Daily news update: Load shedding stage 4, ANC national conference resumes and irregularities in City of Tshwane’s finances

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.

Eskom pushes load shedding to stage 4 until Friday morning

After increasing load shedding to stage 3 on Wednesday afternoon, Eskom has announced that stage 4 power cuts will be implemented from 4pm on Thursday afternoon until 5am on Friday morning.

Thereafter, stage 3 load shedding will be implemented until Sunday morning.

ALSO READ: Load shedding bumbling likely to be ANC’s 2024 Achilles heel

The struggling power utility said the rolling blackouts were due to delays in returning seven generating units to service.

ANC national conference resumes as Ramaphosa says there were ‘no betrayals’ at Nasrec

The second leg of the African National Congress (ANC) 55th national conference will resume virtually on Thursday after it was postponed due to massive delays last month.

The party has vowed to conclude the business of conference before its January 8 celebrations on Sunday in Bloemfontein, Free State.

Meeting hubs in eight provinces have been created and will be linked up to the main venue in Bloemfontein.

Auditor-general flags ‘serious irregularities’ in City of Tshwane’s finances

The City of Tshwane said it has taken note of a reported issued by the auditor-general (AG) which flagged it for “serious irregularities” and failing to submit the correct financial statements for the July 2021 to June 2022 financial year.

The leaked 28-page report found the city’s finances are seriously irregular, while officials and councillors benefit from flawed procurement processes and irregularities.

Fruitless and wasteful expenditure was also understated by R1bn as the municipality failed to record such expenses.

Babes reads messages from Mampintsha’s side chicks after unlocking his phone

Gqom hit band Big Nuz member Mandla ‘Mampintsha’ Maphumulo’s is probably turning in his grave right now knowing that his wife is reading his message exchanges with several of his side chicks.

The 40-year-old musician was laid to rest at the Lala Kahle Cemetery on 30 December 2022. He died on Christmas Eve after having suffered a minor stroke the week before.

Social media has been harshly criticising Mampintsha’s wife, Bongekile Maphumulo, professionally known as Babes Wodumo’s behaviour so soon after her husband’s passing.

Pirates need to shape up with tricky fixtures ahead

Jose Riveiro’s Orlando Pirates will have to change gears and start collecting as many points as possible if they want to find themselves in contention for the DStv Premiership title, but the upcoming fixtures for the Buccaneers aren’t easy.

ALSO READ: Kewuti looking forward to working with Hunt at SuperSport

Pirates are in position five on the league standings with 19 points from 14 games, which puts them 15 points behind log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have managed to collect 34 from the same number of matches.