Update as at SAST 16h30
Justice Dept Working on Tightening Laws to Protect Whistleblowers
Legislation is being put in place by the government to protect whistleblowers in South Africa - according to Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, Eyewitness News reports. The minister was speaking ahead of the State of the Nation Address later today, Thursday February 9, 2022. Several whistleblowers - especially during state capture - have complained that they were not protected, with many going into hiding.
A Need for Open Cards On Profits From Big Sporting Events In Cape Town
Big sporting events hosted in Cape Town brings substantial revenue. However, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Jacques Moolman has said that while such events opened up opportunities for all businesses in the city, more transparency was needed on the profits made during the hosting of big sporting events and who benefited from them, Eyewitness News reports. Moolman added that the Women's T20 World Cup taking place from February 10-26, 2023, would be another positive revenue spinner for the city.
Govt Websites Hit by Massive Outage, Most Restored
Key national government websites across the country - including Parliament, those of several departments, and the South African Police Service - crashed, possibly due to "infrastructure damage", reports News24. State Information Technology Agency (SITA) spokesperson Tlali Tlali said that "acts of vandalism and theft" in the vicinity of Tembisa, on the East Rand, damaged infrastructure, which may have contributed to the outage. "Part of the information we have received is that there was infrastructure damage. The infrastructure was in the vicinity of incidents of unrest. For the moment we are unable to draw a direct link … between the damage and the protest," he said. Most government websites were restored.
Coal to Remain Part of South Africa's Energy Mix into 2040s - Minister
Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said at the Mining Indaba that coal will remain part of South Africa's energy mix into the 2040s, and that improving the energy availability factor of the country's current power stations was a pressing imperative, reports IOL. "Our government has never advocated a sudden or precipitous move away from either coal-fired generation or towards a low carbon economy. The National Development Plan and Eskom have both talked about attaining net zero emissions by mid-century, nearly 50 years from now. Building a low carbon economy and climate resilient society will not happen overnight," said Creecy. She added that building a low-carbon economy required wide-ranging technological, economic, and societal changes for new forms of power generation, attracting new investment and prioritising the needs of vulnerable workers, people, and social groupings.
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South Africa Tourism Probes Controversial Spurs Deal Leak
The South African Tourism board has launched a forensic investigation into who leaked the details of the English soccer club Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal, reports eNCA. This comes after the Daily Maverick leaked documents that the department, through Brand South Africa, was proposing an R1-billion deal with the London-based football club, bringing widespread criticism of the deal. The 36-month deal would include branding on players' kits and access to stadium hospitality for South African Tourism. Three board members resigned days after the story was reported, citing disagreements with the sponsorship plan.
