Newsbreak

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The British Parliament has released highly contentious Facebook emails in regards to misinformation and data privacy seized from an American businessman. The man in question also seems to be embroiled in a lawsuit with social media. The committee threatened to make the files public, even though they were prevented by a Californ...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The Mahatma Gandhi Hospital at Phoenix, north of Durban, is facing a shortage of experienced staff with patients encountering humungous health challenges. Many patients have complained that health care is on the brink of collapse. Some of them are forced to make their way during the early parts of the morning for medical care....

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - National Parliament has finally approved the Civil Union Amendment Bill at its final plenary sitting for the year. The bill aims to repeal section six of the act - that allows for a marriage officer to object on the grounds of conscience, religion and belief to solemnising a civil union between persons of the same sex. Meanwhil...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says Eskom has come up with a plan which will be updated weekly between now and the end of January with regard to making efforts to keep lights on. Gordhan was briefing the media at Megawatt Park in Johannesburg on Eskom's current operational challenges. Earlier, Eskom announced that it would implement Stage Two load sheddi...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The Democratic Alliance says it will NOT support the National Gambling Amendment Bill. This after the National Assembly approved redrafted versions of the Performers' Protection Amendment Bill, the Copyright Amendment Bill and the Gambling Bill. DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry - Ghaleb Cachalia told Newsbreak wh...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - President Cyril Ramaphosa will today announce the effective date for the implementation of the National Minimum Wage in Johannesburg. This will acknowledge contributions made by representatives of government, business and labour under the auspices of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) to achieve the c...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - The Department of Home Affairs has relaxed some of the requirements for children travelling abroad. Certain categories of child travellers will no longer have to present supporting documents at ports of entry. Home Affairs Department Media Manager - David Hlabane explains some of the requirements...

SABC News and Current Affairs — The national farmers union, Agri-SA says it will approach the court if section 25 of the constitution is amended. They will do it on behalf of their members and the farming community at large. Agri-SA president, Dan Kriek says following the decision by Parliament they are going to take the legal route to halt the pending constitutional amendment. Neo Makwiting repor...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The Kruger National Park says its decision to erect a prayer facility for guests of Muslim faith, is one of its ways to connect with society. The facility is at Skukuza Rest Camp section of the park and will cost almost a million rand. Communications officer for the Park, Ike Phaala says hopes are that the facility will make it...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - The first female of Indian origin has donated her body to medical science. According to Professor Hoosen Vawda, who is the Director of Body Donor Foundation South Africa, this is the second person of Indian origin to donate their body to medical research in about 40-years. Professor Vawda says health care professionals are fac...

SABC News and Current Affairs — The 43-year-old man who was initially arrested in connection with the kidnapping of ten-year-old Miguel Louw has now been charged with his murder. Mohammed Ebrahim was out on bail of two-thousand-500-rand for allegedly kidnapping Louw. Ebrahim made a brief appearance in court where he was formally charged with murder. Nonhlakanipho Magwaza reports...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - South Africa is currently observing the 16 Days Of Activism campaign, condemning violence against woman and children. Many female students from universities around the country are living in fear that they could become the next statistic. In most cases, sexual harassment and gender based violence is not reported by the victim be...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - A rape victim has broken her silence on sexual abuse. The victim, who prefers to remain anonymous - says she has been raped multiple times since she was a child. She faced a near rape incident as recent as last week. Sharing her personal experiences of sexual abuse, the victim says rape has become a common practice in the count...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Artificial Intelligence (AI) could one day replace human workers here in South Africa. This is according to Preetesh Sewraj, Chief Executive Officer of Product of the Year. Sewraj says even though AI is at a tender phase in the country, it could soon become more mainstream. In this week's Techno Touch, Sewraj explains how AI is...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Concern is mounting that alleged bogus teachers are operating without proper qualifications in government schools. This emerged after two educators resigned from the teaching fraternity when the education department questioned the teachers about their qualifications. The teachers resigned, but they will now be facing the might...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The state of rehab treatment in South Africa is to be the focus at the Jullo Rehab Centre in Durban. Governments around the world are battling to contain the surge in the number of addiction cases. Amidst the growing epidemic, the Constitutional Court has decriminalised the use of dagga at home. Former member of the United Nati...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - The South African economy has officially exited the recession after reporting 2.2% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the third quarter of the year. The country slipped into a technical recession following two consecutive quarters of negative growth during the first half of the year. Recoveries in manufacturing and agricul...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced Shamila Batohi as the new National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). Ramaphosa made the announcement at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Batohi becomes the first woman to hold the position since its establishment in 1996. She will take up her position in February next year af...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Police have dispersed a group of protesters who had been blockading roads with burning tyres and rocks at Westbury in Johannesburg. The group took to the streets in the early hours of this morning. The protest was sparked by the provisional release from custody of two suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Westbury...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - As South Africa observes 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Director of the Phoenix Child & Welfare Society - Aroona Chetty, says there are many avenues where women can seek help. She says abuse does not differentiate between rich or poor...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - A man has been killed in a serious crash involving two vehicles on Mountbatten Drive in Reservoir Hills, west of Durban. It's believed one vehicle rear ended the other which led to the collision. Three others from the second vehicle have been injured and are receiving treatment at a Durban hospital. Rescue Care's Garrith Jamie...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidooo - Children in South Africa spend more than three hours a day looking at digital monitors. That's according to a 2018 Healthy Active Kids South Africa report from the University of Cape Town's Sports Science Institute of South Africa. Durban dance organisation “The City Celebration Charitable Trust” (CCCT) says parents should av...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Eskom has announced Stage 2 load shedding for today, going into the rest of the week and even the festive period. This is due to technical problems at its coal fire power stations. The power utility has also cited low levels of water and diesel at its facilities in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal as another factor that led t...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - President Cyril Ramaphosa is TODAY expected to name the new National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) at the Union Buildings. This follows public interviews of five nominees shortlisted by an advisory panel chaired by Energy Minister, Jeff Radebe. The nominees to head up the NDPP are Advocates Shamina Batohi, Siyabulela M...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Motorists are in for an early Christmas gift following the Department of Energy announcing that both 93 and 95 grades of petrol will decrease by one-rand-84 per litre on Wednesday. Diesel will decrease by between one-rand-45 and one-rand-47, while illuminating paraffin decreases by 78 cents. Economist Professor Dilip Garach say...