Latest news with #SAA
IOL News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
South Africa's National Security: Ntshavheni identifies coup d'état risks
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said national intelligence identified coups as one of the risks and put measures to mitigate against it Image: Presidency Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo named coup d'état as one of the risks the national intelligence had identified and take action against. Ntshavheni made the revelation when she was responding to the media when asked about the risks they had identified when she released the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and redacted National Security Strategy (NSS) for the sixth administration. In her response, she initially said they had listed the risks to the national security in the documents, but indicated that the risk did not necessarily materialise. 'You need to identify and mitigate against it. One of the risks is the risk of coup d'état. We have identified it and put measures to mitigate against it.' Ntshavheni also said they could assure South Africans that there was not anyone attempting to do a coup d'état in South Africa in the last few day or weeks. 'There has not been anyone attempting to do a coup in South Africa. We say that, not that there are no people planning. There are, but we continuously monitor them and make sure we deal with those.' She stated that the intelligence agencies were not the ones making arrests and that those making the arrests don't say it was intelligence driven. 'We rely on law enforcement agencies to make the arrests. We would have made the spade work,' Ntshavheni said. The minister was making the comments at a media briefing after tabling the budget vote of the State Security Agency (SAA) in the national Assembly. She had undertaken to make public the NIE and redacted National Security for the period between 2019 and 2024. Ntshavheni described the release of the two documents as 'a historic milestone in our democratic journey, one which speaks directly to the principles of national security, constitutional accountability, transparency, and national resilience'. 'The national security considerations dictate that we cannot release the current version of NIE and National Intelligence Priorities (NIS). Hence, we are publishing the NIE covering the period of the sixth Administration.' She explained that release of the documents was to help South Africans understand the mandate of the state security. She explained this work guides the work of SSA, adding that they wanted a conversation into the priorities on national security as it related to domestic and foreign matters set for the country. Outlining the NIE, Ntshavheni said it provided a consolidated, evidence-based assessment of the strategic threats, risks, and opportunities facing the nation. 'It is the product of collaborative inputs from across the national intelligence community under the tutelage of the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC) as per the provisions of the National Strategic Act 1994 (Act 39 of 1994), and other strategic partners. It seeks to ensure that our national response to complex security issues, from illegal migration, espionage, cyber threats and transnational organised crime to climate security as well as domestic instability among others, is informed, proactive, and coordinated.' She also said the 2019–2024 National Intelligence Priorities were fully integrated with the priorities of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework with domestic intelligence priorities being to investigate threats to South Africa's sovereign economic and business capacity and capabilities emanating from both domestic and foreign actors and events, among other things. It also investigated activities related to terror financing that are characterised by vulnerabilities in the border security environment, exploitation of the cash economy, abuse of remittances, as well as the challenges presented by the new financial technologies and investigation and of syndicated criminal activities, including drug smuggling as well as human smuggling and trafficking. Ntshavheni said the National Security Strategy, endorsed by the Cabinet on 13 March 2024, outlined a whole-of-government, and with its publication, the whole-of-society approach to national security, by embedding intelligence at the core of strategic foresight, resilience-building, and crisis prevention. 'We should not be measured by the number of crises we managed but be measured by the number of crises not taken place. In the period between 2019 and 2024, outside July 2021 unrest, there have not been disruptive threats to the country,' she said, adding the exception was climate change. 'We have been working to give advice on the best mechanisms on areas affected by climate change to prevent future loss of lives.' She insisted that the National Security Strategy was grounded in the principle that national security was inseparable from human security, economic stability, democratic governance, social justice and above all national interest. Ntshaveni also said the release of the NIE, NIPs, and NSS was her commitment to building a modern, ethical, and professional intelligence capability, guided by law, oversight, and strategic foresight. 'This is part of our commitment to transform the sector to serve the Constitution, not partisan interests … Our national security response must be anticipatory, inclusive, and adaptive.' [email protected]
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
After the Bell: Can anyone make Mango Airlines great again?
