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How close is Eskom to a total blackout?- South Africa

Energy expert Ted Blom says that Eskom is in crisis, which is evident by the current daily load-shedding schedule being implemented as the state owned company struggles with coal shortages and rising maintenance costs.

South Africans are in for a rough 2019:

While news of another major petrol price cut in January will give many a happy start to the new year, finance experts warn that the year ahead may not be as bright and cheerful.

Dis nou of nooit met Eskom- Suid Afrika .

Daagliks lees jy in die media van almal wat 'n eier te le het oor Suid Afrika en wat gedoen en nie gedoen moet word nie. Dis die een ondersoek na die ander en dit laat my dink aan my skooldae toe kinders so onder mekaar baklei het en die een die ander een "verklik" het. Dit was bloot kinderpret maar hier praat ons van 'n land en 'n sogenaamde regering se doen en late in die donker en partykeer sommer in die lig ook.

WEEKEND-VIEWPOINT- Will the Proposed Animal Identification Regulations Really Protect South Africa’s Livestock?

Traceability can help fight livestock disease and stock theft, but regulations must be practical, affordable and clear enough to work on the ground.

Animal identification has an important role to play in protecting South Africa’s livestock industry. However, the question is whether the proposed regulations will deliver meaningful protection or create another administrative and financial burden for farmers already facing rising production costs, animal diseases and serious stock theft.

The principle behind animal identification is sound. When animals can be identified and traced to their owners and farms, it becomes easier to investigate disease outbreaks, control animal movements and establish where infected animals may have travelled. Effective traceability can help authorities respond faster, limit the spread of disease and protect South Africa’s access to valuable export markets.

Identification can also assist in the fight against stock theft. Permanent, verifiable identification makes it more difficult for stolen animals to be sold legally and can help investigators establish ownership. Proper records of an animal’s origin, movement and treatment can also strengthen food safety and build confidence among buyers and consumers.

The concern is not the principle, but how the proposed regulations will be applied.

The draft regulations published on 6 October have raised questions about the range of animals covered and the legal basis for the proposed requirements. The listed species include cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, as well as horses, donkeys, rabbits, dogs and bee colonies.

Farmers need clarity on whether these requirements will apply to every owner of the listed animals or only to particular animals and breeders covered by the relevant legislation. This is an important distinction because the Animal Improvement Act of 1998 and the Animal Identification Act of 2002 serve different purposes. The latter already provides a framework for identifying cattle, sheep and goats.

The legal scope must therefore be clearly explained before farmers can understand what will be expected of them and how compliance will be monitored.

South Africa has commercial livestock producers, stud breeders, communal farmers and smallholders operating under very different circumstances. A system that works for a registered stud operation may be expensive and impractical for a small farmer managing a limited number of animals.

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The cost of approved identification devices, registration procedures and record-keeping could become significant if the requirements are applied too broadly. Farmers may also be expected to record animal movements and medical treatments, adding to their daily administrative responsibilities.

These costs must be weighed against the actual benefits. Regulations that are too complicated or expensive could encourage poor compliance rather than improve traceability. A successful system must be easy to understand, affordable to implement and supported by reliable enforcement

South Africa needs protection, not unnecessary bureaucracy.

The country cannot afford to ignore animal disease control or the economic damage caused by livestock theft. Both threaten farmers’ livelihoods, rural employment, food security and the future of the agricultural industry. Effective identification should therefore form part of a broader strategy that includes veterinary services, disease surveillance, border controls, reliable movement records and stronger action against stock thieves.

The proposed regulations are not yet in force, and the public-comment process provides an opportunity for farmers, agricultural organisations, veterinarians and other affected parties to raise their concerns. The stated 90-day comment period, running from 6 October, is an important opportunity to request clearer definitions, realistic implementation arrangements and appropriate consideration for different categories of livestock owners.

Ultimately, animal identification should protect the animals, the farmer and the wider agricultural economy. If the final regulations achieve that objective through a practical and enforceable system, they could make a valuable contribution to livestock protection. If the requirements remain unclear, costly or unnecessarily complicated, their effectiveness will be limited.

The real test is not how many regulations are introduced, but whether they help farmers protect their livestock, control disease and prevent theft in practice.

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An electric farm, an electric harvest …. electric everything

There’s a meme floating around on various social media platforms that an electric tractor would find it virtually impossible to do, say, 6,000 ha for seeding.

Depression and misery: deeper and deeper- South Africa

The scale of the economic devastation from South Africa’s severe lockdown regime is fast becoming apparent.

Electric vehicles could add to carbon emissions and load shedding: but there’s a solution

South Africa has the highest emission intensity in the G20 group of industrialised and developing countries. This threatens its commitment to help slow global warming. This disproportionate contribution is driven by the country’s coal-dependent national electricity utility, Eskom.

Power cuts are killing South Africa’s economy

Eskom’s unexpected escalation of load-shedding this week has confirmed that South Africa’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery will be throttled by energy constraints, and that unless swift action is taken to support private electricity generation, crippling power cuts will continue for years.

Why is cheap electricity so expensive?

So now we know. One of the reasons for retaining South African exchange controls is to ensure that enough money is available for investment in ‘a green economy and the move from coal to renewables and gas’.

South Africa’s electricity supply: what’s tripping the switch

Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, has a litany of financial and operational problems.

South Africa needs 16,000MW of extra power, but not one MW has been procured

South Africa needs 16,000MW of new power generation capacity by 2030, but the government has not procured a single megawatt of additional power.

Eskom seeks funds to go green- South Africa

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has laid out a funding plan to help the company move away from using coal.

South Africa’s power grid is under pressure: the how and the why

South Africans are facing another round of power cuts despite promises from South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, that it would keep the lights on.

Eskom’s tariffs – South Africa’s political time bomb

When President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Soweto last year to campaign in the local government elections, there were serious protests.

Why we must pay for Eskom’s sins and follies

Must honest South Africans pay for Eskom’s sins and follies? I’m afraid we must. If we don’t, the economic consequences for the country are calamitous.

South Africa’s efforts to tackle its energy crisis lack urgency and coherence

South Africa’s electricity infrastructure has been degrading in the past decade, with both scheduled and unscheduled power outages on the increase.

South Africa’s economic growth affected by mismatch of electricity supply and demand

South Africa’s electricity sector has faced a series of challenges over the last two decades.

South Africa’s economic growth affected by mismatch of electricity supply and demand

It started with inadequate grid infrastructure to provide electricity to the majority of the South African population in the 1990s. In 1994, only 36% of total households were electrified; 50% of the urban population and 12% of the rural population.

Eskom’s desperate state

Eskom is in an increasingly desperate state. There is little hope that South Africa will have a secure and reliable electricity supply for years.

Eskom: ’n gekweste bok, ’n ramptoestand en ’n eis dat die Ruyter afgegooi word

'N KRISIS veel groter as dié van die gewelddadige oproer in Julie verlede jaar, selfs groter as die Covid-19-pandemie. Dít is hoe ernstig die elektrisiteitskrisis nou is, met potensieel rampspoedige implikasies vir Suid-Afrika se stabiliteit.