South Africa: South Gauteng deeds office remains open for business
In a statement issued on Tuesday, 1 July, the department acknowledged that while the facility is experiencing infrastructure challenges, services to the public and clients continue uninterrupted.
'The department has previously acknowledged the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issues in the building, which include, sometimes, dysfunctional lifts, intermittent poor lighting, and other challenges.
'Additionally, we have indicated that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is in the process of securing a suitable building. It has been incorrectly reported by the media that services have been compromised,' the department said.
The department said the area, which is currently experiencing delays, is the data capturing after registration.
Despite these challenges, the department has assured that performance targets continue to be met and exceeded.
'In terms of the target of 95% of deeds and documents made available within seven days from the date of lodgements for execution, the office performance is at 97%. The office exceeded the target.
'In terms of the target of 95% of deeds delivered within 10 days from the date of registration, the office delivered 99% in 32 days. The backlog is due to the Occupational Health and Safety challenges,' the department said.
To address the situation, interim alternative working arrangements have been implemented to ensure business continuity, and additional measures are underway to address the data capturing backlog.
'Members of the public and clients requiring services at the South Gauteng Deeds Office are advised to note that the office is open and operational,' the department said.
All rights reserved. © 2022. Bizcommunity.com Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
36 minutes ago
- Zawya
Platinum prices have limited upside after June's stellar rally
LONDON - Platinum prices have limited room to rise further after a record quarterly rally, analysts and traders said, with Chinese imports expected to soften and South African output to recover against a backdrop of still-muted auto sector demand. Prices of the metal surged 36% in the second quarter as a rise in Chinese imports and a drop in supply from major producer South Africa followed earlier heavy flows into NYMEX exchange stocks on fears platinum would be hit by U.S. import tariffs. In June alone, prices jumped 28% as hedge funds and speculative traders piled in, notching their strongest month since 1986 and hitting an 11-year high of $1,432.6 an ounce. "Platinum has broken out of a decade-long range, and, in doing so, has put itself on the radar of professional and retail investors alike who now think 'Hey, this is really undervalued fundamentally'," said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader. "But there has been a lot of volatility at the highs, and the market will want to see bigger demand from China and/or exchange-traded funds for a sustained move higher," he added. After strong deliveries of platinum to NYMEX stockpiles between December and March on fears the metal would be hit by April's reciprocal U.S. tariffs, tight near-term availability led lease rates to spike, forcing industrial users to buy instead of borrow. While platinum group metals were eventually excluded from the April tariffs, another probe ordered by Trump in mid-April into potential new tariffs on all U.S. critical minerals imports meant uncertainty continued. Meanwhile, data from the world's largest PGMs producer South Africa showed mined output of the metals fell 24% in April, capping what Morgan Stanley referred to as "exceptionally weak" production data for the first four months of 2025. China's platinum imports were also strong in the quarter, at 10 metric tons in April and 10.5 tons in May. That followed research from industry group WPIC showing Chinese platinum jewellery fabrication rose 26% in the first quarter. Put together, those factors made up "an explosive mixture for higher prices", one trader said. BULLS RUNNING OUT OF PUFF But explosions tend to be short-lived, and analysts question whether there is enough underlying support to sustain a stronger rally. Metals Focus sees the global platinum market in a deficit of 529,000 ounces this year, but the resulting reduction in above-ground stocks will still leave them at 9.2 million ounces, equal to 14 months of demand - a fairly comfortable buffer. While uncertainty over U.S. trade policy on platinum lingers, raising import tariffs for the metal would ultimately be counterintuitive, says Wilma Swarts, director of PGMs at Metals Focus, as North American supply falls short of the region's demand. Platinum lease rates, which touched 22.7% in June, have since fallen back to 11.6%. Mine supply in South Africa meanwhile is expected to show signs of recovery in the second half, with overall global mined output seen down just 6% in the year as a whole. "There were definitely some challenges with the rains, power and water disruptions in southern Africa between January and March, but nothing major or out of ordinary," said Johan Theron, spokesperson for Impala Platinum. And strength in physical demand for platinum in China only lasted until prices topped $1,050 in early June, according to one trader. China's June import data, due on July 20, is expected to show a decline after very strong platinum deliveries in the previous two months. That leaves the platinum market vulnerable to one of the last decade's most bearish factors - waning demand from the auto sector, which uses the metal as a component in catalytic converters for combustion-engine cars. CAR TROUBLE Long-term pressure on the platinum group metals from the expansion of electric vehicles persists, while global trade disputes have further dampened the auto sector's mid-term outlook. Auto production forecasters have removed as much as 10 million units from production projections over the next four years, and lower vehicle production will lead to weaker PGMs demand, Metals Focus said. The