News 11:00
BULLETIN 24 October 11 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Siyafana Sonke demands urgent State intervention to stop Durban violence
# Eskom reports improved generation performance, with energy availability at 68.1-percent
# And, Russia and Ukraine agree on a ceasefire in an embattled town, with peace talks next month
# Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign is calling on government to take urgent action to stop the wave of violence in Durban, protect affected families and investigate those implicated. Spokesperson Yeshelen Govender says the violence includes arson, brutal assaults and at least one murder. Govender alleges that vigilantes identifying themselves as supporters of the March and March group and Operation Dudula have been involved in attacks, including the blockade of the Che Guevara Road Refugee Reception Centre and widespread arson:
# Eskom says its generation performance continues to improve, with its financial year-to-date Energy Availability Factor standing at 68.1-percent. The power utility’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says the improvement marks a gradual shift from recovery towards reliable and sustainable electricity supply. Mokwena says, compared with three years ago, the improved performance represents approximately six-thousand-424 megawatts of additional available generation capacity:
# City Power says it owes contractors approximately 900-million-rand, as it steps up efforts to settle outstanding payments and improve payment turnaround times. Spokesperson Isaac Mangena says the utility has started making partial payments following the implementation of financial ring-fencing at the beginning of this month. The payments were outlined during an engagement with protesters outside City Power’s head office in Reuven. Mangena says further payments will be made as funds become available, with the oldest verified invoices prioritised:
Moving abroad:
# Ukraine and Russia have agreed on a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky. The two sides said the ceasefire would go into effect on October 27, allowing the delivery of aid and the evacuation of residents through humanitarian corridors. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said peace negotiators would meet next month for new talks aimed at ending the almost five-year-old conflict. He said negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States had agreed to technical-level meetings in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi.
# Soccer: Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s hopes of re-election in March improved when Asia’s governing body made a U-turn and decided to back him. The body, together with European body Uefa and North, Central America and the Caribbean’s Concacaf, criticised him over his failed plan to sell stakes in World Cup tournaments two months ago. Asian president Sheikh Salman Khalifa said at a FIFA congress in Tokyo it was time to move forward. Infantino will seek a fourth and final term next year after taking over in 2016.
# And finally, the City of Johannesburg urges residents and property owners to settle their municipal accounts before the festive season to avoid accumulating debt and possible service interruptions. The city reminds customers that credit control measures will continue throughout December, while applications for phase four of its debt relief programme close at the end of this month. The municipality also advises residents to save water and electricity and plan for household expenses before travelling for the holidays.
Stay tuned for more news………….