key industries. The agreement will enable the development of a 50 000m³ LPG storage and handling terminal, aimed at meeting growing demand, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape hinterland. The terminal, which is expected to be completed by 2027, will have the capacity to dispatch up to 800m³ per hour of heated LPG mix. Chairperson of…

The association is engaging Treasury over process used to withhold LGES tranche from 75 municipalities The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has called for the immediate release of funds after formally engaging the National Treasury over concerns about the process used to withhold the December 2025 Local Government Equitable Share (LGES) tranche from at least 75 municipalities. Salga said the LGES, one of three annual tranches disbursed by National Treasury, is a critical funding mechanism that enables municipalities to deliver basic services and promote equitable service delivery. The withholding of the December tranche has had direct and serious implications for affected municipalities across the country. Salga spokesperson Tebogo Mosala over the weekend said the association had identified significant shortcomings in the process followed by National Treasury, particularly around communication…

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has defended its regulatory action against online trading platform Banxso and its directors, saying it followed due process in a complex investigation that ultimately led to the freezing of the company’s bank accounts and its provisional liquidation. This comes after the FSCA imposed a staggering R2 billion in administrative penalties on Banxso and its key individuals for a range of serious financial misconduct offences. Alongside the hefty penalty confirmed on Banxso and its directors, Harel Adam Sekler and Warwick David Sneider, the regulator also levied an additional fine of R16 million on the company for various other contraventions. Individual penalties were imposed on directors Manuel de Andrade, Mohammed Bux, and Henry James Simpson, amounting to R20m, R10m, and R5m, respectively. All four directors —…

The chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Khusela Sangoni Diko, has called for the immediate withdrawal of a policy direction issued by Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Solly Malatsi. Malatsi last week issued a formal policy direction to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), instructing it to urgently align its ownership regulations with the amended ICT Sector Code under the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) framework. The directive, published in the Government Gazette on Friday, was issued in terms of section 3(2) of the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) and follows an extensive public consultation process that attracted more than 19 000 submissions. Malatsi said the policy intervention was necessary to remove regulatory impediments that were constraining both local and international investment and would expand…

The Badirammogo Water User Association (BWUA) and its partners have reached financial close on the first phase of a 10-year, R25 billion bulk water supply project in Limpopo, marking a major milestone for water security, job creation and mining development in the province. The announcement was made at a media briefing held alongside a signing ceremony in Sandton on Friday. Once fully implemented, the project is expected to create about 42 000 jobs and provide reliable potable water to approximately 390 000 people. The project will be implemented in six phases. Stage 1, which is expected to take 33 months to complete, will cost R8.5bn and is expected to commence construction shortly. It includes a strong renewable energy component, with three 10-megawatt solar photovoltaic plants planned to power pump stations…

Agricultural organisations have raised concerns following Botswana’s decision to impose a ban on vegetable imports earlier this week, a move that affects South Africa and other regional suppliers. The ban, announced by Botswana’s Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, covers a wide range of produce, including tomatoes, potatoes, white and red cabbage, white and red onions, watermelon, green papaya, beetroot, carrots, lettuce, strawberries, ginger, red and yellow peppers, garlic and butternut. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), said the decision reflects a worrying pattern among some Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states. He said countries such as Botswana and Namibia have repeatedly imposed short-notice restrictions on agricultural imports, often with limited consultation or communication. “We continuously see countries restricting imports of agricultural products…