consultancy is forecasting auto sector platinum demand to decline by 2% this year after a 3% fall last year. Nornickel, the world's largest palladium producer, says any further rise in platinum prices could lead catalyst producers towards more substitution of the metal for palladium. Price spreads between the two metals of more than 30% would encourage that, it said. Platinum was 22% more expensive than palladium on Thursday. But while analysts and traders are cautious about further gains in platinum prices, they are not expecting them to correct. StoneX analyst Rhona O'Connell said some of China's high April-May platinum imports could be in part a bargain-hunting exercise. "China is renowned for buying material that is out of favour," she said. "And although the electrification of the vehicle fleet is advancing apace, the internal combustion engines and the diesel sector are still in place." Analysts see prices stabilising at levels above those seen before the rally, supporting miners' margins as the market heads for a third year of structural deficit. (Reporting by Polina Devitt and Anushree Mukherjee; Additional reporting by Felix Njini and Anastasia Lyrchikova; Editing by Veronica Brown and Jan Harvey)
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
Saudi's NWC expected to award Rabigh sewage infrastructure project in Q3
Saudi Arabia's National Water Company (NWC)is expected to award the tender for the Rabigh Sewage Network and Pumping Stations Extension Project, located in Rabigh in Makkah province towards the end of the third quarter of 2025. The tender was released on 22 May 2025 with a bid submission deadline of 26 June 2025. "The construction contract award is scheduled for September 2025 with project completion targeted for the third quarter of 2027," a source aware of the details told Zawya Projects. The scope includes 36 kilometres of sewage slope networks, with pipe diameters ranging from 200mm to 800mm, and all required civil, mechanical, and electrical works to complete three lifting stations. (Reporting by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon) ( Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Lebanon ready for take-off: Minister pushes for airport upgrades and investment
A Lebanese government minister is taking a pragmatic, business-minded approach to reviving the country's collapsing infrastructure, expanding its overstretched international airport and eventually launching a second hub in the north. As Lebanon emerges from war and economic turmoil, and exits a period of political paralysis, Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny is betting on steady short-term improvement projects and foreign investment to rehabilitate the public infrastructure of a country operating at a mere fraction of its capacity after years of crisis. 'Things are extremely challenging due to years of mismanagement,' Mr Rasamny told The National at his office this week. A former entrepreneur and business leader, the minister acknowledges the deep institutional dysfunction challenging ministerial progress – from staffing shortages to outdated equipment – but is pushing through with a steady, 'step-by-step' strategy that focuses on what he calls 'doable' priorities. His ministry will begin by increasing the capacity of Beirut's overstretched Rafic Hariri International Airport from 8.6 million passengers to more than 10 million within the next year, and enacting a fast-track for passengers. The project has already shown tangible progress with the addition of new X-ray machines, ticket scanners and e-gates, all of which enable faster passage through the airport. 'Over a period of one year, you will see a lot of changes in the existing Rafic Hariri International Airport,' Mr Rasamny said. 'We're enhancing the existing terminal. So many things can be done with the current facility." The minister said the opening of a second terminal, as cited in recent reports, was a 'long-term plan". "We have a lot of long-term plans. But we need to be realistic. What can be achieved now? What can be achieved later?' he said. Mr Rasamny also plans to reopen the dormant Qlayaat Airport in the northern governorate of Akkar, which he believes has the potential to 'cater for low-cost airlines and cargo'. 'Promising environment' The success of his plans depends not only on technical execution but on whether Lebanon can persuade foreign investors that, despite years of political and economic turmoil, the country is once again open for business. It is not a hard sell any more. Fourteen months of war between Israel and Hezbollah have left the Iran-backed paramilitary military depleted and politically constrained, allowing the Lebanese state to reassert control with the backing of western powers. After years of paralysis, caught between Iran and its allies on one side and the US and its backers on the other, Lebanon is finally able to move in a clear direction. 'The environment we are facing is very promising,' Mr Rasamny said. 'We've seen the worst. We're still functioning – and we haven't yet exploited Lebanon's full potential.' Mr Rasamny said his ministry is finalising the tender book for bidding, saying the airport is courting 'a lot of interest from neighbouring countries, the Gulf, from joint ventures and operating companies'. Investors are 'interested in Lebanon in general', he added. Launching the tender book for Qlayaat will hinge on amending Lebanon's Public-Private Partnership Law in parliament. Mr Rasamny said he is optimistic and hopes to receive the tender book 'before September' and sign with an investor by the first quarter. The project has seen 'a lot of interest' from a variety of investors. 'Lebanon for them is a gateway, and they are right,' Mr Rasamny told The National. 'It's a gateway to the Mediterranean. It's a gateway to Iraq. It's close to Syria.' 'Lebanon's full potential is not being exploited. And they [investors] can see that. Before, they could see Lebanon's potential, but for political reasons they couldn't do anything. Now, everything has changed.'
