Sana Khan

"The common message we are taking to the annual meeting is that South Africa remains open for business and is committed to creating a conducive environment," Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said.

President Ramaphosa pointed out that the apartheid regime didn't worry much about the lives but did care about the image, hence Magubane's photographs helped bring change in South Africa at that time.

The education programs have been opened for young people living in the Western as well as Eastern Cape. To enroll in the programs, the individual requires at least a matric certificate alongside minimum marks in language or maths.

Councillor Patricia van der Ross, the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, said that "during the pandemic, borrowing privileges were extended to a one month lending period and a maximum of 20 items for all borrowers."

The Electricity Minister pointed out that when the energy demand was low from Dec. 22 to 29, Eskom used this as an opportunity to carry out planned maintenance, noting that the company had been working throughout the festive season.

The authorities revealed that the suspects - including three males and one female - were arrested over the weekend (Jan. 6) from different areas around Pretoria. The officials seized an AK-47 and two pistols from the suspects.

Minister Blade Nzimande and the South African Communist Party (SACP), of which he is a member," are accused of engaging with NSFAS board chairperson Ernest Khosa in order to receive substantial kickbacks.

The criminals used molded artwork to disguise drugs, but the customs authorities' narcotics test kit helped to find crystal meth, which weighed 10 kilograms. Fentanyl, on the other hand, weighed 13 kilograms.

Patriotic Alliance shared that he along with the party members was informed by the residents that the trucks had been parked at the border for the last two days, to unload the illegal material in South Africa including cigarettes.

In 2023, Cape Town hosted various events including Africa's first Netball World Cup, the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, the first Formula E race in sub-Saharan Africa, the Loeries Creative Week and the return of Tweede Nuwe Jaar Minstrel Street Parade among others.

The SAPS department revealed that between Dec. 25 and Dec. 31, the police arrested 1,073 people for various crimes in the Free State. The government department said that seven unlicensed illegal liquor premises and 97 illegal fireworks traders were shut down.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Magubane left the world at the start of 2024, which marked 30 years of freedom in South Africa. Aside from the president, other government officials also described Magubane's passing as a heart-wrenching loss.

Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy announced on Tuesday that the 93 Standard Unleaded Petrol (ULP) and Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP) prices will decrease by 62 cents a litre. Whereas, 95 (ULP & LRP) prices will be dropped by 76 cents a litre.

The department noted that the provincial disaster management center received reports of massive damage caused due to heavy rain in two districts, iLembe and uMgungundlovu, resulting in flooding.

South Africans will be experiencing Stage 2 of load shedding from 5:00 a.m. until 16:00 p.m. Thereafter, the energy company will implement Stage 3 of load shedding until 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

For the initial six months, during the testing and optimization phase, the electricity will be supplied intermittently and later it will be transferred to commercial operations.

Samantha Meyrick, IPSS Medical Search and Rescue spokesperson, said that all the victims missing from the caravan park have been found.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved brother, father, husband and patriot, Mbongeni Ngema. He was a passenger in the vehicle," the family said in a statement.

The tragic incident took place on Monday, killing at least six people. The flooding largely affected people living in a caravan park.

Palesa Mogotsi, 43, and her mother Martha, 70, were found dead by Joburg Emergency Management Services. The spokesperson of the emergency services, Xoli Khumalo confirmed that they witnessed a five-bedroom house on fire on Sunday night.

In Limpopo province, among the 33 mothers who gave birth on Christmas eve, 10 of them were teenagers.

ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson urged South Africans to be cautious on the roads, revealing that they have been keeping "extremely busy with multiple accidents with many being fatal accidents."

Ramokgopa noted that the problem with the system is that it is healthy in certain periods and not throughout. Hence, Eskom needs to maintain consistency to make sure that the system is healthy.

The meeting was aimed at finding solutions to fix the interrupted water supply to the communities in several parts including Umlazi and eThekwini.

Mireille Wenger, Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC (Member of the Executive Council) said that the province has seen nearly 160,000 job creation since 2021.

According to the CoE, the first suspect was arrested when he came to off-load diesel at an agricultural holding, and the rest were caught at the Springs Depot.

The department explained that the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been intensified to accelerate a turnaround time to respond to any medical emergency during the festive season as this time is associated with maximum demand for medical services.

The new group who will begin the Freestanding, Innovation and Scarce Skills (FISS) Fellowships alongside those who have grant holder-linked postdoctoral fellowships, will receive increased funding from next year onwards.

Last month, South Africa recalled all of its diplomats from Israel's Tel Aviv-Yafo for consultation due to the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel.