For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Health Minister says fifth wave of pandemic is expected earlier, ConCourt rules that Parliament can proceed with impeachment process against Mkhwebane and, Eskom to review need for sustained load-shedding as plant performance improves

 

Health Minister says fifth wave of pandemic is expected earlier,

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla announced today that by the end of February the country would have reached a Covid-19 positivity rate of below 5% which would signal stability.

Giving update on the Covid-19 pandemic he warned that there was an expectation that the fifth wave would break out closer to winter.

Depending on variants of concern, Phaahla said the wave might even break out earlier, adding that only high vaccination coverage will reduce the emergence of more variants.

The percentage of new cases over the last seven days has decreased by only 0.3%.

He said at this stage it could be restated that the country’s health facilities were not under pressure from Covid-19.

 

ConCourt rules that Parliament can proceed with impeachment process against Mkhwebane

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the National Assembly's impeachment proceedings against Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane can proceed.

The court handed down a unanimous judgment in the case where National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the Democratic Alliance appealed to the court to overturn a Western Cape High Court ruling last year, which found fault with two of the rules for a Chapter 9 head's removal.

The Constitutional Court set aside the High Court ruling that a judge should not be appointed to the independent panel, which should consider whether there is a prima facie case against the Chapter 9 institution's head.

But, it did uphold the ruling that the Chapter 9 institution's head is entitled to legal representation during the hearing part of the process.

 

Eskom to review need for sustained load-shedding as plant performance improves

Eskom reported a material improvement in the performance of its power stations this morning and indicated that it would review, by 5pm, whether it was necessary for it to sustain load-shedding over the weekend.

CEO Andre de Ruyter reported that total unplanned losses had reduced to 11 258 megawatt, from above 14 000 megawatt when six days of Stage 2 load-shedding were declared on Wednesday.

Rotational cuts are currently scheduled to continue until 5am on Monday morning.

COO Jan Oberholzer reported that several coal units, including at the troubled Kusile power station, had been returned to service, while pumped-storage upper dams and diesel stocks had also been largely replenished.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter[PolityZA]