Daily news update: March against president, Malema tells Ramaphosa to resign, Jake White takes swipe at Bok coach

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Daily news update – 15 July

Several roads in Johannesburg CBD to be closed by Friday’s march against Ramaphosa

Motorists in and around Johannesburg CBD are advised to avoid some streets on Friday due to a planned march to the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters.

According to spokesperson for the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), Xola Fihla, the streets to be affected include Eloff Street, Ntemi Piliso Street and Pritchard.

The march is set to commence at 10am from Gandhi Square along Rissik street, lead into Fox street before heading into Pixley Ka Seme street towards Luthuli House.

Load shedding on the cards until Thursday next week – Eskom

South Africans should brace themselves for more load shedding after Eskom announced that it will load shed until Thursday next week.

Eskom said it will implement stage 4 load shedding from 4pm until midnight on Thursday.

Load shedding will then be reduced to stage 3 at 5am on Friday until midnight.

Ramaphosa ‘mustn’t test our patience’, he must ‘resign or else…’ says Malema

Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, says they will approach all political parties in Parliament, including the ANC, to work towards a motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Speaking during a media briefing in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon, Malema said the EFF is concerned about what he described as the continued degeneration and devastation of South Africa under the current administration of Ramaphosa, and the entire collective of a “failed former liberation movement”.

“We know that the former liberation movement, like all of them in the African continent, is not a solution to the people of South Africa. Rather, the conditions of our people are getting worse, and all systems that guarantee dignity for our people are crumbling,” Malema said.

Why did food become so expensive?

Why did food become so expensive? Why does South Africa export food when so many are hungry? Do we have enough food? These are some of the questions consumers are asking while they struggle with the impact of the high cost of living.

Agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo has to answer these questions often.

“In short, South Africa has sufficient food supplies and mechanisms to ensure that we do not export too much food and risk creating shortages in the domestic market. Local consumers are a priority, but the exports are essential for the sustainability of the farming business,” he says.

Bok boss Nienaber from hero to zero? Jake White takes a swipe

Jacques Nienaber, one of the heroes who helped turn a Springbok side at its lowest ebb into world champions, is now trending towards zero in some critics’ eyes, with fellow World Cup winning coach Jake White the latest to take a potshot.

White, now spearheading the Bulls’ renaissance as director of rugby at Loftus Versfeld, took a thinly veiled swipe at Nienaber’s lack of coaching experience in a column he wrote for the Rugby Pass website on Thursday.

Criticising the decision to make 14 changes to the Springbok starting XV and suffering an historic first defeat to Wales on home turf last weekend in Bloemfontein, White said Nienaber should have learnt not to experiment at Test level in that fashion but at junior or club level.

Mkhwebane inquiry: Mpofu says they’ll call for Ramaphosa to testify

Advocate Dali Mpofu, acting on behalf of suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has told Parliament’s Section 194 Committee they will call President Cyril Ramaphosa to come and testify before the inquiry that is probing Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.

Mpofu on Thursday told the inquiry that Ramaphosa should testify due to the allegations he had made against Mkhwebane about her fitness to hold office.

City of Joburg looking into writing off Soweto’s electricity debt, says Phalatse

Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse says the city is exploring its options with the view to possibly writing off the multi-billion rand electricity debt owed by Soweto residents.

Soweto’s long-standing electricity debt has been a major headache for the city and Eskom, with scores of disgruntled residents last month taking their protest over frequent power outages in parts of the township to the mayor’s office in Braamfontein.

In an effort to resolve Soweto’s electricity debt, Phalatse on Wednesday said the city was looking at ways to write off the electricity debt accumulated over the years by Soweto residents, due to a culture of non-payment.