Pretoria High Court Orders Full Overhaul of Aircraft Engines Older Than 12 Years

Posted on October 15, 2025October 16, 2025 by

Aircraft engines older than 12 years - regardless of flight hours - must now be completely overhauled, following a ruling by the Pretoria High Court on Friday.

The decision comes after five aviation industry bodies challenged the controversial rule introduced by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The court upheld the requirement, which is expected to have a major impact on the aviation sector.
In June, the CAA confirmed that all aircraft with engines over 12 years old must be rebuilt in line with manufacturers’ maintenance manuals. The authority said the move followed the invalidation of the long-standing AIC 18.19 directive, which had previously made engine overhauls only a guideline rather than mandatory.

Most light aircraft in South Africa use Lycoming or Continental engines, which recommend overhauls every 2,000 flight hours or 12 years.

Industry representatives warn that enforcing this as a rule will have serious implications for private, commercial, and agricultural aviation.

Aviation expert and TV presenter Wouter Botes said the cost of overhauling an engine - around R1 million - will force many owners to sell their planes.

“This rule will hit the private sector hard. Some of these aircraft are used for crop spraying,” he said.

Progress made in removal of Western Cape abandoned vessels

Posted on October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 by

Government has reported significant progress in clearing sunken and abandoned vessels from Western Cape harbours.

“The removal of these wrecks is a critical step in addressing the environmental and safety risks posed by sunken and abandoned vessels, which constitute approximately 90% of such wrecks in Hout Bay Harbour,” the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George said on Tuesday.

By clearing these vessels, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s (DFFE) is creating additional mooring and berthing space, responding to numerous requests from the fishing industry for access to these facilities.

This development is expected to stimulate economic activity, including increased demand for vessel building and job creation in coastal communities.

These efforts are part of the DFFE ongoing revitalisation of the Proclaimed Fishing Harbours located in Lamberts Bay, St Helena Bay, Saldanha Bay, Hout Bay, and Gordon’s Bay.

A total of 37 vessels has been identified in these five harbours, comprising 17 abandoned vessels and 20 sunken vessels. To date, six vessels have been attended to or removed by their owners at their own cost, leaving 31 vessels remaining.

Of these, 17 vessels—most of which are small leisure boats in Hout Bay Harbour—are expected to be removed through lifting and cutting operations before the end of 2025.

“The successful progress in removing sunken and abandoned vessels across our Western Cape harbours is a testament to our dedication to ensuring safe and sustainable fishing harbours. These efforts not only mitigate environmental and navigational risks but also create opportunities for economic growth by freeing up valuable mooring space,” the Minister said.

In Hout Bay, which accounts for the majority of the remaining vessels (25 identified, with 23 still to be addressed and 10 slated for lifting), the salvage operation for the vessels Edelweiss and African Unity has been underway for the past five days.

Despite initial plans to complete the removal within three days, the complexity of the operation, including the discovery of an additional unidentified vessel beneath one of the wrecks, has extended the timeline.

Collaboration
The DFFE, in collaboration with the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), have expressed thier commitment to overseeing the completion of these operations in accordance with the Wreck and Salvage Act (Act No. 94 of 1996).

SAMSA will continue to issue directives to vessel owners where necessary to facilitate removals.

“The collaborative efforts of our teams, SAMSA, and vessel owners are driving transformative change in our fishing harbours. We are committed to sustaining this momentum to ensure our harbours remain safe, functional, and economically vibrant,” the Minister said.

Teams have successfully pumped water from the vessels, and a team of divers is actively sealing identified holes to ensure the vessels can be safely floated and moved for salvaging.

Additional vessels in Hout Bay, such as Merlin, Blue Boat, and Spes Nova, are scheduled for removal by the end of October 2025, while others like Grant and another Spes Nova are targeted for the end of December 2025.

Several abandoned vessels, including SA 4256, C.Bull, Nico’s, Roly Poly, Royal Duke, Brilliant, Lucky Too, Teal, and two dinghies, are under discussion for lifting with a crane by November 2025.

The owner of the White Boat has committed to repairing it and donating it to Small Scale Fisheries Co-Operatives.

In other harbours:
•    Gordon’s Bay (4 vessels identified, 1 remaining): The sunken Dolphin is set for removal by a diving school as part of a training programme, with a date to be confirmed by the end of October 2025. The abandoned vessels Sea Quest, Feelin Naughty, and Illusions – 29504 are also noted.
•    Lamberts Bay (2 vessels identified, 1 to be removed): The sunken Getruide ADF 549 and abandoned James Archer are pending, with SAMSA to issue a directive for Getruide ADF 549.
•    St Helena Bay (2 vessels identified, 2 to be removed): The sunken Arizon II and Anna SH1451P are pending SAMSA directives.
•    Saldanha Bay (4 vessels identified, 4 to be removed): The sunken Benguela Pride 350390, Petrie Hein –350553, OosterDAM 350481, and Angie V are pending SAMSA directives.

