Daily news update: Load shedding, KZN floods and health regulations extension

Here is your daily news update. Click on the links below for the full story or visit our home page for the latest news.

Load shedding: Lights will be on for Easter, but blackouts could continue next week

While plans are still on track to suspend rolling blackouts at 05:00 on Friday morning, Eskom warned on Thursday morning that a unit each at the Kusile and Kendal power stations tripped over the past 24 hours.

The power utility has urged the public to continue using electricity sparingly in an effort to help replenish the emergency generation reserves in anticipation of the coming week.

Eskom said the planned suspension of load shedding is due, in part, to the lower demand expected over the weekend, but warned of the possibility that load shedding will need to be implemented during next week as the demand returns.

KZN floods: 341 people have died, says premier

The death toll in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) as result of the floods now stands at over 341, premier Sihle Zikalala has confirmed.

This has risen from 306 fatalities, which was reported on Wednesday.

Zikalala, on Thursday, provided an update on KZN government’s response to the flood disasters due to the heavy rains.

“As of today, in terms of the overview of the provincial incidents, a total of 40,723 people have been affected [and] sadly 341 fatalities have been recorded,” he said.

Phaahla defends proposed health act regulations, says they’re not completely new

Amid some opposition to the proposed regulations to the National Health Act, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has defended the draft measures, saying they will assist with keeping South Africa’s Covid-19 infections and positivity rate low.

The minister along with officials from the Department of Health on Thursday morning briefed parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health on amendments to the health regulations that are out for public comment.

Parliament defends decision to clear Mkhize in Digital Vibes scandal

Parliament has defended its decision to clear former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize of contravening the MPs’ Code of Conduct for his alleged involvement in the Digital Vibes’ scandal.

On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests wrote to Mkhize informing the former minister of its decision to clear him following deliberations on the matter.

The matter stemmed from a complaint laid by the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) deputy chief whip Siviwe Gwarube.

Mapisa-Nqakula appointed to mediate in Russia-Ukraine conflict

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been appointed to the task force of the world association of parliaments to mediate on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Mapisa-Nqakula’s appointment was announced this week by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The IPU is an organisation of global parliaments and facilitates parliamentary diplomacy to “promote peace, democracy and sustainable development worldwide”, according to a statement from Parliament.

Jackson Mthembu’s wife Thembi passes away

Thembi Mthembu, the wife of the late Minister in Presidency Jackson Mthembu, passed away in a Pretoria hospital on Thursday morning.

Her death comes just a little more than a year after her husband’s death. The anti-apartheid activist and Minister in the Presidency died on 21 January 2021 after battling with Covid-19.

The couple had six children and unfortunately lost their 25-year-old daughter on 20 March 2019 to suicide. Khwezi Mthembu committed suicide at her family’s Pelican parliamentary village home in Cape Town.

SA migrant scholars: Undocumented foreigners not to blame for jobs crisis

South African (SA) migrant scholars say the greater population is woefully misinformed about the number of undocumented foreigners living and working in the country.

Migrant scholars say their work shows that only a small quotient of the SA population are international migrants and that the overall effect of international immigration on the labour market is not detrimental.

Govt extends deadline for public comment on proposed health act regulations

Government has extended the deadline for South Africans to have their say on the proposed amendments to the National Health Act to 24 April 2022.

The draft regulations, which are aimed at dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and other notifiable conditions outside the national state of disaster, were gazetted for public comment in March by the Department of Health.

The deadline for submissions was initially on Good Friday, 15 April 2022.

Government killing its own golden goose: Taxing SA’s middle class into poverty

Government needs the South African middle class to grow, but instead seems intent on taxing them into poverty, and making it unlikely that they would be able to carry future burdens in taxes and government spending.

They will have to deal with rising inflation and rising interest rates which are much more severe than previously expected, due to the impact of the Russia/Ukraine war.

DJ Zinhle and Murdah Bongz are the faces of Drip footwear’s new fragrance ‘Finesse by Drip’

Drip footwear has marked its success by branching outside of their unique and colourful locally made sneakers, to introducing a new fragrance available for purchase for both men and women.

Taking to social media, the South African footwear brand announced that they will be releasing a new product line, which is a fragrance named “Finesse by Drip”.