🇿🇦 *SA UPDATE | Thursday - 12 June 2025*   https://x.com/IpIndependent/status/1933090419350376613 Here's what's happening in *South Africa today:* 👇🏼 ◼️ *At least 49 dead in SA flooding:* In one tragic incident, authorities reported the deaths of six high school students who were washed away on Tuesday when their school bus was caught in floodwaters near a river. Four other students were among the missing, Mabuyane said. President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the affected families in a statement. https://independentpress.cc/at-least-49-dead-in-south-africa-flooding-students-washed-away-in-bus/2025/06/12/ -------------  ◼️ *Eskom launches AI chatbot ‘Alfred’:* Alfred allows customers to report power outages, receive instant reference numbers, and get real-time updates on existing faults, any time of day or night. “Alfred makes your interactions seamless, fast, socially distanced and safe. https://www.citizen.co.za/lifestyle/technology/eskom-ai-chatbot-alfred-speed-up-fault-reporting/ -------------  ◼️ *Parents arrested for alleged child pornography:* “The suspects face multiple charges, including the production of child sexual abuse material (commonly referred to as “child pornography”), rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming,” the South African Police Service said in a statement. The victims were rescued during the police operation and have since been placed in a place of safety. https://independentpress.cc/parents-arrested-for-alleged-child-pornography-sexual-grooming-of-daughters/2025/06/12/ -------------  ◼️ *IcasaSePush pulls the plug to keep Starlink mission alive:* An unofficial Starlink supplier in South Africa has halted its operations citing concerns that It had started to overshadow the mission of bringing Starlink to South Africa legally and susteinably. A loophole enabled people to access the service by taking out a Starlink roaming subscription in a country where the satellite Internet provider is licensed to operate and using the dish to access the service locally. https://www.news24.com/business/companies/icasasepush-pulls-the-plug-to-keep-starlink-mission-alive-20250611-0777 -------------  ◼️ *Driving Licence backlog:* Frustration is rising over the backlog of driver’s licence cards. The printing machine broke down in February and resumed service in May, causing delays. Over 700,000 drivers are still waiting for their licences. With a maximum production of 19,000 cards per day, it may take up to 70 days to clear the backlog. https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories/over-700000-waiting-new-driver-licence-cards -------------   🔴 Get short and instant News alerts by joining *INDEPENDENT PRESS* WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22