
24 hours in pictures, 24 June 2025
24 hours in pictures, 24 June 2025
Through the lens: The Citizen's Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero speaks at a press conference, 24 June 2025, in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Eskom's dispute resolution. The briefing provided updates on the resolution of the electricity billing and debt dispute between Eskom and City Power. The collaborative effort is to ensure uninterrupted electricity service. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
DA, leader,John Steenhuisen and members at the Democratic Alliance (DA) 25th anniversary celebrations at Hanover Cottages in Hanover Park on June 24, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. The visit is part of the party's ongoing engagement with communities as it celebrates a quarter-century of political presence. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach) A view of the 'Godzilla' room at Hotel Gracery Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan, 24 June 2025. At Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, located in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment area, foreigners account for 90 percent of the guests. Ten years after its opening, the hotel unveiled a new themed room, 'Godzilla vs King Ghidorah,' to the media. The 30th floor, known as the Godzilla Floor, features rooms decorated with memorabilia from the 'Godzilla Series.' Picture: EPA-EFE/FRANCK ROBICHON Sipho Lucas Phiri (former Prasa security guard) at the High Court Sitting in Benoni on June 24, 2025 in Ekurhuleni, South Africa. The former Prasa security guard, Sipho Phiri (39) is accused of raping at least 37 women and girls, between 2018 and 2023, including minors. (Photo by Gallo Images/OJ Koloti) A reveller carries a girl on his back while walking on burning embers during the night of San Juan in San Pedro Manrique, Soria province in northern Spain on June 24, 2025. The ritual consists in starting a bonfire and for the locals to step barefoot on hot coals without burning the soles of their feet, and most times with someone on their back. (Photo by CESAR MANSO / AFP) People are sprayed with water as they celebrate the feast day of Saint John the Baptist in San Juan, metro Manila on June 24, 2025. Residents traditionally greet everyone with splashing water in a belief that it is a way of spreading the good blessings on Saint John's day. (Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP) People walk in downtown Jerusalem, 24 June 2025. Israel's military on 24 June, accused Iran of violating a ceasefire by launching missiles into Israeli airspace, saying it will 'respond with force'. Israel has been conducting a campaign across Iran since 13 June, targeting nuclear, military, and energy facilities, prompting Iran to launch retaliatory waves of missiles and drones toward Israel. Picture: EPA/ABIR SULTAN An aerial photo shows the accident scene of the collision between JR Sobu Line train and a truck in Sanmu City, Chiba Prefecture on June 24, 2025. The truck driver was seriously injured and taken to hospital, while two other passengers on the train suffered minor injuries. (Photo by Takuya Matsumoto / The Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP) Devotees of the small farming village of Bibiclat celebrate the Feast of Saint John the Baptist while covered in banana leaves and mud on June 24, 2025 in Aliaga, Philippines. Known as the 'Taong Putik' (mud people), the ritual happens yearly in this small farming village as their own version of expressing their faith and celebrating the feast of Saint John the Baptist whom the survivors of the Japanese occupation in 1944 in their area prayed to for rain to save their fellow villagers. A marker near the church entrance of the village tells a story of a heavy torrential rain that happened that day that forced the Japanese military to call off the execution of 14 villagers. The Philippines is the only predominantly Catholic country in Southeast Asia after more than 300 years of Spanish rule. (Photo by) Israeli rescue teams work at the site of a missile strike on a residential area in Be'er Sheva, southern Israel, 24 June 2025. Israel's military stated Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel overnight. Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency services, reported at least four killed and dozens injured in southern Israel. Picture: EPA-EFE/ATEF SAFADI Mduduzi Trevor Mnisi appear at Roodepoort Magistrate's Court for the murder of Likhona Fose (14) on June 24, 2025 in Roodepoort, South Africa. It is reported that the victim's mutilated body was found in an open field near her home in Roodepoort, a day after she went missing. (Photo by Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle) Fishermen pull their nets as they return ashore after fishing at sea at Lam Awe village in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 24 June 2025. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued a warning to the public, especially fishermen, to be cautious of potentially severe weather, including strong winds expected to affect several areas in Aceh, particularly in the afternoon and evening. Picture: EPA-EFE/HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa speaks at a press conference, 24 June 2025, in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Eskom's dispute resolution. The briefing provided updates on the resolution of the electricity billing and debt dispute between Eskom and City Power. The collaborative effort is to ensure uninterrupted electricity service. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen Afghan refugees arrive in a truck from Pakistan, in Takhta Pul district in Kandahar province on June 24, 2025. (Photo by Sanaullah SEIAM / AFP) An Afghan farmer harvests tomatoes, in a field on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif on June 24, 2025. (Photo by Wakil Kohsar / AFP)
MORE: 24 hours in pictures, 23 June 2025
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
Limpopo municipalities owe Eskom R1. 6 billion; blame infrastructure tampering and theft
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa placed much of the blame for persistent power supply challenges in Limpopo on illegal activities such as meter bypassing, infrastructure vandalism, and unauthorised electricity connections, particularly in densely populated urban and rural communities. Municipalities across Limpopo owe Eskom a staggering R1.6 billion in unpaid electricity bills, with the bulk of the debt linked to persistent issues such as electricity theft, infrastructure tampering, and non-payment by end-users. This was revealed by Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa over the weekend during a South African Local Government Association (SALGA) indaba attended by local mayors, municipal officials, councillors, and Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba. Ramokgopa warned that the escalating debt — part of the national municipal debt to Eskom, which now totals R78 billion — poses a major threat to the stability of South Africa's electricity supply and the financial viability of the power utility. Of the 27 municipalities in Limpopo, those in the Waterberg District – namely Modimolle/Mookgophong, Thabazimbi, and Bela Bela – are the worst offenders. While these municipalities have been approved for debt relief through the National Treasury, only Bela Bela has met the necessary conditions, having signed an active partnering service level agreement with Eskom. 'A similar agreement was signed by the previous Thabazimbi council, but it was never implemented,' said Ramokgopa. 'We have also received commitments from Musina, Makhado, and Mogalakwena municipalities to improve payment compliance, but action must follow those words.' Ramokgopa placed much of the blame for persistent power supply challenges in Limpopo on illegal activities such as meter bypassing, infrastructure vandalism, and unauthorised electricity connections, particularly in densely populated urban and rural communities.

IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
Gauteng can no longer rely on economic reputation, warns MEC Maile
Lebogang Maile,Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile has sounded the alarm over the state of local government in the province, Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile has sounded the alarm over the state of local government in the province, warning that Gauteng can no longer lean on its reputation as South Africa's economic powerhouse while failing to deliver basic services to its residents. Maile was speaking on Tuesday during the official release of Gauteng's first Municipal Economic Review and Outlook (MERO) report, a wide-ranging diagnostic that paints a sobering picture of poor governance, widespread financial mismanagement, and deteriorating service delivery across the province's municipalities. 'We cannot continue to ride on the prestige of being the country's economic engine while our communities are dealing with raw sewage in the streets, unreliable electricity, and dysfunctional waste services,' Maile said. The MERO report reveals that many municipalities in Gauteng — including major metros like Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni — are facing serious performance shortfalls. These include low revenue collection rates, non-functional billing systems, escalating debt levels, and poor infrastructure maintenance. According to the report, less than 40% of municipalities in the province received clean audits, and many are struggling to pay creditors on time. 'Financial mismanagement is becoming institutionalised in some local governments,' Maile said, calling for urgent reforms. 'This report is a wake-up call.' Key findings of the MERO include: Worsening service delivery: Many municipalities have failed to meet basic standards for electricity, water, waste collection, and sanitation. Poor financial health: A growing number of municipalities are in financial distress, with ballooning debt to service providers like Eskom and Rand Water. Low economic resilience: Despite Gauteng's large contribution to national GDP, many local governments cannot support sustainable economic development in their areas. The release of the report comes at a time of growing frustration among Gauteng residents. Community protests over electricity outages, water shortages, and poor roads have become increasingly common. In recent months, political pressure has mounted for the provincial government to intervene in failing municipalities. Maile acknowledged that while provincial oversight had improved in recent years, more direct and decisive action may be required to prevent a total collapse in service delivery. He said the Gauteng Provincial Treasury will begin working more closely with municipal leadership to ensure proper budgeting, improved revenue collection, and better governance practices. 'We can no longer turn a blind eye to underperformance,' he said. 'Communities are losing hope, and if we fail to act, we risk deepening inequality and economic exclusion.' The MERO report will now inform new provincial and local government strategies aimed at revitalising local economies, stabilising finances, and restoring service delivery. Maile added that he hopes the review will become an annual fixture to promote transparency and accountability. 'This is not just a diagnostic tool,' he concluded. 'It's a call to action.'


Daily Maverick
7 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Electricity tariffs force a choice between food or power, says Electricity Minister Ramokgopa
The minister brokered an agreement between City Power and Eskom, which had almost ended up in court. With electricity tariffs up by an average of 12.74% between April and July (when municipal tariff increases kick in), Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said energy poverty was biting South Africans. Ramokgopa said that the rapidly rising cost of electricity was forcing households to choose between food and energy (see this report from Daily Maverick in 2024). Because people can't afford their bills, debt owed by municipalities to Eskom is growing at R3-billion a month and has now overshot a total of R100-billion. This, in turn, threatens Eskom's viability. Ramokgopa was speaking, along with Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, to announce a deal over a festering dispute between the city distributor, City Power, and Eskom, which almost ended up in court in December. The utility threatened to cut off four substations where most of the R4.9-billion billing debt had racked up; City Power, in turn, said that R3.4-billion had been incorrectly billed and breathed fire at Eskom. On Tuesday, 24 June, Ramokgopa brokered an agreement for R3.2-billion to be paid over four years, with an additional tariff relief of R830-million. An upcoming data investigation by the Daily Maverick has found that there are more than 30,000 power cuts in the city each quarter as City Power struggles with declining revenues (because people can't afford their electricity bills) and a R44-billion bill to upgrade aged infrastructure. Ramokgopa said state departments should not be taking each other to court and that the SA National Development Institute (Sanedi) had mined the data and evidence to help the parties find an agreement that worked for them. Its report took three months rather than three weeks to complete because the work was more complex than initially thought. It offered a template for other billing disputes between Eskom and municipalities. Council proceedings show that City Power increased revenue by 17.4% in the year to June, but expenses shot up by 23%, resulting in a net loss of R602-million. It has a bank overdraft of R15.34-billion in the year to June. Ramokgopa said that while big cities such as Johannesburg could work around the national cost of the power crisis, smaller municipalities were falling off the cliff. Municipalities levy charges on the sale of electricity and make most of their revenue from these. DM