In the wake of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini threatening to take his people and his land and secede from the rest of South Africa, it appears that another king already did it … yesterday.

Most of South Africa failed to notice the momentous occasion when King Khoebaha Calvin Cornelius III seceded “the Cape” from the rest of the country on Monday morning.

In a video of the king addressing the issue, he called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to accord the Khoi-San kingship the same respect given the Zulu king. “Humble pie tastes bad on dry toast,” the king told the president.

Below is the king’s official message about his new country, which is full of several tongue-in-cheek comments and jokes.

The Cape is now The Sovereign State of Good Hope, here is the official message from the King The flag went up at 11h00 on today, 16 July 2018. According to King Khoebaha Calvin Cornelius III the Cape seceded from South Africa and is now an independent state.How will Government respond?See the attached video.The Sovereign State of Good Hope is the formation of a new sovereign nation state being the result of a legitimate and lawful process of secession by the traditional hereditary tribal leader of the Khoisan Nation, Gaob (which loosely translates to King in English) Khoebaha Calvin Cornelius III.This territory includes most of what is currently known as the Cape province of South Africa, and extends to the northern border of the Cape and ends at the Fish River on the eastern frontier.* Please note that Willie Jordaan Attorneys does not condone, propagate or promote the contents, actions or ideas expressed in this news posting or any comments made thereon. We further confirm that the post is a NEWS post of what happened today in the Cape. It is posted with this sole purpose. It is factual yes, whether it is legit we cannot confirm as we are in no way affiliated with what happened today, or USAF, or The Sovereign State of Good Hope, or King Khoebaha Calvin Cornelius III. Please do not crucify us for bringing you up to speed with what is happening in South Africa! Posted by Willie Jordaan Attorneys/Prokureurs on Monday, 16 July 2018

According to statements by the Khoi-San king and his supporters, the Sovereign State of Good Hope is now the formation of a new sovereign nation state “being the result of a legitimate and lawful process of secession by the traditional hereditary tribal leader of the Khoisan Nation, Gaob (which loosely translates to King in English) Khoebaha Calvin Cornelius III”.

The new state’s territory apparently covers most of the Western Cape and extends to the northern border of the Cape, ending at the Fish River on the eastern frontier.

Parliament in Cape Town was served with an eviction notice to vacate the property by Friday. The Sovereign State of Good Hope (SSGH) also symbolically took down the South African flag and hoisted their own flag in Cape Town at 11am on Monday.

In the eviction notice given to Cabinet, and addressed to the president, the king wrote:

“This is to officially inform you of the decision of the King and the KhoiSan people to secede from South Africa.

“You were given notice of our secession as well as our declaration based on the principle of self-determination and independence to establish the Sovereign State of Good Hope.

“This letter is to draw your attention to the fact that you have been duly notified of our secession and declaration of independence, and since you have not seen fit to reply, it is an established principle of international law that your non-response may well imply that you not only have been notified but that you have agreed to the terms of our terms of our secession.

“We write to remind you that our secession is based on the fundamentals of International Law and these include:

“1. The Principle Of Self-Determination and

“2. The recognised Principles of International Law that a State may qualify for International Recognition when it meets the criteria of a permanent population-defined territory and organised level of governance and the capacity to manage its foreign relations.

The king said the template of how the Baltic states were granted their independence from the former Soviet Union was instructive for how he had now declared his state’s independence.

“Our situation is really no different to this and modern practices clearly affirm this.

“This letter notifies you that we are now asserting the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of the Sovereign State of Good Hope.”

The notice went on to demand that all government officials would have to “leave our territory within five days” unless they obtained permission from the king’s officers.

They could be registered as “aliens” if they successfully provided documentation “for the circumstances under which they want to extend their stay in the Sovereign State of Good Hope”.

“This would be approved by our authorities on the basis that they are valid reasons in the law for them to remain for a longer period. Other citizens of the Republic of South Africa who remain in the Sovereign State of Good Hope must register within 48 hours that they are aliens. They must then regularise their alien status with our own immigration department to determine the circumstances under which their stay can be extended or the circumstances under which they should be leaving immediately.

