Newsbreak

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Knocked out unconscious for around an hour, waking up to several injuries as the result of a beating to her head and face - for nine years this was the reality of now 35-year-old gender-based violence survivor, Kimona Naidoo from Germiston, in the East Rand region of Gauteng. With the country observing 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Chi...

By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - A massive explosion has rocked a chemical plant at Otto Volek Road at Pinetown West of Durban. All services are on scene trying to contain the blaze. Videos on social media show billowing flames fanned by the wind followed by multiple mini explosions. Several people have been injured and are being treated on scene. There have been no casualties reporte...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni believes that former president Jacob Zuma's corruption case will go on for a longer period than expected. Fikeni says even if convicted of any crimes Zuma is unlikely to face jail time or sanctions because of his age and health issues. This after the case against the former President and his co-accused, French Arms Manufactur...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - "The ANC is no longer representing the interests of society, and is rather looking to further the personal agendas of its members". That's the view of political analyst, Xolani Dube, ahead of the much anticipated outcomes of the ANC National Executive Committee meeting. The NEC is said to be discussing the political future of all party leaders who are facing...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - A six-month-old boy baby has been found dead in his cot - allegedly with a curtain wrapped around his neck at Everest Heights, north of Durban. KwaZulu-Natal police have are investigating an inquest into the baby's death. Provincial Spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The matric class of 2020 have expressed mixed reaction towards their fellow learners who attended 'Rage' festivals around the country which have been deemed "super-spreader events" for COVID-19. This comes after a spike in cases of the virus were tracked back to learners that attended the festival across the country. The Health Department has since called on...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Local cannabis activists excited by the news that the United Nations (UN) drug agency voted to remove the plant from the most tightly controlled category of narcotic drugs. This follows the World Health Organisation's recommendation to make research into its medical use easier. There are around 900,000 marijuana farmers in South Africa, and approximately 20 m...

Pfizer and AstraZeneca have sought emergency use approvals for their vaccines in India, while Russia offered to produce 100 million doses of its Covid shots locally. Authorities meanwhile, have begun ramping up storage capacity ahead of the gigantic task of immunizing every Indian against the deadly virus. Rana Sen reports...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Christmas came early for a Johannesburg resident - having won R5.6-million in the National Lottery. The man, who must remain anonymous for privacy reasons, has been playing the winning numbers - 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, for the past four years - and finally won big. The winning numbers in numerical order turned 20 people into PowerBall multi-millionares last wee...

By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The recently released Victims of Crime (VoC) report has revealed that KwaZulu-Natal is fast becoming the country's next crime capital. That's according to DA KZN Spokesperson on Community Safety and Liaison, Sharon Hoosen. The province reported the highest number of households that experienced housebreakings between April 2019 and March 2020. The figure comes...

By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The National Teachers Union or NATU says the decision for matric learners to rewrite two exam papers after they were found to have been leaked is 'painful'. This after Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga announced on Friday that learners will rewrite Mathematics paper two and Physical Science paper two on the 15th and 17th of this month. Meanwhile, teach...

By Newsbreak producer Tashlan Naidoo -The man accused of the murder of 9-year old Miguel Louw from the Durban suburb of Sydenham in 2018 has been found guilty on all the charges against him. The Durban High Court handed down judgement in the trial of Mohamed Ebrahim this morning. He has been charged with theft, kidnapping and murder. Miguel Louw's body was found near Ebrahim's home in Phoenix, nor...

By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - What started as a rather ambitious expedition for two cyclist has turned into an upcoming film showcasing their extraordinary adventure across 27 countries. Titled "Everything in Between, the film documents cyclists, Ron Rutland and James Owens during their 22,000 km journey from London to Tokyo to deliver the golden whistle used to start the 2019 Rugby Worl...

By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Community members from Merebank and Wentworth in the south Durban basin vow to shutdown the area on Wednesday, following the lack of support received from Engen Refinery management over the explosion which rocked the area on Friday last week. Reports indicate that members from the community were denied access to a meeting held by the responsible parties, to d...

Indian movie megastar Rajinikanth will launch his own political party in Tamil Nadu in January 2021. Elections will be held there next summer. His adoring fans celebrated the much-awaited announcement with fireworks in the southern state where cinema has produced some of the region's greatest mass leaders. Our South Asian correspondent, Rana Sen reports...

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - In our 1860 focus this morning we look back at the efforts of the seine netters and how they helped to establish the Durban fishing industry. During their five year indenture period, the Indian fisher-folk would cast their nets at night, with the large hauls of marine-life providing extra food for their table. When their Indentured contracts were up for renew...

By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - At the launch of the "16 Days of Activism" campaign, Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said women and children in SA continue to live in a constant state of fear. And this = according to Sheik Walid El Saadi of the Muslim World League - is because humanity is losing its culture. Sheik El Saadi was speaking at the intr...

By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - A 19-year-old computer and electrical engineering student from the University of Cape Town has documented the sad reality of an unjust schooling system in South Africa. Shameera Cassim, was placed first in this year's "Youth Essay Writing Competition Against Racism" hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. Her essay tells a story of how students continue to...

By Newsbreak Talk Presenter, Taresh Harreepershad and newsbreak Talk Producer, Rachel Vadi. Education stakeholders including, teachers' union, SADTU, and students' body, COSAS, are planning to go to court to challenge Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga's decision to get matric learners to rewrite the exam papers that were leaked. On Friday, Motshekga announced that matric learners would rewr...

By Newsbreak Talk Presenter Taresh Harreepershad and Newsbreak Talk Producer, Rachel Vadi. A time to honour people with disabilities: but what is it that they really want? On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the South African Disability Alliance says disabled people in the country have nothing to celebrate. December third has been recognised by the United Nations as a day to pro...

by SABC News reporter, Jayed-Leigh Paulse - Engen says an investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the explosion. But public affairs manager Thandeka Cele says that Engen does everything possible in terms of their maintainence of the plant...

India's government will meet protesting farmers on Saturday to try and break a deadlock over three divisive farm laws. The agitation has hit supplies to Delhi as thousands of people blocked highways for the ninth straight day to the nation's capital to demand assured price for their produce. Rana Senn reports......

by Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - One in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence. This is the alarming statistic reported by the World Health Organisation. A non-profit organisation will host a free legal clinic at the Durban Book Fair at Mitchell Park, offering help as the country observes 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. Chairperson of the So...

by Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Now, this is not the first such incident at Engen Oil Refinery- with the last major explosion occurring five years ago. According to local organisations, their calls for better maintainence practices at the plant has fallen on deaf ears. They say this is why residents lives are constantly at stake. Anwar Khan is from the Wentworth Rennaisance Committee...

by Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Hareeparshad - the community has been visibly shaken up by the explosion. Here are eye witness accounts...