Newsroom

• Stage 6 load shedding in South Africa: Eskom announces load shedding schedule for the upcoming week. 
• Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale, says Man Utd, even though reports say the star wants to leave.
• Former SABC board chair Ellen Tshabalala dies of kidney failure.

Stage 6 load-shedding to continue, with Eskom saying it will take time to recover from strike action – Times Live 

In a press release issued on Sunday afternoon, Eskom indicated that load shedding would continue into the next week.

“Depending on several possibilities — including the workforce fully returning to work to conduct much needed repairs to equipment — it is anticipated that load-shedding will gradually be lowered to stage 2 by the weekend.”

In a separate article for EWN, Eskom said that it would take a few weeks for its power generating system to completely return to pre-strike levels, and blamed the rolling blackouts on the recent strike protests by employees. Read more here and here 

Cristiano Ronaldo tells Manchester United he wants to leave – The Guardian

According to The Guardian, Cristiano Ronaldo has told Manchester United that he wants to leave because he doesn’t think the team can win the Premier League next season and he wants to play in the Champions League. 

“Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals for United last season after returning to Old Trafford from Juventus, has a contact to the end of next season which includes an option for a further year.”

Ronaldo hasn’t made a deal to play for another team yet. Read more here

Former SABC chair Ellen Tshabalala dies, allies defend her legacy – News24

On Saturday, former SABC chair Ellen Tshabalala died from kidney failure. She served on the board of the SABC between 2013 and 2014. 

News24 reports, “It was a long illness, and it was the culmination of a disease she had called DVT [deep vein thrombosis], which led to complications later in life and Covid-19 compounded it and it led to kidney failure.” Read more here 

Here are the top trending stories of the day. 

Headline: Treasury working on a credible solution for Eskom’s R400bn debt burden – News24 (for subscribers)

Headline: Grabouw fire leaves about 200 homeless – EWN

Headline: Twitter Goes Wild After Drake Joins Backstreet Boys To Perform ’90s Classic Song – Huffington Post

Headline: Carlos Sainz savours maiden F1 win in ‘amazing’ British GP: ‘I don’t know what to say’ – News24

Headline: Who brought the honey? Most talked about SA celeb looks from Durban July 2022 – Times Live

Image credit: Pixabay

• If we don’t save energy, Stage 8 will be implemented by Eskom.
• Siyakhangela Ndevu and Vuyokazi Ndevu remove alcohol from the tavern in Scenery Park. 
• Beyonce debuts new album artwork.

SA is 2,000 megawatts away from Stage 8 Load Shedding – EWN  

Eskom has confirmed that stage 8 load shedding would be activated if the national grid had a shortfall of 8,000 megawatts. 

“Eskom will inform you as soon as a need occurs to change the stage of load shedding whether up or down. We, unfortunately, have to go with the dictate of the machines at that point,” reported Eskom spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha for EWN. 

On Thursday, the nation was on stage 6 load shedding- which Eskom claimed was mostly due to continuing protests over a salary dispute. Read more here 

Owner of East London ‘death tavern’ removes alcohol from premises under police guard – Daily Maverick

The Daily Maverick reports that on Thursday afternoon, under police protection, Siyakhangela Ndevu and his wife, Vuyokazi Ndevu, owners of the Enyobeni bar in East London, were seen moving alcohol from the tavern into bakkies.

“Police removed the crime scene tape and handed the tavern back to the owner and her husband, allowing them to remove alcohol from the premises while the police kept guard.”

Last Sunday, twenty-one adolescents and young adults died in the tavern. At this time, the reason for their death is still unclear. Vuyokazi Ndevu expressed her sympathies to the families and stated she was “sorry for what happened at my tavern”. Read more here 

Beyoncé Unveils ‘Renaissance’ Cover & Reveals Her Intention for the New Album – Billboard

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Beyoncé revealed the whimsical cover art for what is sure to be one of the most anticipated albums of all time.

“Set against a completely black backdrop, the Renaissance cover features a mostly bare Bey with long blonde hair, saddled on a glowing silver horse.” 

