insert_link South Africa Eskom has suspended load-shedding again Eskom has suspended load-shedding again. The power utility says an improvement in generating capacity has allowed it to ease the weekend outages. Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena thanks South Africans who heed the call to use electricity sparingly and efficiently, including switching off geysers and pool pumps. This lowers demand, helps alleviate the pressure on the system and contributes to lower stages of load-shedding. today22 January, 2024
insert_link South Africa DA Urges Extension of Public Comments Deadline for Integrated Resource Plan 2023 The DA in South Africa says the office of Mineral Resources and Energy minister, Gwede Mantashe, has acknowledged receipt of a request it submitted. The DA calls for an extension of the public comments deadline for the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023, from the current cutoff date of 23 February to 30 April. Spokesperson Kevin Mileham says stakeholders are concerned that the current deadline does not afford them enough time […] today22 January, 2024
insert_link South Africa Workers take newly merged Heineken-Distell to the CCMA About 50 workers, mostly forklift drivers, are taking Heineken Beverages to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks By Liezl Human via GroundUp About 50 workers at Heineken Beverages, which recently merged with one of South Africa’s largest alcohol producers, Distell, have lodged a dispute with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to get the company to employ them on a permanent basis. The workers, mostly […] today19 January, 2024
insert_link South Africa Tshwane’s first deputy mayor says it’s a priority to ensure basic services are consistently delivered Newly elected City of Tshwane’s first deputy mayor ActionSA’s, Nasiphi Moya, says work to ensure the metro and its residents get access to the services they desperately need is necessary. She was elected during a special council meeting yesterday, getting support from parties in the governing DA-led coalition, which has a combined majority of 109 seats in the 214-seat council. Moya says accelerated infrastructure development and maintenance must become the […] today19 January, 2024
insert_link South Africa SA’s AfriForum is concerned about the early school leaving rate SA's AfriForum says it is concerned about the group of learners who never even participate in matric examinations. According to statistics of the Department of Basic Education’s report, one-million-208-thousand-and-973 learners found themselves in grade one of so-called ordinary schools in 2011. In contrast, 715-thousand full-time and 182-thousand part-time learners wrote the matric exams last year, of whom 15-thousand-186 were in independent schools. AfriForum’s Nicolene Müller says it is extremely worrying […] today19 January, 2024
insert_link South Africa The GOOD Party in SA is encouraged by the matric pass rate but calls for an overhaul of education The GOOD Party in SA says the improved matric pass rate is encouraging, as is the fact that all provinces showed an increase. The matric class of 2023 achieved a pass rate of 82.9-percent, up by 2.8-percentage points from 80.1-percent in 2022. The GOOD Party’s secretary-general, Brett Herron, says the greatest threat to human and economic progress, is an education system that fails to prepare young people for the future […] today19 January, 2024
insert_link Entertainment Soul Brothers: the story of a band that revolutionised South African music By Gwen Ansell, University of Pretoria Biographies of important South African musicians often fall into two categories: they either emerge from PhD or other university-based research, or are the fruit of dedicated digging by a fan or family member. The first kind benefit from institutional resources and support; the second from community knowledge of personal details that may be documented nowhere else. Because of that very scarcity of a […] today19 January, 2024
insert_link South Africa Former Johannesburg mayor, Mpho Phalatse, has called for introspection The former Johannesburg mayor, Mpho Phalatse, has called for introspection on the reasons behind the DA losing leaders. This comes in response to the resignation of a DA member of the Gauteng legislature, Khume Ramulifho, after 25 years of service. Phalatse expressed regret at his departure, telling eNCA he was a great leader for the DA. today19 January, 2024
insert_link South Africa Stage 3 load-shedding implemented by Eskom despite the return of generation capacity Eskom says stage 3 load-shedding was in effect from yesterday afternoon until 5 AM this morning, despite the return of three-thousand-200 megawatts of generating capacity. It attributes the decision to necessary planned maintenance, and setbacks. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena urges the public to use electricity efficiently to alleviate system pressure. today19 January, 2024