SAA is back in the fray, while Mango Airlines is still trying to get out of business rescue — but why would anyone want to enter this space now? Despite the fact it is usually long, boring and tiresome, flying can still exert a powerful pull on my imagination. I think it must be because, while you are sitting in a large metal tube with about a hundred people you've never met, the world literally changes around you. It's the glint of the sun off the wing, the powering through the fluffy cloud, the squares of blue as the pools of Boksburg do their thing, then the line of the Orange River, the incredible mountains of the escarpment, a quick hop over the sea and the glorious green of the Western Cape. Despite that magic, a flight can often be a chance to do some work quickly, to get something done in the one place where no one can bother you. It's a kind of end of innocence, that feeling, in a way. In our market we've seen quite a few changes. South African Airways (SAA) is now back in the fray, while Mango Airlines is still trying to get out of business rescue. Fin24 reported earlier today that despite a court ruling preventing the business rescue practitioner at Mango, Sipho Sono, from selling the airline to an investor, that investor was still keen to go ahead. News24 has suggested that a company called Ubuntu Air Services is pretty keen on buying Mango. There are so many questions here. Professional and competent Firstly, surely a business rescue practitioner, as professional and competent as they must be, does not get to decide to sell something that belongs to the government. It belongs to all of us, and those who are democratically elected should decide (as likely as they are to repeat silly mistakes). But secondly, I just don't get why someone would want to enter this space now. It seems incredibly competitive. FlySafair was able to keep its planes, and crucially its pilots, flying during most part of the Covid pandemic. As a result, its pilots had kept their hours up and could return to normal service pretty quickly. Because SAA was shut down and almost mothballed during that time, it took a long time to recover. I've found that, generally speaking, FlySafair is incredibly professional. I know companies that will book only with them because they really do seem to keep to time. And for businesses, nothing else matters. They'll pay the extra (if there is extra to pay) just for that reliability. That said, a few months ago I went on an SAA flight for the first time in years. Literally years. In 2017, my wife was going on a work trip to France and I warned her not to fly SAA at all. She was quite surprised by my emotion on the issue. But I pointed out that it was about to go bankrupt, and could run out of money to buy fuel literally anywhere in the world. I mean Dudu Myeni was still the chairperson at the time … so anything could happen. And as much as she would enjoy France, she would be stuck there. My first indication I was back on SAA was an email from them asking if I wanted to buy the seat next to me. While the flight had been booked by a company, I could, for not much money, ensure that the seat next to me was empty. It was easy to pay with my credit card. While not much of a gambler, I decided to take the risk and see if I got it for free. And I did. The person on the other side of our free seat told me she'd taken the same gamble. As a pair of winners, we both agreed that flying on an SAA plane brought back a flood of memories. I had been taken back to a time before flying lost its lustre. Even the in-flight staff, incredibly professional and welcoming, were a reminder of an almost previous age. Back when flying was still magic. It lasted until the moment I got my iPad out and got back to work. Happy memories Those happy memories must be a wonderful help to SAA now. I feel literally stuff-all for Mango. When I worked at the SABC, I always knew that if I was flying anywhere, it would be on an SAA ticket. Parastatal to parastatal, if you know what I mean. I used to groan when the SAA flight became a Mango flight (how did that happen all the time, I wonder?). My memory of them was that they were just always late. You were always sitting in the airport waiting for the bloody thing to arrive. And when it did, you knew that it was going to be a horrible rush. And while SAA gave you an in-flight meal (and, amazingly, a drink) on Mango, you got an R80 voucher. I used to get so incensed that I'd use the voucher to buy one or two things and then ask the other passengers around me what they'd like. I was determined to use the full value of the voucher just to spite them. The poor steward's expression suggested I was not the first person who'd done this. So, I can't really understand who'd want to take up Mango now. It doesn't seem to have any assets that are really worth using. It doesn't have planes, or even routes. Maybe someone has a better understanding of the aviation industry than I do. Maybe there's a gap in the market somewhere. But I think to make Mango fly again is going to require an awful lot.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Cornwall artist looks for back-to-back awards
An artist from Cornwall is looking to go back-to-back by winning an art prize two years in a Griffiths' painting of a Texaco garage in Newquay called 'Driving Home' won The People's Choice Award 2024 as part of the British Art Prize and featured in the Artists & Illustrators years entry is 'Insert Coin to Begin', which is a painting of an amusement arcade, also in Newquay. It has made the top 50 of the SAA (Supporting All Artists) Artists of the Year 2025 - which means it's eligible for a People's Choice Award. Members of the public can now cast their vote for the winner through the Zealous website.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Security expert Michael Shoebridge claims Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's 'embarrassing' China play risking Australia's future
