Daily news update: KZN floods, load shedding and Parliament clears Zweli Mkhize

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Ramaphosa to visit KZN on Wednesday as death toll rises to 59

President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit flood-stricken parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Wednesday to offer support to affected communities and assess the response of government and civil society to the situation.

The President’s visit follows meetings on Tuesday evening of the National Disaster Management Centre and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Disaster Management.

The President will travel to the eThekwini Metro on Tuesday morning and will visit a number of areas that have been severely impacted by the heavy downpours in recent days which have claimed lives, infrastructure and various assets.

Load shedding extended to Friday, Eskom confirms

Stage 2 load shedding will be implement until Friday morning due to shortage of generation capacity, Eskom has confirmed.

“Eskom regrets to inform the public that the implementation of Stage 2 load shedding will be extended to Wednesday night from 5pm until 5am and at the same time on Thursday night,” the power utility said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Load shedding is expected to be suspended at 5am on Friday.

The extension, Eskom said, is due to shortage of generation capacity and continued delays in returning to service four generating units at Camden Power Station and two generating units at Tutuka Power Station.

Zweli Mkhize cleared by Parliament in Digital Vibes scandal

Parliament has cleared former health minister Zweli Mkhize of contravening the Ethics and Member’s Interest Code of Conduct in relation the controversial Digital Vibes’ R150 million contract.

In a letter dated 12 April, the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests wrote to Mkhize informing him of its decision following deliberations on the matter.

A complaint was first laid by the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) deputy chief whip Siviwe Gwarube after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), in its report, found that he benefitted from R6,720 in repairs to his home.

Motorists have until May to renew driver’s licences after Mbalula’s latest extension

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says motorists who are yet to renew their expired driver’s licences have until next month to do so.

Mbalula held a media briefing on Tuesday to launch the Easter Road Safety campaign, where he confirmed another extension to the driver’s licence renewal grace period.

The latest deadline was set expire on Friday, 15 April.

The minister had previously announced a 15-day extension on 31 March, which was the initial deadline, for all learner licences, driving licence cards, temporary driving licences and professional driving permits that expired between 26 March 2020 and 31 August 2021.

Eskom predicts 100 days of possible power cuts during winter

South Africans should brace themselves for at least 100 days of rolling blackouts during the coming winter months, according to Eskom’s scenario planning.

Eskom’s national control manager, Gavin Hurford, said they previously projected that there would be 61 days of possible load shedding during winter, due to the parastatal’s ongoing maintenance programme.

But Hurford said the scenario had changed over time and they were now predicting at least 100 days of rolling power cuts this winter.

WATCH: KZN floods – Mosque collapses, several killed as province is battered

As the rain continues to wreak havoc in KwaZulu-Natal with more showers expected, a mosque has collapsed trapping the muezzin (one who calls to prayer) under the rubble.

The Banu Hashim Mosque, located at Lady Bruce Place in Morningside, collapsed on Monday after the heavy downpours.

Officials urgently requested the use of a TLB to free the trapped muezzin. The video of the mosque collapse was share to The Citizen.

WATCH: Zuma to spend 80th birthday in hospital as Niehaus wishes ‘shame’ on his enemies

Former president Jacob Zuma will spend his 80^th birthday in hospital on Tuesday.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation said Zuma is currently undergoing tests after falling ill on Sunday.

Spokesperson Jimmy Manyi told eNCA Zuma was supposed to meet with his lawyers on Sunday when he started feeling unwell.

Senzo Meyiwa murder trial postponed again for five more days

The trial of the five men charged with the murder of Senzo Meyiwa has again been postponed, this time to 22 April.

Muzikawukhulelwa Sthemba Sibiya, 34, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, 30, Mthobisi Prince Ncube, 36, and Mthokoziseni Ziphozonke Maphisa, 35, appeared in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.  

All the accused are expected to plead not guilty. On Monday, Advocate Zandile Mshololo for accused five, Sifisokuhle Ntuli asked Judge Tshifhwiwa Maumela for a postponement to consult with her client.

NPA to prioritise state capture cases over next 12 months, says Batohi

National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shamila Batohi said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will focus on prosecuting cases of grand corruption, including state capture, over the next 12 months.

Batohi made these comments while speaking at the annual Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Honourary Lecture at Stellenbosch University.

“For the next six months, to a year we certainly won’t finish all the cases, but we are focusing on cases in the Zondo commission and other cases relating to grand corruption,” said Batohi.

Another hospital in Gauteng affected by food disruptions, DA concerned

The Democratic Alliance has raised concerns about another hospital in Gauteng that is affected by food disruptions after heavy rainfall this week.

The party said patients at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital are suffering from food supply disruptions, including bread and dairy products.

DA’s Jack Bloom said the details of the food disruptions were by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written reply to his questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

‘I am happy I won’ – Naak MusiQ on Celeb City win against Cassper

All eyes have been on musician, television presenter and actor Anga Makhubalo, popularly known as Naak MusiQ since his victory over Cassper Nyovest at the weekend.

For months, the pair had been building up anticipation for their fight, often engaging in some social media banter to make their rivalry seem real.

They also shared footage from their training sessions in the lead up to the fight, much to the amusement of social media users.

Elgar a happy captain, but lack of hundreds a big concern

While satisfied with his team’s successful summer, Proteas captain Dean Elgar admits the batters need to convert their starts into hundreds.

If there were any concerns about the team’s performances over the last few months, it was the fact the South Africa batters failed to go big on several occasions after they’d done the hard work to settle in at the crease.

“From a batting point of view, we need to notch up more hundreds,” said Elgar after the team’s 2-0 series win against Bangladesh.