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The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has noted with concern the suspension of more than 300 Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers, following their alleged participation in an illegal strike in March this year.

The strike resulted in major traffic disruptions across the city as well as access to the OR Tambo International Airport.

“While the Committee acknowledges the City of Ekurhuleni’s responsibility to take disciplinary action against employees implicated in serious misconduct, the mass suspension of these officers poses a significant risk to public safety, traffic management and the enforcement of municipal by-laws,” the Committee said in a statement on Tuesday.

The committee added that the sudden reduction in law enforcement capacity may leave residents vulnerable and exacerbate challenges in maintaining order on the roads and in communities across the city.

The committee urged the City of Ekurhuleni to implement immediate contingency measures to mitigate the impact of the suspensions.

“One such measure could include seeking temporary reinforcement from other municipalities in Gauteng, in line with the existing agreement that allows Municipal Police and Traffic Officers to operate beyond their jurisdictional boundaries to assist in crime prevention and traffic management.

“Furthermore, the Committee calls on the City of Ekurhuleni to expedite the resolution of the ongoing labour dispute to ensure the swift resumption of critical policing services.

“A prolonged impasse between the municipality and its employees will only deepen service delivery challenges and undermine public safety.”

The committee will continue to monitor the situation closely and remains committed to ensuring that community safety across Gauteng is not compromised.

Eskom is planning to avoid load shedding during the winter period, as its operational performance has improved and it expects additional capacity to come online.

For load shedding to be avoided, unplanned outages must remain below 13 gigawatts (GW).

“If outages increase to 15GW, load shedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days at stage 2 – an improvement over the prior winter’s worst-case prediction of stage 5 load shedding,” Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, said on Monday, in Johannesburg.

Addressing a media briefing on Eskom’s State of the System for the 2024/2025 financial year, Marokane said the improved winter outlook is due to a 3.1GW decrease in unplanned outages compared to the previous year. 

As a result, the forecast range has been lowered to 13-15GW, down from 14 -17GW in winter 2024. 

Last winter had no load shedding, with average unplanned outages at 12.3GW – significantly below the winter 2024 base-case projection of 14GW.

“This year’s winter outlook prediction is built on an improvement in operational performance and overall efficiency. Load shedding was the lowest in Eskom’s last financial year (FY) 2025 than in the previous two years. 

“In FY 2025, we delivered power 96% of the time. In the previous year, the figure was just 9.9%. Our diesel open cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) were utilised approximately 50% less in FY 2025 compared to the two previous financial years, saving around R16 billion,” the CEO said.

Against this progress, Eskom has seen some setbacks in operational excellence, as evidenced by the recent load shedding requirements between January to April 2025. 

“A targeted plan has been put in place to reinforce operational discipline and accelerate recovery initiatives to address the root causes related to the recent load shedding events,” Marokane said.

Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said Koeberg unit 1 has received the long-term operating go-ahead from the regulator to ensure 20 years of additional life. 

“We have been able to restore Kusile unit 2 and 3. Kusile unit 1 will be placed back in its original form before the end of May. The three units at Kusile will give us [additional] megawatts (MW) during the winter period.

“Kusile unit 6 has been synchronised to the grid. It is yet to be in commercial operation. It is a technical issue. It is [providing electricity] and at times, it must be taken out to be fixed. Once it gets into commercial operation, we will get the long-term benefits of the unit.

“We plan to bring back Medupi unit 4 back to service during winter. It has been out of service for about four years. We are expecting to get about 800MW in the middle of winter,” Ramokgopa said.

The Minister said load reduction will remain in place to protect the equipment and as a safety precaution to protect the lives of those who are close to the infrastructure when it gets overloaded due to rampant illegal connections.

From 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025, Eskom implemented load shedding for 13 days compared to 329 and 208 in the two previous years, respectively.

Marokane said Eskom supplied South Africa with more electricity and reduced load shedding without the extensive use of diesel during the period under review.

