Mbombela – More than 100 000 people face an electricity shutdown if the Thaba Chweu local municipality in Mpumalanga fails to pay a R146m debt to Eskom before Wednesday.

The looming deadline comes after the utility provider issued an ultimatum demanding payment of the long-standing debt, or the entire municipal area of 5 719 km² would be plunged into darkness.

“The municipality has not communicated with us at all and so far there have been no payments made, so, as it stands the power cut will be going ahead,” said Eskom’s spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe.

Phasiwe said the municipality would be left without power indefinitely until the debt has been paid.

Thaba Chweu encompasses the tourist towns of Mashishing, Graskop and Sabie, and has a total population of just more than 100 000 people.

“We don’t enjoy doing this, but we expect customers to pay or at least come to us with an agreement discussing ways in which to negotiate payment.

“We are hoping that the municipality will communicate with us. Our door is always open,” said Phasiwe.

In September, a municipal task team was dispatched to Thaba Chweu by the provincial government in order to prevent what Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza described as “a total collapse”.

Thaba Chweu communication director Surprise Maebela said that the municipality was struggling to gather payments from its own debtors.

“There are people who owe us money, but we are waiting to see what the results of the task team’s investigation will reveal.

“We are, however, confident that we will resolve this issue before the deadline,” Maebela said.

At the signing of a memorandum of understand with Eskom in Mbombela recently, Premier David Mabuza said that a team of nine MECs had been appointed to resolve the situation in Thaba Chweu.

“I understand Eskom’s point of view because it is a business that needs to make money. I pay my rates and taxes so why should I have to sit in darkness because of the municipality’s problems?” said Mabuza.

“This is a very abnormal situation and Thaba Chweu has big problems with its billing and revenue collection systems. As provincial government we are stepping in to assist and we assure Eskom that the debt will be paid.

“Everything is under control. There is no need to worry.”

– African Eye

Johannesburg – Fuelling of aircraft at OR Tambo International Airport resumed after an attempted cable theft caused flights to be delayed, the Airports Company SA said on Sunday.

“I wish to confirm that normal fuelling operations have resumed… the airport had been operating at significantly reduced fuelling capacity for about six hours,” spokesperson Unathi Batyashe-Fillis said in a statement.

Technicians implemented a temporary solution to activate fuelling services shortly after 16:00, Batyashe-Fillis said.

“The fuel pumps are now able to transmit fuel for uplift into aircraft.”

Domestic and international flights were affected by the incident. Flights could not take off from around 10:00.

Batyashe-Fillis said the attempted robbery of cables happened just outside the perimeter of the airport.

Police were investigating. Acsa regretted the incident, she said.

“The incident has inconvenienced our passengers and airline partners. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for revised times and relevant information.”

South African Airways spokesperson Tlali Tlali said his company was notified about the delays and apologised to customers.

“Whilst the situation is out of the airline’s control and has affected all flights across the board, SAA nonetheless would like to apologise to all our customers for the inconvenience caused by this incident,” Tlali Tlali said in a statement.

The backlog created by the interruptions would take a while to bring operations back to normal as per the schedule, despite fuel supplies having resumed, he said.

“Every effort is being made to reduce the effect on later flights which are mostly international. The impact of the interruptions was in the form of flights being delayed by up to two hours in some cases.”

– SAPA

Marikana – UDM leader Bantu Holomisa on Sunday welcomed the Economic Freedom Fighters into the political arena, but warned them to brace themselves for trying times ahead.

“You should not delude yourselves into thinking that life as an opposition is a bowl of cherries,” he said.
For more http://www.news24.com

Paris – France’s First Lady Valerie Trierweiler will meet a lesbian couple in South Africa on Monday, the first day of an official visit to the country by President Francois Hollande.

Despite having some of the world’s best legal protections for gay people, South Africa has seen numerous cases of homophobic violence, including deadly attacks on lesbians, who also risk falling victim to what is known as “corrective rape”.

Trierweiler will have lunch with activists from women’s and gay and lesbian rights groups in Johannesburg before meeting a lesbian couple, her entourage said.

She will be accompanied by Justice Minister Christiane Taubira.

Trierweiler will also visit a hospital housing children with psychological and mental problems and meet South African President Jacob Zuma’s wife.

On Tuesday, she will visit Sky, an orphanage in Soweto.

After that, Trierweiler will join Hollande for a visit to the former Soweto home of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, which has been transformed into a museum.

– AFP

24 road infrastructure projects for which the North West Provincial Government has budgeted R1, 49 billion for implementation in the current financial year is on track, the North West Executive Council (Exco) has noted.

