Author: newsnote correspondent
In a decision that may further strain its relationships with some of its biggest trading partners, South Africa will conduct naval exercises with Russian and Chinese warships off its eastern coast next month. The 17th to 26th of February will be the dates of Operation Mosi, which means smoke. With the US, UK and EU backing Ukraine in the conflict, South Africa’s reluctance to condemn Russia’s invasion and docking of sanctioned Russian vessels has already increased tensions. The country’s biggest opposition party questioned the wisdom of going ahead with the exercises. “This gives the impression of not being neutral but…
The tiger that went on a rampage over the weekend killing several animals while wounding a man whose dog had been so badly mauled, it had to be put down, is still on the loose. According to news reporters the tiger broke off from its home in Walkerville, near the Vaal area and has been involved in several violent attacks on mainly animals. Only one person has been reported injured after an encounter with the tiger that has since been spotted in different areas. Officials are still out looking for it and the SPCA was reportedly said it had no…
To avoid SuperSport United completing a PSL double against them, Mamelodi Sundowns defender Aubrey Modiba says the Brazilians must perform at their best. As Sundowns prepare for their South African top-flight match against SuperSport on Monday, the experienced defender is wary of the team. In their previous meeting, Matsatsantsa defeated the defending PSL champions 2-1, which is one of two losses the team has suffered so far. The Bafana Bafana star insists Downs have to give their best to avoid a double against their opponent. “You don’t want any team to put a double over you and that’s a conversation…
Messina Denaro was reportedly detained in a private clinic in Sicily’s capital Palermo. He is alleged to be a boss of Sicily’s notorious Cosa Nostra mafia. Italian media reported that he had been receiving treatment when he was arrested just before 10:00 (09:00 GMT) and taken away by the Carabinieri. He was tried and sentenced to life in jail in absentia over numerous murders. These include the 1992 killing of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, the deadly 1993 bomb attacks in Milan, Florence and Rome, and the kidnapping, torture and killing of the 11-year-old son of a mafioso…
Police and residents are on the hunt for a female tiger that escaped from its cage in Walkerville, south of Johannesburg, and mauled two dogs and a man. The local community policing forum’s (CPF) Gresham Mandy said the big cat escaped from its cage at a smallholding where it was being kept with a male. He said the owner claimed the fence had been cut and the animal escaped on Saturday night. Mandy said the animal attacked and killed a dog, before mauling another dog, which had to be put down. The tiger then attacked a man, who managed to…
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on all South Africans to join a march to Luthuli House on the 25th of January to protest the electricity crisis. The party says that the crisis has been engineered by the African National Congress (ANC) and says citizens should voice their anger at the governing party’s destruction of the country’s energy infrastructure and economy, and demand urgent solutions to the escalating crisis. DA leader John Steenhuisen says, “The DA’s protest will specifically target Luthuli House because this is the scene of the crime that the ANC continues to perpetrate against the people of South Africa…
South Africa’s passport power went up in the past year as Egypt granted us visa-free access. You can now visit 106 destinations visa-free – out of 227 measured by Henley & Partners for its annual passport ranking and Global Mobility Report. “SA is currently ranked 53rd with visa-free access to 106 destinations (out of 227) worldwide. It has climbed up the ranking two places since July 2022 when it was ranked 55th with visa-free access to 105 destinations (47% of the world’s destinations). The new destination to which the country now has access visa-free is Egypt. “This does not necessarily…
According to Andrew Lukhele, chairperson and founder of the National Stokvel Association of South Africa (Nasasa), the number of South Africans belonging to stokvels is expected to grow in 2023. How do stokvels work? “The term ‘stokvel’ is derived from the cattle auctions or stock fairs of English settlers in the Eastern Cape during the early nineteenth century,” explains Lukehele. It is a financial scheme where clubs of individual members contribute money each month in a lump sum. This lump sum can be given to one member of the club weekly, every fortnight, monthly, or even annually. Members can also…
According to the City of Johannesburg, residents of Johannesburg will be forced to pay for years of political neglect and corruption with the latest electricity tariff increase granted to Eskom. Nersa has approved Eskom’s request for a tariff increase in response to Nersa’s decision. April 1st will mark the start of the 18,65 % price increase. The increase, according to Mpho Phalatse, is unfair to residents who have been subjected to rolling blackouts for a number of years. In the current economic climate, the tariff hike is unaffordable, and will increase City Power’s bulk purchases costs to approximately R200 million…
The electricity tariff hike allowed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) is appreciated, Eskom said in its response to the decision. On Thursday, after lengthy deliberations, Nersa decided to increase electricity prices by 18.65% for the 2023/4 financial year, signing off on R318 billion for the ailing utility. The increase will come into effect on 1 April. Some customers will pay a tariff of R1.73 per kilowatt in the 2023/24 financial year, up from R1.46 per kilowatt. Customers will then pay R1.95 per kilowatt in the 2024/25 financial year. Eskom Chief Financial Officer Calib Cassim said the decision would…