Daily news update: Ukraine and Russia crisis, electricity tariff increase and Mkhwebane impeachment

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Daily news update 25 February

Ukraine-Russia live updates: Putin launches full-scale invasion

On Thursday explosions could be heard in several cities in Ukraine as Russia launched a major military assault.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has introduced martial law, which restricts movement and mass gatherings.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine was facing a “full-scale invasion” and pleaded for the rest of the world to “act immediately”.

The European Union (EU) said it is preparing a “package of massive and targeted sanctions” against Russia.

“With this package, we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to key technologies and markets. We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernise,” said European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Eskom security guards shot outside Winterveld substation

South African Police Services (Saps) and Eskom security are investigating the latest attack on the power utility’s security staff.

Three of the four guards who were on duty at Tshwane’s Winterveld substation on Sunday night were wounded when four armed suspects opened fire on them.

Two of them were from armed response who’d gone to the Winterveld substation to join the two static security guards for a routine patrol.

“At around 22:30, the two static guards opened the gate for the two guards to leave the substation.

“As the two security guards were about to get inside the vehicle to drive off, suddenly four suspects appeared shooting randomly while advancing towards the four guards,” said Eskom in a statement.

Bad news for you, worse news for Eskom – Nersa caps tariff increase at 9.61%

Eskom will be allowed to increase electricity tariffs by 9,6%, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has confirmed during a media briefing on Thursday, a day before the deadline the energy regulator had been given by the Pretoria High Court.

The High Court in December last year ruled in favour of Eskom in its legal battle against Nersa.

Eskom sought an average tariff increase of 20.5% for the 2022/2023 financial year.

At the time, Judge Jody Kollapen ordered Nersa to decide on Eskom’s revenue application by 25 February 2022.

Rosettenville CIT shootout update: 11th suspect arrested

The eleventh suspect was nabbed by the National CIT Task Team in Phomolong, Tembisa in connection to the Rosettenville shootout.

The 42-year-old suspect joins the ten gang members who were arrested during a cash-in-transit (CIT) shootout on Monday 21 February.

During the shootout, five suspects were injured, and five police officers were critically injured.

The 11th suspect is believed to be the shooter who opened fire on the police helicopter during the horrific Rosettenville cash van robbery.

Trial date set for Gupta-linked R25m fraud, money laundering case

The R25 million fraud and money laundering case involving a Gupta-linked company, Nulane Investment, is set to go on trial from 23 January 2023 until 3 March 2023.

This after the High Court in Bloemfontein on Wednesday heard pre-trial issues and adjourned to finalise the pre-trial issues on 24 June 2022.

The case relates to procurement fraud involving R24.9 million paid between November 2011 and April 2012 by the Free State Department of Agriculture to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD – a company owned and controlled by former Gupta associate, Iqbal Sharma.

SA govt ‘concerned’ Russian attack on Ukraine could have regional, global ramifications

The South African government says it’s concerned about the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, a situation it says could have regional and global ramifications if allowed to further deteriorate.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) released a statement on Wednesday evening urging “all parties to devote increased efforts to diplomacy and to find a solution that will help de-escalate tensions and avert armed conflict”.

The statement came as Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military offensive against Ukraine. Putin launched the offensive in the early hours of Thursday, after a surprise televised address.

Mkhwebane’s impeachment process could take seven months to complete

The impeachment process against Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane could take seven months, according to Parliament’s schedule.

This was revealed during the National Assembly’s Programme Committee meeting on Thursday.

“The aim of the committee [on Section 194 Inquiry] is to finalise its work on the 21st of September [this year],” Parliament’s unit manager, advocate Mongana Tau, said during the virtual meeting.

The matter comes two days after the Ad Hoc Committee on the Section 194 Inquiry decided it would proceed with the impeachment process against Mkhwebane.

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