“We write to inform you that our foreign relations with the Republic of South Africa are meant to be peaceful and constructive and that we will work with you and collaborate with you in all ways that will advance the policies, purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.

“We expect that you will respect the Charter as well, and that you will respect the foundations of peace and common understanding and goodwill and fellowship between nation states and the explicit principles upon which the International system is found.”

The king signed the notice and stamped it as being from the “Royal House of the KhoiSan”.

Khoi-San groups in particularly the Western and Northern Cape have long complained that they are not given proper recognition.

On Africa Day this year, EFF leader Julius Malema threw his weight behind the idea that the Khoi-San are the “original South Africans”.

He said the Khoi and San people were the original inhabitants in South Africa and that no one else was from South Africa.

“We came from the north and the Khoi and the San people were in southern Africa. The Khoi and the San welcomed us here and we settled here,” Malema said.

The South African government is yet to officially respond to the Khoi-San.

However, it seems more than likely that the king and the Sovereign State of Good Hope are aware that they are unlikely to be recognised as a new country by Friday, and that Monday’s declaration was possibly more in aid of drawing attention to their overall cause.</s>Programme Director; Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Mamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane; Ministers and Former Ministers; Ambassadors and High Commissioners; SKA International Organisation Board of Directors; Distinguished International Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen;

Today is a special day of pride for the continent of Africa. This day represents some of Africa’s milestones in the successful interweaving of science, technology and innovation into our solutions of dealing with our developmental challenges in our quest to catch up with the rest of the world and make our contribution to world civilisation.

The National Development Plan Vision 2030, which is our blueprint for positioning South Africa on a greater development path, states that “science, technology and innovation must play an increasing role in skills development, job creation and economic growth”.

In mobilising our nation to respond the emerging opportunities that are presented to humanity by the evolution of science and technology, the African National Congress as the governing party has committed to the transformative science, technology and innovation.

This commitment to science, technology and innovation, takes into account the evolving debates, research output and inventions precipitated by the evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

For our part as South African government, our Department of Science and Technology is making investment in research and development to realise the coming into life of this revolution. To this effect, we will develop a public-funded science, technology and innovation plan of action over the next 12-18 months that will result to socio-economic impact.

Through smart investments in research and development, the Department of Science and Technology is supporting South African industry to grow and create more jobs through building scientific, technological and knowledge-based capabilities.

This international partnership of the Square Kilometre Array, strengthens our collaboration as partner countries, scientists and researchers as well as private sector players. This collaborative work, will unlock the full potential of our research and development that respond to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century.

Future value creation lies in humans and machines working together to create new user experiences, new products, new services, and new possibilities.

We are today demonstrating to the world and ourselves that nothing is impossible once we set our minds on a common objective, and pool our resources to achieve such an objective. As the African continent, we take this opportunity to thank the world for having confidence in us, and entrusting us with a global science project of this magnitude.

Today here we are, launching the SKA Phase 1 in the form of the 64-dish MeerKAT radio telescope. We take pride in the fact that a project of this magnitude was completed on time and within the originally projected budget of R3.2 billion. This efficiency and precision demonstrate our capability of managing major projects.

It is my greatest honour to be part of this historic moment to launch the MeerKAT Telescope in the beautiful province of Northern Cape.

We also wish to convey our collective gratitude as Africa to the SKA funders and the coordinating consortium compromising Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and my country South Africa.

We also thank our African sisters and brothers who supported the South African bid to have this iconic instrument built on our land. To the people and governments of Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Kenya, Zambia and Ghana, this is your success too.

As you know, the SKA project is an international effort to build the world's largest radio telescope, with a collecting area of approximately one square kilometre.

This iconic instrument will produce science that changes our understanding of the universe. It will be co-located in Australia and Africa.

It is a factor that deserves mentioning that the telescope will be the largest of its kind in the world, with image resolution quality exceeding the Hubble Space Telescope by a factor of 50 times. This will give the SKA unprecedented scope in observations, enabling it to produce transformational science.

