Read more
Daily news update: Three years after Babita Deokaran’s hit | Samwu worker pleads for relief | City Power’s most problematic areas
Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.
Photo: iStock/The Citizen/Cheryl Kahla
News today includes three years after the assassination of Gauteng financial accounting officer Babita Deokaran, Special Investigating Unit (SIU) boss Andy Mothibi said her efforts to uncover corrupt activities were not in vain and that investigations are at an advanced stage.
Meanwhile, the City of Johannesburg employees affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) say they are struggling to make ends meet and often have to bring resources from home to do their jobs properly.
Furthermore, while the country celebrates keeping the lights on, some areas getting electricity supply from City Power still grapple with power outages.
News Today: 24 August 2024
The weather service has warned of damaging winds in parts of the Northern Cape, Free State, and Eastern Cape; damaging waves at sea between Slangkop and Cape Agulhas; and disruptive rain in the Western Cape. – full weather forecast here.
Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.
Babita Deokaran: Whistle-blower’s efforts to uncover corruption not in vain, says SIU
Three years after the assassination of Gauteng financial accounting officer Babita Deokaran, Special Investigating Unit (SIU) boss Andy Mothibi said her efforts to uncover corrupt activities were not in vain and that investigations are at an advanced stage.
At 8.24am on 23 August 2021, hitmen pumped 12 bullets into the 53-year-old Gauteng health acting chief financial officer outside her complex in the south of Johannesburg shortly after dropping her child at school.
Deokaran had flagged corruption in the department’s procurement of Covid personal protective equipment (PPE) to the tune of R332 million.
CONTINUE READING: Babita Deokaran: Whistle-blower’s efforts to uncover corruption not in vain, says SIU
‘No resignations since Floyd left’: EFF investigates declining support in KZN
The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) top leadership will spend the weekend in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to find out why the party lost thousands of votes in the province.
The party’s secretary general, Marshall Dlamini, briefed the media on Friday about the work of its central command team.
“The EFF has lost a lot of votes in KwaZulu-Natal. In the legislature, we have lost six seats and we have two left. We have lost around 300 000 votes,” he said.
CONTINUE READING: ‘No resignations since Floyd left’: EFF investigates declining support in KZN [VIDEO]
‘My son is starving’: Samwu worker pleads with City of Joburg for relief
The City of Johannesburg employees affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) say they are struggling to make ends meet and often have to bring resources from home to do their jobs properly.
On Thursday, at least 10 000 City of Johannesburg employees affiliated with the union brought the M1 and M2 highways in Braamfontein and Johannesburg CBD to a complete standstill.
The workers are aggrieved over wage disputes, demanding back payments amounting to R10.3 million, dating back to 2016.
CONTINUE READING: ‘My son is starving’: Samwu worker pleads with City of Joburg for relief
‘Whose child is next?’ – Vredenburg community still in shock at matric pupil’s disappearance
Three weeks since matric pupil Romano Fredericks disappeared, the community of Vredenburg is still in disbelief.
The 19-year-old was currently in his matric year at the Louwville High School when he disappeared on 3 August after visiting a friend. According to the community Pastor Francisco Tejada, Romano was dropped off at the crossing near Laingville and hasn’t been seen since.
The disappearance shook the small town near where Joshlin Smith went missing in February.
CONTINUE READING: ‘Whose child is next?’ – Vredenburg community still in shock at matric pupil’s disappearance
Electricity outages: These are City Power’s most problematic areas
South Africa has gone well over 100 days without load shedding. However, while the country celebrates keeping the lights on, some areas getting electricity supply from City Power still grapple with power outages.
The utility’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the majority of these outages are due to equipment failures caused by ageing infrastructure.
“Other significant causes include network overload, cable theft, and vandalism. From July to mid-August, 55% of outages were due to equipment failures, while 15% were due to network overload, often resulting from illegal connections and meter tampering,” Mangena told The Citizen.
CONTINUE READING: Electricity outages: These are City Power’s most problematic areas
In other news today:
- Police seize contraband worth R2.5m in Hazyview [VIDEO]
- Durban dentist convicted for patient’s death during unlicensed addiction treatment
- Five suspects appear in court for randomly firing gunshots near hostel in KwaMashu
- Two-pot retirement system: Draw from your savings pot or get a loan?
- Mashaba: From man of the moment to Panyaza’s puppet?
Yesterday’s News recap
READ HERE: Samwu strike chaos | Shivambu hits back in new MK role | Teacher cuts pupil’s braids
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