Although Exco has expressed concern about the delay caused by legal processes on the Koster-Lichtenburg, Mmamutla-Kgomotso and Maphoitsile-Magogong roads, it also noted that close to R325 million has thus far been spent on the road infrastructure development projects in this financial year.

MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport, Raymond Elisha reported that 3 projects consisting of repairs to 10 bridges are at procurement stage, four projects are at bid specification stage while 2 projects are to be implemented through District Term Contracts.

According to MEC Elisha, progress on rehabilitation of roads P231 (R504) from N12 at Wolmaranstad to P12/1 at Schweizer-Reneke, P54/1 from Matooster to Ruighoek, D215 Manthe to Cokonyane is advanced.

Work to rehabilitate, reseal the D114 Boshoek to Phella via Lindleyspport, Afrikaner roads D842,D860 and R507,P13/2 from Lichtenburg to Ottosdal including intersection and section of P28/0 to Coligny,P117/1 Rostraville to Sannieshof is proceeding well.  

Adjacent roads on the light rehabilitation project of the12 kilometers of Road D623 from Swartdam to Makapanstad are also being assessed for upgrade while a contractor has established site for rehabilitation and resealing of 8 kilometer road P1/3(R107) from Maubane to Carousel.

 Elisha also informed Exco that 24 consultants have been appointed to start design of new projects to be implemented during the 2014/2015 financial year.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg-The highly-employable personality, Pearl Thusi will leave the Real Goboza show at the end of November after a ruined relationship with her boss.

According to Sunday Sun, Pearl Thusi and her boss Sydney Matlaku does not see-eye-to-eye.

It is alleged that the working relationship between two has reached irreparable phase and that caused the sassy presenter to seek cover elsewhere.

“Pearl has down-played rumours and said she is leaving because she has more on here plate” source told Sunday Sun.

Isidingo actress is a new presenter for Tropika Island Treasure show where she was a former competitor.

Sabc 1 portfolio Marketing Manager Dichaba Phalatse did not confirm nor deny the news as Palatse said “We will inform you should be there any talents in the shows” told the newspaper.

According to media reports, Pearl Thusi will be replaced by Sinazo Yolwa who is currently presenting Sabc 1 So You Think You Can Dance show.

An attempts to get respond from Pearl Thusi was futile.-TDN

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Johannesburg – Cable theft caused a number of flights to be delayed on Sunday at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, the airport said.

“We don’t have a fuel shortage. We have three severely damaged power cables that has prevented us from refuelling aircraft at the airport,” said Airports Company SA spokesperson Unathi Batyashe-Fillis.

“This was due to an attempted robbery of the cables. It’s just outside the perimeter of the airport.”

Police were investigating, and airport technicians had been working since around 11:00 to restore power to the cables.

“Once that is done we can then start operations as soon as possible,” she said.

“Operations are not at a standstill. Flights are still departing but many are still on the ground and delayed. Refuelling is taking place but at a very slow rate.”

Once the cables had been replaced and power restored, the process of clearing the flight back log would begin.

This would be done on a first-come-first-serve basis as determined by Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS).

“Flights couldn’t take off from around 10:00. At the last count, it was roughly around 20 flights that couldn’t depart,” said Batyashe-Fillis

“They were mainly local flights but a few international flights were also affected. We are hoping to get everything running before the majority of international flights begin departing later this [Sunday] afternoon.”

SAPA

Cape Town – Thanks to money left over from a Public Works project, Parliament has built a new wine cellar to the tune of R3m and has stocked up on 3 000 bottles of South Africa’s finest.

According to the Sunday Times, MPs will now be able to buy themselves a bottle of Delheim Sauvignon Blanc 2013 or a 2008 Hartenberg Estate Shiraz, under the Speaker’s Choice label, at parliament’s main restaurant for a moderate R33 or R100 a bottle respectively.

However, the rest of the cellar is for VIP occasions only – such as visits by foreign dignitaries. Cape wine master Bennie Howard was roped in to stock the cellar. 

For more http://www.news24.com

By Obakeng Maje

Pampierstad-Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred a month ago at approximately 09:00am in Pampierstad. 

The owner of the tuck-shop was allegedly busy opening his business when four men pounced on him. 

“They allegedly pointed him with a firearm, robbed and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, airtime and groceries” lieutenant Sergio Kock said. 

The police followed up on leads and managed to arrest three men last Wednesday in Pampierstad. 

The firearm used during the incident was also recovered, said Kock. 

The suspects, known as Daniel Oageng Kopi(25), Johannes Olebogeng Moremi(29) and Justice Tshiamo Gopane(26) appeared before the Pampiersatd Magistrates’ Court and the case was postponed for 14 October 2013. 

The investigation continues.-TDN

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