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Daily news update: Sisulu vs Msimang, Eskom’s electricity price hike and chaotic Joburg council meeting
Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.
ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang. Picture: Gallo Images / Rapport / Cornel Van Heerden
Here is your daily news update. Click on the links below for the full story or visit our home page for the latest news.
Daily news update: 14 January
Lindiwe Sisulu ‘desperately’ wants to be SA’s president, says Msimang
Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu “desperately” wants to become the president of South Africa, and is willing to do anything to achieve her objective.
That’s according to ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang in response to Sisulu’s latest opinion piece on Wednesday, in which she lambasted Msimang for saying her initial article – published last week on IOL criticising the constitution and judiciary – was an “extraordinary attack on South Africa’s constitution”.
ALSO READ: Sisulu pens another article slamming ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang, ‘other reactionaries’
Following widespread criticism from several quarters of society over her comments, including from Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, Sisulu slated Msimang, calling his views “ludicrous” and intellectually bankrupt.
City of Cape Town rejects Eskom’s ‘unaffordable’ electricity price hike
The City of Cape Town has rejected power utility Eskom’s application to hike the electricity price, describing it as “unaffordable” amid the rising costs of fuel, food and others.
The public has until Friday, 14 January, to submit written comments to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on Eskom tariffs.
These tariffs may increase by more than 40%, according to Nersa’s latest pro forma implementation plans.
Cape Town mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has since written to Eskom CEO André de Ruyter asking him to formally withdraw the application to increase the price of electricity.
Joburg council meeting postponed following disruptions by ANC, EFF
The City of Johannesburg council meeting has been postponed to next Tuesday following disruptions by African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillors on Thursday.
The parties met on Thursday for the election of chair of chairs and chairpersons of all Section 79 committees.
According to member of the mayoral committee for economic development Nkuli Mbundu, chaotic scenes broke out in the Joburg council meeting after the ANC and EFF “discovered they lost and don’t have numbers even if they vote together”.
Alleged Parliament arsonist Zandile Mafe starts mental observation
Alleged Parliament arsonist Zandile Christmas Mafe on Thursday started his 30-day mental observation at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital after a bed was secured for him.
Mafe, 49, appeared at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning, where the presiding officer made the order for him to be admitted for observation.
This followed his second appearance in court on Tuesday after he was arrested last week in connection with the blaze that gutted the buildings of Parliament.
Civil society slams Sisulu’s justice system critique as a ‘shameful exploitation’
Several civil society organisations have slammed Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s recent critique of the justice system as a “shameful exploitation by the politically elite”.
A joint statement from the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC), Corruption Watch, Defend our Democracy Campaign, Freedom Under Law (FUL), Helen Suzman Foundation, and Judges Matter labelled Sisulu’s critique as an “extraordinary attack on South Africa’s justice system, its constitution, and the judiciary.”
Aarto Act unconstitutional, High Court rules in Outa’s favour
The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Acts has been declared unconstitutional and invalid by the Pretoria High Court.
The court delivered its judgement on Thursday, according to Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), who legally challenged the Aarto Act and Aarto Amendment Act in October last year.
The organisation asked the court to declare both acts unconstitutional, which was opposed by Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula and the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA).
According to Outa, Judge Annali Basson ruled that both acts “must be declared to be inconsistent with the Constitution in its entirety”.
Billions of rands in investments on the way, says Mbalula on fixing Prasa
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has assured the public that “billions of rands in investments” will be made in order to restore the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and its broken railway systems.
Speaking at the launch of the disbursement of Covid-19 relief funds for taxi operators on Tuesday, Mbalula said South Africans must “watch the space” following public criticism over how far the country’s railway system has fallen.
“[You guys are crying about Prasa]. The trains are coming back… they are going to be running [again]. [There] are big announcements on [the] way in regards to trains… billions of rands in investments are on their way. So watch the space… this is the year of delivery,” he said.
