News 09:00

BULLETIN 19 April 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom says there is sufficient capacity to meet the long weekend demand
# A court has halted evictions from student residences at WSU
# And, former Springbok Gys Pitzer has passed away

# Eskom says the power system remains stable with sufficient capacity to meet the long weekend’s demand. Ongoing planned maintenance continues at 15.41-percent of generation capacity, marking a 3.8-percent increase compared to the same period last year. Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says a total of three-thousand-948-megawatts will be returned to service before the evening peak on Tuesday, to further stabilise the grid:

# The Mthatha High Court has halted evictions from student residences at Walter Sisulu University. This comes after campus management instructed students to vacate the premises by 4pm yesterday afternoon. The eviction order comes in the wake of violent student protests that broke out on Tuesday morning, leading to the death of a male student. SRC president Balungile Madikizela told the SABC that the closure of residences could have severely affected students’ academic progress:

# KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department has reported a major drop in road crashes on the N2 near Ashburton following the launch of a new anti-crime software Ummemezi Wezimoto. According to the department’s spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, crashes dropped from 13 in 2024 to fewer than four this year, with zero fatalities. He confirmed that over six-thousand-800 cars were checked, 25 vehicles impounded, and 17 arrests made:

# South Africa and Nigeria have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation in mining development. The agreement, signed by Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe and his Nigerian Solid Minerals minister, Dele Alake, focuses on boosting industrialisation, job creation, and economic growth. Key areas include geoscience training, mineral exploration, data sharing, and value-added processing. Falling under the Bi-National Commission, the deal aims to unlock solid mineral potential and strengthen public-private partnerships across Africa’s mining landscape.

# Rugby: Former Springbok player, Gys Pitzer, has passed away at the age of 85, after being in hospital for the past few weeks. He represented Northern Transvaal and South Africa, playing 12 Test matches and featuring in the victorious 1968 series against the British and Irish Lions. His rugby career was cut short by injury in 1969. SA Rugby president, Mark Alexander, says Pitzer’s legacy is one of leadership, kindness and deep love for the game and his fellow man.

Stay tuned for more news………….