Friday 21st February

Stage 2 Load Shedding Today 
St Francis – 13:00 – 15:30 & 21:00 – 23:30
Humansdorp – 07:00 – 09:30
Jeffreys Bay – 09:00- 11:30

Local News

Four months remain of building plan amnesty period  –  Just more than four months remain for home owners to take advantage of the 18 month amnesty period for the payment of fines and penalties related to incomplete or incorrect building plans.

PE, East Cape & Southern Coast

Belgian couple robbed at gunpoint at Eastern Cape guest house  – A couple visiting South Africa were left traumatised after they were robbed by two men in their room at a guest house in Addo, Eastern Cape.

DA opens criminal case against Lungisa  –  Lawack said the letter sent by Lungisa showed that he had deliberately flouted municipal laws by inviting a company to tender for a construction plant.

Eastern Cape won’t let criminals use province for ‘nefarious’ means  –  The Eastern Cape would not allow criminal elements to use it as a “springboard for their nefarious” activities.

New dawn for South End Museum  –  The history of the building on the corner of Humewood Road and Walmer Boulevard began with R50, collected from the back pockets of a board of trustees 25 years ago.

This Week’s St Francis Landscape Photograph

Click for more in this series of beautiful landscapes

South Africa & African Continent

Tragedy strikes at another Gauteng school: 20 pupils injured after ceiling collapses  –  A ceiling has collapsed on pupils at Kgomba Primary School in Hammanskraal, the Gauteng Department of Basic Education said.

R10,000 reward for arrest of UKZN student who assaulted professor during protest  –  A reward of R10,000 for the arrest of a University of KwaZulu-Natal student who was caught on camera assaulting an emeritus professor

SA Airways

Unions plan to appeal labour court ruling over SAA retrenchments  –  Two unions at SAA said they will petition the labour appeal court after losing a court case over potential retrenchments 

Prasa

Prasa lawyerless on eve of R6bn contracts battle despite pleas to Ramaphosa and Co.  –  An all-important legal tussle over allegedly corrupt contracts at Prasa is finally heading to court.

Courts

Dudu Myeni denies wrongdoing, evidence suggests otherwise  –  Dudu Myeni portrayed herself as a responsible and conscientious chairperson of SAA during a high court hearing on Thursday 

SONA 2020

Ramaphosa’s reply: Achievements, hope, an apology — and the ‘treason of apartheid denialism’  –  President Cyril Ramaphosa re-emphasised no land grabs would be allowed, Eskom would be restored financially and operationally

Politics 

I am also sorry to the Ramaphosa family about abuse allegations, says Malema  –  EFF leader Julius Malema has apologised to President Cyril Ramaphosa for making allegations that he abused his late wife 

‘My heart goes out to Mantoa’, Ramaphosa apologises to Malema over abuse allegations  –  President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on MPs to discuss engagements on the struggle against women with respect. 

Cape Town mayor calls on Cele to apologise for law enforcement ‘thugs’ comment  –  Dan Plato said Cele was incorrect in saying the officers do not have the required documentation permitting them to work and took issue with them being described as ‘thugs’.

The four ages of Frederik Willem de Klerk  –   Former president FW de Klerk became the object of ire at the most recent SONA speech

Business, Money & The Economy

Low-hanging fruit for Sars to harvest  –  Mounting evidence of ill-gotten gains surely makes applying the law the easiest way to boost revenue collections.

Listen to ratings agencies, BUSA chief tells Mboweni ahead of Budget  –  Business Unity South Africa CEO Busisiwe Mavuso told Fin24 on Thursday that South Africa’s economic position did not give Finance Minister Tito Mboweni much room for grand announcements

Technology

Vodacom, WASPA, and the disappearing airtime  –  A Vodacom contract customer recently contacted MyBroadband to share how they had been signed up to WASP services without their consent.

SPORT

Quinny can’t quite guarantee the Proteas and Aussies won’t be hostile again  –  While the new skipper’s beef with David Warner seems to be over, one incident might ‘reignite’ the ‘fierceness’ again.

Federer has knee surgery, will miss French Open  –  The 38-year-old explained that he had intended to avoid surgery if possible but the knee problem refused to go away.

Friendship

‘Love and free food’: Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner share the secrets of their 70-year friendship   –  The giants of American comedy tell Hadley Freeman about the hits they have had, the wives they miss – and why they still spend every evening together