Here’s this morning’s news update: An easy-to-read selection of top stories. Keep up to date with it The Warga – More news, Your Way.
Daily news update: February 19
AKA the funeral
It was a poignant moment when the body of Kiernan Jarryd Forbes popularly known as AKA was taken to his final resting place.
AKA was buried in a private burial ceremony at West Park Cemetry in Johannesburg on Friday.
While the funeral was not streamed or shared with the public, photos and videos were leaked online.
However, there are some visuals of the late rapper’s coffin leaving his Bryanston home in Johannesburg.
Those who attended the intimate ceremony included her parents, Lynn and Tony Forbes, brother Steffan Forbes, Nadia’s girlfriend Nadia, and her only child Kairo Forbes.
Read: WATCH: AKA’s final resting place
African heads of state must join the fight against GBV
In another news update, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on African Union (AU) member states to actively push for a campaign to end violence against women and girls across the continent.
Ramaphosa and several Cabinet members are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia attending a meeting of AU heads of state and government.
Addressing the president’s pre-summit gender advocacy breakfast on Saturday, Ramaphosa said the Kinshasa Declaration 2021, which came from the men’s conference to end violence against women and girls, the government is committed to providing the necessary resources to end the epidemic.
“South Africa supports all these critical platforms. It is encouraging to see the Head of State responding positively to the call for more strategic collaboration to take this agenda forward,” said Ramaphosa.
Read: African heads of state must lead against GBV, Ramaphosa tells AU
heavy rain and flooding in KZN
KwaZulu-Natal has been warned to prepare for heavy rain and flooding as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) on Saturday issued a level 4 yellow warning.
“Rain and thunderstorms are widespread in most parts of KZN today. As a result of the prolonged rain in many parts of the province in the past few days, the expected rain may have a more localized impact,” Saws said.
Last week, torrential rains in the province claimed the lives of six people including a three-month-old baby, two of whom were missing and destroyed nearly 140 houses.
The department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) in the province said that Umkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, Umzinyathi and Amajuba districts have experienced the worst of the heavy rains in the past two days.
Read: KZN warned to prepare for heavy rain and flooding
stage 6
In a news update involving Eskom, the state-owned entity announced that it will increase load shedding to stage 6 from Saturday night to conserve power generation capacity.
The power utility said there was a chance a stage 6 power outage could continue into Sunday.
The higher stage of load shedding was increased from stage 4 after Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said on Friday that equipment had suffered some damage at the power station.
Mantshantsha said the deliberate blackout was necessary to boost generation reserves.
Meanwhile, The National Press Club, the largest club representing journalists and communication professionals, has named Eskom and load shedding 2022 Newsmaker of the Year.
Read: Eskom increases load shedding to stage 6
Murder farm
The High Court in the Free State has sentenced two men to two terms for killing a farmer and his son at a Zwartpan farmhouse in November 2020.
Pieter Hills, 56, and his son Eddie, 26, were attacked and killed in the early hours of November 5.
According to the evidence, the four men went to the farm with the intention of stealing sheep but decided to rob the family when they did not find the sheep.
He broke into the house, stabbed Hills several times and shot Eddie’s son before demanding the keys to the safe.
Read: Two life terms for killing a farmer and his son
The Turkish earthquake claimed African football players
Former Ghana international Christian Atsu was found dead on Saturday, almost two weeks after the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
Atsu, 31, was caught up in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing more than 43,000 people in both countries.
There were initial reports that the former Chelsea and Newcastle player had been rescued a day after the quake, but this turned out to be false.
Read: Ghanaian footballer Atsu found dead in Turkey earthquake rubble