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

Making headlines: Biovac to distribute vaccines to South Africa healthcare workers; Mkhwebane makes first court appearance; And, NUM tackles De Ruyter over Eskom’s poor performance and load-shedding

 

Biovac to distribute vaccines to South Africa healthcare workers

South African pharmaceutical company Biovac Institute has been contracted by the government to import, store and distribute coronavirus vaccines for frontline healthcare workers, a letter from the National Treasury shows.

Cape Town-based Biovac, part owned by the government, has been appointed for three months, for importation, cold chain storage and distribution of the 1.5-million doses.

South Africa has said it will receive 1.5-million doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shot from the Serum Institute of India, spread over January and February.

 

Mkhwebane makes first court appearance

The Public Protector, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, made her first appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

She is facing three counts of perjury.

In December last year, the Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions announced the decision to criminally prosecute Mkhwebane.

The perjury charges, laid against Mkhwebane by non-profit organisation Accountability Now in August 2019, stem from the findings of the Constitutional Court in the matter of the Absa/Bankorp review case.

The case has been postponed to 25 March.

 

And, NUM tackles De Ruyter over Eskom’s poor performance and load-shedding

The National Union of Mineworkers said it is unhappy with load-shedding being carried out in South Africa and “very disappointed” with the performance of Eskom under the leadership of chief executive André de Ruyter.

NUM Eskom energy sector co-ordinator Khangela Baloyi said the current management team has gone up to stage 6 for the first time in the country’s history.

Baloyi added that Ruyter’s team is perpetually failing to produce sufficient power to avoid load-shedding.

The NUM has called on the government, as the Eskom shareholder, to address, what it calls, “poor leadership” at the power utility.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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