We recall with great level of excitement that South Africa's involvement in the SKA began in 2001, when the country was an observer in the project. That observer status turned into an expression of interest to bid for the hosting of the telescope.

It is now our proud history that the eight African countries I mentioned above became a solid part of the African bid. There was no shortage of support for our resolve.

The African Union Heads State and Government supported our bid to host the SKA and committed Africa to participate in the global SKA project. The success of this project demonstrate that fulfilling Africa’s Vision 2063 is possible.

We salute the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology who recognised the potential of this project and made SKA as a flagship. We thank all former ministers of Science and Technology who in their various roles laid the basis for this work and ensured that indeed South Africa integrates with the world in pursuit of technological advances.

That massive and agitated support fell on fertile ground because South Africa’s vision for astronomy is to become a hub for astronomy sciences and facilities, as articulated in our Ten-Year Innovation Plan 2008 to 2018, and the National Strategy for Multiwavelength Astronomy adopted by our Department of Science and Technology in 2015.

You could say the universe is on our side.

South Africa has a natural geographical advantage that makes it suitable for cutting-edge astronomy research across a multi-wavelength continuum.

Through flagship astronomy projects such as the MeerKAT here in Carnarvon, the Southern African Large Telescope in Sutherland, and the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network, the country is gradually positioning itself as a global centre of excellence in multi-wavelength astronomy research.

We moved swiftly as South Africa to preserve our geographic advantage by passing the 2007 Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act, one of the most progressive pieces of legislation in the world.

We owe the launch of the MeerKAT 64 dishes to this preservation move. But a significant milestone was reached when, with the integration of 16 dishes, the First Light image was obtained.

That was a clear indication that the MeerKAT would, once fully operational, take its place among the world's leading research instruments.

Accordingly, the MeerKAT was recognised by the construction industry when it became the first recipient of a Special Platinum Award at the 2017 Logistics Achiever Awards. The Awards celebrate excellence in the application of operational logistics and supply chain management principles.

The longevity and sustainability of the SKA project are anchored in the fact that we have managed to develop in-house capacity in the Continent.

The MeerKAT project is an iconic scientific instrument designed entirely by South Africans. Furthermore, 75% of components that went into the construction of the MeerKAT were sourced locally.

During construction, more than R134 million was spent on local suppliers, and 351 people were trained by major SKA contractors. In addition, more than R110 million was awarded to 16 small and medium enterprises through a financial assistance programme.

This has empowered local industry and institutions to acquire skills and expertise in advanced technologies, and to grow their international competitiveness.

There is no doubt that the launch of the MeerKAT further strengthens the prospects of a larger role for South Africa in the construction of the SKA, and promises numerous benefits for the country and the region as a whole.

There has been visible impact on the real estate sector of the Northern Cape, which has led to new economic opportunities for local communities.

It gives me pleasure that the SKA project has had a direct impact on job creation thus changing the lives of many families. The SKA project has created 7 284 employment opportunities through the construction of the MeerKAT and related projects.

These include land acquisition, the resurfacing of 80 km of road to the site, the construction of 110 km of power lines, fibre rollout, as well as the MeerKAT data centre.

I should share with you that the SKA project spin-offs have come handy in the advancement of our National System of Innovation.

The Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory, the MeerKAT, the Square Kilometre Array and the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network were recently declared a new national facility.

This brings all of these under the umbrella of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. It is an important step towards our ambition to create in the medium to long term, a national astronomy institute to house all aspects of astronomy in the country.

The MeerKAT has already made a significant scientific contribution, observing a rare burst of activity from an exotic star known as a magnetar.

This observation and the subsequent publication of an article in The Astrophysical Journal demonstrates the outstanding capabilities of the MeerKAT as a new instrument for scientific exploration.

In 2017, the Southern African Large Telescope and MeerKAT telescope also played an important role in a significant astronomy event involving the observation of gravitational waves.