“We had a 45% reduction in diesel consumption against the backdrop of the highest send out in the last three years and the lowest load shedding days.

“We used the OCGTs very tactically to support the high vulnerability and once we have our capacity, you will see the diesel expenditure going down significantly,” he said.

According to Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom has continued to maintain high levels of planned maintenance as part of efforts to improve fleet reliability in preparation for the high winter demand, while also meeting environmental licence conditions and regulatory requirements.

“We have evolved our Generation Recovery Plan to ensure our data-led analysis into the delays in returning units from outages on time, which has caused our fleet to be constrained and not able to accommodate a sudden loss of units, receives intense management focus, as we use our ‘high challenge, high support’ culture to support our teams to rectify this situation,” Nxumalo said.

As thousands of South African football fans are expected to descend on Durban for the highly anticipated 2025 Nedbank Cup final, the eThekwini Municipality has urged visitors and tourists to remain vigilant when booking accommodation, to prevent falling victim to online scams.

A thrilling showdown between South African football giants, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, is set to take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, on Saturday afternoon.

This marks the tournament’s return to Durban since it was last hosted in the city in 2019.  The match promises to deliver a thrilling spectacle that will captivate fans across the country.

EThekwini Municipality Mayor, Cyril Xaba, welcomed the return of the event, highlighting that the economic and tourism benefits it brings.

“We encourage visitors to immerse themselves in the rich cultural offerings, stunning beaches, and diverse attractions that make our city a premier destination for both local and international travellers,” Xaba said.

However, Xaba warned visitors, and tourists to remain vigilant when booking accommodation, to prevent falling victim to online scammers.

“Visitors are also encouraged to carefully verify any packages that advertise “free tickets” and to obtain their tickets exclusively through registered outlets,” Xaba said.

Travel safety tips

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, visitors are advised to follow these essential travel and accommodation safety tips:

•    Research your accommodation: Before booking, look for customer reviews and ratings across multiple platforms. Be cautious if reviews appear overly positive or generic, as they may be fabricated.

•    Contact the property directly: Use verified contact information to reach out to the property. If you cannot find this information on trusted sites, proceed with caution.

•    Check for professionalism: Legitimate businesses typically maintain professional websites featuring clear contact information, terms and conditions, and policies regarding cancellations and refunds.

•    Compare prices: If a deal seems too good to be true, ensure you compare prices with established booking sites to get a sense of reasonable rates.

•    Verify the URL: Ensure the website has a secure connection (look for “https://” rather than just “http://”) and check for any spelling errors in the domain name.

Important safety precautions

• Use trusted platforms: Stick to well-known travel booking websites or apps, which usually offer customer service support to address issues.

•    Avoid wire transfers: Always opt for secure payment methods that offer protection, such as credit cards, over wire transfers or cash.

•    Read the fine print: Thoroughly review booking terms and conditions, especially regarding cancellation policies and any additional fees.

•    Stay informed: Keep up with updates from local tourism authorities concerning safe travel practices and potential scams.

•    Share your itinerary: Inform someone of your travel plans, including accommodation details, for added safety.

•    Keep an eye on your belongings: Always keep your bags where you can see them and avoid displaying valuables like jewellery or electronics publicly.

•    Report any suspicious illegal activities to the nearest police station.

To further enhance the excitement around the Nedbank Cup final, the municipality will host public viewing areas in various parts of Durban to afford everyone an opportunity to watch the game.

Details for the public viewing areas will be announced on the Municipal platforms.

Over 600 suspects were arrested in Operation Shanela in the North West, said the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Police operations in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies that ran from 21-27 April, led to the arrest of 667 suspects.

“The operations, which were conducted under Operation Shanela resulted in the arrest of 667 suspects and recoveries of among others, 12 rounds of ammunition, drugs, three shotguns, 57 cell phones, liquor and other contraband such as cigarettes.

