Daily news update: Load shedding, petrol price and Chicco Twala out on bail

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Daily news update 04 May

Eskom to implement stage 2 load shedding until next Monday

Eskom has announced that it will implement stage 2 load shedding from 5pm on Tuesday afternoon until 5am next week Monday.

The power utility said this was due to a shortage of generation capacity.

“This load shedding has been caused by a shortage of generation capacity owing to delays in returning generators to service, as well as breakdowns of nine generators. Eskom will continue to monitor the system and implement any changes as required,” Eskom said in a statement.

Petrol price to decrease for May – here’s by how much

Petrol prices will go down by a few cents from Wednesday, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy confirmed.

Following the temporary reduction of the general fuel levy (GFL), the reprieve at the pumps for May prevails.

Both 93 and 95 UPL petrol will decrease by 12 cents per litre, however, the price of diesel will go up by 98 and 92 cents per litre for 0.05% and 0.005% sulphur, respectively.

Illuminating paraffin (wholesale) will increase by 79.60 cents per litre, while IP (SMNRP) will rise by 149 cents per litre.

Meanwhile, the Maximum LPGas Retail Price will decrease by 69 cents per kilogramme

Chicco Twala jailed after pointing gun at City Power technician, calls arrest ‘a victory’

The Randburg Magistrates’ Court has granted musician Ernest “Chicco” Twala R2,000 bail.

This after Twala’s appearance in the court on Tuesday facing charges of pointing something that resembles a firearm and common assault.

Twala was released on R2,000 bail and will return to court on 26 August after the case was postponed for further investigations. 

Twala was arrested on Monday.

Body of Godrich Gardee’s daughter found outside Mbombela, EFF confirms

The body of former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) secretary-general Godrich Gardee’s daughter has been found after she went missing.

The EFF confirmed on Tuesday the retrieval of Hilary Indira Gardee’s body, which was found outside Mbombela, in Mpumalanga.

“This heart-breaking news has left the Gardee family distraught, and the collective leadership of the EFF are at a loss for words,” the Red Berets said in a statement.

“We send our deepest condolences and sympathies to commissar Gardee, the Gardee family and those who were close to Hillary.

Zondo says arresting Teffo inside a court room ‘completely unacceptable’

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo says the arrest of Advocate Malesela Teffo inside a courtroom was “completely unacceptable” and should not have happened.

Teffo, the defence advocate representing four of the five accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, was arrested inside the high court last Thursday and led away in handcuffs in front of television cameras, just after proceedings in the Meyiwa murder trial were postponed.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Zondo highly criticised the arrest of Teffo inside the courtroom and said it showed disrespect for the judiciary.

New Omicron variant found – but should South Africans be concerned?

A new Omicron variant found in wastewater is not necessarily dangerous and might not cause the fifth wave, according to an expert.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has detected a new sub-variant, called BA.4, of Omicron in wastewater in southwestern Johannesburg.

This comes after a rise in new Covid-19 cases in South Africa, with 2,650 cases and seven deaths recorded on Monday.

Speaking to 702 on Tuesday morning, executive director of NICD, Professor Adrian Puren, said they are currently conducting studies to determine the effectiveness of vaccines on the sub-variants.

Motorists reminded to renew expired driver’s licence as deadline looms

Motorists are reminded to renew their expired licences as there will not be any further extensions to the driver’s licence renewal grace period beyond 5 May.

This applies to those whose licences expired between 26 March 2020 and 31 August 2021.

Following Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s briefing last week Thursday, he stated that there’s a backlog of 1.3 million expired licences that need to be renewed.

“We encourage all those who have yet to come forward to renew their licences to do so without delay,” Mbalula said.