This proves that our telescopes have joined the league of globally sought after instruments for conducting big science, something that all Africans can be proud of.

We are aware that the SKA project’s sustainability would be doomed without a supportive human capital development programme. The Programme has awarded 961 bursaries in science and engineering, including 133 bursaries for recipients from other African countries.

SKA South Africa also introduced mathematics and science at the local school and employed a teacher for these subjects. Currently, learners from the surrounding towns of Carnarvon are accommodated at the hostel at Carnarvon High School to study these subjects.

Through this initiative, 7 learners obtained good passes and are enrolled at various universities. The number of Carnarvon High School learners that are benefiting from full-cost undergraduate bursaries and Technical and Vocational Education and Training College funding continues to grow.

The SKA will further assist local schools with programmes in school management, numeracy and literacy development, and early childhood development.

The importance of early childhood development in producing future scientist, cannot be over-emphasised as this lays the foundation for holistic development, whilst cultivating lifelong learning.

Further, the SKA has established a temporary technical training centre in order to create a pool of artisans and semi-skilled workers in Carnarvon and nearby towns.

Twenty-one students who graduated from the centre have found employment at the SKA. A further 25 are currently undergoing work-based experiential learning at the SKA and will complete trade tests in 2019 with the prospect of being employed on the project.

There will be further local partnerships and tourism projects that would support this SKA.

South Africa’s geographic position has enabled the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionisation Array radio telescope, to be located in the Karoo Astronomy Reserve. This will enable astronomers to study the formation of the first stars and galaxies in the universe.

We are pleased to announce that the SKA South Africa-led consortium has received about 2,2 million Euros from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Fund to undertake a detailed infrastructure design for the SKA site.

Last week on the 5th of July, we hosted President Nana Ado of Ghana on a State Visit. During that visit, our two countries strengthened their partnership and economic relations.

We note with pride that Ghana recently became the first of South Africa's eight African SKA partner countries, to complete the conversion of a redundant communications antenna into a functioning radio telescope. The telescope was successfully launched in Kuntunse, Accra on 24 August 2017.

Since its launch, the Kuntunse Radio Telescope has successfully carried out its First Light observations. This is a testament to the hard work of the teams in South Africa and Ghana, the support of their European colleagues, and the vision of the African Very Long Baseline Inteferometry Network project, which is strengthening Africa's leading role in the international SKA project.

The consolidation of Africa’s collective effort is a demonstration that the continent is not turning back on the application of science, technology and innovation in solving our developmental challenges. Africa has a lot to contribute to the advancement of science, technology and innovation.

The launch of this MeerKAT project bears testimony to this fact. Science is the instrument we are going to use to expedite the meeting of our Sustainable Development Goals targets.

With this few words, I invite the world to come and witness what the united efforts and collaboration of all partner nations can achieve to advance human civilisation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Presidency.Media files Download logo</s>Warm weather is expected along the coastline of the Northern Cape and the Western Cape on Wednesday.



Heat wave conditions with persistently high temperatures are expected along the northern coastal areas of Namakwa District in the Northern Cape until Thursday.



Limpopo is expected to be cloudy in the east with morning fog and drizzle patches along the escarpment.

The western half of the Eastern Cape is expected to have isolated light showers of rain west of Willowmore and Joubertina.

KwaZulu-Natal is expected to have showers and rain in the north east.

The rest of the country remains dry.

Minimum temperatures will be cold across most of the country and very cold conditions are expected for the central interior.

The coldest places will be Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal and Bethlehem in the Free State, both dropping to a below-freezing -2°C.

Maximum temperatures remain cool to cold across the central interior of the country.

Warm weather is expected along the coastlines and adjacent interior of the Northern Cape and Western Cape.

The hottest places will be Alexander Bay in the Northern Cape and Vredendal in the Western Cape, with a high of 30°C.

Click here to see the specific forecast for your city over the next few days

Pretoria will reach a high of 18°C, while Johannesburg is expected to reach 16°C and a maximum of 17°C is expected in Bloemfontein.

