#SABCNews Headlines @06H30 AM | 03 February 2023

* The board of embattled power utility Eskom, says that a power generation recovery plan remains a top priority for the company as rolling blackouts continue. The country is currently at stage four rolling blackouts with stage three expected tomorrow. Loadshedding is expected to be suspended on Sunday.

* The 2-day Cabinet Lekgotla taking place in Pretoria, continues today with a focus on the energy crisis. Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele says the cabinet lekgotla has sought legal opinion on declaring a national state of disaster over the energy crisis. The ANC NEC Lekgotla earlier resolved for a national state of disaster to be declared to deal with the energy crisis and mandated its deployees to make it happen.

* The trial of EFF leader Julius Malema and his body guard, Adriaan Snyman is set to continue this morning in the East London Regional Court in the Eastern Cape. The trial was adjourned yesterday afternoon shortly after Magistrate Antoinette Olivier, ruled against Malema's legal team's application for her to recuse herself. The firearm discharge case is expected to resume with more testimony from an employee of the Audio Visual company that worked on the day of the alleged incident.

* The Catholic Church in South Sudan is planning to hold special prayers for the safe arrival today of Pope Francis. The Pope was yesterday in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he celebrated one of his biggest Masses with around a million attendees in the capital, Kinshasa. South Sudan's government says it has deployed five-thousand officers from the army and the police service in the capital city to provide security during the Pope's visit.