Cape Town - As you kick start your day, Nokuthula Khwela brings you the country’s biggest stories.
In our top stories:
On Monday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa laid out new measures to deal with the energy crisis, including allowing Eskom to procure power from private players such as mines, paper mills, and shopping malls, as well as from neighbouring countries in the SADC region. These measures are aimed at stabilising the crippling power utility, which Ramaphosa admitted was “unreliable and vulnerable
Over the next 12 months, Eskom will increase its budget towards extensive maintenance of power stations, Ramaphosa announced. He said the red tape around the procurement of maintenance spares and parts would be relaxed.
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As South Africans continue to recover from two years of Covid-19-induced financial strain, a number of recent separate surveys have shown that middle-income earners are struggling to meet their financial commitments.
The latest statistics by Statistics SA of civil cases for debt, released last week, showed in May, 12 204 civil judgments for debt – amounting to R311.4 million – were recorded.
The survey of civil cases for debt covers a sample of magistrates’ offices in South Africa and collects information regarding civil cases recorded, civil summonses issued and civil judgments recorded to provide information on the extent of unpaid debt in South Africa.
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Premier Soccer League and Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza together with Kaizer Chiefs counterpart, Kaizer Motaung, have sent congratulatory messages to trailblazers Banyana Banyana following their historic 2-1 win over hosts Morocco in the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nation final in Rabat over the weekend.
The South African Senior Women’s National team had failed to win the continental trophy on five occasions but silenced a hostile home crowd with an accomplished display that saw them being named the Team of the Tournament.
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A KwaZulu-Natal-born student, Iziphozonke Mlambo, 19, of Newcastle, has made it onto the top 50 list for the Chegg.org global student prize of $100 000. Mlambo is studying human biology at Biola University, in California.
He was selected from almost 7 000 nominations and applications from 150 countries.
The prize is given to a student who has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers, and on society and beyond, according to Chegg.org CEO Dan Rosensweig.
The top 10 shortlist for the prize will be announced in August.
For more on this, read here.
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