One week since George building collapse: Death toll rises to 26
All the news you need to know from the Midday Report with Mandy Wiener.
Survivor extracted from George building collapse On 11 May - Screengrab from Facebook video, Premier Alan Winde
Exactly one week has passed since a residential building collapsed during its construction in George on 6 May.
Unfortunately, 28 construction workers remain missing beneath the rubble, with 26 confirmed fatalities.
According to EWN's Natalie Malgas, officials report that 81 workers were present at the site when the structure collapsed shortly after their lunch break.
Officials have appealed to families who have lost contact with their loved ones to come to the George Civic Centre on York Street to ensure records are documented accurately.
RELATED: George building collapse: Forensic pathologists struggling to identify retrieved bodies
"26 deceased people were recovered as of the last recovery that we did."
- Colin Deiner, Western Cape Chief of Disaster
ALSO IN THE MIDDAY REPORT:
Kgosientsho Ramokgopa gives updates on implementing the Energy Action Plan
Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the Minister in the Presidency overseeing Electricity, convened a media briefing to deliver updates on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.
During the briefing, he announced that Eskom's Energy Availability Factor has exceeded 70%.
Can we thank the upcoming elections for the absence of loadshedding?
South Africans have experienced a prolonged absence of loadshedding, a welcome relief for many.
However, there have been speculations about whether this hiatus is connected to the upcoming elections.
Numerous representatives from Eskom have dismissed these suspicions.
James Mackay, CEO of the Energy Council of South Africa, emphasises that the alleviation of loadshedding is not merely a political ploy to garner votes by increasing diesel consumption.
Instead, it reflects a concerted effort between the government and businesses to address South Africa's electricity crisis.
Joburg M1 tunnel's hefty R33 million repair job
City Power has been continuously working to offer temporary electricity to customers impacted by the M1 tunnel fire, and concurrently, it has made notable advancements in replacing the damaged and stolen cable.
A preliminary inquiry into the recent fire that swept through the M1 underground tunnels in Johannesburg has disclosed that the repair expenses for the bridge and supportive structures for electrical cables will amount to at least R33 million.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis provides update on negotiations for the City to take over Eskom supply areas
Eskom has rejected the City of Cape Town's proposed request, shares EWN's Ntuthuzelo Nene.
Senzo Meyiwa murder trial back in High Court
The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has resumed in the High Court in Pretoria.
This comes after the trial was postponed for two weeks due to evidence related to the cellphone communication between all the accused dating back to 2018.
Joshlin Smith case postponed to 15 July
The court has postponed the kidnapping and human trafficking case concerning the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith for additional investigation.
On Monday, Joshlin's mother, Racquel Smith, along with Jacquen Appolis, Stevano van Rhyn, and Lourentia Lombaard, returned to court after withdrawing their bail applications.
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