Daily news update: Stage 4 until further notice, new City of Joburg Speaker, and Jagersfontein developments

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Daily news update: 29 September

Cope’s Colleen Makhubele elected as new City of Joburg Speaker

The City of Johannesburg, chair of chairs, Colleen Makhubele has officially been elected as the new Council Speaker.

Makhubele beat Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Alex Christians by 141 to 129 votes during the city’s council meeting on Wednesday.

The Congress of the People (Cope) member, who replaces ousted Vasco da Gama, thanked her party for their support and for “not firing her”.

Load shedding to remain at stage 4 until further notice – Eskom

Eskom has announced due to the shortage of diesel, load shedding will remain at stage 4 throughout the night and continue until diesel stocks are replenished.

The Princes of Darkness had earlier announced that load shedding would be staggered between stage 3 and stage 4 levels at least until the weekend.

ALSO READ: ‘We don’t want a DA or ANC-led coalition govt,’ says acting Joburg council speaker

Cope’s interim provincial committee in Gauteng had suspended Makhubele with immediate effect earlier this month, pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing.

Estina dairy project: Mosebenzi Zwane granted bail of R10 000

ANC MP and the chairperson of parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport, Mosebenzi Zwane, has been released on bail of R10 000.

Zwane, a former minister of mineral resources and energy and MEC in the Free State, appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning following his arrest on corruption charges related to the controversial Estina dairy farm project.

He was arrested after handing himself over to police along with former Gupta employees, Ugeshni Govender and Ronica Ragavan.

Govender was also granted bail of R10 000.

The State did not oppose Zwane and Govender’s release on bail as the interests of justice did not require their further detention while they await trial. 

ActionSA files charges against mining department and Jagersfontein Developments

Action SA’s Free State Provincial Chairperson Patricia Kopane has filed criminal charges against the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Kopanong Local Municipality, Jagersfontein Developments and the province’s local government.

The charges come after Tuesday night’s second dam wall burst in Jagersfontein. Mayor of the Kopanong area‚ Xolani Tseletsele, said unlike the last time‚ the dam released water,” he said.

“Since the mine’s dam burst on 11 September, little has been done by the Free State government to assist survivors,” said Kopane in a statement.

Malesela Teffo’s assault, fraud case postponed to November

The case against Malesela Teffo, who was recently struck from the Roll of Legal Practitioners, has postponed to 3 November.

Teffo, who is currently out on R10 000 bail, made a brief appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

He is facing charges of assault, fraud, corruption and trespassing, among others.

According to reports, the case was postponed in order for Teffo to make representations since the former advocate does not have knowledge of the charges against him.

ALSO READ: ‘Teffo an embarrassment to legal profession’, says EFF after case opened against Malema

Teffo was famously arrested during the murder trial of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa on 28 April, after a warrant of arrest was issued.

Prasa’s deadline looms for fixing Pretoria’s ruined train stations

It’s been a year since GroundUp visited train stations in Mamelodi Gardens, Pienaarspoort, Greenview and Denneboom. All of them, including Greenview which had not even been completed, were badly vandalised, filthy and overgrown with grass.

At the time Prasa’s Noluvuyo Halana said the stations would be working by March 2022 and the second phase, which would address “the look and feel of the stations”, would be completed by December 2022.

Very little work had been done

When GroundUp visited the stations last week, some progress had been made.

At the Mamelodi Gardens station, walls had been painted and the public toilets fixed and cleaned. Workers were installing overhead cables.

Nkele Montsho, an informal trader outside the station for 14 years, said it had been years since the toilets were useable.

‘Fascinating and challenging’ – Lira shares post-stroke health update

Six months into her recovery after having a stroke, musician Lira seems to be well on the road to recovery.

She shared her thoughts and feelings in a recent Instagram post along with a picture that seems to be the first time she has shared a recent photo of herself since her stroke. 

“Can you believe it’s been [six] months – how time flies. The second and third frame is where I used to be at! I am feeling like myself yet I’m still on my recovery journey,” she wrote.

“It’s going to take some time but it’s reversible! This process has been fascinating for me and although it’s quite challenging at times, I am happy,” she added. 

Springboks’ lack of killer instinct must be addressed ahead of Euro tour

The one thing that the Springboks sorely lacked during their Rugby Championship campaign was a killer instinct.

It may have ended up costing them the title after it was decided by very small margins, and they must address it before their end of year tour.

Despite the All Blacks struggles over the past year, which has seen them lose a number of games including against Argentina at home for the first time, they showed that they still have that killer instinct when it is needed.

ALSO READ: Mixed results but strong finish bodes well for Boks

They bounced back from that historic loss with a 53-3 thrashing of the same opponents a week later, while they also ended the competition powerfully, as they trounced the Wallabies 40-14, which was enough to seal the title for them.