Update as at 16h45 SAST
Embattled UCT Vice Chancellor Phakeng Placed On Special Leave
With days to go before University of Cape Town vice chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng was due to leave the university, the professor has been placed on special leave with immediate effect, News24 reports in an exclusive article. Her tenure officially ends on March 3. Her special leave comes after a leaked confidential letter to the university's executive or "leadership lekgotla" where she officially confirmed she was leaving UCT. In the leaked letter, she stated she left the university with a "strong and effective leadership". Phakeng is reported to have reached a negotiated exit deal with the council that sees her leaving with a golden handshake of about R12.5 million.
More Police Deployed at Western Cape Hijack Hot Spots
The City of Cape Town will deploy more police officers to hot spot areas, following a spike in hijackings, Eyewitness News reports. Western Cape Mayoral Committee Member JP Smith said that the weekly enforcement efforts show a consistent arrest rate week-on-week, as officers patrol the roads and communities. "The number of hijackings seem to be on the increase and our officers will prioritise hot spot areas during patrols," he said.
Mandela Bay Metro Urges Residents to Boil-Before-Drink
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, in which the city of Gqeberha is located, has issued a boil-before-drink notice to its water consumers as it is introducing borehole-sourced water into the reticulation system, reports SABC News. The Metro says it is unable to meet the water quality standard blending ratio set out for blending water from multiple sources due to the low level of the supply dams. Mayor Retief Odendaal said that this is a precautionary measure. "Although we believe the water to be safe, the water quality of Nelson Mandela Bay may be affected. We have instructed public health officials to immediately increase the daily testing of our water. Therefore NMB is advising residents to boil tap water before consuming it. With the addition of unblended water in our articulation system, low dam levels, and fluctuating reservoir waters, the quality of water is constantly changing and cannot always be 100% guaranteed," Odendaal said.
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Unemployment Rate Eases To Its Lowest in Two Years
Statistics South Africa said that the country's official unemployment rate eased marginally to 32.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022, reports EWN. This was despite record levels of load shedding, implemented for more than 200 days in 2022. However, economists warned that the outlook for the job market remained uncertain as the economy faced significant headwinds on local and global fronts, reports IOL. StatsSA reported that the largest job gains were in the finance, private household, trade, and transport sectors., However, job losses were recorded in the community and social services, agriculture, and construction sectors.
