Newsbreak

By Newsbreak Producer, Taliesha Naidoo - The former vice-chancellor of Wits University - Professor Adam Habib has landed himself in hot water. Calls have been mounting for him to resign as Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. This after he used the "N-word' during a webinar over the weekend. He did so while responding to a question from students about...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - amaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has had a colourful political history in KwaZulu-Natal throughout his 50 years of reign. The King has been accused of "meddling" in KZN politics to conspiring with the Mozambican government in 1979 - by the then IFP leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. These and other allegations, prompted the KwaZulu-Natal government to issue a...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - A 34-year-old suspect is expected to appear at the Vryheid Magistrates Court today for the possession of R1.5 million counterfeit goods. Police spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala says the suspect was arrested on Saturday morning, transporting the goods from eManguzi near the Mozambique border towards Newcastle. Captain Gwala says that while police are making g...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - The relationship between the late AmaZulu king Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and the people of Indian origin in KwaZulu-Natal is a significant and historical one. This is according to curator of the 1860 Heritage Centre, Selvan Naidoo. He says the King should be honoured and remembered not just in history books but in the hearts and minds of all people. Naido...

By Newsbreak Producer, Taliesha Naidoo - Acclaimed film producer and entrepreneur, Anant Singh has won an almost two decade-long court battle for a prime Durban beachfront site that will be developed into a film studio. In 2003, the eThekwini municipality sold the historic Army's old Natal Command site to Singh's Rinaldo Investments for R15million. But the deal faced various court challenges by la...

By Newsbreak Talk Presenter and Producer, Taresh Harreepershad - The right to protest. The responsibility to protect. But were these lines blurred this week? At the Wits University protest, an innocent life was lost; allegedly at the hands of police. Students laid their demands bare. #NewsbreakTalk discuses student protests and police brutality with Professor Graeme Bloch from the University of Jo...

By Newsbreak Presenter Taresh Harreepershad and Newsbrek Producer, Rachel Vadi. - Tributes are pouring in following the death of AmaZulu King -- Goodwill Zwelithini ka BhekuZulu. The 72-year old King succumbed to COVID-19 related complications at the Durban's Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in the early hours of Friday morning. The king had been in hospital for five weeks. He was admitted t...

By Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - Arrangements are being made for the body of His Majesty, King Goodwill Zwelithini to lie in state later today at the Royal Palace in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal. Former leader of the IFP and the traditional Prime Minister of the AmaZulu monarchy - Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi says this is to allow the thousands who are expected to pay their respects to King...

By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Genevieve Lanka - 72-year old King #GoodwillZwelithini has passed away in hospital during the night. King Goodwill Zwelithini's father - King Cyprian Bhekuzulu died in 1968. According to traditional Prime Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi, The King was admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital on 2 February 2021 due to diabetes. His reign has seen the revi...

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - It's the end of an era. Earlier this week we received the news of the passing of Dutch engineer Lou Ottens - the inventor of the cassette tape. Ottens died at the age of 94, but his contribution to audio technology will never be forgotten, as an estimated 100 billion cassette tapes have been sold around the world since they were first introduced in the 60's....

By Newsbreak Producer Genevieve Lanka - The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vast gaps in infrastructure funding and inequalities within the South Africa schooling system. According to Social Investment Analyst - Sibusiso Lukhele - well resourced schools such as private establishments and quintile 4 and 5 schools - were able to switch to online learning in one form or another. However, the vast major...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - A 21-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrates court today for the murder of a student. Durban University of Technology (DUT) student Sifundo Mhlongo was fatally stabbed in the neck in early January while at his student residence. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala the suspect was found hiding in the Isipingo area s...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - "Universities and employers run the risk of costly legal action and reputational damage when they hire people who have falsified their qualifications". That's according to Professor Saritha Beni, Associate Director for Mancosa. Now in an attempt to clamp down on such issues, a block chain based diploma certification service will look to help reduce the risk o...

By Newsbreak Producer Genevieve Lanka - Another police officer has been gunned down in KwaZulu-Natal. This time, the officer was responding to a case at Mountain Rise in Pietermaritzburg when a shootout with a suspect ensued. The officer was fatally shot in the head. Just last week, a police officer was killed at Umkomaas, on the province's south coast, while on his way to work. Police spokesperso...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Play time is also learning time and has the ability to help with dealing with pandemic-induced anxiety. These are the sentiments of Country Manager for LEGO South Africa, Kristian Imhof. While many parents have been on what can only be described as an emotional roller-coaster, children are also facing yet another year of limited extra mural and social activit...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - A 51-year-old mother stabbed to death, a 65-year-old man bound with rope and killed and a 77-year-old man robbed and left unconscious. These are just some of the brutal acts of crime that have rocked the area of Pinetown, west of Durban. Muriel Armugam, a senior nurse who worked at the R.K Khan Hospital in Chatsworth, south of Durban, was fatally stabbed in t...

By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - The Sandton business district is raring to restart trade once again as the country remains in lockdown level one to curb the spread of the Coronavirus. The Sandton Tourism and Business Association - a non profit organisation - says hospitality industries are already operating under the new normal. Most of Johannesburg's wealth is concentrated in Sandto...

By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - Police and crime expert David Bruce says the use of rubber bullets by South African police at protests is "problematic". Yesterday police fired rubber bullets during student protest action at Wits University in Johannesburg. A civilian was alleged shot dead and many other students were injured during the course of the day. Now, the Independent Police In...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Stanley Malematja from the Right2Protest Project - an organisation that offers legal support to all protesters across the country - says once there is any incitement of violence at a protest, it de-legitimises the cause. He says students are well in their rights to protest for their right to higher education, but burning of tyres and blocking off traffic take...

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - South Africa's first World Heritage Site the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park, together with Tourism KwaZulu-Natal are on a drive to bring the sector back to its former glory. This month the once popular tourist destination is moving away from its government backed model through its new "commercialisation strategy". This new strategy will include the development of...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Two suspects are set to appear in the Somerset West Magistrates Court in the Western Cape tomorrow after they were found in possession of drugs worth half-a-million-rand. The bust was part of ongoing intelligence driven operations in the province aimed at stopping the manufacturing and distribution of drugs. Provincial HAWKS spokesperson Zindzi Hani says they...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The brutal killing of a senior nurse has sent shock waves across the the community. 51-year-old Muriel Armugam, who worked at the RK Khan Hospital, south of Durban, was stabbed in the neck earlier this week during an alleged home invasion at Pinetown, west of Durban. Her husband, Dennis Armugam, was also injured during the incident. Board chairperson for RK K...

By Newsbreak South Asian Correspondent Rana Senn - India's elderly were showing more muscle than the priority personnel who hesitated after the launch of the country's Covid vaccination drive. The gritty enthusiasm has taken health workers by surprise as they faced senior citizens with sleeves rolled up at inoculation clinics across cities and towns. Rana Senn reports...

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Import tariffs introduced last year on poultry is catapulting prices to alarming levels. Recent statistics published by the South African National Consumer Union show that a bag of frozen chicken portions rose from R63.87 to R77.61 - an increase of close to 10% in just one year. With no respite in sight and talks of further import tariff increases in 2021, co...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Contact-less payment is now for many the new normal with mobile technology making it easier and safer to make purchases. Amongst these tech developments is virtual bank cards. Moving away from plastic bank cards, this virtual option contributes to user safety in a world affected by fraudulent online activity. In this week's TechnoTouch, we speak to JustMoney...