WWF also indicated that over 80 percent of marine pollution originates from land. Reports also indicate that the Southern African country recycles only 16 percent of plastics produced, the rest ends up in landfills and eventually in rivers and other water sources destroying marine life.

South Africa in 2010 was ranked 11th on the list of the worst offenders regarding plastic pollution in the ocean.

Recycling of plastics has proven not to enough in regards to getting rid of plastic pollution. Today more than ever many companies are devising new ways to make plastic waste useful in attempts to counter plastic pollution.

A South African company is using plastic milk bottles to make roads. Shisalanga Construction, a South African company in September recently launched a pilot project to build a road using recycled plastic waste.

The company has now repaved over 400 metres in Cliffdale area in Durban. It used asphalt made with the equivalent of almost 40,000 recycled two-liter plastic milk bottles.

Normally, after collecting the plastics, the second step is sorting them, then cleaning. The company uses thick plastic typically used for milk bottles which they convert to small pellets using a recycling plant, they are then heated to 190 degrees Celsius before they are mixed with additives.

Apparently, prefabricated plastic roads are 60 percent stronger and up to three times longer than conventional roads. The cost of constructing them is also way lower.

KZN Department of Transport, which ordered the plastic repaving is happy with the results and has now commissioned a highway on-ramp in addition to the first road. Kit Ducasse, a control technician from the department said, “Time will tell, but what I’ve seen is great news.”

The company is looking to apply the same technology in the N3 highway and has submitted an application requesting to do so to South Africa National Roads Agency. In case approval is given, the technology could be rolled out across the nation.

South Africa is the latest and the first entrant in Africa to join the list of countries constructing roads with plastics. The idea of the plastic road was first raised in 2016 but it was given an approval beginning of 2019.

Featured Image Courtesy: Business line

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The move comes a decade after the Emmerson Mnangagwa-led country dumped its domestic currency due to hyperinflation.

According to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya, the currency whose name has not been unveiled yet consists of $5 notes and $2 coins which will be interchangeably used at par with bond coins and notes.

The money will be introduced in a phased manner to ensure it does not drive up inflation.

“We are going to be releasing money into circulation. To be precise, within the next two weeks, we will have the new currency,” Mangudya said.

Limits will be raised as to the maximum amount one will be allowed to withdraw.

Notably, the injection will be done through a non-inflationary exchange rate of the RTGS money for physical cash.

“When you are substituting your cash for plastic money, you don’t increase inflation, but what it does, it will help the population…to the extent that people are going to use their money without being charged premiums,” said Dr. Mangudya.

In June this year, the government reintroduced the Zim dollar making it the sole legal tender. Almost immediately inflation increased to 175 percent raising concerns whether the country was experiencing another hyperinflation.

Currently, Zimbabweans are living one of their worst times having to grapple with the rising cost of living, lack of foreign currencies to run businesses, severe fuel shortages, lack of medical supplies and 18-hour daily power blackouts, among many other challenges.

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“We are anticipating November drops of between 8 and 18 cents for petrol, 14 cents for diesel, and 21 cents for illuminating paraffin”, AA said.

October was the eighth consecutive month fuel prices hiked since the beginning of the year.

“The Rand has pulled back from its high point at the start of October. This ongoing decline in the average exchange rate has meant that most of its losses have been clawed back, and it will have only a modest impact on the fuel price,” the AA said while commenting on unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund (CEF).

Given that international oil prices also declined slightly as October elapsed, AA stated that it is anticipating that the same trend will extend to November.

“Whatever happens to the oil price and Rand from this point affects the price motorists will be paying at the pumps at Christmas. It remains to be seen whether this month’s reductions will continue for the rest of the year,” it said.

New fuel prices are announced every month normally influenced by many factors including slight changes in the global crude oil market.

Prices of fuel are incredibly unstable, altering quickly in response to news periods, policy adjustments and fluctuations in the world’s markets.

On Sept this year, the world received news that Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure suffered one of the biggest blow after its critical processing facilities were attacked. The Saudi oil attacks led to the biggest spurt in global prices since 1988 as it was the largest disruptions to the oil market ever.

Two sites were damaged by the attack decreasing Saudi Arabia’s oil production by 5.7 million barrels a day, from approximately 9.8 million.

Featured Image Courtesy: nzherald.co.nz

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The data showed that unemployment is highest (34.4 per cent) for those with less than matric while graduates recorded the lowest unemployment rate (8.2 per cent).

