Five Family Members Perish in Ekurhuleni Shack Fire
Five members of the same family died in a shack fire at the Steve Biko informal settlement in the City of Ekurhuleni, reports EWN. Emergency services responded to the scene where they found a five-room shack engulfed in flames with people trapped inside. Only one teenager survived the blaze. According to Ekurhuleni disaster and emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi, the cause of the fire was under investigation. The scene was handed over to the South African Police Service for further examination and the removal of the deceased to appropriate pathological facilities.
One Dead, Seven Critically Hurt in Free State R26 Crash
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One person was killed and seven others were critically injured in a collision between a minibus taxi and a light delivery truck on the R26 near Van Standensrus in the Free State, reports SABC News. Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Sipho Towa said the jaws of life were used to free more than five trapped passengers. Five more people have been slightly injured and four moderately injured. The road was partially closed to traffic as authorities managed the scene, and the injured were transported to Embekweni Hospital in Zastron and the Pelonomi Trauma Unit in Bloemfontein. Road users were urged to remain cautious and follow instructions from law enforcement officers on site.
Unions March Against Eskom Restructuring and Tariff Hikes
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) once again called for the suspension of plans to unbundle Eskom, arguing that the move was a backdoor attempt to privatise the power utility, reports EWN. The two organisations marched to the offices of Eskom and the Department of Employment and Labour in Bellville, Western Cape, over the weekend, expressing opposition to the proposed division of the parastatal into separate entities for generation, transmission, and distribution. They also demanded a reversal of recent electricity tariff hikes. NUM president Phillip Vilakazi said Eskom's restructuring threatened jobs, collective bargaining, and fair working conditions, adding that high electricity tariffs were hindering economic growth. He further warned that accelerating plans to decommission coal-fired power plants in response to climate concerns would worsen the situation, calling for coal to be recognised as a critical mineral.
