For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lumkile Nkomfe.

Making headlines: Ramaphosa to visit amid EC floods and rising death toll; Mashatile off to Russia to strengthen bilateral economic, trade ties; And, City Power calls on poor households to register for free basic electricity

Ramaphosa to visit amid EC floods and rising death toll

President Cyril Ramaphosa will this afternoon visit flood-affected areas in the Eastern Cape, where he will be monitoring government’s response and interact with affected communities on government’s support.

Ramaphosa expressed his sadness at the loss of lives and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, affected communities and Eastern Cape residents at large.

Over the past few days, relentless rains, strong winds, and landslides have tragically claimed lives and caused widespread devastation across communities, especially in the OR Tambo and Amathole district municipalities.

So far, up to 78 people have lost their lives, among them school children whose scholar transport was swept away in floodwaters.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said search and recovery operations were continuing across all affected areas, particularly within the OR Tambo district municipality, where torrential rains over recent days had caused devastating landslides and flooding, leaving hundreds of families displaced as well as significant damage to critical infrastructure.

Mashatile off to Russia to strengthen bilateral economic, trade ties

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will from June 17 till June 21, undertake a working visit to the Russian Federation, aimed at strengthening bilateral economic and trade ties between South Africa and Russia.

The working visit will take place in Moscow and St. Petersburg involving high-level engagements as well as economic diplomacy activities, with a particular focus on enhancing economic cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, automotive, energy and mining as well as science and technology cooperation.

The working visit will be Mashatile's first visit to the Russian Federation since he took office as Deputy President in the seventh administration.

Acting spokesperson to Deputy President Mashatile Keith Khoza pointed out that the visit was preceded by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s working visit to Kazan for the BRICS Summit in October 2024 and Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Thandi Moraka’s participation in the first Russia-Africa Ministerial Meeting in November 2024.

And, City Power calls on poor households to register for free basic electricity

The City of Johannesburg’s electricity utility City Power has called on all qualifying indigent households across Johannesburg to register for the free basic electricity programme – an initiative that aims to provide eligible customers with free electricity units each month.

The initiative forms part of City Power’s broader strategy to ensure inclusive access to electricity and improve customer compliance to address electricity theft and equipment damage caused by overloading of the network through illegal connections and tampering.

The registration drive will run from June 27 to July 31, with a target of registering 130 000 indigent customers. Once registered, eligible residents will receive 50 kWh of electricity a month at no cost, allowing them to power essential household needs such as lighting, cooking and heating.

City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava said the programme is not just about addressing the high levels of meter tampering and illegal connections, but also restoring dignity by ensuring greater access.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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