Newsbreak

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed travellers from across the world for the biggest canoe marathon in Africa. The Dusi Canoe Marathon provides canoeing enthusiasts from Europe, United-States, South America and Africa. The marathon has begun in Pietermaritzburg and finishes at Blue Lagoon in Durban tomorrow. The marathon is expected to...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Six people have died following an alleged fire outbreak on their ship which was docked in the Bayhead area of the Durban Harbour. Fire fighters, law enforcement officials and paramedics worked through-out the night to contain the blaze which started on the fishing trawler yesterday afternoon. The cause of the fire is still unkn...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - In the wake of the high volumes of fake news and profiles plaguing online sites, social media giant Facebook is set to open its first content review centre in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nairobi will play host to this operation which will employ approximately 100 reviewers by the end of the year. Public Policy Associate for content at...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By SABC Reporter Cebisile Mkhize - The United States Consulate General has unveiled a research iPad kiosk at Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. The Bessie Head Library will be equipped with new iPads and Computers. Officials say this facility will offer access to a variety of programs such as getting information on how to study in America. KZN Consul Ge...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By SABC Reporter Cebisile Mkhize - Yesterday marked the eighth edition of World Radio Day. This is to celebrate radio and how it shapes us. This year's theme is dialogue, tolerance and peace. Traditional radio has some stiff competition with new media platforms such as Netflix and online radio coming to the fore. KwaZulu-Natal Convener for South African Editors Foru...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Police have launched a manhunt for a murder suspect who allegedly killed a man at Canelands in Verulam, north of Durban. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Lieutenent Colonel Thulani Zwane, says the victim was murdered in the early hours of yesterday morning. It's believed that the victim was murdered after an argument ensued b...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - The #TakeBackTheTax campaign is calling on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to urgently clamp down on the illegal cigarette trade in the country. The campaign has written an open letter to the minister offering him advice on how the ministry can protect jobs and deal with corruption. #TakeBackTheTax spokesperson - Yusuf Abramjee,...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Durban snake catcher - Nick Evans has cautioned communities to be vigilant against an increase in snake activity in the port city due to the summer period. This after he captured over 10 snakes in the last week alone. Species captured include six Black Mambas, one Green Mamba, one Mozambican Spitting Cobra and three Boomslang....

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Have you found the perfect gift to get your Valentine's heart beating faster today? If not, then here's a creative idea to get your Valentine a one-of-a-kind gift that is not only affordable, but also thoughtful. "Upcycling" is a method of reusing waste without destroying it. Leon Grobbelaar - the President of the Institute of...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) plans to bring the country to standstill this morning. The labour federation has planned a national shutdown in eight provinces to highlight the plight of workers. Thousands of workers are expected to take part in the mass action by either not going to work or joining pickets...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Two men have died after drowning at the Isipingo main beach, south of Durban. The men, believed to be in their forties, were swimming at the beach with a friend when they got into difficulty in the water yesterday afternoon. Spokesperson for Rescue Care Paramedics, Garrith Jamieson says lifeguards managed to save the third man...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo -The City of Cape Town and Shark Spotters have launched a high-tech visionary aid project that will help spot sharks in the Mother City's icy waters. The research project is aimed at creating an automated shark-spotting system that will use a low-cost computer-aided algorithm on fixed cameras at beaches to enhance safety. The re...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Tourism in KwaZulu-Natal has kick-started the year, bringing on board a new General Manager responsible for Tourism Development. Nhlanhla Khumalo has been described as a man of action, who is ready and willing to provide tourism products across the geographical landscape of KwaZulu-Natal. New into office, Khumalo will ensure developing the province to increase and y...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Africa's biggest travel and trade Indaba has been postponed due to the proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the 2019 general election will take place on the 8th of May - which was one of the dates set for the show. The Travel Indaba is one of the largest in the world, boasting over 7,000 delegates from 80 countries. I...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - In an exclusive interview with Newsbreak, KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Doctor Sibongiseni Dhlomo says the department is equipt and ready to tackle the increase of unwanted pregnancies in the province. This follows the rescue of a baby girl who was allegedly dumped in a storm water drain in Newlands East, north of Durban. MEC Dhlomo...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - A man has drowned in an alleged industrial accident at the Durban Harbour this morning. It's believed the man accidently reversed the truck he was offloading from a ship into the harbour water. An inquest docket has been opened. KZN EMS spokesperson - Robert Mckenzie says police are investigating the exact circumstances of the...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Taliesha Naidoo - Acting Director for Childline KwaZulu-Natal, Adeshini Naicker says the dumping of babies have become a frequent problem in the country. Naicker says this incident will leave the baby girl with lifelong trauma...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo visited the baby girl at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in Durban yesterday afternoon. Dr. Dhlomo says the Department needs to strengthen its campaigns on family planning...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - There has been widespread outrage after a new-born baby girl was found in a storm water drain at Newlands East in Durban yesterday. The baby was rescued from inside a pipe that was approximately ten metres deep during a four hour long rescue mission. The little girl was airlifted to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital here in Du...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Eskom has announced the implementation of stage three load-shedding nationwide from eight o'clock this morning until 11pm. The power utility says although that seven generating units that went offline yesterday are now producing power, diesel and water reserves are still very low resulting in the need for load-shedding. Stage-3...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The family of the late Imam Abdullah Haron will re-open the inquest into their father's death in 1969. The long-awaited decision follows the success of the Ahmed Timol inquest, which was reopened by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in 1996. Haron died on September 27, 1969, after being held incommunicado for 123 days by...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The family of the late Imam Abdullah Haron will re-open the inquest into their father's death in 1969. The long-awaited decision follows the success of the Ahmed Timol inquest, which was reopened by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in 1996. Haron died on September 27, 1969, after being held incommunicado for 123 days by...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Thousands of optometrists associated with administrators around the country have been resigning due to alleged unscrupulous financial exploitation and unethical behaviour. This is according to the Optometry Forum of South Africa. They represent over 1000 optometrists nationally, pointing out that the profession is faced with ma...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - The people of the drought stricken town of Makhanda at Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape will today receive approximately 100-thousand litres of water from non-governmental organization, Gift of the Givers. This follows several calls from distressed citizens who have gone without having access to water for almost a week. Settler...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Emergency medical personnel have been praised for a successful operation to rescue a new-born baby girl from a storm water drain this morning. The operation - which began at 5 this morning - was a mammoth task as paramedics and firemen had to dig ten metres into the ground to reach the little girl who was inside a pipe. Community members turned out in their numbers...