In May the Minister called for the urgent removal of wrecked and abandoned vessels that pose significant risks to navigation, marine ecosystems, and the safety of coastal communities.

Garden Route Faces Growing Fire Threat Amid Record Dry Conditions

Posted on October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 by

By Cobus Meiring: Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF)

In an exclusive interview by Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF), veteran firefighter Deon van Wyk, Deputy Fire Chief at the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), expressed grave concern about the region’s escalating fire risk as relentless winds and exceptionally low rainfall persist.

Van Wyk has formed part of the GRDM Fire and Rescue Services Unit since 1996 and works in a team of more than 40 firefighters under the leadership of Chief Fire Officer, Deon Stoffels.

According to Van Wyk, the Southern Cape has recorded unprecedentedly low rainfall figures over the past six months, causing surface and underground water tables to drop dramatically.

“The wind blows right through the night, which is highly unusual for this region and makes fire suppression extremely challenging,” he said.

These prolonged dry and windy conditions have left the Garden Route environment tinder-dry, increasing the likelihood of runaway wildfires. Van Wyk warned that even a small ignition could rapidly develop into a large-scale fire under current conditions, and GRDM have most recently faced more than a dozen wildfires.

Adding to the concern is a sharp decline in experienced wildland fighters across the region over the past decade. “The Southern Cape is naturally fire-prone, and the situation is worsened by the vast amount of invasive alien plant biomass in the landscape,” Van Wyk explained.

“To deal effectively with this, we need a strong corps of professional firefighters trained in forward planning, maintaining fire breaks, as well as block and back-burning practices.”

“Just today, and over the last couple of weeks, prescribed burns have burned beyond control. These have raised concerns about the management and controls thereof, pointing to some of the current risks that require actions to reduce their likelihood”.

Recognising the urgency, GREF, Nelson Mandela University, Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (SCFPA), GRDM, SANParks, CapeNature, and Cold Stream Timbers have established a Fire Risk Reduction Task Team (RRTT).

This collaborative platform focuses on strategic risk assessment, coordinated fire prevention planning, and awareness across both public and private land.

“The task team was created to improve regional readiness and cooperation ahead of what could be one of the toughest fire seasons in years,” said Van Wyk.

GREF urges landowners, municipalities, and residents across the Garden Route to remain vigilant, clear firebreaks, remove invasive plants, and report any signs of uncontrolled fires immediately.

GREF is a public platform for environmental managers. conservation and a climate change think-tank (www.grefecsf.co.za)

Home Affairs achieves staggering improvement in visa turnaround times

Posted on October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 by

The Department of Home Affairs has reported a dramatic improvement in visa processing times during the 2024/25 financial year - the first under Minister Dr Leon Schreiber.

According to the department’s latest Annual Report, the turnaround in work visa adjudication has been remarkable. Critical skills visas processed on time rose from 52% to 89%, business visas from 61% to 97%, and general work visas from just 10% to an impressive 98%.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the department’s performance, saying it demonstrates the impact that effective leadership can have in areas that have long struggled with inefficiency.

The DA said the results show real progress toward boosting economic growth and job creation.

The department’s Medium Term Development Plan for 2024–2029 lists visa regime reform as a top priority, aimed at attracting skilled professionals, promoting investment, and supporting tourism.

Initiatives such as the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme have already attracted nearly 40 000 tourists and created more than 3 000 jobs in its first phase.

A second key focus has been ensuring that all South Africans can access smart and digital IDs and e-Passports.

In the past year, Home Affairs produced 3.6 million identity documents - up from 2.8 million in 2023/24 - surpassing its annual target by nearly one million. The department says these gains reflect the success of its system modernisation programme and efforts to reduce downtime caused by offline systems.

Immigration Affairs also showed strong progress, improving from 40% to 87.5% performance.

The department says this demonstrates that South Africa can pursue visa reforms to attract investment and tourism while taking firm action against illegal immigration.

The DA says ministries under its leadership will continue to focus on programmes that drive economic growth and create sustainable employment opportunities.

SA launches first harbour-based net recycling facility

Posted on October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 by

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has officially launched South Africa’s first harbour-based net recycling facility at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

The containerised “micro-recycling pod”, located at Collier Jetty, processes end-of-life fishing nets into high-value raw materials for reuse in plastic manufacturing.