“Out of the 667 suspects, 35 were nabbed for driving under influence of alcohol or drugs, seven for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, 56 for possession of drugs, 17 for illegal dealing in liquor, 69 for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), 41 for common assault, five for murder and 14 for burglaries at residential and business premises,”  said the Office of the Provincial Commissioner of the North West.

The operations covered all the province’s districts and included the setting of roadblocks on all the national and provincial arterial roads, tracing of wanted suspects, stop and searches and compliance inspections at liquor selling outlets and closing of unlicensed liquor premises.

The Anti-Gang Unit arrested three Lesotho foreign nationals on Friday, 25 April 2025, after being found in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The first suspect was arrested for illegal possession of a Norinco firearm with eight rounds of ammunition.

The other two suspects, Seronthe Thipe, and Thabo Mphinyame, were found in possession of an unlicensed revolver, four rounds of ammunition and spent 9mm cartridge.

All three accused:  Rethabile Ntoyi, 39, Nthipu, 30, and Thabo Mphinyame, 40 appeared in the Orkney Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 29 April 2025.

“They were all remanded in custody until Friday, 09 May 2025, for further investigation,” said the SAPS.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of Police in the North West, Major General Patrick Asaneng has called on communities in the Matlosana Municipality including community policing forums and ward councillors not to harbour illegal foreigners who are in the main involved is serious violent crimes such as murders, robberies and damage of essential infrastructure.

“These suspects are often arrested in possession of illegal firearms including automatic rifles smuggled into area and which are not traceable due to them not being in the Central Registry database,” said Asaneng.

The Jobs Fund has announced the launch of a new round for projects with funding of a minimum of R5 million in South Africa’s green and informal economies.

“The Fund is calling proposals from the public, private, and not-for-profit sector intermediaries that address key labour market barriers, such as technology, enabling infrastructure, regulations, access to markets and funding, and poor working conditions,” National Treasury said on Wednesday.

Successful proposals must provide scalable, implementable solutions with measurable impact on job creation.

Green economy projects include among others, renewable energy/energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture/agri-tech, transport/green mobility, waste/water management, while the informal economy includes street vending, small retail/manufacturing, care and repair work.

“Previous funding rounds have seen R7.4 billion being disbursed to Jobs Fund Partners, resulting in the creation of 210,719 permanent jobs, 114,534 short-term jobs/internships and more than 63 000 SMMES [Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises], and 16 000 emerging farmers supported.

“This initiative comes at a time when unemployment, especially among youth and women, remains a pressing challenge. The Fund seeks to support creative, scalable interventions that will contribute to sustainable job creation and stimulate inclusive economic growth in high labour absorptive sectors,” National Treasury said.

The application deadline for the grant funding is 05 June 2025 at 3pm.

More information about the Jobs Fund, the Term Sheet for this funding round, Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, links to the online application form, briefing and training sessions for applicants, can be found on www.jobsfund.org.za or contact: jobsfund@treasury.gov.za.

National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has confirmed that the bodies found at the Hennops river in Centurion near the N1 highway in Pretoria, are those of the police constables who went missing last week while enroute to Limpopo.

Addressing the media along the N1 in Pretoria on Tuesday, the Commissioner said the bodies of the three missing constables namely Keamogetswe Buys, Boipelo Senoge and Cebekhulu Linda have been found.

“It is with deep sorrow that I confirm that our three members have been found, together with two other bodies, one being an admin clerk that is attached to our Lyttleton police station,” the Commissioner said.

This as police had earlier reported that the constables went missing on Wednesday, 23 April 2025.

The Commissioner said the police “searched everywhere for our three missing police officers” and the high-level team that had been tasked with investigating their disappearance “spent sleepless nights combing the length and breadth of Gauteng, Free State and Limpopo.”

Following all possible leads and after studying all evidence that we had gathered, our investigation led us to between the Grasmere Toll Plaza on the N1, past the Buccleugh interchange, onto John Voster drive.

“We had hoped to find our three police officers safe, unharmed and alive, but this is not the case.”

