Daily news update: Free water and electricity for ministers, load shedding, heatwave

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Daily news update: 10 October

Ministers don’t have to pay a cent for water and electricity – report

South Africa’s ministers and deputy ministers do not pay anything for municipal services such as water and electricity at their official residences after President Cyril Ramaphosa changed the rules of Cabinet’s perks.

City Press reports that Ramaphosa made the revision in April, the same month that South Africans had their electricity tariffs increased.

The revision to the ministerial handbook states that the Department of Public Works will now pay for the water and electricity at state-owned residences.

The politicians are exempt from paying for rates despite ministers earning R2.4 million a year and deputy ministers being paid R2 million a year.

No surprise as Eskom announces return of load shedding

After South Africans were given a two-day reprieve from load shedding, Eskom on Sunday announced that the blackouts will return in the evenings from Monday to Wednesday.

Eskom said that stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 4pm to midnight on those days.

“Eskom will endeavour to limit load shedding to night-time to have minimal impact on the economy and population,” it said.

Heatwave update: Scorching temperatures predicted for week ahead

It’s been a sweltering weekend thus far and it’s not going to cool down anytime soon. Here’s the latest heatwave and weather update.

Vox Weather issued an alert on Sunday, warning that “persistently high temperatures” are expected in the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

As per the alert, residents should especially take precautions from Wednesday, 12 October, to Friday, 14 October.

AKA and Cassper almost come to blows over ‘Composure’ performance

Rappers AKA and Cassper Nyovest’s feud seems to have gotten some wind beneath its wings this past weekend after the former performed his diss track against the latter during an event both attended. 

The performance then led to a confrontation outside the event. Security had to intervene to keep the two rappers apart. 

AKA and Cassper found themselves trending on social media as fans weighed in on the videos from the event. 

Sundowns fire a magnificent seven in Champions League stroll

Mamelodi Sundowns were in cruise control on Sunday as they all-but booked their spot in the next round of Caf Champions League qualifying, with a 6-0 hammering of Seychelle’s La Passe at Loftus Stadium.

The return leg, also in Tshwane, should be a formality against the island nation part-timers, who resorted to damage limitation in the second half, but by then they had already been torn to pieces.

Sundowns were ahead with barely a minute gone, as Grant Kekana headed in Aubrey Mobida’s cross, with La Passe’s defenders giving the word ‘statuesque’ new meaning.

WATCH: Sheldon van der Linde crowned 2022 DTM champion

Sheldon van der Linde claimed the 2022 DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) Champion title when he finished third in the finale at Hockenheim on Sunday.

This makes the 23-year-old racing driver the first South African to win the German-based series in it’s history.

The BMW driver, who had largely the dominated the series after a horrible 2021 campaign, the first under the new GT3 regulations, went into the final round needing only to finish in the top six regardless of whether challenges, Mercedes’ Lucar Auer and Audi’s Rene Rast finished.