Daily news update: Ramaphosa on Eskom, Jagersfontein dam collapse, and MTN8 semi-final

Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.

Daily news update: 2 October 2022

‘We will give them resources’: Ramaphosa hails new ‘wholesome’ Eskom board

President Cyril Ramaphosa has backed the new board members of Eskom to help tackle load shedding and other challenges the power utility is facing.

Speaking to the media in Kimberley, Northern Cape, during the ANC’s Letsema campaign on Saturday, Ramaphosa said he hailed the new Eskom board of “capable individuals”.

“It’s a diverse mixture of experience [and] expertise. This is a wonderful, wholesome board. The mandate they have is to make Eskom work and they will evaluate everything from the executives right through to the manner in which Eskom has been functioning or should function.”

Joburg mayoral drama: Is it a strategy to keep Action SA out of the spotlight or to set ANC up for spectacular failure?

The recent weeks have been marred with drama in the City of Johannesburg. This all started with the ousting of former Speaker Vasco Da Gama.

Barely hours after Da Gama’s ousting, it was already written on the wall that now former Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse’s future was also hanging in the balance.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has since last year’s local government elections been leading the City through a coalition arrangement.

Body found in Jagersfontein can’t be linked to dam collapse incident as yet

The body of a male which was discovered at a riverbank on a farm in Jagersfontein cannot be linked to the mine disaster which occurred in recent weeks, according to the Free State provincial government.

Speaking to The Citizen on Saturday, spokesperson for the provincial government Palesa Chubisi said they are still awaiting pathology results.

The body in question was discovered about 16km from where the mine disaster incident occurred in recent weeks. 

State Capture: Are the wheels of justice beginning to move?

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will take bold and innovative steps, to bring justice and restitution to the nation when dealing with corruption and State Capture cases.

This follows the ambitious announcement by the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi during the NPA’s briefing to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee in March this year that they are committed to enrolling nine seminal matters before the end of last month.

According to the NPA spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga, this is part of their constitutional mandate to take decisive and visible action against high-level corruption.

Ramaphosa hands over new RDP home as Letsema campaign continues despite criticism

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday continued with his Letsema campaign in the Northern Cape despite serious backlash and criticism from the public.

The campaign, launched in April this year in Free State, sees ANC officials hitting the road to ensure certain service delivery duties were carried out such as the fixing of potholes and cleaning up the environment.

According Ramaphosa and the ANC, the campaign seeks to strengthen the ruling party’s connection with the people and renew its social contract with resident across communities in the country.

Pirates and Sundowns play to a draw in MTN8 semi-final first leg

Orlando Pirates failed to utilise their home-ground advantage after playing to a goalless draw with Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-finals at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

It was a game where Pirates had to take advantage of playing in front of their home fans, while Sundowns had to make them uncomfortable by scoring an away goal going into the second leg, instead, a draw was all the sides could offer on the day

Pirates brought on Kermit Erasmus to try and get a goal, but he too found it difficult to break the deadlock, however, his presence was felt.