Newsbreak

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Clean-up operations have intensified on the island nation of Mauritius, which has been devastated by a massive oil spill. A Japanese tanker called the "MV Wakashio" hit a coral reef last month and began leaking into the picaresque oceans a week ago. Reports suggest the ship was sailing without cargo and departed from China en r...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - A diversification of the Democratic Party's bid to secure the 2019 US Presidential election. That's largely been the view of Kamal Devi Harris- who was announced as the Vice President candidate alongside Joe Biden. 55 year old Harris is of Indian-Jamaican descent- and if elected will become the Us's first female and first...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - While the technology sector continuously evolves, so have women in the world of tech. A decade ago - while still in her twenties - Nazreen Ebrahim from Woodview, in Phoenix, north of Durban, decided to go the tech route and build her own technology business. Today, the now CEO of "Socially Acceptable" explains how technology ha...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Two fake Facebook accounts have been identified using the name and pictures of eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda. According to Mayoral Spokesperson Mluleki Mntungwa one of the bogus accounts lures people under the promise of jobs at the Municipality's Durban Solid Waste Unit. Mntungwa says once caught, the...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Durban-based attorney Saber Ahmed Jazbhay says he highly doubts the authenticity of a photo making its rounds on social media - with statistics showing that close to 700 South African Muslims have died of COVID-19. The image - which also shows a breakdown of fatalities per province - indicates that more than 400 Muslim men and...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Media personality and close friend of the late Bob Mabena, Kenny Maistry says he will remember the veteran broadcaster fondly. Mabena died of what's suspected to be cardiac arrest yesterday - after a short stay in a Johannesburg Hospital. The 51-year-old worked in radio and broadcasting since 1989 and over the years his voice c...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - The COVID-19 pandemic is significantly impacting businesses and the economy. On the African continent, businesses have lost billions as they battle to adapt to the current economic climate. It has also resulted in massive job losses. Business stakeholders - from SMME's to top-suite executives are now being given a life-line to...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Paramedics in KwaZulu-Natal are raising concerns about the non-compliance of lockdown regulations by motorists in the province. This after multiple road accidents were recording in KZN over the long weekend. One man was killed after he lost control of his vehicle on the Higginson Highway, while eight people were injured in a h...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - A group of paediatric experts are calling on government to reopen schools for all learners. The Paediatrician Management Group (PMG) and the South African Paediatric Association (SAPA) have been speaking out against government's decision to close public schools, saying the decision is not based on scientific evidence. Presiden...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - As Grade seven learners are expected to return to school this morning, the Education department has warned against people trying to disrupt learning and sabotage the academic year. Members of school governing bodies have made threats against the opening of schools, saying it is unacceptable and too dangerous to do so. Grade 7 l...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - Fever, body aches and pain are among the most common symptoms of COVID-19 and are also associated with other viral infections, including influenza. While these symptoms can be quite unpleasant, Medipost Pharmacy's - Ria Westerman says they can be managed at home on the advice of a health-care professional. Westerman says often whe...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Triple-finalist and Springbok Women's captain - Babalwa Latsha - tops the list of nominees for the 2020 Momentum Gsport Awards. This year will mark the 15th edition of the longest-running women's sports awards in the country, having been endorsed by Sport and Recreation South Africa in 2015. The diverse list of 60 finalists fea...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The 1860 Indian-origin women stood up against discrimination despite being poor and female. These are the sentiments of historian, Kiru Naidoo. While already challenged by the fight for their human rights which both men and women faced, women however also faced sexism and opposition against their need in and ability to be part...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Talk Presenter, Taresh Harreeparshad KwaZulu-Natal Health HOD, Dr. Sandile Tshabalala provides some insight into what went wrong at the Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, following the death of 67-year old Sibusiso Khumalo in a makeshift structure outside the hospital.

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - As we continue the build-up to Women's Day this Sunday, the story of forgotten women who fought for democracy is now being expressed through the writings of Johannesburg author, Shanthini Naidoo. In her book titled "Women in Solitary", Naidoo explores the female experience of activism and how women take on additional political...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - Hailing from Chatsworth, south of Durban, 25-year-old medical doctor Karishma Govender, has been selected as one of the top 10 finalists for the Miss South Africa pageant 2020. Now living in Johannesburg, Govender is amongst a group of 10 South African women set to run for the title of Miss South Africa, announced this week. Sp...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - The values promoted by peace leaders of the world in the present situation is the theme for the this year's annual Mahatma Gandhi Essay Competition - hosted by the Gandhi Development Trust. Spokesperson Satish Dhupelia says the inspiration for the theme was the response from world leaders in how they deal with the COVID-19 pandemi...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Family, friends, students and the teaching fraternity at Chatsworth, south of Durban are still battling to come to terms with the untimely passing of Apollo Secondary School teacher - Suraya Naidoo. She passed away earlier this week after a long battle with COVID-19, aged 57. Her husband had contracted the deadly virus and pass...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak's Rana Senn - India will allow the world class universities to open campuses in the country and propel the nation well into the 21st century. But it also ruled junior school students should study in their mother tongue and not in English which has ignited a debate on the future of education. Rana Senn has the details...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - KwaZulu-Natal police are investigating if there is a link between two murders that occurred north of Durban. A 44-year-old man succumed to a gunshot wound after being shot allegedly by an unknown man at Blackburn Village, near Verulam. It's been reported that he sustained a gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead upon...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) released the latest figures of COVID19 within its facilities, which now stand at a cumulative total of 5592 cases with 79 deaths. There are currently 1772 active cases, comprising of 1038 officials and 189 inmates, and the recovery rate stands at just over 76%. Gauteng had the most...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - Two senior officials from Pietermaritzburg's Northdale Hospital have been suspended following the death of 67-year old Sibusiso Khumalo in a makeshift structure outside the hospital. The precautionary suspension is to allow for further investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of Khumalo. Meanwhile, daught...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - This Women's Month - a local Durban organisation is shifting their focus to young women. The Seva Bhakti Foundation has launched "The Big Sister Initiative" - where close to 100 impoverished adolescent girls will be given toiletries and sanitary packs. In addition, they will be provided with a life skills set to help them...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Clean up operations continue in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon following a deadly explosion on Tuesday that left more than a 100 people dead and thousands injured. Lebanese President Michel Aoun confirmed that ammonium nitrate - often used in fertilisers and bombs - caused the devastating explosion. Reports suggest the chemical...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - This week marked the death anniversaries of two forgotten heroes in anti-apartheid activist - Dr. Hoosen Haffejee AND Black Consciousness leader - Mapetla Mohapi. While these men came from differing backgrounds, they fought for the same cause and in the end were both condemned to deaths of a similar fate. On the 2nd of August 1...