Friday, January 15, 2010.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Eleanor Seggie.

Making headlines today:

South African State-owned defence industrial group Denel's Group CEO, Talib Sadik, confirmed on Thursday that the CEO and CFO of subsidiary company Denel Saab Aerostructures (DSA) had both resigned with immediate effect. The officials concerned are Lana Kinley and Sasa Methola.

Sadik refused to disclose the reasons for the resignations, but stated that they were for "similar reasons" and not coincidental. He added that the Denel board will be meeting next week to, among other things, do succession planning for DSA.

DSA is a manufacturer of aerostructures which includes parts of the fuselages, wings and tail surfaces of aircraft, both fixed-wing and helicopters. The company currently produces major components for the Saab Gripen fighter and for the Airbus Miltary A400M military transport aircraft.

Namibian power utility NamPower has denied that the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) has been ordered to cut power exports to Namibia. It says that it's "business as usual between NamPower and Zesa".

The power utility noted in a statement that it hasn't, so far, received any official communication from Zesa confirming recent media reports that the Zimbabwean Energy Ministry had directed the Zimbabwean utility to cut all energy exports to NamPower.

Various media have reported that Zimbabwe's government had ordered Zesa to stop exporting 150 MW of electricity to NamPower until the 400-MW Hwange power station was repaired.

In 2007, the two utilities signed a bilateral agreement in terms of which NamPower would advance Zesa 40-million-dollars to rehabilitate the Hwange power station and would in return be supplied with 150 MW of electricity from Zesa for a five-year period.

The Hwange power station was reportedly currently operating below capacity as a result of coal shortages.

Also making headlines:

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry expects steady trade activity recovery in 2010.
World Bank urges developing countries to invest more in trade logistics.
The number of South African Internet users has passed the five-million mark, representing a 10% Internet penetration.
And, TWP CEO Nigel Townshend is appointed onto the Basil Read board.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.