Newsbreak

By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Every family should have a pulse oximeter in their homes to monitor their oxygen concentration as COVID-19 infections continue to rise in the country. That's according to Durban-based general practitioner, Doctor Prithi Ramlachan. He was speaking to Newsbreak about the proactive approach citizens can take to adequately prepare themselves for a possible third...

By Newsbreak Presenter, Taresh Harreepershad. South Africa is fortunate to have a youthful nation. However, the recent unemployment statistics pertaining to young people is cause for concern. The 2020 fourth quarter Labour Force Survey found that about 8,6 million young people aged between 15 and 34 years are not in education and not in employment. N speaks to Economic Justice Programme Manager at...

By Newsbreak Talk Presenter, Taresh Harreepershad. Speculation is mounting that President Cyril Ramaphosa is looking for a new Health Minister amid reports that Zweli Mkhize may be preparing to resign. Mkhize has been accused of conflict of interest regarding a 150-million-rand tender that his department awarded to communications company Digital Vibes. The Special Investigating Unit is probing the...

India today reported more than 132,000 new infections which took the total number of cases to 28.5 million. The death toll also jumped to 340,000 with 2,700 overnight casualties - even while experts argued over a projected third Covid wave that doctors and policy-makers fear could hurt children in a deadly attack. Rana Sen reports from New Delhi

by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - LEAD ACTRESS, THE AWARD WINNING VINETTE EBRAHIM - Popularly known for her rols in 7de Laan - talks about A QUIRKY, LOCAL MOVIE SCRIPTED IN AFRIKAAPS - THAT AFRIKAANS VANNIE KAAP, MY BRU! The movie HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR AN EXTRA WEEK AT THE CINEMAS DUE TO DEMAND......

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi. The arrest of a Durban police officer, who allegedly solicited a bribe in a drunken driving case has also called into question the role of the man who paid the bribe. Thirty-nine-year-old Constable Lieukazi Lilly Ndzendze, will be appearing in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday - following her arrest by the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team on We...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi. Investigating Directorate Head, Adv Hermione Cronje says the NPA is applying to Interpol to assist with the execution of arrest warrants for Atul Gupta and his wife Chetali as well as Rajesh Gupta and his wife Arti. The arrests will also include other associates of the Gupta family. The NPA confirmed that it has started the process to extradite the Guptas from I...

By Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Political analyst Dr. Imraan Buccus says the health of our democracy is at stake, following the charges levelled against the Health Minister, Dr. Zweli Mkhize. Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister for Health, Siviwe Gwarube, laid charges against Mkhize under the prevention of corruption act at the Cape Town police station. Allegations have surfaced that...

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - Durban road users can expect temporary road closures starting at 5am until 2.30pm on Sunday. Parts of the M4 Ruth First Highway, Snell Parade and Battery Beach Road will be closed during these times to allow for the Ironman 70.3 Durban triathlon. Members of the public are requested to use alternative routes to reach their destinations. Spokesperson for Durba...

By Newsbreak Producer, Genevieve Lanka - The mental health of mothers, especially after having given birth, must be prioritised. This is the view of clinical psychologist Dr Rakhi Beekrum. In recent months, South Africa has recorded disturbing cases of the murder of babies, allegedly at the hands of their mothers. Earlier this year, a 29-year-old woman was arrested in Pretoria for allegedly puttin...

By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - The United Nations (UN) will launch the 'UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration' marking World Environment Day on the 5th of June. This means creating ways and campaigns in assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed. Host country Pakistan is celebrating a number of milestones including the completion of planting a billion trees...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Genevieve Lanka - Civil society organisation - Action SA - is calling for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to make public the national register for sex offenders. The organisation has launched an online campaign - #unmaskthemonsters - which also calls for government to declare child pornography a priority crime and for double life sentences to...

By Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - The elderly in KwaZulu-Natal will have to now wait 42-days before they receive their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Provincial Department of Health says that this longer waiting period in-between doses will enable more people to get a first dose. The World Health Organisation and the National Department of Health has advised that the 2...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer Genevieve Lanka - Long queues, poor ventilation and overcrowded structures. These are some of the allegations levelled against the KwaZulu-Natal Department of health, regarding the Clairwood hospital Covid-19 vaccination site, south of Durban. According to the Democratic Alliance, they have received numerous complaints from elderly patients who claim they were made to...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer Genevieve Lanka - Long queues, poor ventilation and overcrowded structures. These are some of the allegations levelled against the KwaZulu-Natal Department of health, regarding the Clairwood hospital Covid-19 vaccination site, south of Durban. According to the Democratic Alliance, they have received numerous complaints from elderly patients who claim they were made to...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer Genevieve Lanka - The Nelson Mandela Youth Centre Programme's Coordinator - Clive Pillay - has slammed fake news reports that have created a sense of panic around the Covid-19 vaccine. Pillay says the number of elderly people coming to the centre in Chatsworth, south of Durban, for their vaccine has dwindled in recent days. He says a number of people have become alarme...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer Genevieve Lanka - Humanitarian group, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has described the public healthcare situation in Myanmar as dire. The country is approaching four months of military rule, during which many public hospitals and clinics were closed or occupied by the military. Access to healthcare has also been further exacerbated due to a strike by medical staff. Th...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) believes that KwaZulu-Natal is already experiencing the Third Wave of Covid-19 infections. The Institute, which is at the forefront of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in Southern Africa - plays a critical role in monitoring and tracking Covid-19 infection spread...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Police Minister - Bheki Cele - says one of the dead gang members killed in a shootout with the police at a house in the Pietermaritzburg suburb of Scottsville yesterday - was wounded in Bergville during a contract killing a week ago. Seven people - including 2 women - were killed during the shootout. One of the dead has been identified as an awaiting trial pr...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi. R50 a dozen is the going price of fresh sardines as they are being netted of the KwaZulu-Natal south coast yesterday and early this morning. This is according to fishing expert, Adam Kamder - who says this shoal is the pilot shoal and sardine watchers can expect massive shoals in the coming weeks

By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Genevive Lanka. Those unsolicited marketing phone calls offering you anything from funeral cover to the latest mobile deals will soon be a thing of the past. This, as the Protection of Personal Information Act takes effect on July 1st. The act will compel all businesses and organisations to protect personal information. It will further prevent companies from exposing...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo -more than 200 crates of sardines have been netted at Port Edward along the KwaZulu-Natal south coast earlier this morning. Netter and fisherman, Goolam Essack has been tracking their movements since yesterday and says this is just the tip of the ice-berg. Essack says bigger shoals of the silvery delicacy are likely to show-up in the next few days...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer Genevieve Lanka - The Restaurants Association of South Africa (RASA) says they are committed to ensuring that restaurants are compliant with covid-19 protocols. Last night President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an adjusted level two lockdown, however, restaurants and the sale of alcohol have not been affected by the new adjustment. The Association's CEO, Wendy Alberts say...

By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - Religious organisations have responded positively to restrictions on the number of mourners at funeral services to a maximum of 100. During his address last night, the President quoted medical experts as saying that social, religious and political gatherings are one of the main contributors to the increase in the number of Covid-19 infections in the country. Spo...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - A reportedly notorious Phoenix drug dealer is expected to make his second appearance at the Verulam Magistrates' Court today on charges related to drug dealing. It is believed that 36 - year -old Claude Maria handed himself over to the Hawks' investigation team in Durban on Thursday - following a covert operation at his premises in Wareham Place in Westham, Pho...