For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: IEC urges voters to apply for special vote before Friday deadline; DA wants Public Protector committee to investigate ANC election campaigning; And, City of Joburg working on measures to reduce power outages, promises Mayor Gwamanda

IEC urges voters to apply for special vote before Friday deadline

The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa has urged registered voters who need to apply for a special vote to do so before the Friday deadline.

It warned that no late applications will be accommodated after 17:00 at IEC offices and after midnight on the online platforms.

The IEC pointed out that there are two categories of special votes: home visits and early voting.

The IEC has reported that over a million special votes applications have already been approved for the May 29 elections.

The Commission reiterated that there is no automatic age-based qualification for a special vote.

DA wants Public Protector committee to investigate ANC election campaigning

The Democratic Alliance wants Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka to set up a steering committee to investigate what it alleges are “growing incidences of State fund abuse” by the African National Congress for electioneering.

DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi said the investigation was urgently needed as it alleged that the ANC’s election campaign was in violation of the electoral code of conduct.

In August 2020, the Office of the Public Protector set up a steering committee for an ‘own initiative investigation’ into allegations of maladministration, improper conduct and the misappropriation of public funds by the Eastern Cape Department of Health in relation to a medical scooters project.

He said the ANC knew that it could continue with what it calls a “brazen abuse of taxpayer money” because the Public Protector investigation model was retrospective in nature.

And, City of Joburg working on measures to reduce power outages, promises Mayor Gwamanda

City of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda announced that the City intends to add an additional 50 MW of power to its grid by bringing online the Durban Street Substation, in the next financial year.

Gwamanda was presenting the State of the City Address in Johannesburg, where he said the City has also planned for an additional 100 MW of energy by the financial year's end.

He said that for “too long” the city has been struggling with the “endemic loadshedding” that has plagued South Africans.

Gwamanda noted that through the City’s partnership with the Gauteng government and Premier Panyaza Lesufi in particular, the John Ware substation's open gas turbine has been brought back into operation, enabling the infusion of a noteworthy 50 MW into the City’s network.

Gwamanda said the City is working on innovative measures to reduce power outages such as the implementation of load limiters and commissioning open-cycle gas turbines.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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