Newsbreak

SABC News and Current Affairs — Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says since the start of the festive season, 589 people have died on the country's roads. However, this is a reduction of 30 percent compared to the same time last year. Mbalula was speaking during a media briefing at the weigh bridge on the N1 near the Beitbridge border post outside Musina in Limpopo. Rudzani Tshivhase reports...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Prabashini Moodley - The South African Anxiety and Depression Group or SADAG is receiving more than 600 calls a day from South Africans battling with festive season depression. That's according to SADAG spokesperson Cassey Chambers. While the air remains filled with festive cheer for many families on Christmas Eve, others are battling with the...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Prabashini Moodley - With just one day to go before Christmas, it's Christmas carols, the scent of Christmas pudding, presents and cheer all around. For the little one's in your home - Christmas Eve means - one more sleep until unwrapping those gifts. Marketing Manager for Toys 'R Us - Catherine Jacoby says, iconic toys like Lego, remote contro...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The brutal killing of 48-year-old Warrant Officer Theena Pillay in Phoenix, north of Durban, has left the community in total disbelief. Chairperson for the Phoenix Crime Prevention Forum, Umesh Singh, says Pillay was an incredibly hard-working policeman who largely contributed to the safety of the community. It was reported tha...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - 'Tis the season to be jolly - and that usually means great food and fine dining. But with the way the plates are stacked in the current economic climate, it could be a costly affair when entertaining and frequenting high end restaurants this festive season. Experts say budgeting the food basket would be a great takeaway f...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Newly-formed activism organisation "South Africans Against Apartheid India" will this morning hold a demonstration outside the Indian Consulate in Parktown, Johannesburg. This is in opposition of India's adoption of the Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA. The law makes it easier for non-Muslims by aiming to grant citizenship to m...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Bollywood actors have come out in support of India's biggest protest in decades, after the police shot death 22 people and booked thousands of others. Celebrities opposing the law seen as "anti-Muslim" are set to join processions today, despite a security lockdown across cities and towns. Rana Senn has the details...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - Child Protection Programme Manager of NGO "Save the Children" Divya Naidoo says parents need to be more vigilant during the festive season as the risk of child kidnappings is higher...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - A 29-year old man is expected to appear in the Verulam Magistrate Court today - in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a toddler at a shopping mall in Umhlanga, north of Durban. According to KwaZulu-Natal Police Spokesperson - Brigadier Jay Naicker, the two-year-old was with his grandmother when an unknown man picked him o...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producers Hoosen Ebrahim and Tashlan Naidoo - A policeman has been shot and killed outside his home in Phoenix, north of Durban. The officer was leaving his home in Woodview when a car approached and the suspects began firing. The officer returned fire, killing one suspect. The officer was also shot and died. An unknown number of suspects then fled the...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - MasterChef Australia 2018 winner, Sashikumar Cheliah credited his win in the reality TV show to his unique knack of being able to modernise traditional cultural food. The 40-year-old father of two from Adelaide was born and raised in Singapore. He traces his roots back to India, with his grandparents originally from Madurai. Sashi...

SABC News and Current Affairs — The city of Durban has scored top honours for its greening efforts and has been named as the greenest city in the world. That's according to the first Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index. The digital innovation uses computer technology vision and techniques on satellite images, to generate the amount of green spaces in an area. The city was specially recognised as the...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority says unregistered medical drugs with an estimated value of five-million-rand was seized at the Durban harbour yesterday. The organisation received a tip-off yesterday stating that the shipment - which came from Mozambique - was set to arrive at a destination in South Africa...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Salma Patel - Durban's most loved green space - The Botanical Gardens - celebrates its 170th anniversary this year. Its the oldest active botanical garden in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. Curator, Martin Clement, says the gardens offer respite from hectic urban life and also celebrates big events by hosting concerts and spreading s...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Newsbreak will be taking you through a yearly review of the world's biggest news and events from the year 2010 to 2019 as we usher in the year 2020 - and a new decade. Today we review 2011, a year filled with many global highs and lows. Newsbreak's Taliesha has the details...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - In a new weekly feature for the festive period, we will be looking at exciting youth prospects plying their trade in the various sporting codes. From football to cricket and rugby - young talents continue to enter the fray and make a name for themselves at ages that are sometimes hard to fathom. Today we shine the spotlight on...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Busy beaches have been identified as one of the hotspots in which children tend to go missing during the festive season. That's according to the National Co-ordinator for Missing Children South Africa - Bianca van Aswegen. With a high number of kidnappings, brutality against children and sudden disappearances already recorded t...

SABC News and Current Affairs — The Trade and Industry Department says it's very concerned about increasing culture of drinking in Durban during the festive season. The department embarked on the National Liquor Awareness Campaign in the city to raise awareness about the dangers of binge drinking. The department also says it's currently dealing with the mushrooming of taverns near schools. Nonjabu...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Government says it has mandated Public Enterprises minister, Pravin Gordhan to negotiate with the newly appointed Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter to begin his work at Eskom as soon as possible. Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu says Eskom was at the top of their agenda at the Cabinet meeting held on Friday. In a post-cabinet media briefing, Mthembu said cabinet h...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The festive season has so far seen several drug busts in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The latest case involves three people - one of whom is a 21-year-old female - who were arrested over the weekend after a major drug bust in Pinetown and Chatsworth, south of Durban. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson - Brigadier Jay Naicker,...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Durban Metro Police say one person was stabbed to death and another seriously injured over the long weekend at the Durban beachfront. It is believed that the incident was related to excessive drinking. One of those arrested is an alleged drunk driver who ran over a metro officer. Durban Metro Police has also raised concerns over the increasing number of underage dri...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - There's no denying that 2010 was a groundbreaking news year. So before we ring in the new year and kick off a completely new decade, we are going to take a trip down memory lane. Wrapping a year up within a few minutes seems like an impossible task, but luckily for you, Newsbreak has rounded up some of the biggest news stories...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Umgeni Water has issued an urgent alert for people living downstream of Hazelmere Dam and near Umdloti River, north of Durban. The utility is concerned over high water levels at the dam and urged people to stay away. The water body takes measures to reduce the level of water currently stored in the dam precincts. Spokesperson f...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - eThekwini Municipality Mayor - Mxolisi Kaunda has implemented contingency plans to deal with the recent torrential rains that have swept through the port city of Durban. Roads and infrastructure were washed away last week, with people residing in low lying areas suffering the loss of their homes and loved ones. Mayor Kaunda tol...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Prabashini Moodley - Pan South African Languages Board (PANSALB) believes indigenous languages should be taught at a school level in order to avoid its extinction in the country. The organisation spoke to Newsbreak at the official Reconciliation Day commemoration at Bergville, in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday afternoon. PANSALB board member and chair...