Daily news update: No load shedding on NYE, extreme weather conditions and fuel price drops

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Daily news update: 31 December

No load shedding on New Year’s Eve

As was the case on Christmas Day, load shedding will be suspended on New Year’s Eve.

This was confirmed by the power utility Eskom on Friday afternoon.

However, in a statement, Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said stage 4 load shedding will continue to be implemented on Friday at 4pm.

“Thereafter, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 5 am until 4pm:00 on New Year’s Eve.

“Loadshedding will then be suspended until 5 am on Monday whereafter Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented until further notice,” said Mantshantsha.

Extreme weather warnings issued ahead of New Year celebrations

Those with plans to be on the road and outside this New Year’s Eve need to be extra cautious, as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow level 2 warning for the upcoming weekend.

Speaking to The Citizen on Friday, forecaster Venetia Phakula said most of the rainfall expected will be over Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), northern Free State as well as the eastern parts of North West.

The same warning, which is expected to lead to large amounts of hail and localized flooding, is also expected on Friday and soccer fans planning to go and watch the Premier Soccer League (PSL) match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates in Pretoria, are urged to travel with caution.

Good news for motorists: Significant fuel price drops coming in January

South Africa’s cash-strapped motorists will be getting a welcome Januworry gift, with fuel price reductions of between R1,89 and R2,59, depending on their cars’ juice of choice.

The Automobile Association released a statement on Friday morning welcoming the data from the Central Energy Fund, announcing that the prices of diesel, petrol, and illumination paraffin are all set to decrease significantly next Wednesday.

“According to the data, petrol (both grades) will decrease by around R1.85/litre, diesel will decrease by between R2.47/l and R2.59/l and illuminating paraffin will decrease by around R1.93/l,” says the AA.

Is Kanye West missing? Ex-business manager can’t find rapper to serve him lawsuit

American rapper Kanye West’s life has been on a downward spiral since his now ex-wife, media personality and socialite, Kim Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021.

The star seemed to keep his life together for the remainder of 2021, with no major headlines, but 2022 was certainly not a good year for the Gold Digger hitmaker.  

Ye’s erratic behaviour, which has cost him dearly since it started, first reared its unpredictable head early in 2022 when his reality television star ex-wife started dating comedian Pete Davidson.   

The rapper went to extreme lengths in an attempt to win back Kim Kardashian’s favour, although we’re not sure how bashing her boyfriend fitted into his plans.

In February, the Can’t Tell Me Nothing rapper took to his personal Instagram account posting a series of photoshopped pictures of the comedian and his estranged wife, as well as screenshots from a conversation he had with Pete.

Sundowns stun Pirates in DStv Premiership return

It is as though Mamelodi Sundowns’ Mothobi Mvala was showing Orlando Pirates’ Tapelo Xoki how it’s done when he headed home to open the scoring in a thrilling DStv Premiership tie between the defending champions and the Happy People.

Mvala scored his maiden goal of the season in the 41st minute but a couple of minutes earlier, Pirates had an identical set-piece where Monnapule Saleng delivered a cross into the box, the same way Marcelo Allende teed up Mvala.

However, Xoki’s effort found a highly alert Ronwen Williams, while on the other end, Siaybonga Mpontshane had to agonizingly watch the ball crawl into the back of the net.

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