“The solution we see here today, the recycling and repurposing of end-of-life fishing gear, provides a glimpse of what a sustainable future can look like. This is how we build resilience in our blue economy, ensuring that economic activity supports environmental protection,” the Minister said on Friday.

The recycling pod, housed in a converted shipping container, can shred, wash, dry and densify up to 100 kilograms of used nets per hour.

By transforming discarded fishing gear into clean plastic flakes, the facility prevents waste from reaching landfills or the ocean, reduces the risk of ghost fishing gear, and creates new economic opportunities.

The launch of this pilot project was led by OCEAN Action Network (OCEAN) and Ocean Plastic Technologies (OPT), while the South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA) supported the project by securing funding from the Marine Stewardship Council’s Ocean Stewardship Fund.

The V&A Waterfront also supported the project by donating space to host and operate the facility.

The Minister commended the initiative, noting that it supports South Africa’s national commitments under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, and advances global goals such as Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.

He also emphasised that the project complements the ambitions of the emerging Global Plastic Treaty and reflects South Africa’s leadership on this issue within the Group of Twenty (G20) Presidency.

“This is more than just a recycling project. It’s about protecting marine ecosystems, supporting South Africa’s fishing communities, and building a model that can be replicated in other harbours around the country and across the continent,” OCEAN Managing Director Estelle van der Merwe said.

SADSTIA Executive Secretary Johann Augustyn highlighted the project’s alignment with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard.

“Mitigating the impacts of ghost gear is essential for healthy oceans. We hope this South African pilot inspires wider adoption of innovative, technology-based recycling solutions,” Augustyn said.

With the recycling pod now fully operational, the next step is to scale the model.

OPT’s self-contained plant is designed for easy replication, and additional containers can be deployed to other harbours.

The net recycling project aims to create a scalable, circular economy solution for marine plastic waste right at the harbour’s edge.

It will also create awareness of the importance of recycling among residents and visitors to the V&A Waterfront.

“Our oceans are the lifeblood of South Africa’s environmental and economic future. Initiatives like this show the power of partnership and innovation in driving real change. When we work together across government, business and civil society, we turn waste into opportunity and stewardship into action,” the Minister said.

Operation Shanela nabs over 700 suspects

Posted on October 13, 2025October 14, 2025 by

Operation Shanela 2 efforts have led to the arrest of 777 suspects across various parts of Gauteng, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.

Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner responsible for Crime Detection (also acting as Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing), Major General Mbuso Khumalo, led law enforcement agencies as they embarked on the weekend's operations.

“These suspects were arrested for serious and violent crimes that include murder, attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, robbery, rape and sexual assault,” Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said.

Operation Shanela 2 was conducted across all five districts in the province from 10 - 12 October 2025, where 255 wanted suspects were arrested in the Tshwane District and 196 suspects were arrested in the Johannesburg District.

Ekurhuleni saw 137 wanted suspects being arrested, while 186 suspects were arrested in Sedibeng and West Rand Districts. A further 265 suspects were arrested as police embarked on roadblocks, stop-and-searches, as well as compliance checks on liquor outlets.

“The arrested suspects will appear before different magistrate courts in Gauteng in due course,” said the police.

SARS seizes R65 million narcotics at Durban Harbour

Posted on October 13, 2025October 14, 2025 by

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has made a narcotics bust worth an estimated R65 million during a collaborative intelligence operation led at the Durban Harbour on Sunday morning.

Thirty bricks of suspected narcotics were seized during the operation that were stashed in the reefer refrigeration unit of a vessel.

“On [Sunday morning] Durban Customs Enforcement Team Launched the Customs Marine Unit Patrol Vessel – Striker to go and intercept the Motor Vessel near the Fairway Bouy at Outer Anchorage about 4 Nautical Miles of the East Coast of the Durban.

“The enforcement team intercepted the vessel as it was entering the port and escorted the vessel to its berth. The enforcement team boarded the vessel, interviewed the Master of the Vessel, and examined documentation to identify the location of a profiled container.

“The vessel was rummaged by the enforcement team, and the container was located on the vessel where the refrigeration unit was examined. This resulted in one positive detection of bricks of suspected narcotics,” SARS said in a statement.

SARS Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, commended the teams for the successful bust.

“Customs demonstrated its gallantry by working so hard and focussed at the death of the night to intercept this vessel.

“This speaks to an unwavering commitment by SARS to protect our borders and keep at bay all criminals that are bent on shipping harmful substance that cause unmitigated suffering for our inhabitants,” Kieswetter said.

