An update on the amendments to the Road Accident Fund in South Africa. At the time of drafting this article, the RAF is in the final process of amending the general damages pay-outs to road accident victims. This means that victims of road accidents will no longer get a pay-out for general damages. General damages are paid to people for what is known as ‘pain and suffering’ and can include trauma. Below is very brief summary of the RAF changes in near future. The proposed changes: Road Accident Benefit Scheme Bill In 2005 general damages claims were limited to serious pain and suffering only. Now the RAF plans to drop these pay-outs altogether. The RAF also plans to setup a standard medical tariff for medical costs and adjusting its pay-outs to be made on a monthly basis, instead of a lump sum. A draft bill called RABS for Road Accident Benefit Scheme will change the process of Road accident fund claims substantially. The reasons behind the draft bill includes the rise in fraudulent claims which has hurt the RAF, and the fact that it has a R215bn liability. RABS seeks to lower costs of legal cases against the RAF significantly. While this bill has been touted as a shift in approach from the RAF as insurance fund to a social-security benefit system, mismanagement cannot be ignored and the RAF should be under more scrutiny. A well-meaning amendment bill which benefits lower-income people more than higher-income people is not a bad thing, but the RAF should be held more accountable with stricter people management, systems, checks and balances to manage an entity that has such an important mandate. This is not a political article so let’s get on with how you claim from the RAF in 2019, until the new bill is ratified by Parliament. What does this mean for any claim you may have against the RAF? You will need to join the queue of existing Road accident fund claims to be paid out; expect a wait as RAF claims can take up to seven years to settle. …
New port helicopters in service
Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) two new port helicopters, manufactured by Italian global high-tech company, Leonardo, are in service at the Ports of Durban and Richards Bay. The acquisition of new helicopters has been a priority for TNPA under the Transnet Market Demand Strategy and its fleet renewal programme, which seeks to improve operational efficiency and safety in the ports. The craft will service the KwaZulu-Natal ports where they will transfer marine pilots onto and off visiting ships for vessels to be guided in safely and efficiently. Acting Chief Executive, Nozipho Mdawe, said the two new helicopters would help TNPA to improve our service offering to our customers and improve the overall reliability of its marine service at the Ports of Durban and Richards Bay. “As TNPA, we are delighted to have reached this milestone and to be responding to industry calls for a more efficient and reliable marine pilot service in our Ports of Durban and Richards Bay. The AgustaWestland (AW 109SP) helicopters, valued at approximately R250 million in total, will replace helicopters that are reaching the end of their life cycle. The new craft will bring benefits for our customers and improve the global competitiveness of our ports, resulting in economic benefits to the region.” The Ports of Durban and Richards Bay are presently the only ports in TNPA’s complementary port system which use helicopters to transfer marine pilots. However, the service will also be introduced at the Port of Cape Town. The new Cape Town helicopter is due in 2022. South Africa pioneered the concept of transferring marine pilots to and from vessels by helicopter and is understood to be one of only three countries in the world that offer this service to improve efficiency, reliability and competitiveness of the South African port system . The AW109SP is a modern top-of-the-range light twin-engine helicopter with excellent operational flexibility as well as high safety …
Cornubia Shoppers are winners!