Along the coast, Cape Town will reach 26°C, while Port Elizabeth will experience 25°C and Durban can expect a maximum of 23°C.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.</s>Cape Town will be hosting the SpaceOps 2020 conference, which is set to bring over 600 global Space specialists to the Western Cape.

This after the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) in partnership with the Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau won the bid to host the conference which will be taking place at the International Convention Centre.

“The Western Cape has been at the forefront of South African Space tech for many years,” Wesgro CEO Tim Harris said. “The tracking station established by NASA at Hartebeeshoek received the first images of Mars in 1965; the first miniaturized satellite designed and manufactured in South Africa was completed at Stellenbosch University in 1999; and more recently SANSA has allocated funds to Denel Spaceteq to develop the EO-Sat1 – a high-resolution multispectral imaging satellite which will be used for a variety of urban management processes. “We applaud the efforts of the team in convincing delegates that the Mother City should play host to a conference of this calibre.”

Read: SA teens become first African participants at the International Space Development Conference

City of Cape Town mayor, Patricia de Lille said that she is proud of the fact that the city continues to be seen as a destination for innovative gatherings.

“Cape Town is he ideas capital of Africa. We are enormously proud to see an increasing number of innovative gatherings choosing Cape Town as a destination of choice. This is once again testament to the fact that Cape Town is the city where leaders from across the world will meet and discuss the future of our continent and the globe.”

The SpaceOps 2020 conference will be the 16 such event, following the recently concluded edition which was held in the French city of Marseille, running over two months.

Watch: Nasa’s Space Station is beaming spectacular views of Earth from above</s>DA leader Mmusi Maimane will lead a march to press for the deployment of troops to crime-ridden communities in Cape Town.

His spokeswoman‚ Portia Adams‚ said Maimane would lead “thousands of people” from Manenberg police station to Nyanga police station on Thursday “to call on Police Minister Bheki Cele to #SendTheArmyNow”.

“Just yesterday the latest victim of crime – a young father - was gunned down at the Eastridge Clinic in Mitchells Plain‚ just metres away from the nearest police station‚” Adams said on Tuesday.

“Cape Town’s poorest and most vulnerable communities continue to live in constant fear of gangs and drug dealers‚ and the rampant crime which results from this activity.

“Despite this‚ the ANC national government refuses to give them the police protection that our constitution guarantees.”

Adams said Cele had backtracked on a promise by his predecessor‚ Fikile Mbalula‚ that the army would be deployed on the Cape Flats.

Crime is set to be a key election issue next year‚ with the ANC demanding on Monday that the City of Cape Town shows “value” for the R60-million it spends annually on combating gangs.

Provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said almost 23% of all crime reported in South Africa occurred in the Western Cape‚ “and predominantly in Cape Town”‚ where murders had increased by 40% in the last five years.

“For years now the City of Cape Town has preferred not to reveal to the public any measures it has taken to fight this city's biggest and most consequential problem‚ crime and gangsterism‚ but have simply preferred to hold on to the false dogma that crime fighting is exclusively the responsibility of the national government‚” said Jacobs.

“The city knows its responsibility and has in fact taken measures to fight crime‚ but all these measures have failed. And typical of the DA‚ when they fail‚ they blame others.”</s>The Western Cape may have just seen out its worries of a drought this winter. However, the province is not in the green just yet.

It doesn’t appear that it will be for a while too after it was announced that the R9m joint desalination project between the Western Cape government and the French government was halted, pending environmental approval.

When will the Western Cape desalination project begin?

The project is set to launch in November of this year if it is approved in time. The aim is to have a solar-powered desalination plant, something that is unheard of. It will be located in Witsand, a small coastal town on the mouth of the Breede River.

The concerns that need to be addressed before the project gets approved

In a briefing held on Monday, Louise-Mari van Zyl, the director of Cape Environmental Assessment Practitioners, confirmed that the project, which involves around R8.6m in grants, cannot be launched until its received the proper approval.

The two main issues that need to be investigated is the area which the desalination plant will be built and whether or not the brine produced by the plant will affect marine life.

