January 31, 2025.

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines:

Eskom to implement Stage 3 loadshedding from 17:00

MKP Women's League says Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's fight is their fight

And, Rwanda-backed rebels pressing toward Bukavu in Congo, UN says

Eskom to implement Stage 3 loadshedding from 17:00

Eskom has announced that it will implement Stage 3 loadshedding from 17:00 today, after warning earlier in the day that there was a high risk of loadshedding.

Eskom Group CE Dan Marokane said this is a potentially temporary setback. Over the past seven days, the utility has experienced several breakdowns that require extended repair times.

This has necessitated the use of emergency reserves, which now need to be replenished. He warned that loadshedding up to Stage 4 may be implemented over the weekend.

Eskom noted in a media briefing that six units were currently down, removing 3 600 MW from the grid.

This is the first time Eskom has had to implement loadshedding in ten months.

MKP Women's League says Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's fight is their fight

Support for Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was expressed strongly by the uMkhonto weSizwe Party Women's League, following her appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s court yesterday, where she was charged with terrorism and inciting violence during the deadly 2021 unrest.

She was released on a warning and will appear in court again in March. The MKP Women’s League is urging support for Zuma-Sambudla at her next court appearance, calling on women in particular to unite in support of the MKP MP.

The party’s Women’s League believes Zuma-Sambudla was targeted, accusing the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance of weaponising the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, under which she was charged, to “silence dissent”.

It urged the judiciary to be impartial and to resist political interference, insisting that national security laws should not be used to target those who oppose the governing coalition.

Rwanda-backed rebels pressing toward Bukavu in Congo, UN says

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are moving “rapidly” through South Kivu province toward the city of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations has said.

The UN is “deeply concerned” by the rebel advance, with reports of Rwanda Defence Force cross-border movements in that direction. Clashes between the rebels and Congolese troops are ongoing in the province.

Bukavu is located along Congo’s border with Rwanda at the southern-most point of Lake Kivu. It’s a major trading hub and important transit point for minerals including gold.

M23 took the city of Goma in Congo’s mineral-rich North Kivu province earlier this week, backed by Rwandan soldiers, according to UN officials. They overpowered Congo’s army, UN peacekeepers and allied forces and now control the city of 2-million people.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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