Newsbreak

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - To more news on a story that broke last week, that government's efforts in trying to procure COVID-19 vaccines may result in a wealth tax or increase in VAT. According to Director of Merchant Africa and economist, Lavan Gopaul this wealth tax could target South Africans whose assets are worth more than R3.6-million. Even though national treasury says there is...

by Newsbreak Talk Producer/Presenter, Taresh Harreeparshad - President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa deliveres a heartfelt eulogy at Minister Jackson Mthembu's funeral. AND, funeral directors respond to allegations of the high cost of funerals during #Covid19inSA #Pandemic

by Newsbreak Producer/Presenter, Taresh Harreeparshad - COVID-19 deaths have weighed heavily on the heart- and the pocket. Exorbitant costs of funerals have left many family members even more distraught. Some have taken to social media to lament the high cost of funerals in these unprecedented times.

by Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Funeral plans have been finalisd for the late Minister Jackson Mthembu. Mthembu passed away yesterday following Covid-19 related complications. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala was recalling his working relations with Minister Mthembu in the province. Zikalala says at this stage the family should be allowed to discuss how they want to bid farewell...

by Newsbreak Producer, Matthew Veeran - Non-profit organisation the Aryan Benevolent Home (ABH) has embarked on upgrading its existing ABH VJ Kara Family Centre - a facility for victims of domestic violence. Ambitious plans are in place to set up a new double-storey centre, which will contain 620 square meters of floorspace and come at an estimated cost of R2.4 million. Over the years, the home ha...

By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - US President Joe Biden is sending out a message of not targeting people on the basis of race and religion. This has been the reaction to Biden's decision to lift the travel ban, imposed by former US President Donald Trump, against so called Muslim countries. Naeem Jinnah from the Afro Middle East Peace Centre says that this suggests that Biden is lookin...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - A 56-year-old woman has died while at a hotel room with her brother-in-law at Wick Street, in Verulam, north of Durban. Prem Balram, Spokesperson for local security company, Reaction Unit South Africa, says the woman became unresponsive leading to the man calling emergency services. Balram says the woman was declared deceased at the scene...

Tributes continue to pour in, following the death of Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu. Mthembu died yesterday due to Covid-19 related complications. He was admitted to hospital last week, following abdominal pains and tested positive for Coronavirus. He was 62 years old. Abongile Dumako reports...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - A joint action civil lawsuit is currently being drafted against the eThekwini Municipality by residents from the south of Durban who suffered water cuts for almost two weeks this year. Attorney Anand Neapul will be heading the action, in which the residents claim a violation of their basic human rights, lack of accountability and corruption. Community activis...

Health policy expert at the Free Market Foundation, Eustace Davie, believes depriving South Africans access to the Ivermectin drug is unconstitutional. This as pressure mounts on government and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority or SAHPRA to allow for the legal use of the human formulation of Ivermectin. While South Africa mainly allows for the use of the veterinary version of...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The man allegedly responsible for murdering his partner is expected to appear at Germiston Magistrate's Court, east of Gauteng today. It's alleged that the suspect killed his 32-year-old girlfriend, who was the mother of his two-year-old child, and sold her car after dumping her body in an open space in Heidelberg. Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Kay Mak...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - 'Hospital heroes also need support to get through the Covid-19 pandemic'. With that in mind, Western Cape resident, Kilona Radia has partnered with Gift of the Givers Foundation to provide snacks and refreshments to frontline healthcare workers. The campaign calls on the public to donate snacks and refreshments to help energize front-line hospital workers. Ra...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo and Taresh Harreeparshad - Hitting the ground running has become the order of the day- as newly inaugurated United States President Joe Biden reversed several key policies implemented by the Trump administration just hours after being sworn in. Biden immediately ended construction plans of the US/Mexico border wall, cancelled the Muslim travel ban, rejoined the...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Within hours of taking the helm as President of the United States, Joe Biden signed a number of executive orders tackling issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and racial injustice. He has also recommitted the nation to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and ordered face masks to be worn on federal property. President Biden is also expected...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Netcare has launched a support line to keep next-of-kin informed on the status of their loved ones who have been hospitalised due to Covid-19. Patients with the virus are not allowed visitors due to the preventative protocols in place. This has led to many patients feeling isolated and lonely while recuperating in hospital. Now - where possible, Netcare's "FA...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - India have started exporting COVID-19 vaccines this week, paving the way for many mid and lower-income countries to get supplies of the easy-to-store AstraZeneca drug. Reports suggest that India plan to ship millions of doses around the world, within the next few days. In South Africa, the vaccines are expected in the country later this month. Meanwhile, the...

By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - What started out as a hobby has now turned into a fully-fledged mini-garden, producing vegetables for the business and the kitchen. Cape Town entrepreneur, Roxanne Khan turned lockdown woes into profit. She also trades the organic fresh produce on the group "Durbanville Exchange Cape Town". Speaking to Salma Patel, Khan explains why a lockdown garden c...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The National Freedom Party (NFP) is confident that its application seeking to approve the emergency use of Ivermectin, will soon show results. The NFP have applied to the Department of Health and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). They are in the process of having the SAHPRA appear before the portfolio committee on health, to rev...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal has reached out to the Department of Economic Development to investigate local funeral parlours for alleged fraudulent activity. The DA say these parlours are overcharging families, once their loved ones have passed on from COVID-19. DA MP Haniff Hoosen has since made a list of 10 families, that have been charged addit...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Tropical storm 'Eloise' will soon turn into a tropical cyclone as it is set to intensify in the coming days. This is according to forecaster for the South African Weather Service (SAWS), Kgoloselo Mahlangu. First positioned off the north-eastern quadrant of Madagascar, the storm is expected to make its way into parts of South Africa in the coming days. Mahlan...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - There is a strong security contingent with more than 20-thousand national guards across Washington DC ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president and Kamala Devi Harris as vice-president. The city is braced for a potential extremist attack like the violence seen on January 6th - when pro-Trump rioters broke into the Capitol building. FBI inte...

By Newsbreak Producers Matthew Veeran and Hoosen Ebrahim - On the eve of his inauguration, US President-elect Joe Biden led a ceremony to remember the some 400-thousand American lives lost related to COVID-19.The US has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections and COVID19-related fatalities. Biden will be inaugurated later today amid heightened security. Plenty of change is expected u...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - COVID-19 has claimed the life of medical professional, social activist and humanitarian, Dr. Arthi Ramkissoon. Dr Ramkissoon - who was the founder and CEO of the KZN Children's Hospital Trust, passed away earlier this week. Known for her humanitarian efforts, she famously gained the support of Sir Elton John and his AIDS Foundation, through which R50 million...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - It's day 300 of the national lockdown and feeding the sick and needy remains at the top of the agenda for food-relief programme "Merebank Food for Life". From 1,000 meals a day at the start of lockdown to 6,000 now, the part-time organisation hopes to feed as many people as possible during the pandemic. Chairperson of Merebank Food for Life, Paul Pillay, welc...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Elands Bay on the West Coast, 220km north of Cape Town has been exposed to a harmful algal bloom, better known as a red tide - building up to dangerous levels in the recent times. The washed up marine species include, rock lobsters, octopus, white mussels and some fish species. Poisoning may either take place through the consumption of contaminated seafood or...