Newsbreak

By Newbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The medical fraternity and the Pietermaritzburg community has been hit with a huge loss following the passing of 78-year-old Family Physician, Professor Mohammed Hoosen Cassimjee. Also known as "Lee", Cassimjee passed away earlier this week due to Covid-19 complications. Among his many contributions, during KwaZulu-Natal's Seven-Day War at Edenvale Valley - he...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Large crowds of mourners are expected to attend the funeral service of the late alleged drug King pin Yaganathan Pillay, commonly known as Mafia Teddy from Shallcross, South of Durban tomorrow, which is causing concern that it could become a COVID19 super spreader event. Pillay's daughter, Navechnie Chunder, says the funeral will take place at the family home...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - As the country eagerly awaits positive news as to when the Covid-19 vaccine would reach our shores, the Health Department's Deputy Director General, Dr Anban Pillay told Newsbreak that South Africa is on track with other first world country's in receiving the vaccine fairly. Dr Pillay says that the plan to vaccinate 10 percent of the population would see fron...

Creators of the Oxford vaccine have asserted most coronavirus antidotes developed so far would hold up against new strains of the disease that have now emerged. The assurance came as Britain said it was "incredibly worried" a mutant found in South Africa was a bigger threat than the highly-contagious UK variant. Rana Senn reports..

by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Doctors and healthcare workers are lobbying for the use of the drug Ivermectin to treat and prevent the Coronavirus as infections and deaths spike. Specialist infectious disease physician at the Lenmed Shifaa Hospital, Dr Farida Amod, says while the vaccine is being procured and rolled out, Ivermectin can help to reduce the number of infections and de...

by Newsbreak Producer, Hoosen Ebrahim - Burial societies and undertakers in Durban are preparing more gravesites to bury the dead due to the current spike in Covid-19 deaths. That's according to Ahmed Paruk whose the Vice Chairperson of the Undertakers Forum. He says that Coronavirus-related deaths have spiked across all sectors and all religious groups. The alarm was raised after a video showing...

Navechnie Chunder who is the daughter of late alleged Durban kingpin - Yaganathan Pillay, commonly known as Teddy Mafia has denied that her father was a drug lord. Pillay was shot dead by unknown suspects at his home in Shallcross. Chunder says although there were negative reports about Pillay, he was a good example to the community. Khalesakhe Mbhense reports.......

by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - A gut-wrenching poem written by award winning author, poetess and lecturer, Fiona Khan, has captured the attention of many on social media. Khan who has lost so many relatives and friends to COVID19 complications, says expressing one's feelings through poetry or prose during this trying time is a form of therapy......

by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Some malls in Durban have come under fire for not following the COVID19 protocols and regulations in lockdown level 3. Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and DA Councillor, Haniff Hoosen, says he visited the Chatsworth Centre recently and was appalled at the huge crowds at the centre, some without masks and no sanitization......

Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize says they are expediting the delivery of a coronavirus vaccine in South Africa. He says structures have been set up to speed up the rollout of the vaccine. He was addressing an online media conference amid calls for government to rapidly make a vaccine available. Frontline health workers, essential workers and the most vulnerable are to receive the vaccine first. Dita...

India has authorized the emergency use of two coronavirus vaccines developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and by local firm - Bharat Biotech. Nearly 100-thousand trained health workers will soon start giving the shots to 300 million people in the first installment of the world's biggest innoculation drive. Rana Senn reports...

by Newsbreak Producer, Hoosen Ebrahim - Three people are to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrates Court this morning after gold weighing 73.5 kilograms, valued at 61-million-rand was found in their hand luggage at the OR Tambo International Airport. The trio had just flown into South Africa from Madagascar and were en route to Dubai via Ethiopia. The gold bars and some foreign currency were disco...

by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Religious organisation, The South African Hindu Maha Sabha, is urging temple bodies and affiliates to adhere to the level 3 lockdown regulations by keeping places of worship closed. Sabha President, Ashwin Trikamjee says devotees and worshippers MUST avoid crowds in large gatherings and pray at home as much as possible.....

The KwaZulu-Natal government has expressed concern that the province has recorded over five-thousand new coronavirus infections a day since the 30th of December. Residents have been urged to abide by regulations and treat everyone as a potential infection risk. Nonhlakanipho Magwaza reports . . .

by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Comedian and entertainer, Bash With Tash, has come up with a novel way to pay tribute to and motivate nurses who are taking strain during this 2nd wave of the covid19 pandemic. She is encouraging people to fill a little box with treats and a special thank you note for workers on the frontline. Tash says its a small token of appreciation....... if you...

by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - More than seven-hundred people have been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal for failure to comply with adjusted level 3 lockdown regulations. Premier Sihle Zikalala says more than three-hundred were arrested for failing to wear masks in public. Countrywide police have been conducting raids, but most people have been adhereing to the lockdown regulations. Natio...

By Newsbreak Talk Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Today we are talking crime with National Police Spokesperson brig Vishnu Naidoo. The New Years weekend is still here but did we see a difference as the country battles the 2nd wave in Lockdown level 3?

By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel and Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The numbers are becoming names! How do you provide support to and help people deal with losing family and friends to #COVID19, we speak to social worker Velo Govender...

By Newsbreak Producer's Tashlan Naidoo and Taliesha Naidoo - The COVID19 virus has claimed the life of yet another anti-aprtheid activist, attorney and sportsman. Hailed as a great community leader and part of the fabric that the Chatsworth community south of Durban is made up of, friends and colleagues of the late attorney Siven Samuel are left devastated. Samuel passed away from COVID19 related...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - As the number of covid19 infections rise amid the 2nd wave, the numbers are certainly turning into people close to home. A number of high profile community leaders have also succumed to covid 19 complications such as Durban Musician, Pravesh Khelawan, Dr Mohamed Amla - the father of Proteas cricketing great, Hashim Amla, and Chatsworth lawyer and activist Siv...

The first breakthrough has come in talks between India's farmers opposing new reforms and the government. Despite a harsh cold wave, thousands of protesters have been squatting in the open for over a month to demand the repeal of the legislation they say will benefit rich corporations. Rana Sen reports...

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - A rainy New Years Eve and New Years Day is expected in most provinces with possible heavy rain in places over KwaZulu Natal, Free State, the North West Province and Mpumalanga. According to Forecaster for the South African Weather Service, Lehlohonolo Thobela, the rainfall is expected to continue into the weekend (2-3 January 2021). The rain is due to tropic...

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - 'Ivermectin', deemed by some as a "miracle-cure" for Covid-19, is a medication used to treat types of parasitic infestations - and is believed by some medical professionals to treat the Coronavirus. The drug has been deemed unlawful by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. Meanwhile, Ear, nose and throat surgeon in Johannesburg, Dr Martin G...

The word of the year was "lockdown" and that basically summed up 2020. It started off as twenty plenty and quickly turned into a new normal - with the State of Disaster being declared, curfews enforced, cigarettes and alcohol banned. All with the intention of stopping the dreaded Coronavirus from spreading any further. Salma Patel takes a quick look back at the year that was.........

By Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - A significant increase in fuel prices is expected going into the New Year. That's according to the Automobile Assocation. Petrol is expected to rise by 43-cents a litre, and diesel and illuminating paraffin by 55-cents. The predicted increases come at a time when many people are feeling the economic effects of Covid-19. Spokesperson for the AA, Layton Beard....