Basic Education condemns misinformation on reopening of schools

Posted on October 13, 2025October 13, 2025 by

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has condemned the fake news suggesting changes to the reopening of public schools on Monday, 13 October 2025.

“The Department of Basic Education notes with concern the circulation of fake news on social media and other unofficial platforms suggesting changes to the reopening dates of schools for the fourth term. The department wishes to clarify unequivocally that these messages are false and misleading.

“All public schools across South Africa will reopen as scheduled on Monday, 13 October 2025, marking the beginning of the fourth and final academic term of the school calendar,” said the DBE in a statement on Saturday.

The department condemned the deliberate spread of misinformation, which creates unnecessary panic and confusion among parents and learners.

“Education is a shared national responsibility. False information disrupts schools, confuses parents, and undermines the hard work of our teachers and learners. We appeal to every South African to be vigilant, to verify before sharing, and to help us protect the academic calendar and the upcoming National Senior Certificate examinations,” said Minister Siviwe Gwarube.

The department urged the public to rely only on official DBE communication channels including its website (www.education.gov.za), verified social media pages, and provincial education departments for credible and verified updates.

The department said that as the country moves into this critical period of the school year, it extends heartfelt appreciation to parents, teachers, learners and school management teams who continue to uphold the values of commitment, resilience, and discipline that define our education sector.

Final stretch

With just days remaining before the commencement of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations on 21 October 2025, the department called upon all learners particularly the Class of 2025 to stay focused and make the most of the support provided through revision materials, radio lessons, catch-up sessions, and school-based study camps.

The department said it remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring a smooth conclusion to the 2025 academic year. From infrastructure readiness and learner support materials to psychosocial assistance and teacher preparation, all systems are in place to ensure that teaching and learning resume seamlessly on Monday, 13 October 2025.

Government to announce major nuclear energy expansion plans

Posted on October 10, 2025October 13, 2025 by

Government will soon make an announcement on plans to expand South Africa’s foray into nuclear energy.

This according to Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who delivered the opening address at the G20 Nuclear Energy Ministerial Conference held in Durban.

“[We] will be making big announcements next week, post-Cabinet. We are close to that. Our ambition is to build a new job program [of] at least initially the size of 5000 megawatts, and we think that we can derive the benefits of industrialisation and ensuring that there is exponential increase of the skills that are required to support that build program.

“Necsa [South African Nuclear Energy Corporation] is a big part of the conversation. As we know, we are running a 60-year-old research reactor. We are looking for suitors or partners to help us to take it to another level. We have seen that there is an insatiable appetite from across the globe to partner and work with us,” he said.

The Minister highlighted that small modular reactors [SMR] present a “pristine opportunity” for expansion going into the future.

“They are rapid deployment and the fact that they can be the production can be standardised, and therefore, reducing the long lead times. But most importantly, is to power the requirements of the artificial intelligence complex.

“I think the prospect of locating data centres across various geographies is something that is particularly attractive, and we think that small modulary actors will help us,” he said.

Turning to the African continent, the Minister noted that the continent is an important producer of uranium – used for nuclear reactors – at 14% of global production with further untapped reserves.

Countries including Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana are either building, planning for, or considering nuclear power as a source of power.

“Africa’s time is now and given them huge endowments that we have, especially on uranium. Energy demand is going to grow exponentially on the continent as people experience upward social and economic mobility, as we bring people out of poverty and I think, nuclear to power is going to be a big part of the African story.

“A long-term view must be such that we are able to build infrastructure that will be a precondition for such enrichment to happen on the continent. We possess all the necessary apparatus that is required for us to participate meaningfully in the nuclear fuel cycle,” Ramokgopa said.

No damage caused by Germiston tornado

Posted on October 10, 2025October 10, 2025 by

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has confirmed that no significant damage was observed on-the-ground damage assessment of the observed tornado in the vicinity of the Rand Airport, Germiston.

“The only impacts noted were broken tree branches at the golf course adjacent to the airport, along with signs of heavy rainfall from thunderstorms, including puddles and muddy conditions,” SAWS said on Thursday.

Community members in the area also confirmed that there were no structural damage or disruptive impacts associated with the event that was observed on social media.

Based on these findings, the SAWS has classified the event as an EF0 tornado.

“An EF0 is the weakest category on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with estimated wind speeds of 105 – 137 km/h. Such tornadoes typically result in minor damage, such as broken branches, shallow-rooted trees being pushed over, and light damage to roofs.

“While EF0 tornadoes are relatively weak, they remain dangerous weather phenomena, and the public is urged to always exercise caution during severe thunderstorms,” the weather service said.