Daily news update: New chief justice, Ramaphosa no-confidence motion and load shedding

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Daily news update 11 March 

MPs argue over open ballot as dates for no confidence motions against Ramaphosa, Cabinet set 

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet are set to face a vote of no confidence later this month, National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has confirmed. 

This was revealed during a National Assembly Programming Committee meeting on Thursday. 

In the proceedings, Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs that the motions tabled by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) will be debated and voted in three weeks’ time on 30 March. 

Justice Raymond Zondo named new Chief Justice

President Cyril Ramphosa has appointed Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as the next Chief Justice of South Africa with effect from 1 April 2022.

“The Chief Justice stands as the champion of the rights of all South Africans and bears responsibility for ensuring equal access to justice,” said the Presidency in a tweet.

“I have every confidence that Justice Zondo will acquit himself with distinction in this position.”

SA approached to mediate in Russia-Ukraine conflict, says Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa has been approached to play the mediation role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has claimed thousands of civilians’ lives and led to the mass exodus of at least 2.2 million people fleeing Ukraine. 

Ramaphosa on Thursday called Russian President Vladimir Putin to “gain an understanding of the situation” between the two countries.

Eskom moves to stage 3 load shedding 

Load shedding will be reduced to stage 3 from 21:00 tonight until 05:00 on Friday. 

“Thereafter stage 2 will be implemented until 05:00 on Monday, as previously communicated,” South Africa’s embattled power utility, Eskom, said in a statement on Thursday. 

The parastatal has reported some recovery in generation capacity over the past 24 hours. 

“Eskom appeals to all South Africans to continue helping us limit the impact of load shedding by reducing the usage of electricity and switching off all non-essential items,” Eskom further stated. 

The energy provider said that the emergency generation reserves have sufficiently improved to permit a reduction in the stage of load shedding. 

Furious holiday makers call for ‘Hello Darlings’ CEO’s head after grabbing millions and ghosting clients 

Hundreds of victims of the ‘Hello Darlings’ travel scam are calling on law enforcement agencies to bring the swindler to book after losing millions of rands. 

It is understood that holiday makers are furious after booking and paying for expensive holidays through travel company ‘Hello Darlings’, claiming that the CEO, Tasneem Moosa, disappeared with their money. 

Moosa has since closed all her social media accounts and ghosted her angry clients. 

Moosa’s clients took to social media, calling for her head, demanding that law enforcement track her down. 

Doctors playing caterer as Bara Hospital fails to feed patients, waste piles up 

Doctors are bringing lunch for patients at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg, as a failure to pay food suppliers and waste disposal contractors has brought the huge hospital to “crisis point”. 

Professor Martin Smith, clinical head of surgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath, said because of the failure to pay contractors, biological waste at the hospital was not being disposed of properly. 

Failure to pay suppliers is also affecting deliveries of bread and milk to the hospital, leaving some patients without food, he said. 

WATCH: SIU raids NLC offices in Northern Cape 

The SIU is raiding National Lotteries Commission (NLC) offices in the Northern Cape after allegations of corrupt activities in the registration of non-profit organisations surfaced in the province. 

The SIU was accompanied by officials from the Hawks in Kimberley on Thursday. 

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