Witsand is a tourist town that attracts about 3,000 visitors in Summer. However, residents often complain about a shortage of water. This project, according to Finance MEC, Ivan Meyer, would be the answer to these problems. He also added that

The French connection in South Africa’s first solar-powered desalination plant

The financial input from the French Treasury will see the first solar-powered desalination plant producing a minimum of 100kl per day.

Nicholas Hulot, France’s ecology minister, encouraged the use of nature’s intelligence that works with human intelligence to produce such mastery.

Things look positive for the stretch of coastal towns in Hessequa as this could help boost economic growth in the area’s tourism sector.</s>According to the African National Congress (ANC), Cape Town’s crime rate is spiralling out of control due to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) ineptitude. The ANC released a statement on Monday citing research and statistics.

Researched released in March shines a light on rising crime statistics, particularly in the Western Cape. The DA-led province accounts for more than 36% of all drug-related crimes committed in the country.

In a statement released by the ANC, and reported by IOL, the ruling party says:

Cape Town’s murder rate increased by 40% in five years

The ANC also refers to findings in the 2017 State of Urban Safety Report. The commentary, commissioned by the South African Cities Network’s Urban Safety Reference Group (USRG), states that over the past five years Cape Town’s reported murder rate has increased by 40%.

According to the national ruling party, the DA is failing to combat crime, and in turn, failing the people of Cape Town. The ANC said:

“The DA has failed the people of Cape Town, again because its leaders do not come from where the problems are and therefore have no idea how to find solutions. The DA has failed the victims of crime.”

The DA fires back at allegations of incompetence

JP Smith, Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Social Services and Safety and Security, has fired back to allegations levelled at him and the DA’s governance.

Smith argues that law enforcement failures under the previous ANC dispensation have left lingering effects in Cape Town that the DA is now actively dealing with.

Smith rubbished claims by the ANC, saying:

Smith maintains the key to combatting urban crime is the dislodgment of criminal entities operating within the city. He confirmed that law enforcement had made a serious dent in gang-related murders by operating in tandem with intelligence agencies.

Defending the City of Cape Town’s efforts, Smith said:

“We have sped up the eviction process for gangsters selling drugs in Council rental flats, as nothing was happening before under the ANC city administration before 2006… So we have a strategy and it is yielding results. We do not have statistics for the last year and one cannot deduce the statistics from the general crime stats that are released by [the South African Police Service] SAPS do not differentiate between gang related murders and murders not related to gang activity.”</s>While the Ipsos ‘Pulse of the People’ study has a limited scope with regards to its method and sample range, it sure does provide some interesting insight into voter confidence. In the Western Cape, for instance, the survey reveals a huge drop in numbers for the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The Western Cape has always been a major stronghold for the DA, while the African National Congress (ANC) has dominated most other provinces since the dawn of democracy, only recently losing municipalities in Gauteng and Nelson Mandela Bay.

The recent voter survey undertaken by global market research and a consulting firm, Ipsos, shows the DA losing it’s Western Cape grip, while the ANC gain on the old guard.

Ipsos randomly selected 3 738 adult South Africans to be interviewed in their homes and chosen languages. The ANC still firmly leads the charge on a national level, with 60% of those interviewed indicating they’d vote for the current leading national party.

While the survey reveals a slight dip in voter confidence for the ANC, it pales in insignificance compared to the hard losses absorbed by the DA.

The official opposition party gathered 22% of the votes in the 2014 general elections, but the recent survey reveals only 13% of people would vote for the DA again.

It’s not just the national tally which will have the DA sweating – in the Western Cape, the survey reveals a narrow margin of 2% between the DA and ANC.

The Democratic Alliance have already questioned the authenticity and accuracy of recent voter surveys, maintaining that the only poll the political party cares about is the general election poll in 2019.

IOL received comment from Mari Harris, Ipsos director of public affairs, who provided insight into the poll, its findings and conclusions.

