Daily news update: World prepares to say goodbye to Pelé, Ditsobotla Municipality drama, Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr unveiling

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Daily news update: 03 January

WATCH: Farewell to the king – Brazil prepares to say goodbye to Pele

Brazilians bid a final farewell this week to football giant Pele, starting Monday with a 24-hour public wake at the stadium of his long-time team, Santos.

The oceanside home of the team nicknamed “Peixe” – “fish” in Portuguese – is expecting a huge influx of fans looking to honor the “King” of football, who died aged 82 on Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

Chiefs’ Motaung hails ‘unbelievable’ Pele

Amakhosi chairman Kaizer Motaung has mourned the passing of Brazilian legend Pele, adding that the skills of the greatest players of today are all modelled on what he did.

Motaung had the chance to play against Pele in 1968, when he took the field for US outfit Atlanta Chiefs against Brazilian side Santos, where Pele was the star player, and had already won two Fifa World Cups with Brazil (he was to add another two years later in Mexico.

Ditsobotla yet to swear-in councillors, first meeting abandoned

North West’s Ditsobotla Local Municipality is yet to swear in new councillors and elect a mayor after its first December sitting descended into chaos.

By-elections for all 39 council seats took place on 14 December following the dissolution of the broken municipality by Parliament.

In a huge blow to the African National Congress (ANC), the governing party failed to win an outright majority for the first time, managing to attain 39.82%, down from the 51% it received from the 2021 local polls.

Four children drowned in Eastern Cape on New Year’s Day

An intensified search continues into day two of the search for the missing body of one of four children that were allegedly swept out to sea at the Kariega Beach, in Kenton on Sea.

According to police reports, the South African Police Service with the assistance from National Sea Rescue Institute of South Africa and other stakeholders have managed to recover three bodies of the four children after a Search and Recovery operation. The body of the fourth child still remains elusive.

The children – aged between 9 and 12 years, were well acquainted and were enjoying a day out at the beach when the tragedy struck.

These countries impose new Covid rules on travellers from China

Around a dozen countries have slapped fresh travel regulations on travellers from China, as the world’s most populous nation faces a surge in Covid cases following its decision to relax strict virus restrictions.

As of January 5, the United States will require negative Covid tests taken within two days of departure -or documentation proving passengers have recovered from the virus within the last 90 days – for all entries from China.

Ronaldo set for grand unveiling after shock Saudi move

Portugese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be unveiled before thousands of fans at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr club on Tuesday, a spokesman said, after sealing a shock move estimated at more than 200 million euros.

The 37-year-old great, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, will arrive late on Monday with his family together with media and technical staff, club spokesman Al-Walid Al-Muhaidib told AFP.

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