Youth aged between 15-24 years are the most affected as their unemployment rate stands at 58.2 per cent. On the other hand, the unemployment rate for those about to retire was only 9.9 per cent, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke commented saying the difference between the two is close to 50 percentage point.

Unemployment rates increased in three sectors with the formal sector recording the largest (43,000), then followed by the Agriculture sector (38 000), Private household (35,000).

In the informal sector, employment in the informal sector declined by 53 000 in the third quarter compared to the second quarter.

Employment decline in the third quarter was observed in manufacturing, construction, trade and utilities which shed off 30,000, 24,000, 21,000 and 18,000 jobs respectively.

The number of those economically inactive declined by 35,000 between the second and the third quarters of 2019, leading to a net increase of 9,000 in the not economically productive population, this is according to Stats SA.

The number of discouraged work-seekers increased by 44,000 in the third quarter.

“Compared to a year ago, total employment decreased by 5,000, the number of unemployed persons increased by 8.4 per cent (524,000), and the number of persons who were not economically active increased by 0.5 per cent (78,000),” the company said.

Featured Image Courtesy: youthemploymentdecade.org

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The story of the Mumias sugar company is still difficult to even contemplate. But one thing that has remained evident is the fact that politics has played a huge part in the slow and painful fall of the Kakamega-based plant.

Normally, declines can be dodged, detected and reversed, but for Mumias sugar company things seem to be getting from worse to worst despite several attempts to have it revived.

Well, there are failures that are so enormous that we would typically think that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, but for Mumias, the hope for a thriving future has always been there, more so given how big the company was.

Growing up in the ’90s, the only sugar brand we used was Mumias, it was always obvious whenever I would be sent to get sugar from the shops it had to be Mumias. The brand not only dominated the sugar market but also ruled supermarket shelves.

There is no doubt that Mumias was Kenya’s market leader, accounting for over half of total national output.

I do not know of what quality sugar is like but Mumias to me looked top-notch with its tiny and most uniform crystals which came in more convenient when baking cakes.

At its peak, Mumias Sugar was the largest sugar producer in the country producing up to 300,000 tonnes a year, which is half of today’s production of all the operating factories.

Data shows demand for the commodity has been increasing year after year while production has been decreasing. Kenya produces 600,000 tonnes of sugar annually and it relies on imports to meet its demand that currently stands at 900,000 tonnes.

Sugar imports grew by 70 per cent in the first nine months of 2019 in comparison with the same period last year as the country relied majorly on imports to cover for the deficit. Between January and September this year, the country imported 324,055 tonnes compared to 190,084 tonnes imported the same time the previous year.

The company which was once a shining beacon of hope in Western Kenya is now a mere spectator of its older self. Mumias town which was once vibrant; teeming with traders and buyers is slowly turning into a ghost town as the movement of cash is no longer as vibrant. The myriad of activities that took place in Kenyan town has toned down significantly pushing residents to a life of grinding poverty. Isn’t it just interesting how one company can almost kill the sparkle of a once-thriving town?

The picture is even bleaker for farmers and workers who have lost their source of income. The farmers are demoralized and most of whom are convinced that Mumias will never be on its feet again. Mumias Sugar owes farmers and employees KShs 1.4 Bn.

During Mumia’s heydays, sugarcane farmers from the Mumias sugarcane zone reaped big and most of them became millionaires, their livelihoods fully depending on the reaps from the once giant sugar company.

Mumia’s story remains a bitter tale that weighs heavily on farmer’s backs. Every day, they watch in pain the decomposing and disintegration of a once vibrant factory that was their source of livelihood.

The factory which was once a busy hub has become quiet. Inside its humid and sticky walls, where workers spent long days labouring over machines refining raw sugar, the machines stopped and workers laid off.

The premises have almost been left to monkeys. Passing by there, you may think they are the new owners as they run around the deserted buildings.

Only revenue source shut down

In 2009, Mumias Sugar constructed a Kshs 3.5 Bn ethanol distillery plant to diversify its revenue base.

Since the ethanol plant started being operational, Mumias has been banking on ethanol to keep its head above the water. It has been a main source of funds for the ailing miller.

Weetracker tried to reach out for a comment from the company regarding the closing of the distillery and the official we spoke to said: “it has not really been closed, we can say it’s on a recess” before hanging up the phone.

We also tried to reach out to three of the company’s insiders but our efforts bore no fruits.

Following the closure of the distillery, farmers are now more worried since the production of ethanol which was the only activity left taking place has also been stopped.

