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IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Community unites for healing ceremony one year after Tongaat tornado
The Naidoo Road Civic Association will hold a ceremony and peace prayer on the first anniversary of the devastating Tongaat tornado. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers With June 3 marking a year since a tornado devastated Tongaat, the Naidoo Road Civic Association (NRCA) will hold a post-tornado ceremony and peace prayer over the weekend. It will be held in the spirit of unity, healing, and gratitude. The association extended the invitation to community members, partners, and well-wishers. NRCA chairperson Suresh Ramsahai said: 'In the aftermath of the recent tornado, our community has shown immense resilience, solidarity, and compassion. This event is an opportunity to come together in peace, reflect on our shared journey, and extend sincere thanks to those who supported and uplifted us during difficult times.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He said that as a gesture of appreciation, the NRCA will present certificates of gratitude to individuals and organisations that played a significant role in aiding the community's recovery. 'Let us stand together in peace, reflection, and hope,' Ramsahai said. Naidoo Road is in Fairbreeze, Tongaat. Ramsahai said the area was badly affected by the tornado, and people did not acknowledge the area until he went on the news. 'We were hit very badly,' Ramsahai said. He said several sponsors helped them with clothing, and some rebuilt their homes, adding that the government did not help them. Ramsahai said he was renting a property on Naidoo Road when the tornado hit. 'I lost everything, and I had to start from scratch. It was tough,' Ramsahai said. 'I bought a damaged house on the road and had sponsors help me to build the place, and then I moved in there.' The post-tornado ceremony and peace prayer will be held on Saturday, June 7, at 2pm on Naidoo Road, cul-de-sac. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) concluded that the tornado could be rated as an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The SAWS said at least two tornadoes were confirmed in KwaZulu-Natal on June 3. One of the tornadoes, called a 'wedge' tornado because it was wider and larger than it is tall, resulted in severe damage in the Tongaat area. The thunderstorm that produced the tornado in Tongaat was confirmed to be a supercell, exhibiting a hook echo, although it lacked the typical rotational signature on the Doppler velocity field due to various radar data limitations. The supercell features developed from around 3.30pm and dissipated at around 4.41pm, soon after moving off the coast. Several damage indicators were considered and used to assess the tornado impact around Tongaat and further down towards the coastline. Considering these key indicators, the SAWS concluded that the Tongaat tornado could be rated as an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with estimated wind speeds of 225 to 265 km/h that occurred within its path.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Exploring the growth of South Africa's agricultural exports amid global challenges
As of quarter one of 2025, data from the International Trade Centre Trade Map shows that South Africa's agricultural exports maintained its growth trajectory, increasing by 6% to a value of $3.4 billion from $3.2 billion in Q4 of 2024.. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers Over the previous year, South Africa maintained its robust export growth of agricultural products in international markets reaching a new record of $13.7 billion (R245bn) in 2024. This was equivalent to a year-on-year (y/y) growth rate of 4% compared to a record $13.2bn observed in 2023. South Africa's continued export growth is largely underscored by collaborative efforts of both government and industry in maintaining good relations with existing markets and opening of new markets. In addition, efforts to adhere to export requirements such as pre-export controls, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements among other things have contributed to the sustained export growth of South Africa's agricultural products. As of quarter one (Q1) of 2025, data from the International Trade Centre Trade Map shows that South Africa's agricultural exports maintained its growth trajectory, increasing by 6% to a value of $3.4bn from $3.2bn in Q4 of 2024. This is equivalent to a 10% increase compared to the same period (Q1) in 2024. Fresh grapes were the leading exported commodity during this period accounting for a share of 21% of total agricultural exports in value terms, followed by maize (7%), fresh apples and pears (3%), plums and sloes (3%), wine (3%), and wool (3%), among others. The African continent maintained its position as South Africa's leading export destination for agricultural products, representing a share of 45% in value terms, despite recording a 10% decline compared to Q4 in 2024. The European Union (EU) accounted for a share of 23% followed by Asia (16%), the UK (8%), Americas (6%) with the US specifically accounting for 4% of South Africa's agricultural exports. In terms of imports, South Africa's agricultural imports declined by 5% to a value of $1.9bn compared to the previous quarter. The main contributors to this contraction were led by a sizable reduction in imports of apple juice which contracted by approximately 42%, followed by frozen poultry meat (34%), whiskies (26%), animal feed preparations (25%), and milled rice (21%), among others. Palm oil was the leading imported commodity representing 8% of total imports, despite recording a decline of 8% compared to the previous quarter. Other leading imported agricultural products were wheat and meslin (8%), followed by milled rice (7%), maize (6%), raw sugarcane (3%), and food preparations (3%), among others. During this period, China was the leading source destination for South Africa's agricultural imports along with Argentina, Brazil, Thailand, Eswatini, Indonesia all with a share of 6%. Followed by the US (5%), Malaysia (4%), France (4%), and India (4%). Although the sector continues to expand its export footprint globally, it remains prone to global disruptions due to geopolitics, disease outbreaks, and climate change, and stringent non-tariff barriers in key markets. For instance, currently the country is battling with the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), with cases of outbreaks mainly reported KwaZulu-Natal and a few cases in Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces. These reported outbreaks led to China suspending imports of cloven hoofed animals and related products from South Africa. Although the preliminary information suggests that the ban only includes imports of beef from the whole of South Africa. In 2024, China was the leading market for frozen beef exports with a share of 27% followed by United Arab Emirates (12%) and Egypt (12%), among others. On