Daily Podcast – September 15, 2023

15th September 2023 By: Bridget Lepere - Creamer Media Reporter

Daily Podcast – September 15, 2023

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Bridget Lepere.

Making headlines: DA calls ANC ‘uncaring’ as country battles loadshedding, decision on Western Cape state of disaster expected this week and, Winde accuses ANC of receiving Russian funding

 

 

DA calls ANC ‘uncaring’ as country battles loadshedding

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen reiterated his party’s move to have Eskom’s decision to increase electricity prices by 31.4% declared invalid as South Africans have been left in the cold by what he calls an "uncaring" government.

Steenhuisen said Eskom’s failures are owing to government’s failure to take responsibility and defend constitutional rights.

The country is back to stage 6 loadshedding, despite Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s promise that South Africa will not go back to stage 5 and 6.

The DA leader said R233-billion of taxpayer money has been spent on 15 years of construction at the Kusile power station, yet it is not generating a single kilowatt of electricity.

 

Decision on Western Cape state of disaster expected this week

The Western Cape is expected to know by the end of the week whether a state of disaster will be declared to enable it to access funding to repair flood-related damage.

In August, the provincial government said it would apply to the National Disaster Management Centre for the declaration of a provincial state of disaster after the severe flooding in the province in June.

The National Disaster Management Centre has already visited the province to verify the damage.

The declaration will allow the provincial government to request national government for funding support as the scope of damages are beyond the ability of the provincial fiscus.

 

Winde accuses ANC of receiving Russian funding

Verbal sparring erupted in the Western Cape legislature after Premier Alan Winde made a passing remark alleging that the ANC received financial support from Russia.

Winde was responding to questions in the provincial legislature over his recent trip to the United States.

The premier lashed out at the ANC after responding to questions posed by the opposition about his trip to the US to make a case for South Africa to remain part of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. 

In July, Winde led a provincial government delegation and Wesgro representatives to the US to promote the Western Cape as a trade and investment destination of choice.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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