Johannesburg, Eskom Team Up on Debt Crisis
The City of Johannesburg has approved a R3.8 billion German loan, which will be used to settle its escalating R5.2 billion debt to Eskom, reports EWN. Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero said a partnership agreement aimed at resolving the crisis would be unveiled next week. The R5.2 billion owed to Eskom is only a fifth of all the outstanding debts the City has. In a scathing letter to Morero, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the City owed its creditors R25.2 billion, while only having cash and cash equivalents of R3.9 billion in hand. He warned that the City’s budget was unfunded and that it was in severe financial distress.
DJ Warras Murder Accused Back in Court
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Two men accused of murdering media personality Warrick Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, are set to appear at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, reports SABC News. DJ Warras was shot dead in the Johannesburg CBD in December last year. Victor Majola, alleged to have orchestrated the killing, and Armindo Pacula, believed to be the gunman, face charges of premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Police believe the shooting, which took place in the Johannesburg CBD near the Carlton Centre in December last year, was a planned hit. They suspect that it is linked to disputes surrounding security operations at the building.
Ramaphosa Threatens to Interdict Parliament Over Phala Phala Impeachment
President Cyril Ramaphosa has put Parliament in another legal tight spot, warning that he will seek to interdict impeachment proceedings against him if it proceeds while the High Court is reviewing the report that will form the basis of the inquiry, reports EWN. The Constitutional Court had ordered Parliament to establish an impeachment committee and to proceed with an inquiry unless a court sets aside the report. Ramaphosa argues the panel’s findings were unlawful and irrational. He claimed it relied on improperly obtained information and failed to properly assess evidence. He said the panel falsely interpreted this to be the case because he is the sole member of the close corporation that conducts business on his Phala Phala farm.
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