Phoenix mom, Shamini Chetty, was completely overwhelmed when told that she’d won a brand new Nissan Almera from the Win a Car Competition at Cornubia Mall. When Gagasi FM DJ Heazy called her live on air to inform her of her big win, she didn’t believe him at first! “I really thought it was a prank call! We’ve been through immense financial strain as a family. Many would think I’m just lucky but this is a blessing. This car is an answer to my prayers,” said Chetty when she handed over the keys on Saturday, July 27th. The General Manager of Cornubia Mall, Lara Gracie said that the competition drew thousands of entries, as it was offered exclusively to shoppers who purchased a minimum of R100 at any of the participating Cornubia Mall stores. The competition ran from the 15th June 2019. Running concurrently with the exciting car handover was a competition for shoppers to win their share of vouchers worth R20 000. Those that spent just R50 at any of the participating outlets in mall just needed to snap a picture with the Cornubia Selfie frame, login to Cornubia Mall’s official Facebook and post their picture on the Snap and Win event to stand a chance to win. This was just one of the exciting competitions and events to which shoppers can look forward to in months to come. The mall continues to evolve into one of the East Coast’s most exciting shopping destinations as it prepares to welcome Puma to the mall in the upcoming month. Cornubia mall opened in 2017 and offers a unique shopping experience with easy access, convenience, free parking (open and covered) as well as unlimited free Wi-Fi and a beautiful open air Town Square; which makes this centre a must see destination. The mall is perfectly located between Mt Edgecombe and Phoenix and just a short hop from the N2 interchange. With over 115 stores in entertainment, lifestyle, dining, fashion and more. The mall also has several Durban firsts, including BOUNCE Inc, Nu Metro 4DX, The Consol Store and …
Grand opening of Engen MyCiti in Sandton
The people of Sandton are set to reap the yummy goodness of a 24-hour Woolworths Foodstop and a diverse range of convenience services at the brand-new Engen MyCiti Convenience Centre, which officially launched on 30 May 2019. Engen MyCiti is located on the corner of South Road and Rivonia Road in Sandton. Customers can indulge their sweet cravings with freshly baked Krispy Kreme donuts as well as a bouquet of convenience offerings, including Woolies food, an Engen Quickshop, a trendy coffee shop and an upmarket bakery. ATM machines covering major banking brands are also available. The Engen site, arguably the biggest fuel station in the area, is ideally located in the exclusive MyCiti complex. On completion, MyCiti is set to offer a wide variety of retail components, including six upmarket restaurants, doctor’s rooms, a pharmacy, a liquor store, a full SPA and various fast food outlets. The MyCiti complex is monitored 24/7 with security cameras and is equipped with ample parking. The new Engen site also offers customer’s quality fuels such as Engen Primax Unleaded and Engen Dynamic Diesel 50ppm. The owner of Engen MyCiti, Danny Zhang is extremely excited to launch the site and to partner with Woolworths Foodstop. “Our customers are really looking forward to this offering as it enables them access to Woolworths Foodstop at any time of the day or night,” says Zhang, adding that the site is well positioned and serves both commuter traffic and local residents. “The Engen brand has a substantial footprint and is well known amongst our customers who have come to associate themselves with Engen’s brand promise of With us you are Number One.” Says Engen’s Head of Retail, Seelan Naidoo: “Engen is very excited to see our network flourishing. Convenience and customer service remain key determinants of success in our industry." “We wish our new dealer Danny Zhang and his team every success.” CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
“Fire in the Hold” a Relic of the Past with Maritime Thermal Event Monitoring
The phrase ‘fire in the hold’ could be consigned to the dustbin of maritime history if the shipping industry was obliged to install thermal imaging systems on all new cargo vessels. Critical thermal event alarm notification and monitoring solutions have received renewed attention from the global maritime sector following a series of devastating fire-related incidents involving cargo ships. “Thermal-based events have a long and unfortunate history in shipping,” says Philip Smerkovitz, Managing Director of thermal imaging specialist, GoThermal.co.za. “And they don’t always involve raging infernos.” Mr Smerkovitz points to the fact that the Titanic, for example, was on fire for days before it sank. “We know now that an out-of-control coal fire played a part in the sinking of the world’s most famous vessel,” he says. Just last month, a major fire in the coal repository of a bulk carrier was reported in the Indian port of Haldia. The fire was reported to be ‘major’ and needing the attention of all firefighting vehicles in the area. “The problem with coal fires is that the nature of the product means smoldering embers can often be inadvertently brought aboard. This is where thermal imaging really comes into its own,” Mr Smerkovitz says. Thermal imaging solutions installed at coal plants can help ensure that contaminated product can be scanned for thermal signatures before coal is then transported to the vanning area where it is further scanned and monitored before being taken aboard. Aboard ship, handheld equipment can further complete the thermal safety loop. GoThermal.co.za has collaborated with world leaders in thermal imaging, FLIR Systems, to develop, sell and support critical thermal temperature notification and monitoring solutions ideally-suited for the local and overseas maritime industry. Remotely monitoring equipment and facilities with thermal cameras can detect potential issues unseen to the human eye. This means a rise in temperature …
