Newsbreak

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - The rollout of a multi-organisation collaboration aimed at distributing additional oxygen concentrators in Gauteng has begun. This as the province battles escalating covid-19 infections and hospital admissions. The Caring Sisters Network team, together with the Islamic Medical Association of South Africa and humanitarian non-profit organisation, Gift of the...

By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - Failing to wear a mask, consuming alcohol in public and breaking curfew saw 150 residents from Chatsworth, south of Durban, being arrested and charged for the contravention of the Disaster Management Act. Police in the area have clamped down on non-complying residents over the last week and have sent a strong warning to community members. Media Liaison offic...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Genevieve Lanka - Non profit organisation - Operation Bobbi Bear - say they are left with just a week's worth of resources for their life-saving operations. The Durban-based organisation is a first-response unit, that deals directly with raped and abused children. They say since the outbreak of covid-19 in the country, their case load has significantly risen. However,...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Genevieve Lanka - The Foundation for Human Rights Executive Director Hanif Vally, says the need for a Commission of Enquiry into political interference in the National Prosecuting Authority has been amplified by the Supreme Court of Appeal's ruling in the Joao Rodrigues matter. The SCA in Bloemfontein dismissed an appeal brought by the former apartheid-era police offi...

By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - Just days after two police dogs from the specialised K-9 Unit were killed - police are appealing to the public for assistance with donating dogs to the unit. On Monday last week, Simba and Shaka were killed in a shoot-out with four suspects, wanted for armed robbery and the murder of a policeman in Pietermaritzburg. Commander of the Provincial Policing Services,...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Thousands of fortune-seekers who flocked to KwaHlathi, near Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal in what appeared to be a diamond rush have been left disappointed. This after scientists deployed by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy found that stones were quartz-crystals and NOT diamonds. Manager of Geoscience Mapping at the Council for Geoscience - Dr Tauf...

by Newsbreak Producer, Taliesha Naidoo - There have been mixed views from educators following the announcement by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga that over 580-thousand teachers, admin workers and cleaners at public and private schools will be vaccinated. The vaccinations will start from this Wednesday. Some educators say receiving the vaccine will help them alleviate the stress they have...

By Newsbreak producer, Rachel Vadi - A rise in Covid-19 infections in schools around the eThekwini Municipality area has raised concern about how schools notify learners and parents about the infection. On Thursday Crossmoor Secondary School in Chatsworth, south of Durban notified the schooling community about a teacher who tested positive for Covid-19 that morning. In a circular parents and learn...

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - In the hope of helping people deal with the challenges posed by Covid-19 - including depression and anxiety. Durban-based clinical psychologist, writer and blogger, Dr Rani Samuel, has put pen to paper in her debut novel "In Search of Daniel". A story of a young man who discovers a devastating family secret on his eighteenth birthday - and as his life spiral...

By Newsbreak Presenter and Producer Taresh Harreepershad and Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi.

By Newsbreak Presenter and producer, Taresh Harreepershad and Producer, Rachel Vadi.

By Newsbreak's Rachel Vadi - International Yoga Day will be observed on the 21st June - and a world-wide movement for transforming human consciousness dubbed, ' Ekam' are hosting a Oneness Yoga Challenge to help individuals obtain a greater self-awareness and calmness. The online challenge is hosted by Sri Preethaji, founder of Ekam. Preethaji says the aim of the challenge is to help individuals c...

By Newsbreak's Hoosen Ebrahim - Economic Development MEC, Ravi Pillay has sent the stones found in KwaHlathi area in LadySmith, KwaZulu-Natal for further analysis to determine its authenticity as Diamonds. The MEC had called on people to stop the digging as the area poses a hazard and Covid-19 threat, as thousands of people continue to flock to the region in the hope of mining Diamonds. MEC Pillay...

By Newsbreak's Tashlan Naidoo - The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) is calling for an internal investigation by the Independent Media group over Piet Rampedi, editor-in-chief of the Pretoria News, who authored a lead story in the newspaper and on the IOL website that stated as fact that a Gauteng woman had given birth to 10 babies. The story received international recognition and was...

By Newsbreak's Genevieve Lanka - KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested a 39 year old suspect allegedly involved in the brutal murder of 28-year-old Anele Bhengu in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban. As June marks Pride Month, the spotlight has once again been cast on violence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The 28-year old's mutilated body was found in a bush near a friend's...

By Newsbreak's Taresh Harreeparshad - KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements and Public Works MEC Jomo Sibiya has called for an audit into all the vacant properties owned by government. This is in a bid to re-distribute them to deserving communities. MEC Sibiya has just handed over property to a community in eSikhawini Township, north of the province. This marks Sibiya's 100 days in office. But what is t...

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Ahead of Father's Day this weekend, Chatsworth's historic Aryan Benevolent Home have exciting plans in store for the Daddies that call the ABH home. The establishment, now in it's centenary year, cares for over 700 residents - many of whom are fathers themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a few changes implemented at the home - especially with family vis...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The Norwood Community Policing Forum, in Region E of the City of Johannesburg, has increased efforts in trying to curb the growing trend of "lean" - a mixture of fizzy drinks and codeine, found in cough mixtures. #LeanOnMe is a campaign aimed at sensitising communities about lean - and the effects of codeine abuse amongst youth. Member of the steering committ...

By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - Residents and businesses in Overport in Durban have welcomed the positive strides the eThekwini Municipality has made in addressing issues of service delivery through 'Operation Good Hope'. The multi-disciplinary task team were recently in Overport to address issues of refuse disposal, cardboard collection and vagrants. Imtiaz Syed of local security company eThe...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Over a dozen people have been arrested for public violence as the situation remains tense along the N3 Harrismith route in the Free State after protest action by nearby communities. A truck was set alight on the N3 during the protest leading to a temporary closure of the busy highway. Residents are calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene as they wa...

By Newsbreak Producers Hoosen Ebrahim and Tashlan Naidoo - President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the country will move to level three of the national lockdown from mid-night last night. He says this will see changes to the curfew, which will now start from 10 in the evening and end at four in the morning. Indoor gatherings will be limited to 50 people, with outdoor gatherings limited to 100...

By Newsbreak Producers Tashlan Naidoo and Hoosen Ebrahim - As the nation observes the 45th anniversary of June 16th 1976, we celebrate the youth whose actions altered the course of South African history. The film "SARAFINA" which is inspired by this watershed event, keeps alive the contribution of those courageous youth. Now, Durban-based producer Anant Singh - on behalf of the Sarafina team has c...

By Newsbreak Producer Genevieve Lanka - The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) will never happen in South Africa unless millions of the country's people can cross the digital divide. This is the view of IT industry veteran Dr Hasmukh Gajjar. He says most South Africans have access to smart phones, but are unable to access its full potential. He says in most cases, people use smart phones for socia...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Globally, female life expectancy is on average 75 years, however, in South Africa, it averages at around 68. Access to health care is one of the issues that have been highlighted as a reason for the lower life expectancy of women in the country. In a bid to address this, a new health company focussing solely on needs of women has been launched. Managing Direc...

By Newsbreak Correspondent Rana Sen - Several Indian states eased public lockdowns today as Covid-19 cases dropped to a 76-day low. Malls, theaters, spas, salons and gyms reopened in cities such as the capital, Delhi, but happiest perhaps was the hospitality industry which bore the brunt of the pandemic. From New Delhi, Correspondent Rana Sen reports...