Daily news update: Load shedding, Mkhize resignation rumours and Boks squad named

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Load shedding will be suspended from 10pm, Eskom announces

Picture: iStock

Eskom has announced that load shedding will be suspended from 10pm on Saturday, 5 June 2021, due to an improvement in emergency generation reserves.

In a statement, the power utility said, however, that stage 2 load shedding will resume again from 5pm till 10pm on Sunday “in order to continue with the replenishment of the emergency generation reserves in preparation for the week ahead”.

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Rumours rife that Zweli Mkhize is ready to resign

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize. Picture: Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius

ANC insiders told numerous media outlets on Friday that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize is ready to resign amid a major corruption scandal.

Mkhize was supposed to appear before the health committee to explain the controversial R150 million Digital Vibes communications contract his department dished out to his associates, but failed to do so, citing legal advice while the matter is investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

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Daily Covid-19 update: Gauteng records most deaths as 5,451 new cases reported

Healthcare workers treating Covid-19 patients at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

As of Saturday, 5 June, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 1,691,491 with 5,451 new cases identified.

The country currently has 60,339 active cases, the Department of Health has confirmed. 97 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported. This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 56,929.

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How an old Top Billing episode made life harder for Gupta man Iqbal Sharma

Picture: Top Billing screenshot

Flaunting their opulence on national television came back to bite Gupta acolyte Iqbal Sharma and his wife, Tarina Patel Sharma.

Their palatial Sandton home and the luxury trappings within caught law enforcement’s eye.

The Investigating Directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) yesterday announced it had seized more than R47 million’s worth of Gupta-linked assets – among them a plush Sandton mansion valued at R12 million, and belonging to Sharma (a businessman and key associate of the family), which was featured on now-defunct lifestyle show Top Billing.

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Is it really in ‘public interest’ to tell black owners they can’t sell to non-blacks?

Burger King has unveiled a new low-methane diet for its cows in a move towards sustainability and to tackle climate change. AFP/File/Paul J. RICHARDS

The move by the Competition Commission to formally block the sale of Burger King and Grand Foods meat plant to Pan-African private equity firm Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) because “the proposed merger cannot be justified on substantial public interest grounds”, is bad news for investment.

The commission recommended the Competition Tribunal prohibits the sale because the merger would significantly reduce the shareholding of historically disadvantaged persons (HDP) from more than 68% to 0%.

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Why the expropriation change to the Constitution is increasingly unlikely to pass

Proceedings in Parliament during the 2021 State of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: GCIS

Over the last week, the ANC and the EFF’s members of the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee to amend Section 25 (the property clause) of the Constitution have become locked in negotiations on an EFF proposal to allow state custodianship of all land, with citizens granted land-use rights for limited periods.

This has caused much unease in many circles in South Africa – not least among property owners – but on Thursday, during a press conference in Cape Town, Ramaphosa came out firmly against the proposal.

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Did Joburg mayor call Mashaba or Gayton McKenzie a ‘historical factory fault’?

Herman Mashaba addresses supporters of Action SA during an election campaign in Kliptown, Soweto. Picture: Michel Bega

A video clip of Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo discussing the ANC’s election campaign was shared on Saturday morning by a furious Kenny Kunene, who accused the mayor of racism towards coloured people.

In the clip, the mayor can be heard referring to “the new kid on the block”, with green T-shirts, which could be a reference to either or both former mayor Herman Mashaba’s new party, ActionSA, or the Patriotic Alliance (PA), led by Gayton McKenzie.

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ANC and EFF argue over who is fallen or has already fallen

Preparations for State of the Nation Address by Cyril Ramaphosa at Parliament, Cape Town, 10 February 2021. Picture: GCIS

The portfolio committee on health met to discuss the R150 million contract which has placed Mkhize under a dark cloud.

Mkhize was accused of a conflict of interest and benefiting from an irregular tender awarded by his department to a company that contracted two of his associates.

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Twitter says Nigeria’s suspension move ‘deeply concerning’

An aerial view taken on February 12, 2019 shows the historic centre of Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, with the harbour in the background. (Photo by Florian PLAUCHEUR / AFP)

Telecoms operators in Nigeria said Saturday they had complied with a government directive to suspend access to Twitter indefinitely, two days after the US social media giant deleted a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari’s account for violating its rules.

International human rights groups and diplomats have condemned the move, which followed previous attempts by the government of Africa’s most populous country to regulate social media.

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Eight new players in Bok squad for Georgia, Lions Tests

The Springboks are set to get the Johnson and Johnson vaccines ahead of their Test dates, starting next month. Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Eight uncapped players have been included in coach Jacques Nienaber’s first Springbok squad, ahead of the Tests against Georgia and the British and Irish Lions.

Also, veteran Bok stars, Morne Steyn and Frans Steyn, are in the 46-man squad and have the rare chance to face the Lions for a second time.

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Lotto and Lotto Plus results: Saturday, 5 June 2021

Make your dreams come true by playing the National Lotto. PHANDA, PUSHA, PLAY!

The Lotto results are published as soon as possible after the draw and confirmation, guaranteeing the quickest and easiest way for you to check your ticket.

While great care has been taken to ensure accuracy, The Citizen can take no responsibility for any error in the results and suggest verifying the numbers on the National Lotto website.

Get your results here