News 11:00

BULLETIN 21 September 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Adverse weather causes misery in several provinces
# Eskom attributes the continued improvement in its generation fleet’s performance to the recovery plan
# And rugby: The Boks know what they’re up against tonight

# Cold and wet weather, with heavy snow in places, has hit parts of the country. The N3 Toll Concession says the Toll Route remains closed from Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal to Harrismith in the Free State due to heavy snowfalls. Dangerous conditions have been reported along the entire route from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng, with people stuck in Van Reenen Pass. In the Eastern Cape, road users are also warned to avoid roads hit by snow and wet weather. Many passes, including Penhoek and Barkly, have been closed.

Meanwhile, the Johannesburg Emergency Management Service says it remains on high alert over the weekend monitoring all seven regions as rain continues in Gauteng. EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi urges motorists to exercise caution while driving, extend safe following distances, and avoid crossing flooded roads and bridges. He says no major incidents have been reported in the city overnight and this morning despite the extremely cold, wet and windy weather:

# Eskom says the continued improvement in the generation fleet’s performance is attributed to the recovery plan, accelerated maintenance, collaboration with original equipment manufacturers, and the dedication of power station managers and their teams. Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says Eskom’s energy availability factor averaged 60-percent over the past week, with top-performing stations such as Kusile, Grootvlei, Majuba and Lethabo maintaining an energy availability factor above 60-percent:

# The DA in Gauteng says it is deeply concerned at the possibility that Emfuleni Local Municipality’s employees and suppliers will go unpaid this month. This follows the attachment of the municipality’s accounts by Eskom due to their inability to pay accounts last week. The DA’s Duncan Mthembu says every time there is an attachment of the municipality’s bank accounts, it must be known that the livelihoods of more than two-thousand families will be impacted negatively.

# And rugby: The Springboks emphasise the importance of treating Argentina with the respect they deserve as they prepare to line up against their Rugby Championship title contenders in Santiago tonight. Captain Salman Moerat says they’ll be sticking to their own systems to ensure victory, which will clinch the title for the first time since 2019, with a match in hand in Mbombela. Marat warns Argentina are a quality side under former Puma Felipe Contepomi as their head coach. The match kicks off just after 11pm.

Stay tuned for more news………….