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NSRI urges Vaal River communities to evacuate amid flood riskThe National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has appealed to co...
28/04/2025

NSRI urges Vaal River communities to evacuate amid flood risk

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has appealed to communities living along the Vaal River to be extra vigilant for flash flooding.

On Friday, the Water and Sanitation department opened the Vaal dam’s 10th sluice gate as water levels reached an alarming 118%, due to a dramatic rise in water levels following heavy downpours.

The NSRI says emergency teams are working nonstop to rescue people and animals from rising waters. However, some residents still refuse to leave low-lying areas, putting their lives at risk.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon has urged residents in danger zones to evacuate.

“While NSRI, police, and the emergency services are on high alert 24 hours a day every day of the year, there has been a focus on preparedness from early alerts of the local Dam Vaal Dam, Bloemhof Dam, and surrounding waterways, where water levels were expected to exceed capacity since early April, and the awareness that some areas would be affected, and there was awareness from a rescue perspective that in some cases residents were reluctant to evacuate and that in some cases suspected to be affected areas had not yet been breached by the rising waters.”

Table Mountain wildfire intensifies, evacuations underwayTable Mountain National Park Manager Megan Taplin says the wild...
28/04/2025

Table Mountain wildfire intensifies, evacuations underway

Table Mountain National Park Manager Megan Taplin says the wildfire currently burning in the Silvermine section of Table Mountain National Park has intensified significantly due to a sudden shift in wind direction and increased wind speeds.

Earlier, individuals in both the east and west sections of Silvermine were asked to evacuate the area. Taplin says the fire is now actively spreading down the left flank toward Tokai and Zwaanswyk, and the right flank is also moving in the direction of the Noordhoek and Clovelly area.

She says three helicopters have been deployed to assist ground crews.

“An incident command post has been established for coordinated resource management and response efforts. Firefighting resources on scene include Table Mountain National Park firefighters, City of Cape Town Fire & Rescue Services, Enviro Wildfire Services, Volunteer Wildfire Services, Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management and additional support teams. Members of the public are strongly urged to stay away from accessing the central and south section of Table Mountain National Park,” Taplin explains.

Gwede Mantashe to deliver keynote address at main Freedom Day eventMineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantas...
28/04/2025

Gwede Mantashe to deliver keynote address at main Freedom Day event

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe will deliver President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech at the Freedom Day national celebrations at the AJ Swanepoel Stadium in Ermelo, Mpumalanga today.

The day will be celebrated under the theme – United in Resilience for The Defence of Our Freedom and Democracy.

Freedom Day is a day South Africa celebrates its first post-apartheid election.

Meanwhile, Mayor of the Gert Sibande District Municipality in Ermelo, Walter Mngomezulu, says that they are determined to resolve the water challenges in the area.

Residents of the area have raised concerns about a lack of basic services, especially water and sanitation.

Mngomezulu says boreholes have been drilled in the area in an effort to minimize water constraints.

“We once had a challenge with water provisioning because you’ll recall that once we were in day zero in terms of our dams because they were dry because of the climate change (issues) we were surrounded by the coal mining industries, which added a factor to our water. However, we have drilled quite a number of boreholes.”

Rand Water reservoir maintenance to disrupt Pretoria supplyLarge parts of Pretoria may experience low to no water pressu...
28/04/2025

Rand Water reservoir maintenance to disrupt Pretoria supply

Large parts of Pretoria may experience low to no water pressure for 14 days from 9 May due to maintenance work by Rand Water on the Hartebeesthoek Reservoir.

The reservoir supplies water to vast areas, including Soshanguve, Ga-rankuwa, Mabopane Reservoirs, as well as SA Breweries, and BMW in Rosslyn.

City of Tshwane spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, has urged consumers to use water sparingly during this period to prevent reservoirs or systems from running dry.

“During these 14 days, the water utility will be intensively cleaning and maintaining the Hartebeesthoek Reservoir. There will be less volume of water available during the morning and afternoon peak hours, particularly in the Soshanguve L Reservoir, which is the most sensitive zone,” says Mashigo.

Lesufi worried about Gauteng paying R30 million for office rentalGauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has asked for a full rep...
28/04/2025

Lesufi worried about Gauteng paying R30 million for office rental

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has asked for a full report from Infrastructure Development MEC Jacob Mamabolo following reports that the provincial government has been paying more than R30 million a month on rent for office space despite owning at least 41 empty buildings.

In his written response to questions in the Gauteng legislature, Mamabolo said the vacated properties do not meet Occupational Health and Safety standards.

Mamabolo said more than R2 billion was spent over five years on rentals.

Lesufi says this is concerning.

He says, “Personally, I was very worried. I really feel that it’s something that you must dive deep there (and) get it, and MEC Mamabolo will just commit to give me that report.”

Lesufi says, “I can assure you, I’ll attend to it if there is corruption, I will take it and if there are people that are abusing the system for the purpose of benefitting, they must know this time they’ve travelled with the wrong person who will attend to it.”

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