The green port making green energy possible

As the only port with a green status in the Southern African port system, Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port of Ngqura has now established itself as the ideal partner in bringing green energy to our nation. It has provided a safe gateway, temporary storage and an accessible distribution point for wind turbine components imported from Spain since 2012. These components – consisting of wind turbine tower parts, blades, etc. – are destined for various windfarm projects throughout the country. They include the Golden Valley Wind Farm, the Nxuba Wind…

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Rising Cape Town dam levels to buoy agriculture and tourism

With Cape Town dam levels hitting a new high of 81.7% and average Western Cape dam levels set to top the psychological 65% mark, the agriculture and tourism sectors in the province are eyeing better prospects in coming months. Both city and provincial dam levels reached a four-year high in August, following the region’s worst drought in 100 years, which hit the agriculture, tourism and property sectors particularly badly. The City of Cape Town’s latest Dam levels report shows that the Western Cape Water Supply System, comprising the region’s six largest dams,…

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Hepatitis E in pork products sparks warning to Cape Town consumers

  Scientists have warned consumers to thoroughly cook meat from pigs after finding the hepatitis E virus in pork sold in Cape Town. Hepatitis E causes jaundice, loss of appetite and nausea. In rare cases it can cause acute liver failure, particularly in pregnant women and patients with a comprised immune system. The virus is usually transmitted through drinking water contaminated with faeces, but scientists who bought 144 food samples from supermarkets and butcheries around Cape Town found it in two liver spreads. Stephen Korsman, of the National Health Laboratory…

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SOUTH AFRICA #CapeWaterGate: Business under strain in Cape water crisis

When water is scarce, the industry hardest hit is agriculture, where job losses are already projected to reach tens of thousands. As the Western Cape is discovering, however, there are other businesses that are heavily water-dependent – from the obvious (swimming pool installers) to the less obvious (abattoirs) – and taking serious strain in the water crisis. On the flip side, the amount of water dedicated for industrial use is also under scrutiny. By REBECCA DAVIS. “Big business should be held to harsher water restrictions than individual consumers,” wrote academic…

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