Receivership

The debt-ridden miller was last month placed under administration after defaulting loans owed to Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) amounting to Kshs 545 Mn. The bank was, however, blocked from auctioning assets belonging to the company by High court.

After the takeover, KCB appointed Ponangipalli Rao of Tact Consultancy Services to act as receiver manager on September 24.

Notably, the miller which is majority-owned by the government has not been producing sugar for almost a year now.

Where did the woes begin?

After the entity was privatised, farmers’ shares were broken down and shared with individual farmers, a move that was intended to ensure the farmers did not have a unified voice.

Under the new management which took over the wheels after privatisation, farmers were mistreated. Given the bad treated they got and the fact that they were no longer paid, some of whom opted to uproot cane and focus on growing other crops while others moved to work with Mumias’ competitors.

Not long after, the company experienced a severe cane shortage that took a toll on the firm’s earnings. The situation got so bad until the miller was unable to pay its bills.

After farmers failed to receive their dues, the company lost farmer loyalty which then led to low production and underutilization of the factory operations.

Notably, the acute shortage led to under capacity operation of the factory and low production since, at some point, the plant had to be shut down for three months to allow sugarcane to grow and manage the raw material costs.

Mismanagement is also to blame for its financial difficulties. An audit by financial consultancy firm KPMG earlier indicated that there was massive misuse of funds, pilferage, and tender manipulation that cost the miller Kshs 1.1 Bn through illegal sugar imports.

The shortage of cane was also exacerbated by the abolishment of cane zoning by the Ministry of Agriculture and by the lack of a legal framework to control cane sourcing. The creation of sugarcane zones is normally aimed at binding contracted and private cane farmers in specific areas to specific millers.

Government Bails Out

The government recently announced it has done all it could to revive the debt-ridden company adding that it is time another strategy is adopted.

The Deputy President said that mismanagement is to blame for the bailout cash, “We brought the first KShs 2 Bn here and it went under, we added another KShs 2 Bn, again it was misappropriated. We looked at that and said enough is enough,” he said.

The government which owns 20 of share in the troubled Miller which has announced plans to offload it’s shareholding in the troubled Mumias Sugar company to the county government.

Will it ever stand again?

Questions linger on whether Mumias Sugar Company will ever roar back to life again.

Different key players are currently looking into ways the miller can be brought back to life.

Deputy president William Ruto said the county government had presented a turnaround plan and should be given a chance to play a major role in the company. The move to have the company under the control of the county government could be a laudable one since the county is on the ground and would be in a better position to monitor the progress. However, the decision does not guarantee a successful revival, if the turnaround is not handled properly, it could turn out to be disastrous.

Gerald Muriuki from Genghis Capital, an investment bank in Kenya told Weetracker that political interference whose effects are mismanagement, corruption and lack of accountability is to blame for the ailing public sugar millers.

“It is hard to argue a case for revival of the miller unless the government completely gets out of this industry,” he said adding that the public millers struggle with “old inefficient equipment, disappointed suppliers, farmers and competition from private millers.”

Regarding delegating the company’s revival to county government and whether it will help in rescuing the ailing miller, Mr. Muriuki argued, “Possibly to a lesser extent given that local government is closer to the ground. However, in the broader context, governments are not known to be good commercial business stewards.”

With KCB’s takeover and also given that the bank’s interest in the miller is to get its money back, Mr. Muriuki says it is going to be extremely difficult to revive Mumias.

From an expert point of view, he says a privatisation plan would do good for the miller.

What next for Kenya?

Worldbank earlier revealed that Kenyans love sugar, which they utilize in their tea. On average, each Kenyan consumes 400 grams of sugar per week, much more Tanzanians for example, who consume approximately 230 grams.

Kenya consumes close to a million tonnes of sugar annually and the bulk of it currently is imported to beat the rising demand of the commodity. The trend has been predicted to continue as the population increases.

In a bid to address sugar shortages in 2017, the government opened the window for the importation of duty-free sugar outside the regional market.

It is highly likely that the country will rely on the imports for a while to beat the demands as there is no clear strategy yet to boost local sugar production.

With regard to Kenya’s being able to produce enough sugar for consumption, Mr. Muriuki said, “It will take a lot of time to improve the viability of the sugar industry in Kenya, especially to the level of exports. Moving from the current production deficit to sugar surplus will take many years unless there are quick and solid structural reforms in the sector, which we haven’t seen yet.”

For Kenya to have less bitter future in regards to sugar production, the sugar sector may need big, few private-owned companies to easily and quickly beat the growing deficit.

