Cape Town —
Update as at 16h30 SAST
Calls For President Ramaphosa's Suspension, Explanation Following Farm Robbery
A robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm in February 2020 has led United Democratic Movement's Bantu Holomisa to call for the president's suspension pending a probe. The president is alleged to have covered up the U.S.$4 million robbery by failing to report it. Holomisa wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, demanding that the matter be probed. Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has called on Ramaphosa to explain himself to the nation following the Limpopo farm robbery.
Ria Ledwaba to Run for SAFA Presidency
Businesswoman Ria Ledwaba has been cleared to run for the South African Football Association presidency on June 25, 2022. She will however not run for a national executive committee position, which is SAFA's highest decision making body. She will run against incumbent Danny Jordaan.
Ledwaba, a SAFA vice-president, was not nominated by her host region. She was the owner of soccer team Ria Stars in 1989 and in 2000, the team was promoted to the Premier Soccer League, which bought them out in 2002, reportedly for U.S.$8 million. Ledwaba has also had several run-ins with the SAFA top brass in recent times, including complaints she lodged with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the international football governing body FIFA that was thrown out in the past.
Leader of 'Crusaders' Found Guilty of Terrorism
The leader of the right wing organisation Crusaders, who planned and conspired to overthrow the government in 2019 has been found guilty.
Harry Johannes Knoesen, 64, was convicted in the Middelburg High Court today for the contravention of Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Matters Act (POCDATARA). Knoesen and his followers planned to attack government institutions, as well as orchestrate attacks on black people in 2019. He will be sentenced on June 10, 2022.
Eskom's De Ruyter to Host Electricity Roundtable This Month
Eskom CEO André de Ruyter and board chairperson Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, have invited local and international energy experts to an "electricity crisis roundtable" later this month. During April and May 2022, Eskom reverted to Stage 4 load shedding, which is more intense than the worst scenario anticipated in its winter plan. In May it also exceeded the 22 days of load shedding anticipated in that scenario, ending the month with 26 days of insufficient power supply. The power utility expects between 37 and 101 days of scheduled power cuts during the winter season, according to the head of transmission at Eskom, Segomoco Scheppers. Eskom is also locked in a battle at the Constitutional Court, to retrieve lost revenue worth billions of dollars from municipalities - a debt that stood at U.S.$2.6 billion at the end of September 2021.
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Another Fire, This Time at Durban's Life Chatsmed Hospital
A fire broke out in one of the wards of the Life Chatsmed Hospital on Sunday morning. According to Life Healthcare regional manager Bhaviksha Maharaj, there were no injuries or casualties in the incident and patients were safely evacuated to hospitals in the area. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and hospital engineers and local fire authorities are investigating.
ANC Tshwane Regional Conference Held Under Divided Circumstances
The ANC in Tshwane held a divided regional conference at the weekend, with Eugene Modise elected regional chairperson of the ANC at the conference. His election was not well received by his rival, former chairperson of the region Kgosi Maepa. Modise obtained 174 votes, while Maepa secured 84 votes. Modise is confident that he would be able to work with his rivals in the region.
