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News today: Eskom ‘turning a corner’, BELA Bill ‘not attacking Afrikaans’, Transnet wants skilled staff to return
Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.
Photo: iStock/The Citizen/Cheryl Kahla
News today includes a glimmer of optimism from Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. He said he was “really excited” about “turning the corner” in South Africa’s load shedding crisis. This comes after Kusile Unit 3 is already up and running and more units are on track for re-commissioning in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga refuted claims that the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill is an attack on Afrikaans schools.
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News today: 2 October
Eskom to revive Kusile units
With a glimmer of optimism that’s been rare these days, Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa couldn’t help but beam as he delivered the energy briefing on Sunday.
Ramokgopa spoke about Kusile Power Station’s units and the crucial role they play in helping to keep the lights on across the country.
He said that Kusile Unit 3 is already up and running – two months ahead of schedule – and units 1, 2, and 5 are also on track for re-commissioning in the coming months.
CONTINUE READING: ‘Turning a corner’: Eskom to boost capacity with revived Kusile units
‘There’s no attack on Afrikaans’
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Sunday refuted claims that the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill is an attack on Afrikaans schools.
This after opposition parties and some civil society organisations have raised concerns that the Bill is unconstitutional.
Motshekga said the Bill is meant for the “protection of every child to have access to education” and is not an attack on Afrikaans.
CONTINUE READING: ‘There’s no attack on Afrikaans’: Motshekga says BELA Bill gives every child access to education
Transnet shakeup
The abrupt resignation of Transnet CEO Portia Derby may pave the way for a comprehensive strategy to revitalise the floundering state-owned utility.
After two turbulent years marked by declining performance and missed opportunities in a burgeoning commodities market, Derby stepped down on Friday, giving in to mounting pressure from mining and industry sectors.
Derby’s controversial decision to offer Voluntary Severance Packages (VSPs) has backfired spectacularly.
An anonymous senior government leader told the Sunday Times plans are underway to rehire some of the experienced personnel who were let go.
CONTINUE READING: Plans reportedly underway to rehire hundreds of skilled Transnet staff
Bird flu
Major retailers are literally treading on eggshells to secure egg and poultry meat supply on their shelves as South Africa battles the country’s worst ever bird flu outbreak.
Top producers in the poultry industry sector, such as Astral Foods and Quantum Foods, have issued a warning in the media of imminent egg and meat shortages due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI/bird flu).
Some shoppers in Cape Town and Johannesburg claim to have already encountered egg shortages on the shelves of certain retailers.
CONTINUE READING: Bird flu: Retailers in a flap as cracks deepen in egg, poultry supply
Another mass shooting
Four men and a woman were shot and killed in Gugulethu, Western Cape, late on Saturday night.
The latest tragedy comes after five people lost their lives in a similar mass shooting incident on Monday.
A murder investigation has been opened by Provincial Serious Violent Crimes (SVC) detectives.
CONTINUE READING: Five killed in another mass shooting in Gugulethu
Nightclub fire in Spain
At least 13 people were killed in a fire in a Spanish nightclub on Sunday morning, authorities said, with fears the toll could still rise as rescue workers sift through the debris.
The fire broke out in the two-storey “Teatre” nightclub, also called “Fonda Milagros”, in the city of Murcia in southeastern Spain in the early hours of the morning.
Emergency services said that firefighters were continuing to work at the scene and had not ruled out “the possibility of finding more victims”.
CONTINE READING: Spanish nightclub fire: At least 13 dead as birthday bash turns into inferno