The two women constables Buys (aged 30) and Senoge (aged 20) and 24-year-old male constable Linda were travelling in a white VW Polo sedan from Bloemfontein to their area of deployment in Limpopo when they went missing.

At the time of their disappearance, the officers were off duty.

In a statement on Saturday, the police appealed to members of the public for assistance in finding the missing constables and on Sunday, the Commissioner and the Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya met with the team involved in investigating the officers’ disappearance.

The police delegation also met the officers’ families at the weekend.

READ | SAPS Commissioner to meet investigating team and families of missing constables

On Monday, the investigation and search led police to the Hennops River in Centurion.

READ | Reward to help find missing constables

With the assistance of the South African Police Service (SAPS) drone pilots, cybercrime unit, HAWKS, Crime and counter-intelligence unit, SAPS and Gauteng Traffic Airwing as well as the Bidvest Protea Coin Airwing, police first found pieces of vehicle parts believed to be of a VW polo along the N1.

Police were then led to the banks of the river where they found a Renault Kangoo panel van.

“Our SAPS and Tshwane divers immediately commenced with the search, where we discovered two bodies, one of the driver of the Renault panel van who it just came to light that he is one of our employees attached to the Lyttleton Police Station and the second body was that of Constable Senoge. We had to abandon the search as it was already dark.

“This morning, the third body was discovered which is believed to be that of Constable Linda. We further found a fourth decomposed body; we are still trying to identify who this person is. Later this afternoon, we sadly found the fifth body of Constable Buys,” said the Commissioner.

The families were taken to the mortuary where they have identified the bodies of the officials.

“We are still searching for the VW Polo and our investigation is continuing. We don’t want to speculate at this stage what led to the discovery of these bodies in this river, whether it was an accident or not, our investigation will reveal those aspects once we find their vehicle.

“We would like to thank the families, and the task team involved in the search for working tirelessly to ensure a breakthrough in this case,” he said.

The Commissioner said police were hoping for a positive outcome in the case.

“Be that as it may, we are relieved that we could provide the painful closure to the families and the broader SAPS family. Investigations are still continuing into this matter.”

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is today attending the bail hearing of a suspect charged with assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm (GBH) and attempted murder.

This follows a harrowing case of gender-based violence in the Maswazini area, Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal.

“On 16 April 2025, a woman was allegedly attacked by her ex-boyfriend while at home with her mother. The suspect reportedly assaulted the mother before proceeding to violently attack the young woman, allegedly gouging both of her eyes with a screwdriver. She is currently receiving treatment at the Harry Gwala District Hospital,” the Ministry of Police said ahead of Monday’s bail hearing.

The accused was traced and arrested soon after the incident and is set to appear in the Richmond Magistrate Court.

“The Minister is attending the court proceedings in support of the victim and her family. His attendance follows a personal visit to the family on Sunday where he extended his sympathies and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the fight against gender-based violence and Femicide (GBVF), a national priority,” the police said.

The Western Cape Government (WCG) is inviting residents to provide feedback on the proposed increases to motor vehicle licence (MVL) fees.

These proposals were published in the Provincial Gazette Extraordinary 9057 on 17 April 2025.

The proposed fee increases are set to take effect on 1 August 2025 and are open for public comment until Saturday, 17 May 2025.

“The Western Cape is home to over two million registered vehicles, and the condition of our roads is consistently rated among the best in the country.

“This is largely due to the provincial government’s commitment to ringfencing MVL revenue to maintain, upgrade, and expand our road network,” the WCG said in a statement.

According to the Western Cape Mobility Department, paying vehicle licence fees is not just a legal requirement — it is an important contribution to keeping roads safe, efficient, and reliable for everyone.

“These fees are directly reinvested into the Western Cape’s road infrastructure, helping to build and maintain the roads that connect our communities, support economic activity, and enable daily life,” the department explained.

MVL fees are primarily used to build, upgrade, and maintain the provincially owned road network. They also assist municipalities in maintaining their more strategic roads and ensure continued safe mobility for all road users, including residents, freight operators, tourists, and public transport passengers.

