Update@Noon SAfm

Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says government is considering its next legal steps, follows a court ruling mandating Eskom to guarantee continuous power supply to various public institutions, including police stations, public health facilities, and schools. Dr Ramokgopa earlier gave an energy action plan update with at Eskom headquarters. He say there is no load shedding forecast for the coming 7 days. The country is on day 54 without the implementation of load shedding. Here is Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister in The Presidency responsible for Electricity speaking earlier.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed after his helicopter crashed in poor weather in mountains near the Azerbaijan border. The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew was found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.  Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning and confirmed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as interim head of the country's executive branch. Here is the latest report by the Reuters News Agency...

The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution's executive secretary, Lawson Naidoo has welcomed the Constitutional Court ruling which found that former President and leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, Jacob Zuma is not eligible to stand for elections as a member of parliament. This as Zuma is the first candidate on the MK party list of members to go to the National Assembly after the upcoming elections. The matter was sent to the Electoral Court which concluded that Zuma's 15-month sentence for contempt couldn't be appealed and, thus, didn't meet the criteria of a "sentence" under Section 47(1)(e) of the Constitution. 

Seven people including an 8-year-old child have been shot dead at Nxanxashe Village in Willowvale in the Eastern Cape. Police received information of multiple shootings in the Nxanxashe location in the early hours of yesterday morning. Six occupants including the child were shot in a vehicle, while another person was found dead about a kilometre away in another vehicle. Police say the motive of the murder is not known at this stage... For more on this we are joined on the line by Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Fundiswa Mhlekude.

The Constitutional Court has found that the Electoral Commission (IEC) is empowered to determine qualification for membership of the National Assembly before the May polls. The legal counsel for the MK Party and former President, Jacob Zuma, had argued that the IEC acted outside its jurisdiction when it upheld an objection against Zuma in terms of Section 47(1)(e) of the Constitution, and that only the National Assembly had this power. However, the apex court found that the Electoral Act empowers the Commission to determine eligibility of candidates to stand for public office. The court overturned the order of the Electoral Court that dismissed the objection against the former President. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Zoleka Qodashe.

The Constitutional Court has found that the Electoral Commission (IEC) is empowered to determine qualification for membership of the National Assembly before the May polls. The legal counsel for the MK Party and former President, Jacob Zuma, had argued that the IEC acted outside its jurisdiction when it upheld an objection against Zuma in terms of Section 47(1)(e) of the Constitution, and that only the National Assembly had this power. However, the apex court found that the Electoral Act empowers the Commission to determine eligibility of candidates to stand for public office. The court overturned the order of the Electoral Court that dismissed the objection against the former President. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to legal expert, Benedict Phiri.