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Update as at 16h30 SAST
Food Crisis Looms as Farmers Buckle Under Power Cuts
Farmers in the KwaZulu-Natal province are warning of a possible food security crisis fueled by rotational power cuts, reports eNCA. Farmers are calling for interventions before the issue gets out of hand. The agricultural sector is the third-largest contributor to South Africa’s GDP and is among the worst hit by rolling blackouts. Most farms have had to invest in generators or solar power technology to keep production moving. Agriculture Department MEC Super Zuma says the deparment in talks with the national government to try to assist farmers.
Wits University Students Protest Over Accommodation, Outstanding Fees
Wits University students have taken to the streets of Braamfontein today, protesting over what they allege is a lack of adequate support from the university for unhoused students and those with outstanding fees, eNCA reports.
Eskom Announces Load Shedding Schedule for Rest of Week
Eskom has announced that Stage 4 load shedding will continue to be implemented until 16:00 today, March 2, 2023. Thereafter, Stage 5 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 on Thursday until 05:00 on Friday, March 3, 2023. Stage 4 load shedding will then be implemented from 05:00 on Friday until 05:00 on Saturday. It will be reduced to Stage 3 until 16:00 on Saturday. Stage 4 will again be implemented from 16:00 on Saturday until 05:00 on Sunday.
City of Cape Town’s Homeless Soon to Be Evicted
The City of Cape Town is preparing to serve eviction notices on those illegally occupying open, public spaces owned by the metro. This after getting the go-ahead from the Western Cape High Court that’s expected to make a final order in April. But NGOs and civil society organisations say they plan to fight the court order. The city plans on spending R230 million over the next 3 years in its eviction plan. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the city will be renovating more shelters, to provide what he calls ‘dignified transitional spaces’ during relocation plans.
Property Mogul Flips R86m Land Parcel to Gauteng Housing Department for R244.95m
The AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism is reporting that property mogul Ralebala ‘Rali’ Mampeule’s bought a property for R86.25-million and later sold it the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements for R244.95-million. AmaBhungane quotes Mampeule as saying that the department actually got a discount, but the investigative journalism unit says that things don’t quite add up. The human settlements department bought the three land parcels on 13 March 2019, handing a paper profit of R158.7 million to Landworth, a company owned by Mampeule.
Kruger National Park Damage Costs Start from R110 Million
A number of bridges are still under water across the Kruger National Park, with estimates for repairs upwards of R110 million, reports The Citizen. The park was hit by heavy rain, which wreaked havoc, causing widespread flooding. General manager for technical services Aurel Nyambi said his team was still assessing all the damage. Nyambi added that the team was also assessing roads and infrastructure. “We want to allow access as soon as possible on the most popular roads because operations such as game drives are still affected.” Roads foreman Aretha Molekwa said the Lower Sabie Road on the Nwatimhiri Bridge was the most damaged.
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