“The Western Cape’s road network is a vital provincial asset that supports commerce, tourism, service delivery and job creation. By ensuring that our roads remain in optimal condition, the province safeguards economic competitiveness and enhances quality of life,” the WCG said.

The draft regulation is available on this link: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/mobility/files/wcg-blob-files?file=2025-04/9057-wc-registration-licence-fees-2025-1.pdf&type=file

Western Cape residents are encouraged to review the draft regulation and submit comments before the closing date.

Email, post, or deliver comments to:
•    Email – Robyn.Titus@westerncape.gov.za.
•    Post – Mr Darryl Jacobs, Head of Department, Attention Ms Robyn Titus, Western Cape Mobility Department, PO Box 2603, Cape Town 8000.
•    Deliver – Mr Darryl Jacobs, Head of Department, Attention Ms Robyn Titus, Western Cape Mobility Department, Ground Floor, 34 Roeland Street, Cape Town.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has agreed to a court order suspending his decision to increase the VAT rate by 0.5 percentage points.

The Minister of Finance and the main respondents in the matter, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), agreed to have the matter settled out of court, and the Western Cape High Court subsequently ratified the agreement on 27 April 2025.

“Godongwana welcomes the court order, as it is entirely consistent with his announcement on 23 April 2025 to suspend the VAT increase. Having already announced the withdrawal, the Minister felt that he would no longer have cause to continue with the court case.

“The context to the suspension of the increase is set out in an affidavit filed earlier on Sunday by the Minister in response to the Democratic Alliance’s (“the DA”) supplementary affidavit filed on 25 April 2025,” National Treasury said.

Whilst the substance of the Minister’s responding affidavit was to reply to the most contentious points raised by the DA in its submission, a secondary, equally important purpose was to further clarify the rationale behind the proposed increase to VAT, its subsequent withdrawal, and the procedural context that should determine the future processes.

The Minister maintains that his initial budget proposal of 12 March 2025 was constitutional and appropriate, given the limited options available to balance fiscal sustainability with service delivery needs.

“But having listened to the submissions made by political parties and the public, and taken into careful consideration the various consultations with various stakeholders, the decision was made to withdraw the proposal, and the court gave effect to that,” National Treasury said.

For the benefit of the broader public and in the interests of setting the record straight, the Minister highlighted the most salient points covered in the responding affidavit, which are as follows:

• Following the Speaker’s letter of 21 April 2025, it became clear the VAT increase lacked the necessary political support. The Ministry subsequently announced plans to introduce legislation maintaining VAT at 15% from 1 May 2025.
• While proposed reluctantly, the VAT increase was considered less detrimental to economic growth and employment than alternatives examined by National Treasury.
• The withdrawal creates a medium-term revenue shortfall of approximately R75 billion, necessitating decreased government expenditure with likely impacts on service delivery.

“The Minister welcomes the clarity and certainty provided by the court order. Equally, he remains committed to fiscal responsibility and will pursue alternative measures to ensure sustainable public finances,” National Treasury said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday, marking the first official visit by a Ukrainian Head of State to South Africa.

This engagement follows President Ramaphosa’s visit to Ukraine in June 2023, as part of the African Peace Initiative, which also saw African leaders meeting with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to table a 10-point peace proposal.

Alongside leaders from six other African nations, President Ramaphosa emphasised Africa’s call for negotiation, respect for sovereignty, and an urgent end to the conflict which continues to impact global and African economies.

“The visits provide South Africa and Ukraine with an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, agriculture and education. It will also explore areas of cooperation with the objective to support efforts to bring lasting peace,” the Presidency said.

The official visit will commence with a welcome ceremony where President Ramaphosa will receive President Zelenskyy at the Union Buildings. They will proceed to a closed session to hold official talks.

Later in the day, President Ramaphosa and President Zelenskyy will address a media briefing.