Daily news update: Cancelled R17bn Sanral tenders, KZN storms and SA mourns Jamie Bartlett

Here is your daily news update. Click on the links below for the full story or visit our home page for the latest news.      

Daily news update 24 May

‘Those aggrieved can go to court’ – Mbalula on cancelled R17bn Sanral tenders

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has defended the South African National Road Agency Limited’s (Sanral’s) move to not approve the awarding of contracts valued at R17.47 billion.

Mbalula held a press conference on Monday to provide some clarity on the cancellation of the five adjudicated tenders.

Last week, Sanral announced its decision to cancel the contracts, saying there were “material irregularities” in the awarding of the tenders.

“The tenders were cancelled due to a material irregularity in the tender process where a resolution made by the board in January 2020 was not implemented in the evaluation of the said tenders,” Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona said.

KZN storms: Durban, Bluff and Umdloti badly affected, 190 displaced

Disaster management officials worked through the night evacuating families from high-risk areas as heavy storms hit parts of KwaZulu-Natal for the second time in as many months.

Most rainfall was experienced over the north and central areas of eThekwini, with Bluff and Umdloti experiencing higher levels of rainfall.

eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda visited the beach town in Umdloti on Sunday to assess the extent of the damage in the north coast community.

Former ‘Rhythm City’ actor Jamie Bartlett passes away

Former Rhythm City actor Jamie Bartlett has passed on. He was 55. The passing of Bartlett was confirmed by a family member, who spoke to eNCA on Monday evening.

Among other roles, Bartlett was known for playing David Genaro on eTV’s Rhythm City until 2020 and won three Saftas for the role.

Joburg aiming to become more independent from Eskom, says Mayor Phalatse

Johannesburg Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse says the city is positioning itself to become more energy independent with less reliance on Eskom for its power needs.

Phalatse made the remarks on Monday during the inaugural two-day Joburg Energy Indaba at the Sandton Convention Centre.

The mayor lamented the country’s energy crisis saying the City of Johannesburg, as South Africa’s economic hub, could not realise its full economic potential due to Eskom’s lack of generation capacity and related load shedding.

Ramaphosa condemns Stellenbosch University racist urination attack

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the racist incident that took place at a campus residence at Stellenbosch University.

Stellenbosch University suspended a white student who urinated on the belongings of a black student in what appears to be a racially charged altercation.

“It is more troubling that such incidents are happening at schools and places of higher learning. A number of the people involved were born after the end of apartheid,” said Ramaphosa

NICD warns SA travellers to be cautious amid global monkeypox outbreak

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says while no cases of monkeypox have been registered in South Africa, travellers may be at risk.

“The implications for South Africa are that the risk of importation of monkeypox is a reality as lessons learnt from Covid-19 have illustrated that outbreaks in another part of the world can fast become a global concern,” explained NICD Executive Director, Prof Adrian Puren.

There are currently no monkeypox cases in South Africa.

Stage 2 load shedding planned for the rest of this week

The country’s power grid is still under pressure, with Eskom confirming we will remain in stage 2 load shedding for the rest of the week.

Power cuts will begin daily from 5 pm until 10 pm.

The parastatal downgraded load shedding from stage four over the weekend to Stage 2 on Sunday afternoon.

Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said the power utility will limit the rolling backouts to evening peak time.

Police launch manhunt after three family members gunned down in Khayelitsha

Three members of the same family were shot and killed on Sunday in Ekuphumleni, Khayelitsha.

According to Western Cape police, Lingelethu police were called out to Lindelwa Street on Sunday evening where they found the bodies of two men and a woman with gunshot wounds.

It is alleged that two armed men in dark clothes stormed the home at 8:10pm and fired several shots.

“The ages of the deceased persons are 51, 53 and 57. Information gathered from the scene indicates all three victims were siblings,” police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said in a statement on Monday.

ALSO READ: Daily news update: Rain storm causes destruction in KZN, load shedding, Mpho Moerane funeral