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Denel Asia closing down, says Public Enterprises portfolio committee

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State-owned arms maker Denel is in the process of closing down the controversial Denel Asia joint venture, the company informed the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises on Wednesday. The committee was briefed by a delegation led by Denel chairperson Monhla Hlahla on the current state of forensic investigations at Denel.

Stakeholder development support aids growth in WC

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Continued development support offered by Western Cape organisations will aid manufacturing growth in the Western Cape, says event organiser Siyenza MD Liz Hart. These organisations comprise the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, Wesgro; City of Cape Town nonprofit organisation GreenCape; the provincial government; and national government, through the Department of Trade and Industry. Commenting on the annual Western Cape Manufacturing Indaba, held at the Century City Convention Centre in Cape Town last month, she adds that the event has boosted the growth potential of manufacturers in key sectors such as automotive, construction, metals, forestry, paper and packaging, chemicals and the green economy.

3D printing surging globally and South Africa is making its mark

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The global take-off of Additive Manufacturing (AM, popularly called 3D printing), it is now apparent, took place some six years ago. "2012 was a turning point in AM, globally," consultancy Wohlers Associates President Terry Wohlers tells "Engineering News". "The technology really gained attention, investment and traction, in comparison to what had been the case previously."

Measures in place to boost the Western Cape economy

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The Western Cape economy remains relatively stable despite challenges affecting consumer spending, says Western Cape Economic Opportunities Minister Beverley Schäfer. “The province has recorded good gains in employment, and continues to record the lowest expanded unemployment rate in the country.”

Egypt aims to kickstart African trade as it takes AU chair

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Egypt is promoting itself as a linchpin for intra-African trade and a model of economic reform as it prepares to chair the African Union in 2019. The country hosted a high-level business forum on Saturday and Sunday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh that will be followed by an intra-African trade fair in the coming week in the capital, Cairo.

South African students jet off for prestigious six-months internship with Boeing in USA

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Two South Africans will be jetting off to the United States next month for the coveted international business intern program (IBIP) at the Boeing Company's head office in Seattle, Washington. The American multinational aircraft maker said the University of Witwatersrand students, Robert Clark and Makhosazana Ncube, had caught the attention of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and were selected for its six month internship programme in Seattle, USA.

Airbus unveils first base for its very high altitude UAV

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Europe-based global aerospace and defence company Airbus Defence and Space recently announced, in Australia, that it had opened the first operational launch site for its Zephyr “High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite” (Haps) at the Western Australian town of Wyndham. The Zephyr is a very high (stratospheric) altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), powered by solar energy, with an average operating ceiling of 21 km (70 000 ft).

Aerospace industrial park should receive new tenants in four months

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The Centurion Aerospace Village (CAV) industrial park could be transformed from a national State-owned non-profit entity into a Gauteng Provincial Government-owned for-profit company, CAV CEO Lance Schultz told “Engineering News Online” on Thursday. “We are conducing a due diligence into our possible incorporation,” he reported. “This would give us access to Government incentives. The preliminary report has been completed and it looks good.” If the CAV was “provincialised” it would fall under the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency, which, in turn, was under the Gauteng Department of Economic Development. In the meantime, the CAV was in the advanced stages of talks with the (national) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), concerning its short to medium term financing. Meanwhile, work was continuing on the site, in preparation for the two new tenants that CAV announced at the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2018 exhibition in September. “We are currently concluding all the minimum bulk earthworks and infrastructure,” he stated. This would allow the agency to receive the necessary authorisations from the Tshwane (greater Pretoria) Metropolitan Municipality for the new buildings to be occupied. These were expected by April.

Denel's accounts littered with flaws – Auditor General

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Shoddy and incomplete accounting at South Africa's troubled state-run arms firm Denel left the country's Auditor General unable to make a judgement on the soundness of its most recent financial statements, according to the firm's annual report. In the report the Auditor General listed more than 30 problems at Denel, which reported a 1.7 billion rand ($118 million) loss for 2017/18 and recently fired its Chief Financial Officer over allegations of misconduct, that left it unable to offer an opinion on its accounts.

Workers union Limusa slams Denel for appointing a white CEO, Daniel Du Toit

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The Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa (Limusa) on Monday rejected the appointment of Daniel du Toit as the group CE of State-owned arms manufacturer, Denel, saying that the Public Enterprises Minister must implement employment equity recommendations.   The department of public enterprises last month announced Du Toit as the new group chief executive after Cabinet approved the appointment. He is expected to assume duty on January 14, 2019.

