Newsbreak

SABC News and Current Affairs — The third suspect in the botched car hijacking which left nine-year-old Sadia Sukhraj of Chatsworth dead, has appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrate's Court on four charges. Sibonelo Mkhize's case has been postponed to today for further investigation. He faces two murder charges as well as charges for theft and kidnapping. One of the three suspects was killed whe...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Prabashini Moodley - Child Protection Week serves no purpose, if the lives of South Africa's most vulnerable are snatched away at the hands of criminals. These are the stern words expressed by child protection activist and former KwaZulu-Natal Childline Director - Joan van Niekerk. This week marks Child Protection Week under the theme "let us p...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Prabashini Moodley - The family of nine-year-old Sadia Sukhraj say, the circumstances under which she died should be seen as a national tragedy. The family are the founders of the Jems Foundation - a non-profit organisation focusing on youth development, poverty alleviation and fighting against societal injustices. The foundation is championing...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Hafsa Mkhize - Preparing Africa to deal with major infectious and topical diseases will take a number of years to achieve with the assistance of African citizens. This is according to UKZN Dean of Research and TIBA Co-Deputy Director - Professor Moses Chimbari. He was responding to the increasing number of diseases entering the continent each y...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - President Cyril Ramaphosa's intention to donate half of his salary to the Nelson Mandela Foundation has been met with mixed feelings. Social media users have circulated messages saying that the President's decision is a way of claiming back money from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) during tax season. Economist Profess...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - As South African banks launch testing phases for Biometric ATMs in South Africa, "Product of the Year" CEO and technology expert Pritesh Sewraj says, consumers are often more concerned more about personal safety than ATM fraud. These ATM's are the same self-service cash machines being used now except the pincode key-pad will be...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Wealthy businessmen who are believed to be laundering money through the 'hawala' system, are now living in fear of being targets of highly-organised kidnapping syndicates. Hawala is a traditional, yet illegal system of transferring money out of a country without going through the banking system, allegedly to evade paying taxes. Over the last three years, more than 4...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Major protest unrest has erupted along Alpine Road surrounding Springfield Park in Durban. Protestors have blockaded the road demanding better service delivery in the region. Police have confirmed that the road has been closed, while urging motorists to avoid the vicinity of Alpine and Henry Roads in Overport. Metro Police Spok...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Hafsa Mkhize - Paramedics have urged mothers not to discard unwanted newborn babies, but rather seek help from the relevant authorities. This after a newborn baby girl was found yesterday afternoon in a dustbin on Smith Street in the Durban CBD. According to ER24 Paramedics spokesperson Russel Meiring, the body of the new-born was found lying i...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Prabashini Moodley - KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liason - Mxolisi Kaunda is calling for calm in the Chatsworth Community. This as residents remain angered by the loss of life after what was a botched hijacking. The MEC will be visiting the area today to meet with police in an effort to speed up investigations. Spokespe...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - An Isipingo resident and his family made the trip to the Chatsworth Police Station, in support of the late Sadia Sukhraj and her family. Afzal Cassim says he cannot believe that local police fired rubber bullets and threw stun grenades without any warning into a crowd that was vastly made up of children and elders...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Proidcuer Hafsa Mkhize - Tensions were high outside the Chatsworth police station on Tuesday afternoon following the arrest of at least 19 community members on Monday night. The angry residents demanded police take control of the spiralling crime in the area. Over a thousand residents gathered outside the police station on Monday evening. According to N...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak's Taresh Harreeparshad - The efficacy of cannabis oil has faced high level debate. While lawmakers continue to engage on it's legalisation- the first facility to roll out the product is ready to open. Will this reduce the risk of unverified products being sold online? Give your views a voice on Newsbreak Talk (producer: Rachel Vadi)

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak's Taresh Harreeparshad - Three children have been kidnapped in KwaZulu-Natal this week- highlighting that child safety cannot be taken for granted. As Child Protection Week begins- we discuss what are the crucial steps to take to ensure that your child is always safe. Give your views a voice on Newsbreak Talk. (producer: Rachel Vadi)

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Frustrated residents who gathered outside the Chatsworth police station last night say police are failing to protect the Chatsworth community...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Prabashini Moodley - Democratic Alliance councillor in Ward 71 - Sharon Hoosen says the party will make an urgent appeal to bring back the anti-hijacking unit to the Chatsworth community. Hoosen was reacting to the hijacking incident in Shallcross yesterday, where a nine-year-old girl was killed. She says, increased policing is a matter of urge...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer - Hoosen Ebrahim - Police have confirmed that around 20 community members have been arrested for public violence following last nights protest action. Police spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala explains how angry community members threw objects at the police station, demanding better law enforcement in the area...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Angry residents of Chatsworth, south of Durban are demanding police take control of the spiralling crime in the area. Over a thousand residents gathered outside the Chatsworth police station yesterday evening over a car hijacking at Shallcross which resulted in the death of a nine-year old school-girl. The protests quickly esc...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Mahatma Gandhi once said, "poverty is the worse form of violence". It is under this ethos that the Phoenix Poverty Reduction Association launched its 'Poverty Awareness Week' in the area, north of Durban. The initiative will run for five days by going to different schools in the Mafukuzela-Gandhi Circuit - holding talks relatin...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Hafsa Mkhize - Schools, parents and guardians need to address and act decisively against bullying in schools. That's according to KwaZulu-Natal South Durban branch Parents Association Chairperson - Vee Gani. Gani was reacting to the latest incident of school bullying at Durban's Sastri College. On Friday a video of the bullying incident went vi...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Durban businessman Vivian Reddy is urging all South African businesses to come to come forward and assist orphaned children in the country. Reddy shared these sentiments with Newsbreak following the unveiling of a newly built cottage at the Lakehaven Child and Youth Care Centre in Sea Cow Lake at the weekend. The cottage will...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Seven suspects who allegedly robbed SBV security guards of an undisclosed amount of cash outside Polokwane in Limpopo yesterday - were arrested last night. A joint operation by various law enforcement units led the police to a house in the Seshego Township where the seven suspects were apprehended. Rifles, ammunition and bags o...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by: Newsbreak Producer Hafsa Mkhize - As the world gears up for "World No Tobacco Day" on Thursday, Executive Director of the National Council Against Smoking (NCAS) - Savera Kalideen says the statistics around smoking are alarming. According to recent reports one in five babies surveyed in two townships had the same level of nicotine in their system as active smoke...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer Hafsa Mkhize - Efforts to clamp down on illegal drag racers might work for a while, but it wouldn't be long before racers are back on the streets. This is according to Chairperson of KwaZulu-Natal Motor Racing - Kas Moodley. He was reacting to a landmark ruling where an alleged illegal drag racer was fined 10,000 rand. Moodley says something ne...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Rachel Vadi - A concerned parent of a learner at Sastri College spoke to Newsbreak about the long duration in which investigations are taking place. He says his grade nine learner is in constant fear of what could happen from bullying at the school. He says it is an unhealthy environment to learn in and the process of the investigations needs...