Latest news with #N3
The Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald
Truck driver arrested after being found more than 20 times over legal alcohol limit
KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate officials have arrested two alleged drunk drivers including one who was found to be more than 20 times over the legal limit. The transport and human settlements department said the RTI team working with police arrested a truck driver for drinking and driving in Van Reenen along the N3 on May 17. He blew 2.0mg/1000ml, which is 20 times more than the legal limit of 0,10mg /1000ml. He was arrested and charged by Ladysmith police and is expected to appear in court on August 18. A second driver who was also arrested on Friday for allegedly driving under the influence in Van Reenen is being held in the Ladysmith police cells. The driver allegedly blew 0.32 mg/1000ml which is three times more than the legal limit. MEC Siboniso Duma said nine victims of a horrific accident involving a truck in Empangeni along the N2 were recently buried. 'Families lost their loved ones and breadwinners, with children becoming orphans as a result of one reckless truck driver. 'In my meeting with senior management last Monday, I mandated our RTI team to strengthen their no nonsense, zero tolerance and Alufakwa campaign on our roads. We undertake to clamp down on bad behaviour in all corners of our province. 'In particular, we are paying more attention to trucks because, more than any vehicle, trucks can damage more vehicles at once and their accidents can lead to serious injuries because of the impact.' He said road networks being constructed, rehabilitated and repaired should not be playgrounds for 'irresponsible drivers'. Duma said road accidents cost the South African economy more than R164bn annually, an equivalent to 3.4% of the country's GDP. In addition, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) paid out more than R45.6bn in claims in the 2023-2024 financial year. TimesLIVE
IOL News
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Santaco commends road safety initiatives during Easter weekend
Last week, the Road Traffic Management Corporation joined the South African National Taxi Council for the National Hlokomela Road Safety Easter Activation on the N3 in the Free State, alongside various stakeholders. Image: Facebook/ Road Traffic Management Corporation The 2025 Easter long weekend marked a significant turning point for road safety in South Africa. Thanks to a multi-sectoral approach involving civil society, law enforcement, and the taxi industry, there was a notable decrease in road accidents and fatalities. The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has praised these efforts, emphasising the vital role of shared responsibility in safeguarding lives on the road. This successful result is due to the shared responsibility of all parties involved, including civil society organisations, commuters, patrollers, drivers, vehicle owners, law enforcement, and government departments and entities, Santaco said. The council recognised the leadership of the National Department of Transport and its #ItBeginsWithYou campaign. This initiative effectively promoted shared responsibility and emphasised the importance of safe and responsible road use. Santaco believes the taxi industry's success was due to several key factors. These factors created an environment where safety was not just encouraged but practised and lived out across the country's road networks: Strict adherence to road rules by drivers and commuters. A collective stand against overloading. Hlokomela activations to assess the roadworthiness of vehicles. Intensified Hlokomela Road Safety Awareness campaigns. Strategic partnership with the Road Traffic Management Corporation. Heightened visibility and intervention by law enforcement authorities. A demonstrated commitment to safety through diligent and professional driving. 'We extend our deepest gratitude to our drivers and patrollers for their discipline and commitment to safe operations, and to our loyal commuters for their cooperation and continued support,' said Santaco president Motlhabane Abnar Tsebe. 'The results of this Easter weekend show what we can achieve when every stakeholder, public and private, takes ownership of road safety. This is the spirit of Ubuntu in action on our roads.' Santaco added that it is dedicated to collaborating with all partners to maintain this progress and ensure the safety of every journey on the country's roads. Meanwhile, the Automobile Association (AA) said it is encouraged by early indications of a significant shift in road user behaviour during the 2025 Easter travel period. 'Preliminary data points to a notable reduction in both collisions and fatalities, despite traffic volumes reaching their highest levels in five years,' the AA said. 'While final figures are still pending, the AA believes there is already sufficient evidence to commend South African road users for contributing to what appears to be a reversal of a worrying trend.' Earlier this week, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy praised traffic law enforcement and thanked civil society organisations, the private sector, faith-based organisations, taverners associations and public figures who lent their support to a multi-sectoral rule collaborative effort to raise public awareness of road safety and reduce fatalities. 'Through many voices sharing one message, we have reached all corners of our country,' Creecy said. 'The impacts of this can be seen in the improvements that we are seeing in the decrease of accidents and fatalities. 'We hope that this effort will be sustained beyond the Easter period and have a long-lasting influence on our behaviour on the roads.'
