Cape Town —
No News Is Good News as Eskom Mum on Duration of Stage 6 Load Shedding
As the new week begins, Eskom is unclear on how long the current stage five power cuts will continue. Last week saw the rolling blackouts escalated to stage six, the highest stage the country’s seen since September 2022. The drop to Stage 4 on Saturday was short-lived as the country went back to Stage 5 later that afternoon – due to demand and power station breakdowns – and remained there.
Basic Education Responds to Matric Exam Cheating Claims
The Basic Education Department said that it was unfortunate that misleading information was being published to create uncertainty and anxiety around the 2022 National Senior Certificate exams, Eye Witness News reports. The department said in a statement that a news story that it is investigating a matric exam cheating scandal involving more than 1,000 learners in six provinces, was untrue. Meanwhile, the National Association of School Governing Bodies has called on the ban of cellphones in schools. It is alleged that learners paid teachers up to R1,500 to join WhatsApp groups to get answers during the exams.
SACC Condemns Ban of Train Preaching
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) says it should have been consulted before the Passenger Rail Agency of SA banned preaching on new train coaches. Prasa also banned gambling and informal trading, eNCA reports. The SACC said it should have involved it, to find some middle ground on church gatherings and preaching on trains.