Daily news update: AKA’s final resting place, GBV fight, KZN floods, stage 6

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.

Daily news update: 19 February

AKA funeral

It was a heart-breaking moment when the body of Kiernan Jarryd Forbes popularly known as AKA was taken to its final resting place.

AKA was buried in private funeral ceremony at West Park Cemetry in Johannesburg on Saturday.

While the burial was not streamed or shown to the public, photos and videos have been leaked online.

However, there were some visuals of the casket of the late rapper leaving his Bryanston home in Johannesburg.

Those that attended the intimate ceremony included his parents, Lynn and Tony Forbes, brother Steffan Forbes, girlfriend Nadia Nadia, and only child Kairo Forbes.

READ: WATCH: AKA’s final resting place

African heads of state should join GBV fight

In another news update, President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged African Union (AU) member states to actively drive the campaign to end violence against women and girls across the continent.

Ramaphosa and several members of the Cabinet are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia attending the AU meeting of heads of state and government.

Addressing the presidential advocacy gender pre-summit breakfast on Saturday, Ramaphosa said the 2021 Kinshasa Declaration, which emanated from the men’s conference to end violence against women and girls, committed governments to provide the necessary resources to end the scourge.

“South Africa wholly supports this critical platform. It is encouraging to see Heads of State responding positively to the call for more strategic collaboration to take this agenda forward,” Ramaphosa said.

READ: African heads of state should lead in fighting GBV, Ramaphosa tells AU

Heavy downpours and flooding in KZN

KwaZulu-Natal has been warned to brace for heavy downpours and flooding as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) on Saturday issued a yellow level 4 warning.

“Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected over most parts of KZN today. As a result of prolonged rainfall in many parts of the province in the past couple of days, the expected rainfall might cause further localised significant impacts,” said Saws.

Last week, torrential rain in the province claimed the lives of six people including a three-month-old baby, left two missing and destroyed nearly 140 homes.

The co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) department in the province said the Umkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, Umzinyathi and Amajuba districts suffered the most during heavy downpours over the past two days

READ: KZN warned to brace for heavy downpours and flooding

Stage 6

In a news update involving Eskom, the state-owned entity has announced that it will ramp up load shedding to stage 6 from Saturday night to conserve electricity generation capacity.

The power utility said there is a possibility that the stage 6 power cuts may continue to Sunday.

The higher stage of load shedding was ramped up from stage 4 after Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha on Friday said the utility had a number of breakdowns at its power stations.

Mantshantsha said the ramping up of the deliberate power cuts is necessary to replenish generation reserves.

Meanwhile, The National Press Club, the largest club representing journalists and communication professionals, has named Eskom and load shedding 2022 Newsmaker of the Year.

READ: Eskom ramps up load shedding to stage 6

Farm murders

The high court in the Free State has sentenced two men to two life terms each for the murder of a farmer and his son in their Zwartpan farm home in November 2020.

Pieter Hills, 56, and his son Eddie, 26, were attacked and murdered in the early hours of November 5.

According to evidence, four men went to the farm with the intention of stealing sheep but decided to rob the family when they could not find any sheep.

They entered the house, stabbed Hills several times and shot his son Eddie before demanding keys for the safe.

READ: Two life terms for murder of farmer and son

Turkey quake claims African footballer

Former Ghana international Christian Atsu was found dead on Saturday, almost two weeks after a devastating earthquake in Turkey.

Atsu, 31, was caught up in a 7.8-magnitude quake that rocked Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing more than 43,000 people in both countries.

There were initial reports the former Chelsea and Newcastle player had been rescued a day after the quake, but these turned out to be false.

READ: Ghana footballer Atsu found dead in Turkey quake rubble