Daily news update: Load shedding, Dudu Myeni case postponed and health dept gazettes limited Covid-19 regulations

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Daily news update 05 May

SA experienced 25 days of load shedding this year, Eskom warns there’s more to come

From the beginning of January this year until the end of April, South Africa has experienced at least 25 days of load shedding.

This was four days fewer compared to the same period last year, according to Eskom chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer.

“From 1 January 2021 up until the end of April 2021, we had 29 days of load shedding. Twenty-seven days were at stage 2 and two days were at stage 3.

“In the same period this year – from 1 January 2022 to 30 April 2022 – there’s been 25 days of load shedding. Two days were at stage 1, 17 days were at stage 2, two days were at stage 3 and four days were at stage 4,” Oberholzer said.

Mask-wearing rule stays: Health department gazettes limited Covid-19 regulations

The department has gazetted the limited regulations for implementation with effect from Thursday, 05 May 2022.

These regulations mainly focus on wearing of face masks, gatherings and persons entering the country.

With regards to wearing a face mask, a person must, when entering and being inside an indoor public place, wear a face mask.

This does not apply to children at school. According to the gazetted regulations, no person may use any form of public transport unless wearing a face mask.

Eskom suffers R2 billion in losses a year due to cable theft and vandalism

Cable theft and vandalism costs Eskom billions a year and disrupts its power supply.

The power utility said the criminals who carry out the thefts are no amateurs as they seem to be organised and often target secluded sites.

Eskom’s security acting general manager Advocate Karen Pillay told 702 they suffer approximately R2 billion in direct losses as a result of cable theft.

Dudu Myeni’s case for outing ‘Mr X’ postponed to June

The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday postponed the case against former South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni to June.

Myeni’s case was previously postponed in March for the state to consider various representations made by her legal team.

The former SAA chair was reportedly unable to attend court on Wednesday because she was sick.

The case has now been postponed to 14 June, SABC News has reported.

Police activate 72-hour plan to find Hillary Gardee’s killers

Mpumalanga police have set up a 72-hour activation plan hours to find the suspects behind the murder of Hillary Gardee, the daughter of former EFF secretary-general and attorney, Godrich Gardee.

This follows Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola’s visit to the Gardee family home on Tuesday in Mbombela, previously known as Nelspruit.

Hillary’s body was found in the Ehlanzeni District in the Sabie area just outside Mbombela, four days after she was reported missing.

Watch: Bara Hospital fails patients

For Soweto-based author and media personality Musa Mbewe, who has been advocating for years for better public health care, reports of bread shortages at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital came as a shock.

She calls for heads to roll.

South Africans warned about more suffering despite petrol price decrease

Despite the price of petrol going down for May, concerns have been raised over the impact of rising costs of diesel and paraffin could have on South Africa.

Petrol prices dropped by a few cents at midnight with both 93 and 95 UPL petrol decreasing by 12 cents per litre.

95 ULP will now cost R21.84 per litre in inland and R21.09 per litre for the coastal areas.

However, the price of diesel increased by 98 and 92 cents per litre for 0.05% and 0.005% sulphur, respectively, which has raised concerns for some.

ALSO READ: Daily news update: Load shedding, petrol price and Chicco Twala out on bail