Harris commented on the ANC’s position in the study compared to last year’s survey, noting that results from 2017 put the leading party at 45%. That points to a national increase of 15%, which Harris attributes to faith inspired by new President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying:

“The Ramaphosa factor is big because suddenly there is a leader that people trust and can look up to. If you look at our results after Cyril’s 100 days, there is a lot of trust expressed in the new president, and people are willing to give him a chance.”

Antonia Squara, research manager at Ipsos, offered an explanation for the Western Cape figures, saying:

Whether this drop in DA voter confidence can be attributed to the on-going battle with Cape Town Mayor, Patricia de Lille, or whether the drought and subsequent resource management are to blame, is still uncertain.</s>The latest look at the Cape Town dams brings in even more good news for the Western Cape province as a whole. Let’s run you through the latest dam levels for this week with figures provided by the Western Cape government.

With this week bringing in the eighth consecutive week of increases in a row, dam levels in the province now reach an average level of 48.7%. The dams feeding the City of Cape Town are currently at 54.7%. A year ago, they were in crisis mode with just 26%.

That downpour last Thursday looks to have really helped.

Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, Anton Bredell, says the biggest success comes at the province’s biggest dam, Theewaterskloof.

“The dam was in a terrible state only weeks ago, reaching levels of below 10%. It is reassuring to see the levels increasing to above 40% and the levels are expected to continue rising.” “We are now nearing 50% (city levels) and there is still a month and a half of the winter left. We remain hopeful for further rainfall but continue to urge consumers to keep water use low ahead of the coming summer season.”

While the news is overwhelmingly positive, Bredel also explained that the situation in the Gouritz River Catchment is serious.

When will it rain again in Cape Town?

According to almost every forecast, Cape Town will not be experiencing any rain over the next seven days. With temperatures reaching as high as 23C, you might be forgiven for thinking the winter rains are completely over.

Have no fear, a good few more showers over the weeks is looking very likely.</s>A nearly R9m joint desalination project between the Western Cape government and the French government still needs the required environmental approval for operation in November.

The solar-powered desalination plant, the first of its kind, will be located in the coastal town of Witsand on the mouth of the Breede River, and will produce a minimum of 100 kl a day.

Despite the excitement surrounding the project, which entails about R8.6m in grants, it may not be allowed to operate until it has received the proper authorisation, director of Cape Environmental Assessment Practitioners Louise-Mari Van Zyl said at a briefing on Monday.

However, Finance MEC Ivan Meyer said that while the project had not received final approval, he is confident that the project will operate on schedule.

"We already have the pre-approvals and the bulk of the work has already been completed," he said.

"Firstly, the plant is solar-powered and secondly, there will be no harm to the environment as the plant is located on a farm - far from the locals."

The environmental consultant for the project, Dr Megan Laird, said that the impact on the environment is very limited.

"The biggest issue is the brine (salt) produced by the plant, which may affect the marine life," she said.

"But fortunately, the effects will be limited to the estuary, or the mixing zone. So there may only be one to two metres of discharge."

Also read: Iceberg proposal as new water source for Cape Town

French ecology minister Nicolas Hulot congratulated all parties on the project and encouraged technological innovation that "works with nature".

"We need to make peace with nature. If we can combine natural intelligence and human intelligence this will be a success," he said.

The funding from the French Treasury is aimed at implementing innovative green technologies and is expected to bring to South Africa its first solar-powered desalination unit.

Hessequa, located 250km east of Cape Town, consists of several coastal villages that suffer from a structural water deficit, even outside of drought periods. Witsand village, which has critical water shortages, was designated for the implementation of the solar-powered desalination unit.

"The town of Witsand has a population of 300 people, but come vacation time it increases to 3 000," Meyer said on Monday.

"Every year we receive letters from the people of Witsand complaining that they don't have water."

Meyer said that the project would also increase economic growth in the town's tourism sector.
King Khoebaha Calvin Cornelius III declares independence from South Africa to form the "Sovereign State of Good Hope", encompassing the states of Northern Cape, Western Cape, and the western parts of Eastern Cape. The state raised their own flag after taking down the South African flag.