Update@Noon

 GBV activists and several political parties have gathered outside the Krugersdorp magistrate's court this morning, ahead of the appearance of more than 80-suspects who were arrested over the weekend. The suspects were arrested following the gang rape of 8 women, who were part of a production crew, shooting a music video. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter Sashin Naidoo

Former EFF secretary-general, Godrich Gardee has has accused Eswatini Monarch, Mswati the 3rd, of used foreign intelligence to kill his daughter, Hillary Gardee. He says his twitter account has not been hacked, adding that he stands by tweets he posted on his official page on Tuesday morning in which he notes how on the 12th of April 2022, he led a protest which saw four borders with Eswatini bein...

The ANC's National Executive Committee has made calls for locals to find alternative ways to access a sustainable supply of electricity. The NEC held a meeting last weekend to be briefed about the Eskom power crisis. Eskom recently announced that it would implement stage 5 load shedding and that rolling blackouts will continue through to the weekend. The company blames this on the unprotected stri...

 A near-fatal incident has been uncovered at SAAFlight SA052 that flew from Johannesburg to Accra, Ghana, on 14 April 2022. When the plane was refuelled in Accra, the engines would not start. Investigation revealed water in the fuel which could have caused both engines to flame out and crash. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Managing Editor at SA Flyer Magazine, Guy Leitch 

The agricultural sector has warned that loadshedding may lead to further increases in the price of food as a consequence of rising production costs. Executive director at AgriSA,  Christo van der Rheede says power outages contribute to inflation and may result in farmers planting less due to disruptions in planting schedules. This comes as the country concludes a second week of scheduled Stage 6 p...

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is reportedly expected to resign as Conservative Party leader today. British media are reporting that Johnson will be replaced by a new Prime Minister in time for the Tory party conference in October. This follows the mass resignations of over 50 ministers and aides after Johnson's integrity was called to question. He was recently forced to apologise for appoi...

The families of 21 young people who died at Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park in East London, have paid their final respects at the official mass funeral of the teenagers. The youngest of  those killed at the tarven was born in 2008, while the oldest was born in 2001. Nineteen empty coffins are at the symbolic funeral as only two families will bury their children today and another was buried yesterd...

ANC Veteran Mavuso Msimang has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to step aside pending investigation into the 2020 robbery at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo. Currrently the president and his office have chosen not to comment on the matter saying they would rather allow relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate. Sakina Kamwendo to SABC reporter Ntebo Mokobo.

Labour unions representating Eskom workers are expected to give feedback on whether or not their members have accepted management's 7% salary increase offer. National Union of Mineworkers Energy Sector co-ordinator, Khangela Baloyi earlier said that the union planned to hold a council meeting with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa to consider the offer by the employer after the un...

Preparations are under way for the funeral of 21 young people who died at Enyobeni tavern at Scenery Park in East London in the Eastern Cape. Engineers are on site erecting a marquee that will host mourners during the funeral service scheduled for tomorrow. President Cyril Ramaposa is expected to attend the funeral. The young people died more than a week ago. Police are yet to release the results...

The four police officers who were accused of fatally shooting Mthokozisi Ntumba have been found not guilty on all counts. The defense had brought an application to have all counts dismissed. Ntumba had been shot during a students' protest in Braamfontein, in March last year. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter Hasina Gori

With petrol and diesel prices at record levels. Motorist are reportedly being fleeced  their hard earned cash through paying for litres they do not receive. South African Petroleum Retailers Association national director Vishal Premlall sent the Update@Noon team a voice note explain the organisation's stance on the claims. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Automobile Association (AA) spokesperson Layton Be...

As the country reels from the implementation of Stage 6 load shedding, a Gauteng family is in mourning as it claims an unscheduled power cut led to the death of one of their loved ones. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to reporter Chriselda Lewis who visited Vereeniging where the Munting family is their son passed away when his ventilator went off due to load shedding.  

Businesses and households are calling on  government to find a lasting solution to end the rolling blackouts.  Eskom yesterday announced the move to stage 6 loadshedding. This is due to an unprotected wage strike. Eskom however confirmed this morning that many of its employees are returning to work while wage negotiations continue. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to City Power Spokesperson, Isaac Mangena

Proceedings at the much anticipated Pan African Parliament have been delayed due to load shedding in Midrand Johannesburg. The election of PAP new leadership was scheduled to have begun at 9am but could not go ahead following the to power outage. Pan African Parliament member, Pemmy Majodina says this area should have been exempted from load shedding. Earlier, Malawian member of the Pan African Pa...

Following the conclusion of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and the handing over of the commission's final report, the question is: Where to from here? A group of advocates is proposing that South Africa consider adopting a conditional amnesty process for those who committed acts of corruption during the era of State Capture. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to members of Group One Advo...

 Eskom has warned of the possibille Stage Six rolling blackouts by this evening. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter says the grid is under pressure as the strike by some of its staff continues at power plants. The Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Analsyt at Futuregrowth Asset Management, Bongile James.

The family of a 15-year-old girl who was among patrons at the Enyobeni tavern in Scenery Park in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, say the deadly incident has left emotional scars on those who survived. The girl, who is from Orange Grove in East London, has told family that she and a few friends hired minibuses to drop them off at the tavern on Saturday night, just hours before 21 young people were fo...

 It's over two weeks since  six year old Khaya Magadla fell into the manhole. Magadla was playing soccer with his friends in Dlamini Park when he fell into the exposed manhole. Rescue teams consisting of  EMS Aquatic Rescue Unit, police divers, a rescue dog, Joburg Water technicians, paramedics and JMPD officers have gone through almost all manholes in the area in search of the boy without any luc...

Congress of the People (COPE) has laid criminal charges of corruption against the former Director General of State Security Agency Arthur Fraser at Brooklyn police station, in Pretoria. The charges were laid this morning,at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to COPE National Spokesperson Dennis Bloem.

It's that time again on a Friday when Update At Noon presents another Update From The Coal-Face with Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News and Mining Weekly. Here is Martin explaining how the small diamond producers' organisation this week expressed determination to grow and create jobs. ...

The Durban Magistrates Court has granted R2000 bail to a Durban police officer who alledly shot and killed his 12-year-old son at their home. The officer is alleged to have mistaken the boy for an intruder. The child is to be buried this weekend and the officer has appealed to be allowed to attend his funeral.  SABC reporter, Nonhlakanipho Magwaza has the details...

The African National Congress in Gauteng says it's all systems go as it begins its 14th Gauteng Elective Conference in Benoni, east of Johannesburg today. The conference is expected to see over one-thousand delegates vote for the party's new provincial leadership amid concerns over disputed branches in some of the regions. Last month, the party announced elected officials from the Ekurhuleni regio...

State Capture Commission Chairperson, Justice Raymond Zondo has handed over the fifth anbd final installment of the much-awaited State Capture report to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The report has made damning findings against a number of high-profile politicians and role players at State Owned Entity's for their roles in the capture of the state. Among some of his recommendations, Justice Zondo rec...

The ruling party says it is engaging with the findings and recommendations of the of the final segment of the state capture report in order to enhance its renewal program within the liberation movement. The party adds that plans are in place to specifically target parts of the commission report that relate to the organisation, its deployees and members. ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe adds that party m...