Embraer, Boeing deal gets approval from the new Brazilian government

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The Brazilian government announced on Thursday that it had approved the creation of two joint ventures (JVs) between Brazilian aerospace company Embraer and US aerospace group Boeing. The Brazilian government holds a “golden share” in the originally State-owned Embraer, giving it power of veto over mergers, take-overs, and any other major changes within the company. Embraer will maintain full ownership of its business aviation and all its other defence, security, systems and space businesses. The first JV covers Embraer’s commercial aviation products, centred on its E-Jet and upgraded E-Jet E2 families of 70-seat to 146-seat airliners, but also including its 37-seat to 50-seat ERJ regional jet family. This JV will be 80%-owned by Boeing, for which the US group will be paying $4.2-billion (reportedly some 10% higher than its original offer), and 20% by Embraer. This JV is currently being referred to as NewCo.

Ethiopia charges ex-head of military firm METEC with corruption

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Ethiopia charged the former head of military-run industrial conglomerate METEC with corruption on Thursday, nearly two months after his arrest. Kinfe Dagnew was charged with four counts of corruption related to the procurement of tractors, said a judge in the Lideta High Court in Addis Ababa. His co-defendants faced three further charges. Kinfe was arrested after a months-long investigation into METEC, which uncovered suspicious procurement practices involving more than $2 billion.

Denel reaffirms commitment to transformation

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State-owned arms manufacturer Denel on Monday reaffirmed the validity of its decision to appoint Daniel du Toit group CEO, after stakeholders raised concerns. Du Toit’s appointment was announced in December.

SANDF warrant officer nabbed in alleged cash-for-jobs scam

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A warrant officer in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is expected to appear in the Thaba Tshwane military court on Tuesday following his arrest for alleged involvement in a cash-for-jobs scam. The man was arrested on Friday after an investigation by the military police and defence intelligence, SANDF spokesperson Brigadier General Mafi Mgobozi said. This followed tip-offs from "defrauded victims" in and around Tshwane, he said. "It is alleged that the suspect had promised ...

EU populist eyes $1bn for defence and wants trump to pay

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A populist on the European Union’s frontier with Russia says he needs $1-billion to bolster the military. And he wants the US to pay. Mart Helme’s EKRE party is hot on the heels of Estonia’s two biggest political groups before March elections, campaigning on an anti-immigration and tax-cutting platform. But his unlikely pledge to overcome President Donald Trump’s America First instincts and persuade him to fund a splurge on defence is also making waves.

US urges Zimbabwe military to practice restraint amid protests

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The United States Embassy in Harare on Thursday expressed concern over reports of violence in parts of Zimbabwe, urging all parties to exercise restraint. "We condemn any disproportionate use of force and call on Zimbabwe’s security forces to respond to civil unrest professionally and with respect for human life and constitutional rights.  We are also alarmed by credible reports that security forces are targeting and beating political activists and labour leaders," the United States mission said in a media statement.

Armscor grants CEO special leave to prepare for State capture inquiry

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Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor) CEO Kevin Wakeford has requested special leave, after his name was mentioned during testimony before the Zondo Commission Inquiry into State Capture last week. IOL News reported on Sunday that Bosasa’s former COO Angelo Agrizzi last week told the commission that Bosasa boss Gavin Watson had allegedly showered South African Post Office’s former head of security Sivivwe Mapisa and its former CE Maanda Manyatshe with expensive gifts.

South Africa says there is no Saudi proposal on Denel under consideration

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The South African government is not considering any proposal from Saudi Arabia on taking a stake in struggling state arms company Denel, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said, after the Gulf country offered to partner with Denel last year. "There is no proposal from the country in question under consideration," Gordhan said, answering a question from an Inkatha Freedom Party lawmaker about whether the government was considering selling a stake in Denel to the Saudis.

Airbus seeks to stimulate quantum computing for aircraft design

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Europe-based global major aerospace and defence group Airbus launched on Tuesday a global quantum computing development competition. The Airbus Quantum Computing Challenge (AQCC) is intended to stimulate proposals and solutions regarding “complex optimisation and modelisation” (in Airbus’ words) across the complete lifecycle of an aircraft, using the capabilities made available by the latest developments in computing. The group already employs high performance computing. “With traditional computers approaching their limits, the quantum computer promises to deliver a new level of computational power,” affirms the company. “Airbus is already extending current capacity by integrating and leveraging quantum technologies in field such as route optimisation and satellite imagery.” The aim of the AQCC is to move scientific developments from the laboratory to the factory, through using the recently-developed computing technologies to real-world industrial programmes. The challenge will run for the whole of this year. It is open to both individuals and teams, academics and start-up enterprises, post-graduate students, researchers, PhDs and professionals in the area of quantum computing. They will compete for access to hardware and for the chance to develop their concepts for industrialisation, in collaboration with industry experts from Airbus.

SANDF warns civilians against wearing its uniforms, man nabbed

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A 20-year-old Western Cape man allegedly seen on national television wearing an item of the uniform of the armed forces of the Republic of South Africa without authorisation has been arrested.  The arrested person was released on a warning and will appear before the Bellville Magistrate Court on Thursday.
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