Body of suspected poacher found at Kruger National Park

Posted on July 14, 2025July 15, 2025 by

The body of an alleged poacher was found in the Kruger National Park, said Mpumalanga police.

“The body of an alleged poacher was found in the Kruger National Park on 12 July 2025 at about 8:30 am and it is suspected that he could have been shot during a shootout with Field Rangers the previous night, 11 July [Thursday] 2025 at around 9pm, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.

The discovery was made after three field rangers who were on patrol on Thursday night, came cross three suspected poachers. The rangers ordered the trio to stop, but the suspected poachers responded by opening fire at the rangers who shot back.

“The alleged poachers are said to have ran further into the dark, and due to poor light, the rangers abandoned their pursuit then returned to the camp.

"The next morning, the rangers returned to the scene to further conduct the search for the alleged poachers whilst patrolling the surrounding areas. It was during this time when they discovered the lifeless body of a male person with gunshot wound at the Lower Sabie region of the park, laying on the ground,” said the police.

A backpack was found next to the body of the deceased.

“The police from Skukuza as well as other role players were immediately notified, and the man was certified dead by the paramedics at the scene. Inside the backpack, two rhino horns were found. An investigation is underway meanwhile the man has not yet been identified,” said the SAPS in a statement on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the other two suspected poachers are still at large.

Good News: Power system remains stable

Posted on July 14, 2025July 14, 2025 by

Eskom has assured South Africans that the power system remains stable, with unplanned outages at generating units “currently within acceptable levels”.

In a statement, the State-owned power utility said the system “continues to show resilience” during the winter months.

“While occasional system constraints do arise, they are effectively managed, with sufficient emergency reserves available and strategically deployed during morning and evening peak periods,” the statement read.

Last Sunday, Medupi Power Station’s Unit 4 was successfully brought back online -– a further boost for the power system.

“Once it reaches full capacity in the coming weeks, it will contribute 800MW to the national grid, marking a key milestone in strengthening South Africa’s energy security and improving supply reliability,” Eskom said.

Since May, there has been no load shedding implemented, with the planned rolling power outages only reaching 26 hours between 1 April and 10 July 2025.

Eskom attributed this to an “improved Energy Availability Factor [EAF]”, which ranged between 60% and 62% last week.

“As of [Friday], unplanned outages total 13 380MW, with an available generation capacity of 30 195MW.

To further enhance grid stability, Eskom plans to return a total of 3 470MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday.

“The Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which reflects the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, has reached 29.44% for the current financial year to date (1 April to 10 July 2025). This represents an increase of approximately 2.4% compared to 27.03% recorded during the same period last year.

“The year-to-date load factor for open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) has marginally increased to 10.78%, reflecting a 0.08% increase compared to the previous week. This figure remains higher than the 5.87% recorded during the same period last year. Although diesel usage is within budget, it is expected to decline as more units return to service, increasing available generation capacity,” Eskom said.

The power utility added that the winter outlook up to the end of August remains valid.

“It indicates that load shedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, load shedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2.

“Eskom encourages all South Africans to use electricity efficiently throughout the winter season. To help manage household electricity consumption, Eskom customers are encouraged to use the Eskom Residential Calculator, a convenient tool for tracking and optimising energy usage, at:
https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/residential-calculator.

“Eskom will provide an update on Friday, 18 July 2025, or promptly communicate any significant changes as soon as they occur,” the statement read.

Play your part
The power utility has urged citizens to play their part in protecting essential electricity infrastructure.
“Eskom urges the public to avoid illegal connections and energy theft. These activities often lead to transformer overloads, equipment failures, and in some cases, explosions and extended outages, prompting the need for load reduction to protect the network.

“To help maintain a stable electricity supply this winter, customers are encouraged to purchase electricity only from Eskom-accredited vendors and take responsibility by regularising their electricity usage. Eligible households are encouraged to register for free basic electricity with their local municipalities,” the electricity supplier said.

Report illegal activities to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp on 081 333 3323.

Police Minister Mchunu placed on leave of absence

Posted on July 14, 2025July 14, 2025 by

President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on leave of absence with immediate effect.

The President has also announced a judicial commission of inquiry – led by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga – into the allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

The President made the announcements during an address to the nation on Sunday evening.
During a media briefing last week, Mkhwanazi made several allegations about an alleged criminal syndicate that has spread into law enforcement and intelligence services.

Mkhwanazi also made allegations against the Police Minister – alleging that Mchunu colluded with criminal elements to disband the Political Killings Task Team based in KwaZulu-Natal.

During the address to the nation, the President emphasised that the allegations “call for an urgent and comprehensive investigation”.

“To address these allegations and the implications of these allegations, I am establishing a judicial commission of Inquiry, chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. Justice Madlanga will be assisted by Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC and Advocate Sandile Khumalo SC.

“In order for the Commission to execute its functions effectively, I have decided to put the Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu, on a leave of absence with immediate effect. The Minister has undertaken to give his full cooperation to the Commission to enable it to do its work,” President Ramaphosa said.

Mkhwanazi had also made allegations about the uncovering of a drug cartel, implicating, amongst others, the judiciary, law enforcement, prosecutors and politicians.

The President said these allegations “raise serious concerns around the Constitution, the rule of law and national security”.

“These allegations, if proven true, threaten to undermine the confidence of South Africans in the ability of the South African Police Service to protect them and to effectively fight crime and corruption.

“South Africans are concerned about corruption and the rise of criminality in our country, which manifests itself in the killing of innocent people, gender-based violence, gang violence, kidnappings, construction mafia criminality and many others.

“As we intensify the fight against crime, it is vital that we safeguard the integrity and credibility of the police and other law enforcement agencies,” President Ramaphosa said.

With the Police Minister now on a leave of absence, Professor Firoz Cachalia has been appointed as acting Minister in terms of Section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution.

“Professor Cachalia is currently a professor of law at the University of the Witwatersrand and is the chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. He previously served as a MEC of Community Safety in Gauteng.

“Professor Cachalia will be retiring from his current position at the University of Witwatersrand at the end of July. I will appoint an Acting Minister from within Cabinet until Professor Cachalia takes up his post at the beginning of August,” the President said.