Zawya
06-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: eThekwini Municipality tackles water challenges; Durban beachfront set for facelift
The eThekwini Municipality will continue to work on various interventions to manage and reduce the increase in water demand that has resulted in the recurring disruption of water supply. To manage the demand and to build storage, the municipality has implemented rationing in many areas, especially in the northern and southern areas. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the municipality noted that demand currently exceeds supply by approximately 100 megalitres a day, resulting in further strain on the system. This is due to the current curtailment measures that were implemented by uMngeni-uThukela Water in October last year. 'To augment the water supply, comprehensive plans have been set in motion in collaboration with the national Department of Water and Sanitation and uMngeni-uThukela Water to construct and commission the uMkhomazi Dam, a pivotal project to augment water supply to the city,' the municipality said. The municipality is also actively implementing various medium-term interventions, including infrastructure upgrades, pipeline replacements, and a comprehensive leak detection and repair programme. The installation of pressure management valves, dysfunctional meter replacements, the incorporation of technology to enhance meter accuracy, and improvements in billing and debtor management, are also being implemented. 'Currently, areas in the West of the city are experiencing intermittent supply due to the shutdown of the 53 Pipeline by uMngeni-uThukela Water. This was done to allow the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) to relocate approximately 200m of the 53 Pipeline, as part of its N3 upgrade project,' the municipality said. Durban's beachfront set for major overhaul Meanwhile, Durban's iconic beachfront is set to undergo a major transformation, with a complete facelift and redevelopment of the buildings along the promenade. Over the past few years, changes have been made to improve the offering to visitors on the beachfront, ensuring that it remains a world-class facility. Head of the Real Estate Unit, Thapelo Mmusinyane noted that as tenant leases expire, the municipality follows proper process to invite bids for the development of innovative new spaces and eateries that will elevate the beachfront experience. This forms an integral part of the City's Proactive Land Release Strategy, which was adopted in September 2021. The strategy enables the city to proactively manage surplus land, assisting the city to achieve its developmental objectives, stimulate economic activity and Black economic empowerment, and promoting economic transformation in the property sector. Mmusinyane explained that between May 2021 and November 2022, 25 properties were put up for bid, with 10 new leases being awarded to companies 100% owned by historically disadvantaged individuals. 'All 10 awards were made to companies that are 100% owned by historically disadvantaged individuals. On the beachfront in particular, properties that have been affected are Circus, Bike and Bean, and Minitown.' Mmusinyane added that the historic building in which Joe Cools and other eateries are housed, will be upgraded soon by a developer, who will then sublet the space to suitable tenants. He assured the public that a fair, equitable, and transparent process was followed as stipulated in Section 14(5) of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). 'This section mandates that the disposal, including leasing of municipal properties must adhere to principles of fairness, equity, transparency, and competitiveness in line with the City's Supply Chain Management Policy (Section 111 of the MFMA). 'Renewing the leases without an open, competitive process would have violated these principles, as well as Section 217(1) of the Constitution, which upholds the same standards for public procurement. Therefore, lease renewals could not be granted without contravening the law,' he explained. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
03-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Nigeria: Short-term interest rates to trend low on over $2bln expected liquidity inflows
Nigeria's financial markets are poised for a significant influx of liquidity, with over N3 trillion expected to flood the system in the short term. This substantial liquidity injection is anticipated to have a profound impact on short-term interest rates, which are likely to trend lower as a result. The impending liquidity surge, driven by factors such as maturing treasury bills and bond repayments, is expected to increase the amount of money available for lending, thereby exerting downward pressure on short-term interest rates. Dealers from Cowry Assets Management Limited in a note to investors observed that given these conditions, short-term interest rates are likely to remain under pressure, with investors closely monitoring developments in the fixed-income space for strategic positioning. 'Looking ahead, we anticipate a further decline in money market rates in the coming week as liquidity inflows continue to shape market dynamics. Another tranche of N1.7 trillion from FAAC allocations is expected to permeate the financial system, sustaining the current liquidity uptrend. Additionally, maturities worth N50 billion from Open Market Operation (OMO) bills and N1.27 trillion from Treasury Bills will enter the market, further bolstering liquidity levels, ' Cowry Assets Management stated. Meanwhile, the Nigerian money market witnessed a significant increase in liquidity last week following a substantial inflow of N1.7 trillion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). This excess liquidity led to a sharp decline in the Nigerian Interbank Offered Rate (NIBOR) across all tenors, reflecting reduced funding pressures among financial institutions. Industry participants observed that the Overnight NIBOR saw the steepest drop, plunging by 438 basis points to settle at 28.54 percent. Similarly, the one-month, three-month, and six-month NIBOR rates declined by 17 basis points, 36 basis points, and 84 basis points, respectively, highlighting the impact of the liquidity surplus in the interbank market. The decline in market rates according to dealers, was also evident in the broader money market, as both the Overnight (OVN) rate and the Open Buy Back (OPR) rate moderated, closing the week at 26.75 percent and 27.33 percent, respectively. This occurred despite the Debt Management Office (DMO) settling N910.4 billion worth of Federal Government bonds, which temporarily absorbed some liquidity from the financial system. In the Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTB) market, the Nigerian Interbank Treasury Bills True Yield (NITTY) declined across most tenors,exceptf the one-month NITTY, which rose by 21 basis points. This suggests that investors are shifting focus towards short-term securities, likely in response to prevailing money market conditions and expectations of further liquidity inflows. Meanwhile, the three-month, six-month, and twelve-month NITTY rates trended lower as market participants exited the secondary market in anticipation of an upcoming robust Primary Market Auction (PMA) for Treasury Bills this week. The secondary Treasury Bills market saw a moderate bullish sentiment, as the average yield declined by 35 basis points week-on-week. This downward movement in yields was largely driven by increased demand across various maturities, as investors sought to lock in favourable rates ahead of the expected liquidity surge. Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
