Cape Town —
Update as at 16h30 SAST
Observing Ten Years Since Marikana Mine Massacre
Today is the 10 year anniversary of the wildcat strike at Lonmin Platinum in Marikana that claimed the lives of 34 mineworkers who were shot dead by police, while another 10 died in the events leading up to the mass shooting.
It was revealed in 2021 that over R170 million had been paid to victims of the gruesome incident. Asenathi Tukela from the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (Seri), which is representing 36 families affected by the Marikana Massacre, told EWN that while some families have received compensation for lost income, the state still had to pay for the psychological trauma caused by the massacre.
KwaZulu-Natal Gets First Woman Premier
Nomusa Dube-Ncube has been announced as premier candidate for KwaZulu-Natal province.
The African National Congress has has said it has been long overdue for the province to have a female premier, after announcing her as their choice over other candidates who felt they were "not ready". Dube-Ncube takes over from Sihle Zikalala, who left the post after losing power as ANC provincial chairperson at the provincial conference, where he lost to Siboniso Duma.
Eskom Announces More Load Shedding at Short Notice Today
Eskom has warned that it could implement Stage 2 load shedding at short notice due to a shortage of generation capacity. According to the power utility, load shedding could take place between 4pm and midnight on Wednesday night.
South Africa Strikes Deal With EU Over Oranges at Ports
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development says it has struck a deal with the European Union, which means that South African citrus exports, stuck at EU harbours, are being processed again. This follows legislation passed by the EU that requires all produce to undergo extreme cold treatment to stave off false codling moth (FCM) contamination, AllAfrica reports.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
President Cyril Ramaphosa Urges Women to Break Silence on GBV
In his Women's Day address in Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke of the many challenges facing South African women. Among the critical issues mentioned was the increasing violence against women and children, perpetrated by men. He said the scourge is a men's issue, not a women's issue. Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address under the theme 'Women's Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Women's Improved Resilience'. Among those in attendance was the incoming KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube and former speaker Baleka Mbethe.
Tributes Pour In For Renowned Cricket Umpire Rudi Koertzen
Tributes from cricketers, fans and officials are pouring in for world-renowned umpire Rudi Koertzen, 73, who died in a car crash with three others yesterday, after a weekend of golf in Riversdale in the Western Cape, EWN reports. Koertzen who was well known for his slow index finger movement to rule a player out, officiated his first one day international match in 1992. He went on to officiate a record 209 ODIs. In 1993 he officiated his first test match - both games were between South Africa and India. Koertzen became the second umpire, after Steve Bucknor, to stand in 100 test matches. The cause of the accident is unknown.
