Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has called on private sector players to come forward and partner with his department to fast-track multi-billion infrastructure development projects. Amid crippling water shortage and deteriorating infrastructure nationwide, Mchunu says he has established a partnership office in his department to allow private companies to work with the government to upgrade dams and bulk water pipes in conjunction with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).  Addressing Mvula Trust’s 30th Anniversary celebrations in Midrand on…

AFTER a decade-long delay attributed to poor performance and alleged tender irregularities, contractors appear to have made significant progress towards the R4.1 billion Giyani Bulk Water Project.   Residents say their water supply has improved since late last year, after the government made notable progress in installing water pipes and refurbishing the reservoirs.   They told African Times that while water rationing remains, the new contractors appointed by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) have repaired leaking reservoirs and connected water…

The annual sessions of China’s National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, commonly known as Two Sessions, held in March in Beijing, not only provided details about China’s development in the past year, but also outlined the development trajectory for the future.    Under normal circumstances, one country’s economic recovery shouldn’t be of great significance to countries in another continent. But that is not the case with China. The ongoing recovery of the world’s…

Some people, mainly in the West, were taken by surprise when six Chinese warships were seen near the Red Sea in October 2023 amid the conflict in Gaza. Some Western media and politicians tried to frame China’s mission as an escalatory move in the Middle East. However, according to Chinese media, the ships are part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s escort taskforce responsible for safeguarding commercial vessels and fighting piracy.  As the conflict between Israel and Hamas is…

  Several energy companies are recruiting former Eskom executives allegedly to gain an unfair competitive edge, benefit from insider trading, and position themselves for billions of tenders at the power utility.  According to insiders and industry sources, the growing trend raises questions about an alleged revolving door phenomenon involving former Eskom bosses, the power utility’s failure to enforce the government’s restraint of trade policy, and threatens the credibility of the state-owned company’s procurement processes.  Former Eskom Group CEO Brian Dames,…

In a landmark ruling with far-reaching implications for international law, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to stop genocide against Palestinians, punish soldiers who commit genocidal acts, and facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza.  The court sitting in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled in South Africa’s favour on Friday, January 26, and ordered the Zionist state to preserve evidence of genocide and submit monthly progress reports on measures taken.   However, the highest court in the United Nations (UN) system…

On the eve of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in August, Chinese President Xi Jinping met his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa. After the pomp and ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the two leaders and their ministers announced a raft of bilateral agreements across many fields.  One of the agreements, signed by South African Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza and Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, allowed South African farmers…

The appearance of South African journalist Redi Tlhabi and governance commentator Chris Maroleng before the US Congress’ Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa illustrates a growing trend of Africans’ readiness to sell their countries in exchange for a comfortable stay in the West.  The trend repeats itself on the media front. The Africans are enlisted to parrot fixed narratives calculated at undermining foreign policies of their respective countries in relation to the East, especially China and Russia.    The submissions by Tlhabi,…

Ten years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled an economic and infrastructure blueprint to promote connectivity and boost trade and development. To date, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has transformed and improved the lives of millions of people across more than 150 participating countries worldwide. On the BRI’s 10th anniversary, it’s perhaps fitting to retrace Xi’s thought process and the steps taken since its launch in 2013.  In the book series Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, the BRI…

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has declared Gauteng’s R526 million medical waste tender invalid and set it aside.  In a ground-breaking judgement on Thursday, November 30, Judge Ahmed Cajee found that the disputed tender awarded by the provincial Department of Health a few weeks ago had lapsed.  The provincial health department awarded Tshenolo Waste (PTY) Ltd and Phuting Medical Waste Management (PTY) Ltd the multimillion-rand contract following several extensions and questionable processes, now the subject of a legal…