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: March 19
SA police commissioner, Fannie Masemola has no security clearance – reports
Despite being South Africa’s top police officer, General Fannie Masemola does not have the required security clearance.
Masemola was appointed police commissioner in 2022.
According to News24, the country’s most senior police officer was last checked in 2014. The security clearance he received at the time expires in 2019.
The report stated that Masemola tried to get a police clearance in 2019 but was unsuccessful because he was in debt.
Read more here
Load shedding has been downgraded to stage 1 as the delay for Sunday is still in place
Eskom lowered the load from stage 2 to stage 1 on Friday, but caused confusion when it said the suspension of the rolling blackouts for Sunday and Tuesday would no longer apply.
Later on Saturday, Eskom provided new information stating that load shedding will still be delayed on Sunday from 5am to 4pm.
“Eskom will provide an update on Sunday evening or as soon as there are significant changes,” he said.
At this stage, there is no new update on the initial plan by Eskom to delay load shedding on Tuesday as well.
Read more here
The DA welcomed the court ruling on the closure of the EFF, although it failed to declare it illegal
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen on Saturday said his party welcomed the Gauteng High Court’s decision on Monday’s national shutdown of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
This is despite the court rejecting the DA’s emergency restraining order to make the killing illegal.
The court ruling, however, states that the EFF and its members are prohibited from closing schools, shops or businesses.
Nor can they stop traffic trading on public roads.
“This verdict is a victory for law and order in South Africa,” Steenhuisen said.
Read more here
Eskom employees arrested for fraud involving millions
Contracted Eskom workers have been arrested at Matla Power Station for multi-million rand fraud and corruption involving fake suppliers.
Eskom employees were handcuffed by the South African Police Service’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) on Friday.
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokoena said the arrest was related to “previous offences” committed when the suspect was employed by Eskom as a senior buyer at Arnot Power Station in 2014.
Read more here
‘Count us out,’ military veterans tell EFF over ‘opportunistic’ shutdown
Veterans of the uMkhonto weSizwe Liberation War (MKLWV) have distanced themselves from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) 20 March national killing, saying the protest was an act of desperation.
Dan Hatto, MKLWV national convener, said the organisation’s point of view on the closure was the defense of democratic rights won for all South Africans.
He said his mission was to defend the rights of all citizens of the country and to distance himself from the planned national shutdown.
Read more here
NSFAS increases student living allowance by 2023
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced it will increase student living allowances by 10%.
NSFAS said the increase would be backdated to the start of the 2023 academic year.
NSFAS spokesperson, Maduvha Maseda, said the increase followed Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande’s approval of a proposal put forward a few weeks ago.
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PICS: One dead, one injured in horrific collision in KZN
One person died in a horrific collision between a small vehicle and a bus on the Sweetwaters Road to Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday morning.
AET Security spokesperson Renee Veenstra told The Witness that there were two people in the small vehicle.
He said reports from the scene indicated the two men were driving home from an all-night church service when the accident happened.
Read more here