Port of Cape Town to Introduce Helicopter Marine Pilotage Service
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken the decision to introduce a helicopter service at its Port of Cape Town to transfer marine pilots onto and off visiting vessels. This would make the port one of three within the South African port landlord’s complementary port system that offer the service, the others being Durban and Richards Bay. TNPA expects to commission the helicopter in Cape Town in 2021, according to GM: Infrastructure and Port Planning, Hamilton Nxumalo. In 2018 TNPA began exploring options to introduce a helicopter service after ongoing weather-related disruptions and high swell conditions negatively impacted on port operations and service in Cape Town. The port has traditionally used pilot boats to transfer marine pilots between vessels. Port of Cape Town Harbour Master, Captain Alex Miya, said: “We are extremely pleased to moving forward with a helicopter marine pilotage service at our Port of Cape Town after our recent successful test exercise in 2018 indicated that this is a viable service to offer here. This was coupled with a fully-fledged feasibility study and engagements with customers to determine the best approach.” TNPA has an existing fleet of three ageing AgustaWestland (AW 109) helicopters to service the Ports of Durban and Richards Bay but through its Fleet Replacement Programme has procured two new helicopters with an estimated valued of R250 million in total. South Africa pioneered the concept of transferring marine pilots to and from vessels by helicopter when conditions require the service to preserve marine turnaround times and it is understood to be one of only three countries in the world that offer the service. The Port of Cape Town is also striving to replace two of its workboats by 2019/20 and a request has been made to bring forward the replacement of two tugs and two launches to 2019/20 instead of 2020/21 in order to meet industry needs. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
Project to Restore Durban Dry Dock in Full Swing
The rehabilitation of the inner caisson, which divides the Port of Durban’s Prince Edward Graving Dock into two compartments, enabling two smaller vessels to be docked simultaneously, is in full swing. It is among 11 large-scale projects earmarked for the Durban Dry Dock complex, of which the R48 million refurbishment of the dry dock’s 35-metre-long, 900ton outer caisson which closes off the dry dock from the rest of the harbour, was the first to be completed in 2016. “The R 61 500 700 project to repair the inner caisson and upgrade the drive system has been undertaken to ensure the safety of the dry dock and the sustainability of the ship repair business in Durban,” said Dumisani Mkhize, Deputy Port Engineer at the Port of Durban, who is managing the project. Erwin Skeepers, Business Unit Manager: Ship Repair and Workshops in the Port of Durban, added: “Rehabilitation of the inner caisson will improve the operational efficiency, reinstate the dry dock to its full capacity and improve operational safety. It will equip ship repairers who use our facility to be more competitive, helping to attract more business to South Africa.” The rehabilitation follows extensive technical studies which identified parts of the caisson that had aged and deteriorated and were in need of attention. Various options were explored with professional inputs and ultimately it was decided to repair the inner caisson to the original design. The rehabilitation includes major structural design improvements on re-built decks and compartments, which are being built in a controlled environment in an off-site engineering workshop. These will be pre-trial fitted before being sent to site, greatly improving fabrication quality and ease of fitment on site. Design and fabrication of the new steel sections has already been completed. “The caisson has been taken apart at C and D deck levels and the A and B deck steel structures have been cut up for scrap. The next big milestone will be …
Husband and wife team fuel Cape Town
