Daily news update: Eskom wage deal, taxi fare increase, and Bheki Cele loses his cool

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Daily news update – 6 July

Wage deal to cost Eskom R1 billion as Public Enterprises slams ‘state of emergency’ reports

Eskom says the wage deal it reached with unions will cost the the utility R1 billion.

This comes as the country is experiencing a continuous run of load shedding.

On Tuesday, Eskom signed a new wage agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and Solidarity, guaranteeing workers a 7% wage increase.

WATCH: ‘You consider me a garden boy!’ – Bheki Cele berates crime activist

Police Minister Bheki Cele lost his cool after he was accused of failing to ensure the safety of residents in the Western Cape.

A community police forum on Tuesday saw a heated exchange between Cele and Action Society director Ian Cameron, who had raised concern about policing issues within the townships of Cape Town, such as Gugulethu and Nyanga.

“You are failing your own Constitution, and not fulfilling your mandate to safeguard [these communities]. I don’t see you patrolling the area at night with the people here,” Cameron told Cele.

Petrol price hike: Taxi commuters warned of huge increase in taxi fares

South Africa’s taxi operators are tabling a proposal to increase taxi fares, between 25% and 30%.

Citizens will as of 12am on Wednesday, be forced to dig even deeper into their pockets, as the price of fuel goes up, yet again.

Motorists will be paying more than R26 per litre as of Wednesday. Various taxi associations in recent weeks have been discussing raising taxi fares.

Richard Mdluli released on parole, placed on community service

Former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli has been released on parole.

The Department of Correctional Services on Tuesday confirmed that the former Crime Intelligence boss will complete the duration of his five-year incarceration “within the system of community corrections”.

Saftu wants Marikana victims compensated by Ramaphosa and Sibanye

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) says Marikana victims can now get financial compensation for the tragedy in 2012.

The Gauteng High Court found that the victims, including wounded mineworkers and families of the men who died, now have a legal case to hold Sibanye (Lonmin at the time) and President Cyril Ramaphosa financially liable for the deaths and injuries.

At least 34 mineworkers were brutally gunned down by police on that fateful day.

Senior ANC MPL Siboniso Duma joins KZN race

ANC senior KwaZulu-Natal Legislature MPL Siboniso Duma has thrown his hat into the ring for the ruling party’s provincial leadership race.

Duma, who is the KZN Legislature’s chair of chairs, has apparently been asked by some ANC members to contest the provincial chairperson position in the upcoming ANC provincial conference scheduled to take place in two weeks’ time. 

Mthokozisi Ntumba murder: NPA to ‘study’ judgment before deciding on way forward

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will look into whether there are grounds to appeal the acquittal of the four police officers accused of killing Mthokozisi Ntumba.

On Tuesday, Tshepiso Kekana, Motseothata Boitumelo, Madimeja Lekgodi and Victor Nkosinathi Mohammed saw the charges of murder, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice against them dropped by the Johannesburg High Court.

The accused had brought an application in terms of Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act to be discharged.

‘Sorry Jacob Zuma’ is trending on Twitter, here’s why

As astronomical fuel hikes and exacerbated load shedding takes their toll on South Africans, dozens of social media users took to Twitter to express apologies to former President Jacob Zuma.

The #SorryJacobZuma trend comes amid increasing backlash and discontent for President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Dissatisfaction with Ramaphosa is at an all-time high, and unfortunately for him, it just so happens that his tenor in the highest office is during one unfolding global crisis after another.

WATCH: The ‘league’ cup is back as PSL announce new sponsor

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has found a new sponsor for one of their knockout competitions which had been in absent over the past two years. 

The knockout competition was last played in 2019 when it was sponsored by Telkom and called the Telkom Knockout. 

It will now be named the Carling Knockout Cup and be played by all 16 top flight teams. 

Pollard to lead new-look Bok team in second Test against Wales

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has named two uncapped players in his starting lineup and a further four among the replacements, reshuffling his squad ahead of the second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

In-form players Kurt-Lee Arendse (outside back) and Evan Roos (No 8) have been handed starts, while Ntuthuko Mchunu (prop), Ruan Nortje (lock), Deon Fourie (utility forward) and Grant Williams (scrumhalf) could make their debuts off the bench.