News 11:00

BULLETIN 1 February 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom says the weekend’s load-shedding allows for the replenishment of its Open-Cycle Gas Turbines
# The GOOD Party says the Marine Pollution Amendment Act continues to ignore the critical handicaps
# And rugby: France hammer Wales in Six Nations opening match

# Eskom says the weekend load-shedding allows for the replenishment of the Open-Cycle Gas Turbines and pumped storage reserves in preparation for next week. The power utility implemented stage three load-shedding until Sunday midnight after it encountered a temporary setback. Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says they are committed to ensuring that South Africa is in no way returning to the levels of load-shedding that citizens experienced in 2023:

# The GOOD Party says the Marine Pollution Amendment Act continues to ignore the critical handicaps faced in this specialized field. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Marine Pollution Amendment Bill which provides for stronger measures to better protect South Africa’s oceans from ship-related pollution. The GOOD Party’s Kaden Arguile says government cannot attempt to enact this Bill without the resources, personnel or structures in place:

# The South African Revenue Service has received 543-thousand-252 provisional tax returns for the 2024 tax year, a 4.76-percent increase from 2023. Additionally, 162-thousand-690 taxpayers filed outstanding returns from prior years. Trust filings also rose, reaching 84-thousand-134 for 2024. Nearly 6.8-million non-provisional taxpayers have submitted returns, with auto-assessments increasing by 24.94-percent. SARS continues to encourage voluntary compliance, warning that non-compliance attracts penalties. The agency says it is enhancing digital platforms to simplify tax processes while enforcing strict measures against defaulters.

# Rugby: France triumphed over Wales with a 44-0 victory in the opening match of the Six Nations in Paris last night. The host were totally dominant, and scored seven tries. Wings Theo Attissogbe and Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored two tries each before halftime, and in the second half continued their dominance as Julien Marchand, Emilien Gailleton and Gregory Alldritt each contributed a try. Other first round matches continues today with Scotland taking on Italy in Edinburgh at 2 pm and at 4.45 pm its Ireland against England in Dublin.

# And twelve African nations have signed energy compacts at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Tanzania. The countries committed to expanding electricity access and clean cooking solutions. Led by the African Development Bank Group, World Bank, and partners, Mission 300 addresses Africa’s energy gap. Tanzania aims for 80-percent clean cooking adoption by 2034. The bank pledged 37-billion-rand over ten-years, contributing to the 74-billion-rand annually needed to ensure clean cooking access by 2030. Leaders emphasised on political commitment and private-sector involvement.

Stay tuned for more news………….