Author: The Bulrushes
American carrier Delta Air Lines’ application to fly a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg, and Cape Town has finally been approved. Delta will operate three flights a week year-round using a 306-seat Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The flights are expected to start on 18 November this year. The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday said it welcomes the long-overdue approval of the Delta Air Lines Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town triangular route. “The approval comes off the back of a long and determined campaign by the Western Cape Provincial Government and the Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism,” said…
AVBOB the “Cashback Funeral Insurance” has moved to assist flood-hit KwaZulu-Natal, where at least 306 people have lost their lives, by donating millions of rand and offering free funerals. The unprecedented environmental catastrophe destroyed houses, washed away bridges, and left huge sinkholes that rendered the roads impassable. Responding to the tragedy, AVBOB Mutual Assurance Society said it has “set aside R7 million for immediate assistance” to communities in KwaZulu-Natal affected by the floods. The organisation said it believes that Ubuntu remains the cornerstone that ties together South Africans through the profound sense that “we are human only through the humanity…
An immigration officer at OR Tambo International Airport has been arrested for facilitating the unlawful entry into South Africa of five Bangladesh nationals. “A short while ago, we arrested an immigration officer who facilitated the entry of five Bangladeshi people into the country without the required immigration documents, in this case, valid permits,” said Home Affairs Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi on Wednesday afternoon. “He is a key link in an elaborate and well-coordinated international syndicate that operates in South Africa and Bangladesh.” The home affairs minister said the activities of the syndicate were first picked up by the South African…
Eskom has implemented Stage 2 load-shedding after an earlier warning on Monday that the grid was “severely constrained”. However, in a terse statement on Monday evening, Eskom said: “Unit 5 at Medupi Power Station has just tripped, taking some 700MW capacity with.” The power utility added: “Regretfully, Stage 2 load-shedding has been implemented immediately. A full statement will be published in due course.”
Judge Piet Koen on Monday afternoon postponed the corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma who failed to appear due to a “medical emergency”. The 79-year-old Zuma, who was released on medical parole after serving a month of his 15-month sentence for contempt of court, fell ill Sunday night. After listening to arguments from both sides in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, Judge Koen adjourned proceedings for lunch. When the court resumed, Judge Koen postponed the matter to 17 May – a date he said was provisional depending on whether the Supreme Court of Appeal president, Justice Mandisa Maya,…
Former president Jacob Zuma is scheduled to go on trial for corruption on today at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The decades-old case was expected to finally get underway after numerous delays and postponements. Zuma, who faces several charges including fraud, corruption, racketeering, and money laundering, is jointly charged with Thales company, in the matter dating back to the 1999 arms deal. On Sunday, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said the former president had written to the president of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to reconsider his matter in which he complains that prosecutor Billy Downer SC was biased against…
The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) is excited to announce that full and associate SAMRO members can now apply for the 2022 Music Creation Support Fund (MCSF). This year, SAMRO has put aside R2.5 million for the MCSF to offer 100 qualifying members the opportunity to apply for a supporting micro-grant of up to R25 000. The grant is to be used to create new and original music works. SAMRO’s primary role is to administer performing rights on behalf of its members, who are mainly music creators such as songwriters, composers, and publishers. This means that the MCSF is…
Eskom has announced that it will be implementing “load reduction” in high-density areas in Gauteng today between 17:00 and 22:00 to avoid “network overloading”. Affected areas include Main area Sub areas Diepsloot Diepsloot West 1, 2 & 3. Soweto Central Western Jabavu, Meadowlands Zone 6 & 7, Meadowlands East Zones 3 & 4, Meadowlands West Zones 9 &10, Mofolo Central, Mofolo North & Mofolo South. West Rand Cosmo City, Kagiso Central, Kagiso Ext 8, Sinqobile & Zandspruit. “During the load reduction implementation, customers are urged to switch off all their electrical appliances to avoid possible damage due to power surges…
An Ethiopian has been jailed for 15 years for his role in a scam to unlawfully print official home affairs permits to sell to desperate foreign nationals wanting to live in South Africa. An Ethiopian has been jailed for 15 years for his role in a scam to unlawfully print official home affairs permits to sell to desperate foreign nationals wanting to live in South Africa. Alem, who was sent to prison on Monday, will be deported after he serves his sentence. The pair – Seqola and Alem – ran into trouble when a diligent employee at Government Printing Works…
A year after ceasing operations, Greyhound Coach Lines are back up and running in time for Easter. Greyhound will start operating on Wednesday next week – a year after its closure on 14 February 2021. The bus company, which had been operating for 37 years, closed last year due to financial constraints that were exacerbated by the Covid-19 travel restrictions. However, with restrictions lifted the luxury liner has announced its service return. “We are extremely happy to be back and fully operational, as this will allow passengers the opportunity to travel safely and in luxury again,” said Leslie Matthews, spokesperson at…