Cape Town —
Updates as at 16h30 SAST
Private Lawyers Assisting With Zimbabwe Work Permit Backlogs
The future of thousands of Zimbabweans hangs in the balance as their exemption permits expire in December 2022. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said the department hired private lawyers to address backlogs in work permit applications, Eye Witness News reports. The exemption permit was introduced in 2009, and in November 2021 the government announced the decision to discontinue the permit by December 2022. Zimbabweans will now have to legitimise their stay through other forms of residency authorisation. To acquire a work permit in South Africa, Zimbabweans will have to prove that they possess a special skill, or they will have to apply for an exemption from the labour department.
Rand Water 53-Hour Water Shutdown - Maintenance Ahead of Schedule
Water outages in areas around Johannesburg and Pretoria is as a result of the maintenance of pipes - which according to Rand Water, is ahead of schedule. The water outage is scheduled to end on Saturday August 13, 2022 at 10pm. Rand Water said the outage was necessary to complete a tie-in of a newly installed S4 pipeline into an existing pipeline and was part of its strategy to refurbish and upgrade the infrastructure for sustainability purposes, Eye Witness News reports.
ANC North West Elective Conference Kicks Off
After many delays due to tensions between branches, the ANC conference in North West province gets underway today with registrations and will be in full swing on Saturday August 13, ENCA reports. This follows hot on the heels of the KwaZulu-Natal elective conference that saw the election of the first woman premier in the province, Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
Enyobeni Tavern Teen Tragedy - Parents Demand Answers From Eastern Cape Govt
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Parents of the 21 young people who died at Enyobeni tavern in East London on June 26, 2022, are demanding that the Eastern Cape government release final toxicology results by today Friday August 12, 2022. A preliminary toxicology report pointed at methanol poisoning as the possible cause of death but that's not enough for families looking for closure and are insisting that the final report be released immediately, eNCA reports.
Wet Weekend Weather Warning for Western Cape
The South African Weather Service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for the Western Cape as three cold fronts will hit the province this weekend. The weather service said wave heights of 4 - 6 metres could be expected.
Universities May Face Downgrades, Shutdowns If Not Meeting Govt's Varsity Requirements
Some South African universities face downgrade to a college, or being closed down by the government if they don't keep up with the requirements to be classified as such, under a draft policy published on August 8, 2022. Universities will need to live up to what is required of them - this includes the conditions that universities must do a broad range of published research, must contribute to their local community, and must offer a lot of doctoral options.
