Daily news update: SA-Poland rift, Youth Day wrap, smart meters

In today’s daily news update, diplomatic tensions rise as the SA-Poland saga continues. Meanwhile, SA’s national Youth Day has come and gone.

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Daily news update: 17 June 2023

Here’s your easy-to-read selection of our top stories.

Ramaphosa’s Peace Mission

In a rapidly unfolding diplomatic row around President Ramaphosa’s Peace Mission, Polish authorities refused to allow South African personnel to disembark a charter plane.

The team was due to provide security for Ramaphosa during his visit to Eastern Europe.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Poland said in a statement late on Friday: “Dangerous goods were on board the plane, which South African representatives did not have permission to bring in.

READ: Warsaw to Kyiv: Ramaphosa’s peace mission a high-stakes diplomatic crisis?

Youth Day recap

Youth Day is steeped in history, a day of remembrance for the young souls ambushed and slain by apartheid police in Soweto in 1976, protesting the compulsory use of Afrikaans in schools.

This year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) joined the rest of the nation in reflection, using the theme, “Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future.”

Despite the strides made in improving the lives of South Africa’s youth, the SAHRC notes that significant hurdles remain.

READ: Youth Day perspectives: What SAHRC, DA, and Amnesty Intl are saying

Smart meters

You might have heard that the Minister of Electricity announced plans to install smart meters in homes in South Africa.

The idea, as I understand it, is to remotely monitor and control the country’s geysers.

‘We’re actually doing this for thousands of people already and they’ve always got hot water. It’s a 45-minute install and it can basically save load shedding across South Africa,’ says Sensor Networks founder, Mark Allewell.

READ: Government’s geyser smart meter plan – how will it work?

Family of 4 killed

Police have arrested a suspect concerning the killing of four family members, a 71-year-old grandmother, and her small grandchildren aged three, eight and ten years, in Piet Retief in Mpumalanga.

A fifth victim, a 22-year-old woman, is fighting for her life after being taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.

“The shocking incident is said to have occurred in Piet Retief around 18:15 (on Thursday, 15 June 2023),” said Mpumalanga Saps Colonel Donald Mdhluli.

READ: Family of four shot and killed in Piet Retief, police arrest one suspect

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