the other hand, South African government has recently banned importation of poultry related products from Brazil due to the reported cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) from this region. In 2024, Brazil was the leading supplier of poultry meat to South Africa, with a share of about 81% of total imports. According to the World Animal Health Organisation, due to the new HPAI season which started in October 2024, about 59 outbreaks were reported in poultry and 44 outbreaks in non-poultry birds and in mammals in the Americas, Asia and Europe as of May 2025. About 3.76 million poultry birds had been reported death or culled during this month, and these were mostly in Asia. Moreover, the country's agricultural trade is currently subject to uncertainty in one of its key markets, the US. In April 2025, the US administration announced a 10% tariff on all imports to the US and additional reciprocal tariffs for several of countries, including 30% for South Africa. These developments raised speculations about South Africa's potential exclusion from benefiting on Agoa, which enabled the country to relish duty free access to this market for majority of agricultural products since year 2000. The US is a crucial market for South Africa's agricultural exports such as citrus (oranges and soft citrus), nuts, raisins, and wine, among others. These new proposed tariffs will definitely have negative economic ramifications on the country's overall agriculture trade. South Africa's response to these challenges will be key in determining the sustainability of the sector and its global trade standing in the future. It is important to adopt collaborative actions towards maintaining good relations with the rest of the world while also diversifying exports towards other high potential markets to minimize the risks. Hence, negotiating bilateral trade and regional agreements and/or protocols remains essential. Controlling disease outbreaks is crucial in ensuring that the industry maintains good reputation in international markets while also preventing bans against the industry's exports. Therefore, there is a need to increase efforts towards investing in animal and plant disease controls, infrastructure and improving port operations are crucial for driving exports. Bhekani Zondo is an economist under the Trade Research Unit at the National Agricultural Marketing Council. Dr Solly Molepo is a manager at the Trade Research Unit at the National Agricultural Marketing Council. BUSINESS REPORT
IOL News
6 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Increased shark activity prompts warnings as the Sardine Run returns to KwaZulu-Natal
Fishermen in Warner Beach netted several crates of sardines on Tuesday morning. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers As the famous Sardine Run makes its annual return to the shores of KwaZulu-Natal, so does a significant increase in shark activity, as evidenced by footage from a netting on Saturday. The video shows numerous sharks entangled with the sardines. 'This is a typical illustration of the increased shark activity witnessed during the sardine run. This is a reason why it is essential for us to remove our shark safety gear during this time,' the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) said. 'We remind residents and visitors that our shark safety gear has been removed from the South Coast beaches of KZN, from Isipingo to Port Edward, and warn against swimming in those beaches.' The Sharks Board added a disclaimer that the nets do not belong to them. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Lifesaving South Africa urged beachgoers and ocean users along the KZN coastline to stay updated with local municipal notices regarding beach closures. Lifesaving SA President Dhaya Sewduth explained that in winter, KZN beaches are lifeguarded due to warm and sunny conditions. However, the influx of sardines from the lower South Coast has led to several beaches being closed due to heightened ocean risks. This includes removing shark nets, leaving beachgoers more vulnerable. Due to the removal of shark nets, the eThekwini Municipality has banned swimming at all southern beaches until further notice, effective Monday. The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality also closed its beaches, except Port Edward. 'When beaches are closed, no designated bathing zones will be marked, and it is crucial that beachgoers remain out of the ocean,' Sewduth warned. 'Strong swells are affecting the lower South Coast, and rip currents, which are common in this region, pose a significant danger to swimmers. 'We urge everyone to respect these closures and prioritise safety for themselves and others.' Fishermen in Warner Beach netted several crates of sardines on Tuesday morning. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers Over the weekend, KZNSB teams launched and neutralised the gear from Port Edward in the south through to Scottburgh. On Monday, the gear was neutralised through to and including Isipingo. KZNSB's Wayne Harrison said netters were successful at Pennington and Rocky Bay on Monday morning. Harrison said netting took place at Sandspit (Umzimkulu River) on Sunday. Heavy surf and challenging conditions allowed for the recovery of only slightly over 40 sardine crates; the remainder, along with sharks in the net, were released back into the ocean. By mid-morning, the shoals had moved to the Banana Beach/Pumula area, where the sein netters attempted to net. 'The sardines once again were followed by masses of sharks that were regularly seen breaching and feeding on the sardines,' Harrison said. At dawn on Saturday, sardine shoals were reported at Port Edward. Despite rough 2.5m+ seas and a strong swell, two successful seine net catches were made in the morning.
IOL News
18-05-2025
- Climate
- IOL News
Thousands join the Suncoast East Coast Radio 'Big Walk' along Durban's Beachfront
Thousands took to pounding the streets in Sunday's Suncoast East Coast Radio 'Big Walk' along Durban's Beachfront and surrounding areas. The Daily News was a media partner in an event where It was a huff and a puff for some participants, while others breezed through the 5km and 10km courses, which began at the Ushaka Marine World and ended at the People's Park outside the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Pictures: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Media DAILY NEWS
IOL News
18-05-2025
- Climate
- IOL News
Thousands join the Suncoast East Coast Radio 'Big Walk' along Durban's Beachfront
Thousands took to pounding the streets in Sunday's Suncoast East Coast Radio 'Big Walk' along Durban's Beachfront and surrounding areas. The Daily News was a media partner in an event where It was a huff and a puff for some participants, while others breezed through the 5km and 10km courses, which began at the Ushaka Marine World and ended at the People's Park outside the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Pictures: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Media DAILY NEWS