Meanwhile, the government may need to also tighten protection measures to protect the country’s nascent sugar millers from the influx of cheap imports.

Featured Image Courtesy: Expose KE

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Mr. Ngugi will take over from Eng. Jared Omondi Othieno who had been appointed as Acting Managing Director and CEO last year.

Jared Othieno and a number of other people were appointed as a caretaker management team after some company officials now former, including Ken Tarus, Ben Chumo were arrested and charged with economic crimes.

Mr. Ngugi has worked with the firm as the General Manager in charge of Supply Chain for more than three decades.

“We believe that Mr. Ngugi will see the company through an important stage of its development and growth as we work to diligently implement all our plans to strengthen the Company and the commercial aspects of our business,” Kenya Power chairman Mahboub Maalim said in a statement.

Mr. Ngugi says his immediate focus would be turning the money-losing firm back to profitability.

“This will be achieved by implementing our five-year strategic plan that broadly aims at delivering excellent customer service and ensuring our business sustainability,” he said.

Mr. Ngugi holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.

He is also a Certified Public Secretary of Kenya and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya. Mr. Ngugi also holds a Graduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supplies and is a member of the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management.

He has over three decades of experience in financial and revenue accounting, internal audit and supply chain management.

Featured Image Courtesy: Kenya Power

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Located in Free state, Virginia Gas Project is said to contain one of the richest helium concentrations recorded globally.

Renergen CEO Stefano Marani earlier spoke to the Gas world disclosing that unlike many helium deposits across the world, the one found in Virginia Gas Project is unique in that the methane gas is bacterial in origin meaning it could be regenerating. Because of this, the life of the mine is going to be longer.

The project will see South Africa become the first African commercial helium producer. The Southern African country will also join the list as the eighth country in the world to export natural gas.

The emerging liquefied natural gas and helium producer made known the appointment of Chinese equipment company Western Shell Cryogenic Equipment Co. (WSCE) and EPCM Bonisana for the supply of equipment for the plant and installation of pipeline respectively.

“We look forward to seeing Renergen and WSCE making liquid natural gas and liquid helium in South Africa a reality,” the company said in a statement.

The project will be done in two phases; the first phase involves the development of 12 existing wells, in addition to some new wells. The second phase involves the expansion of the helium volumes available.

The project is expected to be operational as from 2021 with the production of 2,700 GJ per day of LNG and 350 kg per day of liquid helium.

Helium is one of the most valuable gases on Earth and has various uses ranging from rocket fuel to MRI scanners.

Featured Image Courtesy: Getty Images

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Deforestation, the cutting down of trees is the second leading cause of global warming and produces about 24 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

In regards to climate change, deforestation not only adds carbon dioxide to the air but also removes the ability to absorb existing carbon dioxide.

The world has already started fo feel the impact of climate change on the environment. Some signs include glaciers shrinking, ice on rivers and lakes breaking up earlier than usual, among others.

In what has been presumed to be “the biggest land restoration project ever seen,” a group of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have made known that they are collaborating to start up an agro-forestry project.

For the project which will cover Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and Ethiopia, the NGOs have reported raising USD 85 Mn from G9 Ark for the initial phase of their first initiative which is christened ‘Grand African Savannah Green Up.’

Agroforestry basically is the practice of having trees as part of farms. The combination of agriculture and forestry has varied benefits, including increased biodiversity and reduced erosion.

Through the Green Up project, there is a plan for an extensive scale-up of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). FMNR is an approach to arable land rehabilitation and reforestation that seeks to reconcile sustained food production, conservation of soils, and protection of biodiversity. It encourages regeneration of trees and shrubs that sprout from stumps, roots, and seeds found in degraded soils, such as those currently under agricultural.

It is argued that FMNR is a low-cost, sustainable land reclamation method used to fight poverty and hunger amongst poor subsistence farmers.

In Niger, almost total destruction of trees and shrubs in the agricultural zone took place between the 1950s and 1980s had which had disastrous outcomes. Deforestation worsened the impact of recurring drought, strong winds, high temperatures, infertile soils, pests and diseases on crops and livestock.

Conventional approaches to reforestation were employed but which failed to bore fruits. Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) was then adopted and it recorded success as the crops grew better amongst the trees.

Regarding the project, agro-forestry author and expert Eric Toensmeier told Mongabay, “This may be the largest individual investment ever made in agro-forestry. The area that will be restored, 2 million hectares by 2025.”

Featured Image Courtesy: Andre Penner/AP

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