President Cyril Ramaphosa condemns in the strongest terms a Democratic Alliance election advertisement which depicts the burning of the national flag.

The President believes this depiction is desperate and inciteful and undermines the principles of democracy and unity in the midst of the national celebration of 30 Years of Freedom and the preservation of tolerance and peace in the build-up to the 29 May national and provincial elections.

President Ramaphosa said: “All South Africans should deplore this abuse of our national flag for party political purposes.

“Our flag is a symbol of identity, integrity and unity that we fly with a pride and consciousness that transcends party political interests.

“Our flag holds profound significance for the nation as it represents the hard-won freedoms and peace achieved through historical struggles against injustice. 

“As government, we firmly defend the right to freedom of expression, with the expectation that this right be exercised with respect for all people and that it does not incite social upheaval or violence.

“To manipulate or exploit national symbols for personal or partisan gain is disrespectful and also undermines the essence of democracy and civic responsibility.

“It is our shared responsibility to ensure that our elections free, fair and dignified.”

The President calls on all political parties and South Africans to uphold the dignity of all national symbols and to conduct themselves in ways that foster unity and progress for all. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to the relatives and friends of five people who have died in an incident where a building collapsed in George in the southern Cape.

The collapse occurred yesterday afternoon, Monday, 6 May 2024.

The President’s thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones as well as the families of close to 50 people who are trapped in the rubble.

President Ramaphosa wishes rescue teams the best as they go about their operations and says investigations into the cause of the incident must aim to bring closure to the community and prevent a repeat of this disaster.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) will showcase its 2024 licensing round at a dedicated “Invest in Nigeria” session at the Invest in African Energy forum in Paris next week.

Responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of upstream petroleum operations in Nigeria, the Commission will unveil its energy development strategy for 2024, including its latest licensing round launched earlier this month. The deadline for the bid round closes on January 2025 and round features 12 oil blocks – along with five deep offshore blocks from last year’s round – and a mix of greenfield, offshore and onshore assets. Nigeria is seeking to attract local and international explorers to its acreage, with a view to increasing its reserve base, maximizing production and boosting energy security. 

IAE 2024 is an exclusive forum designed to foster collaboration between European investors and African energy markets. Taking place May 14-15, 2024, in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors, and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com.

The presentation will be led by NUPRC CEO Engr. Gbenga Komolafe and Executive Commissioner, Exploration&Acreage Management, Indabawa Bashari Alka, and is part of a broader session promoting Nigeria’s latest energy sector developments. In a bid to attract new investment, the Commission is seeking to establish a business-friendly environment by ensuring regulatory certainty and removing barriers to entry within Nigeria’s upstream industry. The upcoming forum represents a strategic opportunity for investors to participate in Nigeria’s energy revolution, as the country targets up to $7.6 billion in upstream investments to restore production to 2.1 million barrels per day. 

“The IAE forum is the premier platform where investors can access Africa’s leading investment opportunities – including licensing rounds and farm-in opportunities – and engage directly with African regulators. Criteria for Nigeria’s latest bid round will be unpacked during the session, along with additional opportunities in oil and gas exploration, LNG, refining and more,” says Sandra Jeque, Event&Project Director at Energy Capital&Power.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

Across Africa, the cost of electricity is on the rise. Compounded by inflation and other economic pressures, this puts additional strain on consumers.

“With households already feeling the pinch, proactive measures to manage energy usage are essential to not only save money, but electricity too,” says Dr Andrew Dickson, Engineering Executive at CBI-electric: low voltage (https://CBI-LowVoltage.co.za).

Below, he shares 10 ways that people can do this by using smart home technologies to monitor, control and automate electrical appliances:

Knowledge is power: Understanding how much electricity your most commonly used appliances consume is the first step towards more efficient energy use. Many smart home technologies can track energy consumption, helping to pinpoint areas where you might be able to save. 
Keep loads low: The load management capabilities of some home automation systems can help users ensure that only one heavy load-consuming appliance is switched on at any given moment, thereby ensuring optimal energy distribution.
Set limits: Users can specify the operating duration of appliances, like running the geyser for two hours to save electricity while also ensuring a hot bath.
Schedule appliance switch-on: Many regions have peak and off-peak hours when electricity costs more. Smart tech can help consumers schedule appliances to run during off-peak times whenever possible to save money. This can be done at specific times and on particular days.
Curb consumption in colder months: Electricity is more expensive during winter due to the high demand that results from using heaters, electric blankets and underfloor heating to keep cosy. Smart home devices could be used to determine when these appliances switch on as well as for how long. And while it can be hard to get out of bed on those icy winter mornings, a timer could be set to switch on a heater so that your bedroom is warm even before you wake up.
Environmental intelligence: Many of these technologies can react to environmental conditions such as weather or the setting and rising of the sun, enabling them to automatically switch specific loads on or off under these conditions. So, if a rainy day is detected for instance, your irrigation system can be preprogrammed to not switch on. This not only saves electricity, but water too, which can lower the total of your bill.
Remote control: Worried you left a device switched on? Smart home technologies allow users to turn connected appliances off from their smartphone and/or tablet from anywhere in the world. You can also use this capability to switch items on. To illustrate, you could turn your lights on before you get home from work in the evening.
Don’t just standby: When in standby mode (https://apo-opa.co/3wlQhxj), electronic goods like microwaves, computers, televisions, coffee machines, gaming consoles and even garage door openers can consume more electricity than when they are in use as they are only active for relatively short periods. While the obvious solution would be to unplug all non-essential appliances when inactive, smart home tech lets users switch off any items that are pulling power unnecessarily.
Incorporate renewable energy sources: With the adoption of rooftop solar steadily increasing across the African continent, smart home technology enables the effortless integration of these alternative power sources. For instance, the tech could be used to connect and disconnect from the grid as well as to ensure that the power produced by solar PV systems is used effectively and efficiently.
Avoid additional expenses: To protect appliances from voltage fluctuations that could result from power outages, users can set a minimum and maximum ‘safe operating voltage range’. If the voltage is unstable, the technology will monitor voltage levels and only allow power to the appliance once this is within a safe operating range.

“Contrary to popular belief, homeowners won’t need to rewire their homes to enjoy the benefits of smart home technologies. Devices like smart plugs, isolators and controllers can easily be installed by an electrician without the need for additional wiring or hubs,” points out Dr Dickson.

He concludes by saying, “With the cost of living set to increase over 2024, now is the time for Africans to put the power in their hands and save in areas that they can control.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of CBI-electric: low voltage.

For more information, go to https://CBI-LowVoltage.co.za or follow CBI-electric: low voltage on Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/3vvHgRW), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/43Cr9hY), LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.co/4atY8Y6), X (https://apo-opa.co/4aw8czw), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/3VBbqxv) or YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/3IWb2Ce).

About CBI-electric: low voltage:

Established in 1949, CBI-electric: low voltage is a manufacturer and supplier of quality low voltage electrical distribution, protection, and control equipment. Previously known as Circuit Breaker Industries or CBI, the company specialises in the design, development, and manufacturing of circuit breakers, residential current devices, surge protection, wiring accessories, and metering products.
Head quartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company is a subsidiary of renowned JSE listed industrial group Reunert (https://www.Reunert.co.za/), with international operations across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and USA.
CBI-electric: low voltage can be found in almost every home and has firmly become a market leader over the last 72 years while supplying products to authorities, utilities, manufacturers, commercial property developers, industrial, mining, telecommunications, and general power distribution applications.
In 2021, the brand launched its smart IoT (internet-of-things) home automation range, called the Astute Range.