She wrote, “Making this album gave me a place to dream and get away from a scary time in the world. It gave me a sense of freedom and adventure when nothing else was going on.” Read more here

Here are the top trending stories of the day. 

Headline: Lights out: Business leaders beg Ramaphosa to fix ‘national crisis’ at Eskom – News24 (for subscribers)

Headline: Stage 6 loadshedding will return at 4pm, slight reprieve – Times Live

Headline: Christian Horner opens up on Michael Masi’s axing after Abu Dhabi fiasco: ‘He made one mistake’ – News24

Headline: Wales seek balanced approach to counter Bok muscle: ‘We can’t get caught playing Sevens’ – News24

Headline: J-Hope Gives Fans ‘More’ With New Solo Single: Listen -Billboard

Weather: Fine day for most parts of the country – News24

• R Kelly was sentenced to 30 years for racketeering and sex trafficking. 
• To permanently end load shedding, the government must implement alternative measures.
• Kourtney Kardashian is trying to keep Travis Barker in good spirits after his hospitalisation. 

R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sexual abuse charges – News24

On Wednesday, Robert Sylvester Kelly, formally known as R Kelly, has been sentenced to 30 years on counts of federal racketeering and sex trafficking. The American singer and songwriter used his reputation to lure teenage girls and women into a variety of sexual offenses.

“Kelly’s lawyers had argued he should get no more than 10 years in prison because he had a traumatic childhood involving severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence.”

AFP reports that he’ll presumably be sent to a Chicago prison, where he’ll face child pornography and obstruction charges in August. Read more here 

‘Scrap the damn red tape’: Gordhan, Presidency exploring Eskom emergency plans after Stage 6 – News24 (for subscribers)

Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan and the presidency are seeking alternatives to permanently end load shedding. The administration has failed to react to the seriousness of the electrical supply crisis, even though the DA and energy experts have presented “solutions and proposals” to halt load shedding. According to News24, the administration remains committed to the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) as the answer to the load shedding situation.

“One study, done by Meridian Economics, estimates that if Eskom’s performance continues to deteriorate even modestly and government plans are not revised, load shedding will be four times greater in 2023 compared to 2021, five times more in 2024, and 10 times more in 2026.” Read more here 

How Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian Are Feeling Amid His Hospitalization for Pancreatitis – E! News

Kourtney Kardashian is keeping Travis Barker in good spirits after his hospitalization for pancreatitis following a colonoscopy on Wednesday. The reality star and entrepreneur was there when Barker was admitted to the hospital.

“Kourtney is trying to lift his spirits and hates seeing him in excruciating pain.” Read more here 

Here are the top trending stories of the day. 

Headline: ‘Victimised’ public protector office head reinstated with R1.5m back pay – Times Live

Headline: Tavern tragedy a ‘perfect storm of non-compliance and corruption’ – Times Live (for subscribers)

Headline: Goodall hopes Proteas batters can dig deep: ‘We’ll come back fighting’ – News24

Headline: It’s disappointing to be snubbed in your country – Sowetan Live

Headline: Kanye West sued over claim of illegal sample on ‘Donda 2’ – Daily Maverick

Weather: Fire warnings for parts of Northern and Western Cape – News24

Image credit: Getty Images

• Eskom employees will restore power utility to “some level of normality”.
• A 32-year-old patient in Cape Town tested positive for Monkeypox. 
• Travis Barker was taken to the hospital for unspecified reasons.

Gordhan hopes Eskom back to normal on Wednesday, blames intimidation for stage 6 load-shedding – Times Live

Pravin Gordhan has assured South Africans that everything would be done to restore the power to its normalcy. This after Eskom announced load shedding stage 6 on Tuesday.

“Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan on Tuesday said staff from Eskom will restore the power utility to “some level of normality” after the resolution of an unprotected strike which began on June 22.”

Loss of generation capacity and an unprotected strike by employees are reportedly to blame for Stage 6 load shedding, as reported by Times Live. Read more here 

Second case of monkeypox recorded in SA, this time in Cape Town – Times Live 

On Tuesday, a 32-year-old patient from Cape Town tested positive for Monkeypox in South Africa. This is the second reported case in South Africa.

