Daily news update: Niehaus vows to discard ‘ANC scumbags’, Steenhuisen loses appeal and stage 6 load shedding

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.

Daily news update: Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Niehaus vows to discard ‘ANC scumbags into garbage bin of history’

Expelled African National Congress (ANC) member Carl Niehaus has gone on a tirade and vowed that his new political movement, the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (ARETA) is going to “make sure that the scumbags of the governing party be discarded into the garbage bin of history.”

Niehaus made the derogatory comments on social media platform Twitter on Monday.

His remarks come after three ANC members were reportedly being investigated by the police after a case of bribery was opened over the weekend against them.

READ: Niehaus vows to discard ‘ANC scumbags into garbage bin of history’

Steenhuisen loses appeal over Des van Rooyen ‘misleading’ Parliament about Guptas

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has been dealt with a blow following the dismissal of his leave to appeal application involving former Finance Minister Des van Rooyen.

Steenhuisen had approached the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) seeking to a high court judgment, which set aside one of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s 2018 reports.

The report found that van Rooyen deliberately misled Parliament when he responded to a question posed by Steenhuisen during a National Assembly sitting in 2016.

READ: Steenhuisen loses appeal over Des van Rooyen ‘misleading’ Parliament about Guptas

Court denies bail to 4 of 5 accused in Thabo Bester case

In a news update from the Thabo Bester saga, the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to one of the five people accused of helping convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, escape from prison last year.

Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi on Monday delivered his judgment on the bail applications of former G4S employees Senohe Matsoara, Buti (Motenyane John) Masukela, Tieho Frans Makhotsa and Nastassja Jansen, and Integriton CCTV technician Teboho James Lipholo

The magistrate reached a verdict on the case after hearing bail arguments earlier this month from the state, which objected to granting bail, as well as the defense lawyers.

READ: Court denies bail to 4 of 5 accused in Thabo Bester case

Defend Our Democracy civil society movement launches in SA

The Defend Our Democracy has officially launched as a civil society movement in South Africa on Saturday.

The launch was attended by various organisations including Auwal Socio-Economic Research Institute, The Helen Suzman Foundation, Extinction Rebellion South Africa, and The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection.

The initiatives Defend our Democracy movement intends to undertake include a national campaign to ensure the integrity of the 2024 elections, tracking the implementation of the Zondo Commission’s recommendations and amplifying the work of affiliated organisations around democracy building amongst others.

READ: Defend Our Democracy civil society movement launches in SA

Eskom pushes load shedding to stage 6

In a news update regarding rolling blackouts, Eskom has pushed load shedding to stage 6 from 4pm on Monday until 5am on Tuesday.

Thereafter, stage 4 load shedding will be implemented from 5am until 4pm on Tuesday.

The ailing parastatal said this pattern will be repeated daily until further notice.

READ: Eskom pushes load shedding to stage 6

Safeguarding the young: SA’s Child Protection Week

South Africa observes Child Protection week year as a way to shine a spotlight on the right of children, as enshrined in the Constitution and the Children’s Act of 2005.

This pivotal week is led by the Department of Social Development, in partnership with other government departments and NGOs working towards safeguarding children.

This year’s theme – ‘Let us Protect Children during Covid-19 and Beyond’.

READ: Safeguarding the young: SA’s Child Protection Week