For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I am Lumkile Nkomfe.

Making headlines: Ramokgopa to attend SADC meeting on energy and water; AfriForum wants limited powers for institutions like SAHRC; And, Eskom strengthens security following prepaid electricity breach

Ramokgopa to attend SADC meeting on energy and water

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is set to attend the upcoming Joint Meeting of Ministers responsible for energy and water sectors, hosted by the Southern African Development Community Secretariat in Harare, Zimbabwe, this week.

The Department of Electricity and Energy says this pivotal meeting aims to discuss key regional strategies and initiatives for sustainable energy and water management.

As an essential platform for SADC member States, the joint meeting will focus on enhancing regional collaboration in the energy and water sectors.

Ramokgopa will engage with fellow Ministers from across the region to address critical issues, including the status of implementation of previous decisions, the review of the SADC Protocol on Energy and strategies for fostering energy security supply.

AfriForum wants limited powers for institutions like SAHRC

Lobby group AfriForum has argued in its submissions to the Constitutional Court that the South African Human Rights Commission does not have the power to make legally binding decisions, as per South Africa’s Constitution and in line with international trends.

The organisation has submitted court documents to be admitted as a Friend of the Court in a case that will determine whether the findings and recommendations made by the human rights commission are legally binding or not.

Last year, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the human rights commission’s findings were not enforceable in themselves and could only be enforced by a court.

The SCA’s judgment was delivered in a case between the commission and agricultural company AgroData, in which the human rights commission argued that their findings and directives in a dispute regarding borehole access were binding.

AfriForum was also a Friend of the Court in this case, despite the SAHRC’s protests.

AfriForum head of public relations Ernst van Zyl said his organisation’s involvement as a Friend of the Court in this case was to present the constitutionality, relevant considerations and international customs before the court and assist the court in making a “fair and constitutional” finding.

And, Eskom strengthens security following prepaid electricity breach

State-owned utility Eskom says it continues to take decisive action following the disclosure in its full-year 2024 financial results, of a forensic report detailing the breach of its Online Vending System.

The system was exploited to generate and distribute fraudulent prepaid electricity tokens, revealing critical vulnerabilities in both the physical and cybersecurity components of the utility’s prepaid electricity infrastructure.

In response, Eskom says it undertook a comprehensive review and intervention strategy aimed at mitigating these vulnerabilities and restoring system integrity.

As reported by various media outlets, Eskom lost considerable money to this fraud, in which it suspects some its staff may have been complicit.

Eskom chief technology and information officer Len de Villiers said these measures are part of Eskom’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding operations and addressing identified vulnerabilities.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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