For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines: South Africa to use Brics chair role to advance Africa interests; Ramaphosa says Eskom CEO quit because ‘it’s a tough job’; And, Education department says preparations well under way ahead of schools reopening

South Africa to use Brics chair role to advance Africa interests

South Africa will use its role as the 2023 chair of the BRICS grouping of nations to advance the interest of Africa as a whole, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.

Other African nations will be invited to the BRICS summit in South Africa later this year, he said at a press event in Johannesburg today.

BRICS is an acronym for the emerging market economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS mechanism aims to promote peace, security, development and cooperation.

Ramaphosa says Eskom CEO quit because ‘it’s a tough job

President Cyril Ramaphosa said Eskom’s CEO Andre de Ruyter resigned because “it's a tough job”.

Ramaphosa stressed that government has a “cohesive” plan to resolve the national power shortage and assured that government is not “sleeping on the job.”

The nation is facing its worst power cuts yet. Ramaphosa says he has spoken to his ministers about the need for a uniform approach to the problem.

He gave no indication when a new CEO will be appointed or when blackouts will ease.

And, Education department says preparations well under way ahead of schools reopening

It's all systems go for schools across the country as the Department of Basic Education is well underway with preparations for the upcoming academic year. 

Pupils in inland provinces, including Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West, prepare to return to their school desks on Wednesday, January 11, for the new school year.

Coastal schools in Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape will reopen on Wednesday, 18 January. 

The department says they are ready for the new academic year. Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said all necessary teaching and learning equipment, including school books and stationery were delivered between September and December 2022.

He said the school management teams would visit schools in the inland provinces on Monday to prepare for pupils' return on Wednesday.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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