₦airaland Forum

Lurker4Long:

South Africa is becoming Europe’s alternative to Russian coal
Starting in mid-August, European Union countries will stop importing coal from Russia, which means they’ll have to find alternative suppliers. Already, South Africa is one such supplier, and the world’s fifth largest exporter of coal.

Between January and May of this year, roughly 40% more tons of coal have been exported to Europe from South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) than were exported in all of 2021, according to Reuters. Recipient countries include Spain, Poland, and Germany, which did not import any South African coal last year, as well as France, which increased its imports sevenfold year-over-year.

So far this year, about 15% of all coal exports from Richard’s Bay Coal Terminal went to the European Union (EU), compared to 4% for the whole of 2021.
The industry employs about 200,000 people.

https://qz.com/africa/2178106/south-africa-is-becoming-europes-alternative-to-russian-coal/

South African coal exports to Europe surge, shipments to Asia decline

- Exports to Europe up 720% in first half
- Shipments to Asia down 17%
- Rail capacity challenges limit exports
- Thungela returns $500 million to shareholders

Aug 15 (Reuters) - South Africa's coal sales to Europe rose eight-fold during the first half of 2022 compared with last year as demand for the fossil fuel surged ahead of a ban on Russian coal, Thungela Resources (TGAJ.J) said on Monday.

In April, the European Union announced a ban on coal imports from Russia as part of sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine. The ban came into effect on August 10.

Ahead of the ban, European countries, which previously imported 45% of their coal from Russia and have been switching away from expensive natural gas to coal, started to source the fossil fuel from other countries, including South Africa.

Thungela, a leading South African coal exporter and part of a consortium which owns Africa's largest coal export facility, the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), said Europe was competing with Asia for South African coal.

"It's worth noting that coal exports from RBCT into Europe have increased by about 720% from half a million tonnes in H1 2021 to 4.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2022," Thungela Chief Financial Officer Deon Smith said during an investor call.

"At the same time, exports to Asia from RBCT dropped by 17% compared to the first half of 2021," he said, adding that enjoyed a freight advantage over Australian and South American coal, he added.

Figures obtained by Reuters in June showed that European countries, chiefly the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Denmark, France, Italy and Ukraine were importing growing quantities of coal from South Africa.

Thungela said the high demand had driven its realised average price to $240 per tonne during the half-year to June 30, compared to $75 a tonne last year, boosting its profit more than 20 times versus the year before.

The company, which was spun off global mining giant Anglo American Plc (AAL.L) in June 2021, said it would return 8.2 billion rand ($503 million) to shareholders after declaring a dividend of 60 rand per share, driving its share price more than 6% up.

Thungela CEO July Ndlovu, however, said South Africa could not fully take advantage of the strong coal demand due to the limited capacity of the state-owned rail company Transnet to haul the mineral to port.
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safrican-coal-exports-europe-surge-shipments-asia-decline-2022-08-15/

...last.

Arty guys doing their thing at Lohatla...

August, 2022: "Members of the police’s Tactical Response Team and National Intervention Unit raiding old closed mines for illegal miners (zama-zamas) in Krugersdorp. Because of the violent nature of zama-zamas, specialised units were brought in for the raids following a horrific gang rape."

...last.

For Odunayaw, that great lover of the seas!

Sea Rescue in Stilbaai 20th August 2022
A South African Air Force 22 Squadron Oryx was activated for an Air Sea Rescue mission locating the yacht, Panacea, that had been missing at sea. The yacht had been overdue to reach her destination. The Squadron received initial coordinates from a passing tanker ship on where the yacht was last seen.

The tanker had tried to confirm the presence of life onboard the yacht, but due to heavy sea conditions and vessel size it could not be established with certainty.

The crew with the help of the NSRI then flew a SAR pattern and managed to locate the yacht approximately 28 nautical miles South South West of Stilbaai on the South Coast.

An NSRI Airborne rescue swimmer was deployed from the helicopter into the sea, he swam to and boarded the yacht where he found the sailor deceased below decks.

With limited fuel remaining the rescue swimmer placed a signalling beacon on the yacht before being recovered into the helicopter. The yacht with the deceased sailor has been recovered and towed back to shore by the NSRI rescue vessel.

Special thanks to the ground crew that works behind the scenes for always ensuring safe serviceable helicopters.
The effort by all involved, for their tireless contributions that helped to bring closure in this tragedy, is commended.
https://www.aviationcentral.co.za/sea-rescue-in-stilbaai-20th-august-2022/

Exnavyboy62:
To provide stability in the region, support in collaboration with humanitarian agencies and humanitarian relief to the population affected by terrorists organization especially the IDPs.

Are you ex navy or is that just a moniker?
I'm asking cos if you're former navy, you'd know what I mean by concept of operations (CONOPS) from a military perspective.

Exnavyboy62:
...you claim it's is a South African made doctrine is what the SADC is using in Mozambique right?

I'm very interested in this part. Just so we're discussing the same thing, what in your understanding is the concept of operations in Mozambique?

davefurn:
Russia or USSR then had their unique doctrine that was entirely different from the norms, and they produced weapons to suit their doctrine and it worked for them very well.

This is true. Here's where jl115 is coming from:
The Angolan military learned Soviet doctrine and never adapted it for local conditions. And it didn't work.

jl115:
FYI our doctrine with regards to guerrilla and Coin warfare is legendary and has been copied by basically the entire world...the SAS(and other SFs) has based its doctrine from the South African commandos.... Even the word commando is South African of origin.

Look at the US deployment in Afganistan.... You can even clearly see South African doctrine applied by US troops.... Doctrine which we developed 60 years ago...

I would argue that modern COIN doctrine has been a process of refinement from the French experience with the Algerian War of Independence.
The Brits learned from that and adapted it successfully with the Malayan Emergency.
SA studied both and adapted to suit local conditions. And some of what we added, like highly mobile mine-protected vehicles, has been taken up by others.

So yes, serious militaries learn from others' experiences and adapt it accordingly. But I wouldn't go so far as to say we invented.

Toju200:
links to videos pls

Not sure if Charlie Hugo shot videos as well. The Zambian AF has an annual event that combines an air show with "Children's Flight".
By rotation schools send kids for their first flight, to stimulate interest in aviation.
Charlie is an aviation enthusiast who travels to various airshows around southern Africa taking pics.
You'll find most of his work here:
http://www.wildaviation.com/cms/

...last.

Zambian Air Force...

...last.

Zambian Air Force...

Exnavyboy62:
You guys should be happy and proud of your police officers, ours in Nigeria is nothing to write home about

There are pockets of excellence, but trust me, we also have serious problems.

Lurker4Long:
Muidumbe, Mozambique, November 2021, after the SADC SF raids which cleared the village.

Muidumbe, Mozambique, August 2022, after the Mozambican military didn't hold the village!

Muidumbe, Mozambique, November 2021, after the SADC SF raids which cleared the village.

...last.

TRT, K9 Unit, Ladysmith SAPS successfully defuse hostage situation

An armed gang of seven men will soon appear in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court on several charges, including armed robbery, after they met their match when the Tactical Response Team (TRT), the K9 Unit and Ladysmith SAPS successfully defused an intense hostage situation at a local supermarket in the Ladysmith CBD Plaza on Sunday morning, 17 July.

It is reported that the armed gang had made their way into the supermarket which is owned by Chinese nationals, however, due to the quick thinking of local security and police officers patrolling the area, police quickly responded to the situation and foiled the gang’s plans.

Three men were apprehended by police on the roof of the supermarket while the remaining four held the shop owner, his family members, security guards and shoppers hostage inside the building. Police had moved quickly and soon had control of the situation before surrounding every part of the building. TRT then moved in within minutes of their arrival and quickly arrested the suspects who had desperately tried to hide inside the shop.

After being safely removed from the building, one of the hostages told The Ladysmith Herald that the armed men burst into the shop and started barking orders before pistol-whipping the owner and his family members who work with him at the shop. “I was hit with the back of a gun and forced to lie down. They took my cellphone and wallet. I thought that I was going to die,” said one of the hostages who had to be treated by awaiting ambulance services – ER24 Ladysmith and KZNEMS.

The hostages, one of whom was pregnant, thanked the police. The pregnant woman said that she had never been so scared in her life. Three suspects managed to escape and are being sought by the Ladysmith Police.

more...

Kikuyu1, Stargate254, NTSA, you guys have no chill!
I know it's fake but damn, the vawulence!

kikuyu1:
SIGHHHH! The serial loser is acting to his genetic compulsions,ie rejecting his defeat. He thought the Deep State would manufacture a win but reality intruded,as ALWAYS! Uhuru is silent not wanting to further antagonise Ruto who has already sworn to destroy the ill gotten wealth of the Kenyattas.
Here's why he's rejecting results thanks to a couple of compromised electoral officials.


https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/78547-iebc-vice-chair-juliana-cherera-explains-why-they-rejected-results-showing-ruto-won

There's a lesson in this BS,though its actually EMBARRASSING! Its not surprising-when you constantly default to mendacity you go ALLLLL the way down til you quarrel with logic itself.

Will your Supreme Court scoff and dismiss this risible attempt at dynastic entitlement?

Stargate254:
He is heading to the supreme court to dispute the results!
I voted for him but dude needs to let it go and rest in peace, 5 times he has lost, he didn't even mentor anyone to take over his idealogies, he is leaving his people orphans.

Anyone with time and a calculator can literally count the votes by themselves, like seriously, you can download all the forms and start counting... 5,000 observers did a parralel count at the constituency level using the physical forms and they got their results 3 days b4 official announcement, Reuters International did their own count using the forms uploaded on the online portal. A citizen led open source transparency group did an online tally using excel.... And although their numbers were slightly different, the % votes for each candidate was similar to the elections body's IEBC final anoucement !!!! Ruto won fare and square, What the chairman of IEBC did last minute was out of order indeed and only him knows why he did that, but that can't negate the will of the people who have spoken, the numbers are there to see. Anyone arguing is arguing about technicalities on how the final results were anounced, but not the numbers. I'm not seeing anyone saying, 'oh, look here this 1 was supposed to have three zeroes after it, they made a mistake in adding here and here'

Well said. I'm friends with a Kenyan working in our Mergers and Acquisitions division and he was doing his own count using the online portal. At about 70% of the count he called it for Ruto, and warned that the entitled geriatric would challenge, as this is his last chance, at 77!
Kenya with her young population, is too forward-thinking a country to be led by a 77-year old in the 21st century, with all its challenges.

kabe1:
Argument is stuck in the mud.

A better pic.

Nemesis4you:
Wetin be tis ?

I come expecting 'great' vowulence

And what do I see 'hilarious' vowulence

I tire oooo

Some of us abhor punching down!

slimthugchimee2:
The offroader that won't get you stuck in the mud

kabe1:
...And It's stuck in the mud.

OK.

kabe1:
Stuck in the mud.

Yes and?

"the off-roader you need if you want to start an argument!"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8lAqlIP7uc