Cape Town —
Update as at 16h30 SAST
Health Minister Confirms Major Hospitals Exempt From Load Shedding
Health Minister Joe Phaahla has said that 37 major hospitals in the country have been exempted from power cuts. The minister gave an update on the extent that the power cuts were affecting the public sector's healthcare services. The minister will also present government's interventions to mitigate the impact of the rolling power cuts.
Expropriation Bill Set to Face Constitutional Challenge
The passing of the Land Expropriation Bill by the national assembly on Wednesday September 28, 2022 has Agri SA and opposition Democratic Alliance set to challenge it if signed into law in its current form, by the National Council of Provinces. The Expropriation Bill, which provides in certain circumstances for expropriation of property with nil compensation, is set to be challenged in the Constitutional Court, Moneyweb reports.
Eskom Manager's Pension Frozen For Contract Fraud
The Special Investigations Unit has been granted an order to freeze the pension benefits of former Eskom manager, Duduzile Moyo. It is alleged that she siphoned off almost R25-million through contract fraud. Moyo allegedly contracted a company, Tamukelo, to transport water from Kendell to Kusile Power Station, signing off on 23 certificates amounting to around R138-million in just two-and-a-half years. The company then paid kickbacks to entities linked to her and her family, eNCA reports.
Minor Children Cannot Be Arrested for Marijuana Possession
The Constitutional Court has ruled that minor children can no longer be arrested after being found in possession of marijuana. However, in its ruling, the ConCourt said it does not decriminalise the substance per se. It means that as an adult, you could still be arrested for possession, Eye Witness News reports. The Centre for Child Law brought the matter on behalf of four children who were arrested and sent to a diversion programme.
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Constitutional Court Ruling on Copyright Act Commended
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has commended the Constitutional Court ruling on sections of the Copyright Act being unconstitutional. The ConCourt declared that certain sections of the Copyright Act of 1978 is unconstitutional for limiting access to reading materials in accessible formats for persons who are blind or visually impaired, without first securing permission from copyright holders. The minister said the court ruling paves the way for blind and visually impaired people, previously prevented from converting written material to braille or other accessible formats without the permission of copyright holders, to now be able to do so.
COSATU Calls on Govt to Honour 2018 Wage Agreement
Congress of South African Trade Unions' president Zingiswa Losi, has called on the government to honour its 2018 wage agreement with public sector workers. The contentious issue has seen several public sector unions stage protests across the country. Wage demands range from 4% to 10%. The government said it is unable to meet these demands due to fiscal constraints - raising its offer of a 2% increase in August, to 3%
