Newsbreak

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - Corrupt police officials and members of government who go against the lockdown regulations will face the same might of the law that regular citizens do. This is according to Minister of Police Bheki Cele who today visited the Ethekwini Metro to monitor and assess adherence to disaster regulations. Earlier: Minister of Communic...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - A COVID-19 positive patient who had been transferred to a private hospital in Durban has recovered from the coronavirus and is expected to be discharged soon. Chairperson of the Ahmed Al Kadi Private Hospital, Dr Ayoob Moosa Bux says the the stigma, fears and panic around COVID-19 is a major challenge. In part two of th...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - Although the act of distributing food hampers to the poor during the national lockdown is commendable, there are regulations that must be adhered to by distributors. Spokesperson for the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs KwaZulu-Natal, Senzelwe Mzila, says to minimise movement of citizens, no accreditation of indi...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Even Bollywood celebrities must eat but most actors are battling the bulge as the virus lockdown season-1 has taken a terrible toll on many well-sculpted movie stars. Juhi Chawla has taken to organic farming and others were in their kitchens to try and burn the fat before the studious reopen in India's Mumbai city. Rana Senn reports...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - 20 Billion rand has been allocated for emergency water and sanitation provision. This comes as many local communities say they have been experiencing water shortages despite needing to fight the pandemic. Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation Machwene Semenya these funds need to be...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Following on from President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement of a 500 billion rand stimulus package last night various sectors have expressed their satisfaction with the measures. Child support grant beneficiaries will receive an extra 300 rand in May, and from June to October they will receive an additional 500 each month...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - More people could be working from home after the COVID-19 lockdown. This is according to CEO and Chief Innovation Analyst, Preetesh Sewraj. He says office space may be a thing of the past as technology is now enabling people to work from home instead. In this week's Techno Touch Sewraj explains how video conferencing and techno...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - A South African grocery store are doing their bit to feed the hungry and vulnerable during the extended COVID-19 lockdown period. With the much-maligned #EggChallenge trending on social media - the Spar Group has now come out and asked people to rather donate your chicken eggs to people who need it. The aforementioned "Egg Chal...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - While bed-time stories have always been a way to calm the minds of children, "lockdown story-time" aims to do the same - as being in quarantine can be frustrating for a child. Africa's legendary story-teller, Gcina Mhlope, together with private higher education institute, MANCOSA, have teamed-up to keep children captivated with...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a massive R500-billion (or ten percent of the GDP) economic and social package to help curb the effects of the corona virus pandemic. The money will be raised from re-directing 130 billion Rands from other government's departments while the rest will come from local and international inst...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Salma Patel - Saudi Arabia has taken a drastic step to extend the suspension of public prayers at Islam's two holiest sites, to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque, which are considered the holiest places in Islam, will have Ramadan prayers but without worshippers present as a precautionary measure - as we...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The gynaecologist who delivered the COVID-19 positive baby at a private hospital last week, Professor Jay Bagratee, says the possibility that the newborn contracted the virus while still in the mother's womb cannot be ruled out, because there is very little literature on the coronavirus. He says there are three similar cases in...

SABC News and Current Affairs — To international news now...Scientists at Oxford University hope to produce a million doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccine by late summer. They say their ongoing research into an unknown agent earmarked as a potential pandemic, helped them zero down on the antidote to COVID-19 which has already killed more than 165-thousand people globally. Rana Senn reports...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - The price of brent crude oil has fallen to its lowest trading levels ever - as countries grapple with the coronavirus pandemic during the lockdown. This, a day after U.S. crude oil prices turned negative for the first time. Traders dumped the commodity -once called black gold- due to the sudden slump in oil demand. Econ...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by SABC News reporter, Navitha Gajraj - Residents of Moorton at Chatsworth, south of Durban experienced governments door-to-door COVID19 testing campaign. The SANDF, Police, Metro Police and Health Department officials conducted this extensive drive. Roads were cordoned off and residents were informed via loud-hailers to stay indoors and comply with relevant procedu...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - Law enforcement has cracked down on 25 businesses in Durban operating unlawfully during the National Lockdown. A manager and eleven employees, including foreign nationals, operating at Tradeport Distribution Centre at Phoenix, have been arrested. Our SABC News reporter, Nonjabulo Makamu, says the twelve people are expected to...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - Doctors from a private hospital in Durban have challenged other medical professionals countrywide to donate money to aid the fight against the COVID19 pandemic. The idea was then born to raise funds for groceries or other essentials to help the less forutunate, and most importantly - to challenge other private hospital doctors...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - A 24 year old South African medical student studying in Zambia is finding life a little tough after countries imposed travel restrictions amid the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. Aman Nowbuth, is in his 7th and final year of medical school and says although there isn't a formal lockdown in place, there are strict guidelines...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - With cities are under strict lockdown in South Africa and around the world, concern has been raised for women and children who have found themselves unsure of their safety as victims of Domestic Violence and/or Gender Based Violence. However, the Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) - the facility that has been introduced as a critical...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - A group of like-minded friends have come together to help produce and release a song that aims to find hope in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic. The group known as "SA Local Content" has managed to gather a host of talented individuals to produce this one-of-a-kind song entitled "Time to Change". The inspiring effort...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - COVID-19 screening is in motion this week around KwaZulu-Natal and National Department of Health spokesperson, Popo Maja says you will only be tested for the virus if your temperature is high and you show symptoms. Members of the army, police and health care workers have been out in full force, screening people from door to doo...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Police and army units have stepped up the enforcement of lockdown regulations in the eThekwini municipality. This in a bid to clamp down on the illegal movement of people during the national lockdown. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikaklala earlier announced that the province would increase police visibility. 77% of the province's coronavirus cases are within the eThe...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The ability to provide an essential service during the national lockdown has been interrupted as sewage issues spill over on Sea Cow Lake Road, in Durban. This is according to local businessman, Nelson Govender, who claims that since early April, sewage has been overflowing from a main sewer in the area, causing major damage. M...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Hoosen Ebrahim - The University of Cape Town is this week going ahead with its revised academic year program by implementing an online learning service for all its students. UCT is joining the University of Johannesburg, Wits University and Rhodes University amongst others in efforts to enable students to continue with their studies without ex...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Taliesha Naidoo - An exciting opportunity lies ahead for children and parents who have run out of ideas to keep creatively entertained during the lockdown. The Art of Living Foundation will be hosting a free online talent show for children and teenagers this Friday. Youth are being urged to showcase the hidden talents - whether it be magic tri...