Phumla and Songezo Nayo are a testament to hard work paying off. The married couple, who entered the fuel industry, with no prior experience were committed and absolutely determined to make their new business work. Today the Nayo’s are the proud owners of not one, but two Engen petrol stations, with their eye on future growth. They first opened Engen Vredehoek Service Station in Oranjezicht in 2011 and in 2015 they opened Engen Eastlake Convenience Centre in Muizenberg. “Owning two Engen service stations gave us, as a black family, an opportunity to contemplate creating intergenerational wealth, something that is still elusive for Black South Africans,” says Phumla With a BAdmin (Hons) in Industrial Psychology and having worked for a number of years as a human resources specialist and independent consultant at some of South Africa’s top corporate companies, Phumla’s HR background has played an important role in building her team of employees and ensuring that her customers get great service. “I am passionate about people development, empowerment and service excellence,” she says. The couple’s cross-section of skills complement each other. Songezo has an MBA from UCT and strong management skills, having gained solid business experience as the previous MD of SA Rugby and having run his own sports management business. “Our first break came when Engen gave us an opportunity to be caretakers of Engen Vredehoek, which was a good platform for us to gain industry experience. Breaking into the industry was initially tough as we had to overcome perceptions of black run businesses, which meant having to prove ourselves over and over again,” says Songezo. Today, success for the couple is having had the opportunity to create jobs at their service stations and invest in the development and empowerment of their employees. “We work very well together because we have mutual goals and interests. We implicitly trust each other’s skills and each one allows the …
Logistics Runs On Like-Minded, Time-Focused Partnerships
Like-minded partnerships with people who share the logistics industry’s total commitment to on-time delivery are the best way to grow the sector in challenging times. That’s the word from Brent Cramer, Director of TruSeal (Pty) Ltd, who says tamper-evident security seals help secure moveable goods in a way that meets time-based targets. Although resilient, this pivotal sector that channels trade throughout South Africa and the world is currently being hit by an increasing reliance on road transport which comes with greater costs and the threat posed by criminals and the ever-present danger of protests. “Tamper evident security seals can reduce the turnaround time in moving goods from A to B and thereby prove to be a valuable time saver in an industry that runs on efficiently managing the precious resources that are hours, minutes and seconds,” says Mr Cramer. Mr Cramer outlined five ways the security seal industry contributes to saving those valuable minutes: TruSeal security seals are highly tamper evident, so quick inspection will alert if theft or tampering has occurred. Barcoded security seal numbers are easily scanned into a database system rather than manual recording saving time and eliminating human error. TruSeal security seals can be customized according to a range of colours and print options to fit client branding requirements. Barcodes can also be added for electronic capturing. Local printing facilities ensure TruSeal products can be customised for our unique commercial and industrial environment while also always being available to the logistics industry at short notice. Security seals from TruSeal create an entire accountability system. This enhances efficiency and timesaving throughout the entire process of transporting goods. Finally, the advantages of being able to identify theft and tampering quickly by using numbered security seals is obvious for any driver, warehouse worker or business owner who have ever had to …
SA Taxi Foundation delivers broad impact with focused CSI initiative
South Africa faces numerous challenges. Two of the most prolific issues that require urgent and immediate attention are rampant unemployment and a failing public education system, as both exacerbate poverty and inequality in the country. While national government continues to address these issues through structural reforms, increased spending on education, student funding and broader access to schools, more is required to accelerate change within the system. This is where the private sector must play a more significant role. As part of its comprehensive corporate social investment (CSI) programme, the SA Taxi Foundation adopted the JB Matabane High School in Ivory Park, Midrand. The company's aim is to establish a grassroots project that will increase access to educational opportunities and benefit learners within the company's local community. “The foundation funds projects and invests in initiatives that aim to make a meaningful contribution to and deliver a lasting social and economic impact on more South Africans,” explains Maroba Maduma, director at the SA Taxi Foundation. But rather than apply the conventional hands-off CSI approach of donating funds and walking away, the foundation developed a programme to promote sustainability and leave a legacy at the school. “Our initiatives span counselling and career development for grade 11 and 12 students, bursaries, and extra lessons, including a winter school, mentoring, goal setting sessions and tutoring.” elaborated Maduma. In 2018, the career empowerment programme helped 243 grade 11 students and 173 grade 12 learners find their ideal career fit. “This process included psychometric testing, career consultation, career talks and workplace readiness programmes,” he adds. As a follow up to this process, SA Taxi's sister company, Transaction Capital Risk Service this year invited 50 JB Matabane learners on a workplace orientation trip and conducted aptitude testing as a means to identify suitable …