Daily news update: KZN flood death toll, stage 2 load shedding and Sedibeng District Municipality

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Daily news update 22 April

KZN flood death toll revised down to 435, some bodies found to have bullet wounds

Government has revised the death toll from the devastating floods that have wreaked havoc in KwaZulu-Natal to 435 from 448.

This was announced on Thursday during a media briefing in Pretoria by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS).

Police Minister Bheki Cele said the death toll was revised down after post-mortems revealed that four people were murdered and nine others died from natural causes in flood affected areas.

UPDATE: Eskom to move back to stage 2 load shedding on Thursday evening

Eskom said it will downgrade load shedding to stage 2 from 10 pm on Thursday and if all goes according to plan, load shedding could end by Friday.

The parastatal was briefing the media on Thursday on the current challenges it is facing which have seen load shedding ramped up to stage four during the week due to several breakdowns in service generators.

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said the system is recovering, which will result in the downgrade of load shedding.

Two suspects arrested in connection with Chicken Farm shooting

Two suspects linked to the Chicken Farm fatal shooting have been arrested in Soweto, while the third suspect was shot dead after he pointed a firearm at the police.

According to Brigadier Brenda Muridili, the suspects were arrested on Thursday after police followed up on information about suspects in possession of firearms in Dlamini and Chiawelo, Soweto.

“On arrival, the members surrounded the house and on entering, one of the members was pointed with a firearm by a suspect but acted swiftly and shot at the said suspect. Two more suspects were placed under arrest and two firearms and ammunition were seized by the police,” said Muridili.

Struggling Sedibeng municipality accused of splurging R3.9 million on catering in five years

Cash-strapped Sedibeng District Municipality has spent R3.9 million on catering services in the last five financial years.

Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Lebogang Maile revealed that between July 2017 to January 2022 the municipality forked out millions on food and drink during workshops, committee meetings, and council meetings.

He was answering questions posed by the DA’s MPL Kingsol Chabalala at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

KZN blood stocks dangerously low, SANBS makes urgent appeal for donors

The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) said it is running critically low in blood stocks and has only 2.2 days worth of blood supply left in its banks nationally and 1.1 days in the flood-ravaged province of KwaZulu-Natal.

This it says, is dire, and due partly to the KwaZulu-Natal floods, which have claimed over 448 lives.

The province was battered by torrential downpours leaving a trail of destruction which is estimated to cost billions of rands to get the province back on its feet.

More than 200 people could still be missing after KZN floods – Gift of the Givers

Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers believes that over 200 people could still be missing in KwaZulu-Natal following the devastating floods in the province that claimed the lives of more than 440 people.

According to Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, they have been receiving messages from families whose loved ones have been missing or unaccounted for.

The non-governmental organisation has been lending a helping hand in the flood-hit province where so far 448 people have died.

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