Minister of Health Joe Phaahla has asked South Africans to adopt hygienic measures comparable to covid-19 norms. “Members of the public, who experience symptoms similar to Monkeypox, are urged to report to their nearest healthcare facility for early detection and successful treatment.” 

The patient has no history of travel. Read more here 

Travis Barker Reportedly Taken To Hospital By Ambulance – Huffington Post

On Tuesday, musician Travis Barker was taken to the hospital. It is not known what his condition is.

TMZ was the first to report that the Blink-182 drummer was seen lying on a stretcher outside of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His wife, Kourtney Kardashian, is said to have been with him. Read more here 

Here are the top trending stories of the day. 

Headline: Enyobeni Tavern owner criminally charged – eNCA

Headline: Stage 6 fiasco: Ratings downgrade may now be on the cards, economists warn – News24 (for subscribers)

Headline: WATCH | Light aircraft crash-lands in Cape Town, residents attempt to rob pilot and student – News24

Headline: Serena Williams out of Wimbledon after losing first-round thriller – News24

Headline: North West’s 9th Birthday Features Private Jet & Bloody Tents – E! News

Weather: Heat wave, high temperatures for Northern Cape – News24

Image credit: Pixabay

• The mysterious deaths of 21 youngsters has been the subject of much controversy.
• An excessive amount of non-biodegradable face masks are clogging landfills.
• Ex F1 CEO reveals Lewis Hamilton is no longer ‘interested in winning’.

Tavern tragedy: too much blaming, too few answers – Times Live (for subscribers)

The “mysterious deaths of 21 youngsters at an East London tavern” has been the subject of much controversy. While Police Minister Bheki Cele was praised for assembling a forensic team to aid the Police in determining the cause of death, he was also criticized for questioning the deceased’s parenting style.

“A 13-year-old dies at 4am and you are asking where are the police — really? Why was a 13-year-old out at 4am?” 

According to Times Live, many things remain unanswered. Who is responsible for the death of these young adults? Why were minors let inside a tavern? Who is responsible for the venue’s security and where was the tavern’s owner? Who is the distributor for the alcohol and water pipes? 

Unathi Binqose, the spokesperson for the Eastern Cape department of community safety said forensic pathologists believe the death was caused by “inhaling or ingesting” something. 

“It was something they ingested, possibly from the beers they were consuming, or something they inhaled from those hubbly-bubblies that they were smoking,” Read more here 

Don’t dump your face masks just yet – if you must, think of hospitals and construction sites – Business Insider

In South Africa, it is no longer compulsory to wear a face mask indoors. While many have applauded the new regulation, Luke Daniels expresses worry that an excessive volume of non-biodegradable face masks are clogging landfills.

“Face masks, especially the single-use, disposable kind, are littering the planet in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, with much of the world imposing mandates to limit the spread of Covid-19, some 130 billion disposable masks were being used each month.” Read more here 

Ex F1 CEO makes sensational claim that Lewis Hamilton has stopped trying to win – News24

Lewis Hamilton, the “joint-most successful” Formula 1 driver in history, has lost interest in winning. According to News24, Hamilton was devastated and enraged after losing the 2021 championship in a “controversial manner” in the Abu Dhabi finale. Experts believe this could have contributed to Lewis recent performance. ” His Mercedes car is now clearly less competitive”. Read more here

Here are the top trending stories of the day. 

Headline: Ramaphosa shoots down MPs’ Phala Phala questions yet again, while ANC stonewalls Parliament on Zondo report – News24 (for subscribers)

Headline: Who is Buccaneers’ new coach and where’s he from? – Times Live (for subscribers)

Headline: Parents of victims await clarity on EC tavern deaths; owner’s wife apologises – EWN

Headline: Kendall Jenner & Devin Booker’s FLIRTY Reunion After Breakup – E! News

Headline: Britney Spears’ Ex Ordered To Trial On Stalking Charge – Huffington Post

Weather: Cloudy and cool conditions on Tuesday – News24

Image credit: Gallo Images