Newsbreak

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - With numerous organisations in the tourism sector hard hit by COVID-19, the Robben Island Museum (RIM) could be left with no choice but to invoke Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act. The museum - located on the iconic Robben Island - need constant maintenance of facilities and services and say a number of changes are now on the cards. After considering va...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The escalating insurgency in Mozambique could plunge the country into a deepening humanitarian crisis. This is the concern of researcher at the Afro-Middle East Centre, Ebrahim Deen. He says this is due to the Mozambican government's inefficiencies and lack of human development. The situation in the Cabo DelGado province remains dire with thousands displaced...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Childhood bullying often leads to adult gender-based violence. This is according to Tina Thiart - representative of the non-profit organisation "1000 Women Trust". The organisation has embarked on a campaign to provide teachers and parents with skills to address bullying. The initiative follows the suicide of Grade 10 Limpopo school girl, who allegedly overdo...

By Newsbreak Producer Genevieve Lanka - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal put up a united front when party President Cyril Ramaphosa lead a by-election campaign in Hammersdale township west of Durban. The area is one of six wards that will go into by-elections on the 21st of April. The ward became vacant following the death of the local councillor in January. Ramaphosa urged ANC members to continue voting...

By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - "Even in an innocent context, Minister Pravin Gordhan should not have raised the issue of Judge Dhaya Pillay's interview." That's according to Lawson Naidoo, executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC). Yesterday, Minister Gordhan issued a statement saying that he did not meet Chief Justice Mogoeng Mo...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The IFP have written to the speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, to request that she consider a motion for a debate of what they call a "slow moving COVID-19 vaccination drive". This as nearly 300-thousand health-care workers have already received the Johnson & Johnson jab, before the rollout was suspended on Tuesday. The party believes that the s...

By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - Teacher Union NAPTOSA wants cell-phones to be banned at schools - as a means to limit the number of bullying videos posted online. This follows the suicide of a fifteen year old learner from Limpopo - who allegedly took a drug overdose after video footage of her being assaulted by a fellow learner went viral on social media. Lufuno Mavhunga died upon ar...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - A critically endangered crocodile from West Africa is the latest wildlife addition at the Crocworld Conservation Centre family in Scottburgh, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. The reptile reserve told Newsbreak that the female slender snouted crocodile is currently on loan from another facility. It had been brought into South Africa with the hope of joining a...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The lives of those in need of blood transfusions hang in the balance if donors do not come forward in time. These are the sentiments of South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Regional Marketing Manager, Sifiso Khoza. The national blood supply is currently at just 2.4 days. Khoza urges blood donors to not only come forward, but to also become regular don...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Teaching your children to be money-wise from a young age is crucial in securing their future in a such an uncertain society. This is the sentiment of Aneesa Razack, the CEO of Share Investing, Wealth and Investments at FNB. The financial inequality seen in South Africa has further been compounded by the economic devastation by the COVID-19 pandemic - making i...

The South African government has temporarily suspended the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, made the announcement last night. It comes hard on the heels of the Food and Drug Administration in the United States calling for an immediate pause in the use of the vaccine, after six women who received it developed a rare and severe form of blood clotti...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The two suspects believed to be responsible for the murder of a 36-year-old police official, Sergeant Nduduzo Sibiya, are expected to appear at the Verulam Magistrate's Court, north of Durban, today. Hawks members from Durban Serious Organised Crime unit arrested the two suspects aged 18 and 25 for the murder at Cornubia over the weekend. It is alleged that S...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) says the state's funding of Jacob Zuma's legal fees demonstrates the extent of state capture and how public funds have been misappropriated during his term in office. CASAC were reacting to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein dismissing the former president's appeal against a ju...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - As the tough economic conditions continue to ravage the employment market, companies are continuing to cut back on staff to save costs. Experts are now saying that not enough attention is given to those staffers who are left behind - employees who are now likely to bear brunt an increased workload. This is referred to as "Survival Remorse" - where those who s...

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - The South African tobacco industry has expressed collective outrage aimed at the continued growth of the illicit cigarette market. A recent Ipsos study showed a dramatic increase in illicit trading over the past few months, with the lockdown actually assisting manufacturers and traders to grow illegal operations at a rapid pace. In some instances, an illicit...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - 'With almost a 10-percent increase on the figures recorded only a month ago - before the big hike in tobacco sin taxes - it is shockingly clear that the increase has triggered a full-scale price war among tax-evading manufacturers'. These are the sentiments of Founder of Tax Justice South Africa, Yusuf Abramjee. This follows the release of the latest study by...

By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - 15-year-old Thiara Morgan-Govender is one step closer to achieving her dream of being an Olympic Champ. The Northlands Girls High School learner has participated in the 2021 South African Athletics Championships organised by Athletics South Africa. Her appearance at the competition was a success, obtaining a personal best time in the 100 and 200 metre sprints. T...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - South Africa ranks fifth globally when it comes to the number of asthma related deaths among five to 35-year-olds, with figures showing that almost four million people are asthmatic in the country. This is according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), who also found that five people in SA die from Asthma every week. Through the #yes2breathe campaign,...

By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - Social media users, beware! Soliciting nude images or explicit videos could cost you a lot of money and even your life. Recently, a Durban man received a threatening message from an unknown person demanding a "time-waster's fee" of R5,000 after he chatted to a woman over whatsapp - then declined her services. The victim confirmed that he was chatting t...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has identified and taken legal action against the person responsible for the production and distribution of unauthorised videos circulating on social media. The videos depict three inmates assaulting a prison official in uniform and an inmate carrying several weapons. According to Spokesperson for the Depart...

By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - 'Vaccines typically require years of research and testing before being administered to the population'. However, with the Coronavirus pandemic, scientists had to race against time to produce safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Chairperson of the KZN Doctor's Healthcare Coalition, Professor Morgan Chetty was describing the process a vaccine has to go through -...

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - The Durban University of Technology (DUT) has confirmed that all five of its Durban campuses will remain closed until further notice. The deadline for online registration for first time applicants and returning students has been extended to Friday, 16 April 2021. Last week the institute temporarily shutdown the campuses when chaos ensued after false social m...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - The man convicted for the murder of nine-year-old Miguel Louw has made his first sentencing appearance at the Durban High Court, this morning. Last year, Mohamed Ebrahim was found guilty of kidnapping and killing the Sydenham school boy. Miguel disappeared from outside Rippon Primary School, south of Durban, in July 2018. He was last seen alive in Ebrahim's com...

By Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Sprinting legend, Hassan Motala, has passed away at the weekend. Motala was an icon from 1977 to 1981 where he was unbeaten in the 100m event. Motala was born in Ladysmith in 1963. His achievements were big news in the late 70's where he was tipped as Olympic material. But, Motala's hopes were dashed as the country was firmly in the grip of apartheid....

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - A suspect, arrested following a shoot-out with police in a house robbery in Phoenix, north of Durban - attempted to escape while in police custody at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital. Police spokesperson, Captain Louise Naidoo says police intercepted a packet of chips intended for the suspect - which concealed a cutting tool similar to a pliers. Captain Nai...