Widespread complaints by BCM sport enthusiasts who were either barred from using East London’s Absa and Jan Smuts Stadiums, or were charged exorbitant fees to do so, should soon be a thing of the past. The metro has finally signed a 20-year lease agreement with Chippa Training Academy just over two years after the council approved the long-term leasing of the two stadiums, which are adjacent to each other, to Chippa United football club boss Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi.
Local and multinational companies operating in East London are so worried about the devastating impact of load-shedding in their operations that they are proposing a voluntary switching off of electricity for 24 hours per week instead of scheduled blackouts. The situation is so dire that businesses fear the outages might cause their collapse, leaving thousands without jobs.
Consumers across the province will have to face the brunt of the Eskom tariff hikes after energy regulator Nersa granted Eskom an 18.65% hike for the next financial year.
While Buffalo City Metro authorities and some businesses this week said the city had enjoyed one of the most successful and well-attended summers post the Covid-19 pandemic, signifying recovery in the tourism industry, some event organisers had contrasting views, expressing concerns over a drastic dip in the number of revellers this festive season.
The results of the ANC’s top seven announced at the party’s national conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg, on Monday are a positive outcome for the economy, says finance minister Enoch Godongwana.