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

Making headlines: Ramaphosa says possibility of further loadshedding cannot be ruled out; City of Cape Town’s water outlook report shows need for diversification of water; And, Putin to meet India's Modi for talks in Moscow

Ramaphosa says possibility of further loadshedding cannot be ruled out

President Cyril Ramaphosa said that while the Government of National Unity is committed to the far-reaching structural electricity reforms it started during the sixth administration, he said the country’s electricity system remains vulnerable and a possibility of further loadshedding cannot be rule out yet.

Last Friday marked 100 days since South Africa last experienced loadshedding, with Ramaphosa noting that this was the longest continuous period without loadshedding since 2020.

Ramaphosa said the latest milestone reached in the structural reform journey is the commencement of trading last week of the National Transmission Company South Africa, which he said would own and operate the country’s national electricity transmission system.

He explained that this forms part of the reforms government have been driving to establish an electricity market that will enable competition, secure supply and revolutionise the energy sector.

He highlighted that as the GNU began its work, it would sustain this momentum.

He explained that by focusing on the broader picture and by scaling up what had already been achieved, government was in a far better position to achieve the task it had set: end loadshedding and achieve an energy-secure future.

City of Cape Town’s water outlook report shows need for diversification of water

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate’s March 2024 Water Outlook Report underscores the critical need for the New Water Programme to diversify the city’s water sources.

The eleventh edition of the report highlights the pressing challenges posed by climate change, population growth, water quality, increased water demand and declining water availability,

It further shows that, with traditional water sources under unprecedented pressure, innovative solutions and diversified water sources are important strategies to secure water availability for a growing city.

The Western Cape Water Supply System is currently Cape Town's primary water source and will remain so until the diversifies the city's water sources, said Water and Sanitation MMC Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

The WCWSS is currently entirely reliant on surface water, sourced from six large dams, namely Theewaterskloof, Wemmershoek, Voëlvlei, Berg River and Steenbras Upper and Lower.

And, Putin to meet India's Modi for talks in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold face-to-face talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Moscow today, the Kremlin said.

Modi is due to arrive in the Russian capital later in the day for a two-day state visit. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a news briefing that Putin and Modi would meet informally in the evening and have the opportunity to talk "with a free agenda one-on-one."

A top Indian official said last week that fixing India's trade imbalance with Russia and securing the discharge of Indian citizens who were misled into fighting in the Ukraine war would be among Modi's top priorities in Moscow.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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