Strategic Analysis Australia director Michael Shoebridge has warned the Albanese government's "embarrassing" approach to China risks harming the nation's future. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is currently in Beijing for his second official visit to China and will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday. The visit comes amid significant scrutiny over how the government is managing ties with the United States, with some analysts suggesting Labor's approach to Beijing risked alienating the nation's most important ally. Speaking to Sky News Australia, Mr Shoebridge argued recent public demands from officials in the Trump Administration for Australia to up its defence spending and give assurances over the use of nuclear submarines were "a sign of the state of the alliance". Similar requests were normally made in private, the SAA director explained, making the recent calls "really odd". Mr Shoebridge suggested Mr Albanese's recent comments on China were unlikely to improve the situation, saying the Prime Minister did not "seem to know" the purpose of a key military exercise designed to help respond to threats from Beijing. "This is why so many American troops, along with other partners like Japan and South Korea, are turning up in Australia with this big Talisman Sabre exercise that's happening right when the Prime Minister is in China," he said. "He (Mr Albanese) doesn't seem to know what the purpose of the exercise is, but it's to be able to practise having military forces operate out of Australia to protect Australia and to conduct a military campaign in the region, most likely against China, and by doing that to demonstrate China shouldn't start a war." Despite pleas from a number of experts for the Prime Minister to take a harder line on China, Mr Albanese has instead used his latest trip to talk up closer trade ties with Beijing and encourage Chinese tourists to visit Australia. According to Mr Shoebridge, the failure to address security concerns was an "embarrassing" error, which could leave Australia in a precarious position. Referencing the Prime Minister's remark Australia depended upon "free and fair trade" the SAA director warned China could not be trusted to uphold its agreements and urged the government to diversify away from Beijing. "What a mystifying comment from the Prime Minister that we depend on free and open trade," he said. "Beijing does not engage in free and opened trade. Beijing hit Australia over the head with $20 billion of coercive trade barriers that it's now removed. Meanwhile, it's hitting the rest of the world over the ahead around rare earth access because it's weaponized its economy. "It wants countries to become more dependent on it so that it can use its economy as a weapon and the Prime Minister is signing up to have this done to Australia. It's embarrassing and it's a national interest error. "We are just being lazy and very short-sighted in doubling down on our trade dependence with China when we know China uses its economy as a weapon. The Europeans aren't doing this, Japan's not doing this. America's certainly not doing, but we are."
Zawya
4 days ago
- Science
- Zawya
UNESCO cements UAE's historical significance by inscribing Sharjah's Faya as the only Arab World Heritage Site inscription this year
Bodour Al Qasimi: The inscription of the Faya Palaeolandscape affirms Sharjah's contribution to the cradle of early human history and highlights the Arabian Peninsula's central role in humanity's journey out of Africa. We remain fully committed to protecting Faya and preserving our ancestors' legacy so it continues to inspire generations worldwide. Faya Palaeolandscape has achieved a monumental milestone, becoming the latest addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Faya Palaeolandscape bears one of the oldest and most continuous records of early human presence in arid environments for over 200,000 years, documenting the deep roots of cultural traditions in the region. UNESCO's historic recognition for Faya also highlights the Arabian Peninsula's central role in humanity's journey out of Africa. New research and archaeological discoveries conducted by Sharjah Archaeological Authority (SAA), in collaboration with global experts, prove that Faya served as a destination for early human settlement; not only a transit point for migration. As one of the earliest continuous records of human existence outside Africa, it affirms our ancestors' ingenuity and our region's contribution to the cradle of early human history. Over the past 30 years, scientists have excavated the Faya site, uncovering 18 distinct archaeological layers of earth, each representing a different period of human activity. Paris: The UAE has crossed a major milestone in heritage preservation as the 47th annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris has reached a consensus decision to inscribe Sharjah's Faya Palaeolandscape in its prestigious list. The cultural heritage property, situated in the emirate's central region in the UAE, has been recognised for its outstanding universal value (OUV) for holding one of the world's oldest and most continuous records of early human presence in arid environments over 200,000 years. The Faya Palaeolandscape is an intact fossil desert landscape. Faya's critical role as a repeated destination for habitation has fundamentally altered our understanding of prehistoric life in Southeast Arabia, and represents a significant milestone in human evolution. This is what makes the inscription of Faya on the World Heritage List extremely significant. Until the inscription of Faya, desert Paleolithic sites were not represented in the World Heritage List. Under the 'Cultural Landscape' category, this year, Faya