Let’s wrap up some of the top stories happening in South Africa this week.
DR NANDIPHA MAGUDUMANA RESERVES HER JUDGEMENT
Disgraced celebrity Dr. Nandipha Magudumana has reserved her bail application at the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court.
Magudumana appeared in court on Thursday with her five co-accused.
They are accused of helping murderer and rapist Thabo Bester escape from prison.
Magudumana’s lawyer has told the court that she will apply for bail next week, on May 16.
The doctor will be appearing on the same day and in the same court as Thabo Bester next week.
RAND WATER IMPLEMENTS WATER CUTS FOR 39 HOURS
Rand Water has warned Joburg residents of water interruptions as it implements a 39-hour planned maintenance.
The maintenance will start at 6 pm on Thursday until Saturday, 13 May.
Rand Water’s spokesperson, Makenosi Maroo, says some of the areas that will be affected include Winchester Hills, Gillview, Mondeor, and Glenanda.
CITY POWER WILL NO LONGER ASSIST NON-PAYING CUSTOMERS
Residents of Johannesburg who are not paying for electricity will no longer be assisted by City Power when they report faults with their power.
This is because the country is currently on stage 6 load shedding, which increases the likelihood of power outages.
City Power’s Isaac Mangena says Joburg residents owe the utility R10 billion in unpaid electricity bills.
Mangena adds that they have embarked on an auditing process and will assess customers’ meters and vending history.
This means that, before they dispatch a team to a power outage, the entity will check if at least 70% of the customers in an area with a medium voltage outage are paying customers.
SARS IMPLEMENTS STRICTER VAT REGISTRATION PROCESS AMID INCREASE IN FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY
In the 2022/23 financial year, The South African Revenue Service (SARS) paid a record R381bn in refunds, with R319bn specifically related to value-added tax (VAT) refunds. However, SARS has observed a trend of suspicious registrations by VAT vendors and a significant spike in April, which prompted an urgent review of the registration process.
The organisation was alerted by a risk engine of an unusual increase in suspicious registrations that appear to be created with the intent to defraud SARS and honest taxpayers.
To combat the increase in fraudulent activity, SARS will implement a more stringent registration process for all new VAT registration applications with immediate effect. Applicants may be required to visit a SARS branch closest to where their business is located for validation and accreditation, which must be pre-booked on the SARS website.
CITY OF TSHWANE LAUNCHES A R33 MILLION WATER PROJECT
The City of Tshwane has teamed up with the Danish City of Aarhus on a R33 million water security project to help improve its capacity to manage its water resources.
For years, residents of areas such as Hammanskraal have been facing water issues where dirty and slimy water has been coming out of their taps.
Earlier this week, Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink announced the city’s collaboration with Denmark.
Brink says the project will assist in reducing non-revenue water losses, conducting active leak detection, prioritizing pipe replacement, focusing on own water generation, and managing waste water effectively.
THE BODIES OF TWO HONEYDEW POLICE STATION OFFICERS FOUND NEAR AN OPEN MINE SHAFT IN ROODEPORT
The police have confirmed the discovery of the bodies of two officers from Honeydew Police Station.
The two officers were on duty and found with gunshot wounds.
The police’s Athlenda Mathe says the constable and sergeant were found meters away from a state vehicle near an open mine shaft in Creswel, Roodeport.
“Gauteng police have mobilized resources to apprehend those responsible for this crime,” added Mathe.
The motive for the killing of the two police officers is unclear.
This is a developing story.
US ACCUSES SOUTH AFRICA OF COVERTLY SUPPLYING WEAPONS TO RUSSIA FOR UKRAINE WAR
The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of covertly providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine. This accusation came after a cargo ship, linked to a sanctioned company, docked secretly at a naval base near Cape Town in December. Despite South Africa’s publicly neutral stance on the Ukraine invasion, President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that the allegations are being investigated by the government.
The allegations have caused controversy and the South African government is still investigating the matter. The US claims that South Africa has supplied arms to Russia through a covert naval operation. Despite the seriousness of the accusations, President Ramaphosa has vowed to get to the bottom of the allegations and has promised a thorough investigation.
LOAD SHEDDING COSTS THE FOSCHINI GROUP R1.5 BILLION IN RETAIL TURNOVER
According to the Foschini Group (TFG), load shedding in South Africa has resulted in an R1.5 billion decrease in retail turnover. The current energy crisis is having a substantial impact on TFG’s operations. The group has invested in alternative power options, shielding 75% of its revenue from the effects of load shedding. However, the cost of operating independently of Eskom continues to be a financial hardship for the corporation.
According to TFG’s Q4 FY2023 trading update, the operational and financial impacts of load shedding have reduced TFG Africa’s retail turnover by more than R1.5 billion in FY2023.
The group stated that TFG Africa lost around 360,000 trading hours during the twelve months ended 31 March 2023, which is estimated to be more than double this figure at around 730,000.
DJ MAPHORISA GRANTED BAIL AFTER ASSAULT ACCUSATION BY GIRLFRIEND THULI PHONGOLO
South African DJ Maphorisa appeared in court and was granted bail after being accused of assaulting his DJ girlfriend, actress and presenter Thuli Phongolo.
Phongolo had opened a case against Maphorisa at the Sandton police station, claiming that he had grabbed her aggressively by the neck during an argument they had at her residence. However, Phongolo later withdrew the case against Maphorisa.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon. Phongolo and Maphorisa had an argument the night before, which led to the confrontation at her residence. In her statement, Phongolo said she confronted Maphorisa so that they could talk about their argument, but he then grabbed her by the neck and took her to the balcony.
Maphorisa was granted bail of R4,000 after appearing in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court. Phongolo’s decision to withdraw the case against him has not been explained. The incident has sparked a conversation on social media about violence against women and the need to speak out against it.
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