Newsbreak

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Due to South Africa's questionable vaccination rollout plan, medical experts and health care professionals are continuing to issue a warning regarding a possible third wave of COVID-19. Some are saying that the target of vaccinating health-care workers has failed miserably and that we are far behind in terms of targets. Meanwhile, the Gauteng Covid Command Co...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Today marks World TB day and Non-Profit Organisation "TB HIV Care" believe that X-Ray technology and lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to successfully eradicate the disease in the country by 2030. The organisation works to prevent, find and treat TB and HIV in South Africa. Supervising radiographer at the organisation, Natalie Sprague says containe...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The funeral service of the late anti-apartheid activist and struggle stalwart Charm Govender is currently underway at the Kharwastan Civic Hall at Chatsworth, south of Durban. Govender, who is the husband of member of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature - Maggie Govender - passed away on Monday at the age of 59. Govender began his activism as a student a...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The Durban University of Technology has condemned acts of violence during a protest this morning outside its Steve Biko Campus. It remains unclear the reason behind the protest at this stage. Video footage on social media show a clash between two groups of protestors, some turning violent. Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at DUT, Alan Khan, calls on stude...

The tourism industry in KwaZulu-Natal is gearing up for the upcoming Easter weekend. Provincial Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Ravi Pillay, says it will be critical to ensure that all hospitality establishments are compliant with COVID-19 regulations. Despite concerns around a possible third wave due to the coronavirus, KwaZulu-Natal is expecting visitors to the provin...

More funding and advocacy is needed to control the Tuberculosis (TB) epidemic in South Africa. This is the message from The South African National Tuberculosis Association (SANTA) ahead of World TB Day tomorrow under the theme "The Clock is Ticking". Recent data from the World Health Organisation estimates that in 2019, 58,000 people died of TB in South Africa. Wellness Coordinator at SANTA, Seun...

By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - 20 South African children have been given a second chance at life, after being put on the waiting list for corrective heart surgery. This is through a R5 million donation, in memory of the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. While Zwelithini will be remembered for his political activism - it's his cultural regeneration and philanthropic work that stands out. Cha...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Three suspects will appear at the Chatsworth Magistrates Court south of Durban today on charges of unlicensed firearm and ammunition possession. This comes after police received information regarding random gun fire taking place on Taurus Street at Shallcross south of Durban. The late alleged drug kingpin Yaganathan Pillay, better known as Teddy Mafia lived o...

By Newsbreak Producers Tashlan Naidoo and Hoosen Ebrahim - The long weekend has officially come to an end, and many holidaymakers that flocked to KwaZulu-Natal have made their way back home. The N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) yesterday cautioned motorists to be vigilant due to the predicted high numbers of vehicles expected on the roads. N3TC Operations Manager Thania Dhoogra joins us on the line for a...

By Newsbreak Producer and Presenter, Taresh Harreepershad - Human Rights Month 2021 is commemorated under the theme "The Year of Charlotte Maxeke: Promoting Human Rights in the Age of COVID-19". The theme pays tribute to the 150th anniversary of the birth of liberation struggle heroine and human rights campaigner Ms Charlotte Maxeke. The objective of the 2021 Human Rights Month is to contribute to...

An Indian firm will make 200 million doses of Russia's Sputnik Covid-19 vaccine to push its total output to 550 million shots a year. The announcement came amid demands to speed up the inoculation drive and warnings of a rapid upsurge in cases during the Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela next month. Our South Asian correspondent, Rana Senn reports....

By Newsbreak Producer, Taliesha Naidoo - President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a virtual Human Rights Day address on Sunday. In his address, the president said the Constitution commits everyone to human rights values disregarded in the past. Those human rights were fought hard for by anti-apartheid activist, some who made the ultimate sacrifice and were imprisoned on Robben Island in Cape Town. But...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's first task as the newly elected head will be to lead the nation through mourning the death of the late President John Magufuli. 61 year old Hassan previously served as Vice President in Magufuli's administration. Tanzania has a population of around 62 million people. It is a majority Christian nation but has a sizeable...

By Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Social injustice and inequality is keeping racism alive in South Africa. That's the view of youth activist Irfaan Mangera- who works with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. The Foundation has just concluded Anti Racism Week- having had numerous conversations with young people about race. Mangera says to deny people human rights is to challenge their humani...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - Residents of Verulam, north of KwaZulu-Natal have been without water for nine consecutive days. The eThekwini Municipality said the recent load shedding had affected water supply to various areas in the municipality. The eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda says they are working around the clock to ensure that water challenges are resolved. But residents are question...

By Newsbreak Producer, Taliesha Naidoo - A 23-year-old medical student with a passion for medical writing has just published his first book. Ashiq Pramchand's biography titled, 'The Great Medical Student Odyssey- Tales and Adventures in Medical School,' details the experiences students encounter at medical school. Pramchand, who is in his final year at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Nelson R Ma...

By Newsbreak Presenter and Producer, Taresh Harreepershad - Are you experiencing "Zoom fatigue", or are you looking forward to online meetings taking place post the #Covid19 pandemic? #NewsbreakTalk talks to media and communications specialist, Nazareen Ebrahim.

By Newsbreak Presenter and Producer Taresh Harreepershad - Parents and guardians of children are being urged to be keep a close eye on their toddlers- ahead of the festive season. Yesterday a four year old toddler succumbed to his death after he fell from a fourth floor window of a North Beach flat. Netcare 911 paramedics Shawn Herbst explains that the boy was airlifted to hospital- due the extent...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - Five people have died in two separate crashes in KwaZulu-Natal this morning - just ahead of the Human Rights Day long weekend. Two children and an adult female died when two minibus taxis collided on the R61 between Ramsgate and Southbroom, on the south coast - and - in a separate crash, two adults died in a two vehicle collision on the N2 near Kokstad. KZN's E...

By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - Activists and environmentalists are planning a protest this weekend, to stop oil and gas exploration along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. In 2019 The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance joined other similar lobby groups in a court bid to stop the Italian energy group, Eni and Sasol Africa to conduct exploratory drilling, a process that involves noisy...

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - Wits University management have resolved to allow all qualifying students - who applied to the Wits Hardship Fund and the 300 put forward by the Student Representative Council (SRC) - to register. This according to Wits spokesperson, Sharona Patel. This comes amid student protests across the country over fees exclusions due to historical debt. In some quarte...

By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - With more than 177-thousand healthcare workers vaccinated with jabs from Johnson and Johnson, no side-effects resulted in death. That is according to Vice President for Research at the South African Medical Research Council, Professor Jeffrey Mphahlele. Apart from a few cases where hospitalisation was needed, body pain and headaches were some of the other si...

By Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Among his many achievements, amaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini ka BhekuZulu will be remembered for being a well dressed monarch. The Zulu monarch has been interred in a traditional ceremony late last night, in line with Zulu custom. Several dignitaries attended the Zulu Monarch's memorial service including President Cyril Ramaphosa and former South Afr...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Building a stronger healthcare system that removes barriers and digitizes services is key in creating a more responsive healthcare system. Thats according to independent healthcare practitioner, Doctor Shakira Choonara. Dr Choonara was recently a guest speaker at this year's Africa Health Agenda International Conference and she has completed her term at the A...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Six pupils from the Lenasia South Secondary school at Lenasia in Gauteng have been suspended following the brutal attack of a matric learner earlier this week. In a video that surfaced on social media, a group of boys, some of which were wielding a baton and a sword attacked KC Govender outside the school premises. Govender has since been admitted to a local...