Daily news update: Water woes, load shedding, weather, Mbalula on Brics

In today’s daily news update: Joburg water outage has been extended, and taps in the city could run dry for up to fourteen days.

Meanwhile, load shedding is back (find your weekend schedule below), and Mbalula said the ANC won’t object to political parties attending Brics summit ‘if invited’.

And brace yourselves! It’s going to be a chilly weekend, with a cold front sweeping in.

Daily news update: 8 July 2023

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Here’s your easy-to-read selection of our top stories.

Major water outage extended

Johannesburg Water announced that Rand Water’s planned shutdown next week has been extended and will now come to an end 14 hours later than previously communicated.

The 58-hour-long shutdown, which will affect almost 138 areas, is scheduled to start from 7pm on Tuesday, 11 July.

The completion date of the maintenance has been moved from 3pm on Thursday, 13 July, to5am on Friday, 14 July. 

READ: Joburg residents told to store water as major outage is extended

‘ANC won’t object’

The African National Congress (ANC) will not oppose the invitation of any other political parties to the upcoming Brics summit.

The ANC is set to host the Brics Plus Political Dialogue from 18 to 20 July, and although a number of international political parties will be in attendance, no South African opposition party has been invited to the event.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has blamed his party’s exclusion from the pre-Brics summit on “political jealousy”.

READ: ‘ANC won’t object to political parties attending Brics summit if invited’ – Mbalula

Eskom increases load shedding

Eskom has announced increased load shedding with stage 3 having kicked in at 4pm on Thursday and suspended at midnight.

On Friday, the power utility imposed stage 1 power cuts at 5am, which will increase to stage 3 at 4pm.

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the rolling blackouts would continue to follow this pattern until midnight on Saturday.

READ: Eskom increases load shedding − Here’s your weekend schedule

Weekend weather forecast

The South African Weather Service (Saws) issued its regional forecast, alerting residents about severe weather conditions expected on 8 July 2023 and into the weekend.

A powerful cold front continues to influence the country’s weather patterns, posing threats to several provinces.

Very cold, wet, and windy conditions are predicted as the cold front moves through the interior of the Western Cape and southern parts of the Northern Cape from Friday evening.

READ: Weekend weather forecast: Powerful cold front sweeps across SA

Zulu King dismisses ‘fake news’

Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini on Thursday dismissed as fake a post on Twitter claiming His Majesty was on the verge of relieving his prime minister, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, of his duties.

According to the tweet, whose origin is Twitter handle: @DKNMOHAMED, the King has convened a special meeting of the royal council this coming weekend.

In that meeting, the tweet claims, the King will call on the council to remove Buthelezi from the position of prime minister of the Zulu nation.

READ: Zulu King dismisses tweet as ‘fake news’

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In other news

• Mia Kühn death: Police obtain CCTV footage, autopsy
• KZN political parties reignite Phoenix killings debate
• Former Bosasa CEO bribery case deferred to high court
• ‘Woolies looter’ sentenced to house arrest for July unrest spree
• ATM asks JSC to intervene on Mkhwebane suspension

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Daily news, 7 July

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