Paleolandscape was the only Arab nomination considered by the World Heritage Committee, making this achievement even more historic and meaningful for Sharjah, UAE and the wider region. Faya now stands as the second site in the UAE to receive this recognition, after The Cultural Sites of Al Ain inscribed in 2011. The inscription of Faya Palaeolandscape globally affirms Sharjah's and the UAE's place as a cradle of early human history. There are currently 96 UNESCO World Heritage Sites inscribed across the Arab States region, spanning a total of 18 different countries. Deserts represent 20% of global habitats. They are located at critical waypoints of humanity's journey to the colonisation of the entire planet. Their settlement reflects a critical chapter of humanity's past. Unlike areas traditionally viewed as mere corridors for human migration, decades of interdisciplinary research at Faya have revealed it as a repeated destination for habitation, fundamentally altering our understanding of prehistoric life in Southeast Arabia. Over 30 years of meticulous excavations, led by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) in collaboration with international institutions such as the University of Tübingen that specialises in prehistory archaeology and Oxford Brookes University's department on palaeoenvironment study, have uncovered 18 distinct archaeological layers. This historic inscription reinforces the UAE and Sharjah's consistent efforts and importance in safeguarding humanity's shared heritage and highlights the decades-long commitment of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to scientific research, cultural preservation and global collaboration. 'The inscription affirms Sharjah's contribution to the cradle of early human history' Accepting this historic recognition on behalf of the UAE and Sharjah, Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, who serves as the official ambassador for Faya's nomination file, thanked the World Heritage Committee's Chair and distinguished members for recognising that Faya's story is part of the shared story of humanity. 'On behalf of the United Arab Emirates and the Emirate of Sharjah, I extend our deepest thanks to the World Heritage Committee, the Advisory Bodies, and the World Heritage Centre for this historic recognition', she continued, adding, 'the inscription of the Faya Palaeolandscape affirms Sharjah's contribution to the cradle of early human history and highlights the Arabian Peninsula's central role in humanity's journey out of Africa. The stone tools found at Faya, over 200,000 years old, are testimony of our ancestors' ingenuity and the deep roots of human cultural tradition in our region.' 'We remain fully committed to protecting this site and honouring those who came before us by ensuring their legacy continues to inspire generations around the world,' she concluded. 'Faya now belongs to all the peoples of the world, just as it did over 200,000 years ago' According to H.E. Eisa Yousif, Director-General, Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA): 'The UAE and Sharjah resonate deeply with the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's ethos of the universal belonging of inscribed sites, and we strongly promote free cultural and humanistic exchange even in a world with borders. The human race has thrived as a result of the fluidity of movement and free exploration that the old world order allowed us. Therefore, we are equally proud and happy to bring Faya Paleolandscape into the fold of the UNESCO World Heritage List, as a result of which it now belongs to all the peoples of the world, just as it did more than 200,000 years ago.' 'This inscription is the culmination of a carefully coordinated effort combining scientific rigor, cultural stewardship, and international diplomacy - all aligned with Sharjah's broader 30-year vision to integrate heritage, education, and community development', he further noted. Sharjah formally submitted the nomination file for Faya to UNESCO in February 2024, after 12 years of preparation of the nomination dossier and the property. These preparations have been informed and enriched by more than 30 years of intensive archaeological work, environmental studies, and conservation planning. Faya Palaeolandscape has received this global recognition after undergoing a rigorous evaluation based on UNESCO's established criteria designed to ensure that only those sites with exceptional significance and future relevance are included. Sharjah shares a future plan for Faya demonstrating continued commitment to protecting global human and cultural heritage The UAE and Sharjah have established a robust management and conservation plan (2024–2030) for the Faya Palaeolandscape. This initiative aims to uphold the site's Outstanding Universal Value according to UNESCO standards, while being continually committed to promoting research, education, and sustainable tourism. It serves as a prime example of integrating heritage preservation with scientific exploration and community involvement This commitment is also demonstrated in Sharjah's past efforts in this field. For 11 years, Faya Paleolandscape has been a cornerstone site within UNESCO's Human Evolution, Adaptations, Dispersals and Social Developments (HEADS) Programme, alongside iconic sites like Klasies River Caves and Wonderwerk Cave in Africa. This long standing partnership between UNESCO and Faya Paleolandscape underscores the site's role in advancing global palaeoanthropological research, environmental studies, and international heritage cooperation. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located. The World Heritage List includes 1226 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. These include 955 cultural, 231 natural and 40 mixed properties in 168 States Parties. For more information, visit
