Daily news update: Covid-19 stats, Biden beats Trump and Hennenman farm murder accused dies

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Daily Covid-19 update: 1,731 new cases identified along with 40 more deaths

As of Saturday, 7 November the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 735,906 with 1,731 new cases identified, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed.

40 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported: 21 from Eastern Cape, 7 from the Free State, 2 from Gauteng, 6 from KwaZulu-Natal and 4 from Western Cape.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 19,789.

“We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers that treated the deceased patients,” the Minister said.

Recoveries now stand at 678,738 which translates to a recovery rate of 92%.

4,963,174 tests have been conducted with 22,455 new tests confirmed since the last report.

One of four arrested for Hennenman farmer’s murder hangs himself

Hennenman police have arrested four people in connection with the murder of a 56-year-old Swartpan farm owner.

According to Free State Agriculture, Pieter Hills was allegedly overpowered by a group of attackers in his house at 18:30 on Thursday 5 November. His son Eddie entered the house after coming home from gym and was shot in the chest by the assailants.

OFM News reports that Free State police spokesperson, Motantsi Makhele says the suspects were arrested in nearby Phomolong township less than 24 hours after the deceased and his 26-year-old injured son were found unresponsive by their domestic worker.

It has been reported the farm employee went in search of the victims after the deceased’s wife raised her concerns regarding her inability to get a hold of her family telephonically.

Makhele said of one of the accused. “One of the suspects aged 47 was found hanging in the police cell in the early hours of this morning. The other three, in their thirties, will appear in Hennenman Magistrate’s Court soon on charges of murder and house robbery”

NPA drop charges against torture cops

Controversial former Hawks General Jan Mabula – accused alongside seven other officers of torturing a police informant to death in 2006 – will not be criminally prosecuted.

Instead, a magisterial inquest will be held to test whether the actions of Mabula and his posse led to the death of Solomon Nengwane.

This week, the NPA’s Director of Public Prosecutions in Pretoria, advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi, declined to prosecute the officers based on a lack of evidence.

The new direction on this matter stands in stark contrast to recommendations of Investigating Directorate head Hermione Cronje in January, which called for the officers to stand trial. In an official NPA communiqué on Wednesday, obtained by News24, Mzinyathi instructed that a criminal trial would likely “crumble”.

Zulu Royal Family confirms death of King Goodwill Zwelithini’s eldest son

The Zulu Royal Family has announced the death of Prince Lethukuthula Zulu, the first-born son and eldest child of King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and Queen Sibongile MaDlamini.

In a statement, MP and traditional prime minister to King Zwelithini, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said: “It is with utmost pain and sadness that we announce the passing away of His Royal Highness Prince Lethukuthula Zulu.”

According to the Daily Sun, his death may have been as a result of criminal activity.

The report states Zulu’s body was found by security personnel at the complex where he lived in Northwold, Johannesburg.

Several neighbours reported hearing a commotion which happened at his flat in the early hours of Friday morning, and a window being broken.

“The Zulu Royal Family and the Zulu nation grieve this sudden and unexpected loss,” said Buthelezi.

“Arrangements for the funeral will be announced in due course. For now, our deepest sympathies and support are with His Majesty and the Royal Family.”

Former KZN ANC deputy leader Mluleki Ndobe dies

Former KwaZulu-Natal ANC deputy leader and Harry Gwala District mayor Mluleki Ndobe has died.

Provincial ANC spokesperson Nhlakanipo Ntombela confirmed Ndobe’s death.

“We can confirm that he passed on late yesterday evening after 23:00… He has not been well for a while with cancer. We will be visiting the family soon to ascertain the circumstances around his passing and what really transpired,” Ntombela said.

The SACP in the province described Ndobe’s death as a “great loss”.

“It is a loss to South Africa and to the ANC,” SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu said on Saturday morning.

He described Ndobe as a comrade who “carried the true spirit of the liberation movement”.

“It is a big, big loss,” Mthembu said.

Ndobe was the deputy speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature at the time of his death.

Ndobe was once an accused in the 2017 murder of former ANC Youth League secretary Sindiso Magaqa. However, the charges were provisionally withdrawn in the Umzimkhulu Magistrate’s Court last year due to insufficient evidence.

Probe into death of student, Stellenbosch University claims ‘no foul play suspected’

Western Cape police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 25-year-old man on Friday afternoon.

Police did not reveal the identity of the man.

He was discovered at a student residence in Marais Street, Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape.

“The man was reported missing after he was last seen on Monday,” police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut told News24 on Saturday.

“A death inquest case docket has been registered and no crime is suspected at this stage. The identity of the man is yet to be disclosed,” he added.

The University of Stellenbosch’s Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, Professor Arnold Schoonwinkel, in a letter to the campus community on Friday confirmed the passing of engineering student, Ashwill Boer.

Solidarity warns NSFAS over non-payment of students’ fees

Trade Union Solidarity has written to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) warning it to stop its alleged non-payment of tertiary institutions.

This came after Solidarity claimed several students were recently informed by their respective tertiary institutions that NSFAS “failed to pay their study fees”.

“Students depend on bursary funds to study and to complete their studies. To be informed out of the blue that one’s study fees have not been paid, comes as a huge shock, especially for a student who, as it is, cannot afford to carry this type of cost on his or her own,” Solidarity’s youth and career development manager Paul Maritz said in a statement on Wednesday.

Maritz added that this alleged failure by NSFAS “not only impacts on a student’s studies but also robs them of their futures”.

As a result, Solidarity sent the letter insisting that NSFAS resumes all its obligations immediately and undertakes to meet its contractual and statutory obligations as set out in the bursary agreement.

“These students have all applied successfully for the bursaries, but NSFAS simply stopped paying without giving any reason. Solidarity cannot allow such failure by NSFAS to be merely accepted.

“When an agreement is entered into, both parties must abide by it. Solidarity will therefore not hesitate to take further legal action should NSFAS not comply with these demands,” Solidarity head of labour law services Anton van der Bijl added.

How Covid-19 complicates the battle against malaria

Two of the nine global public health awareness days are associated with malaria: World Malaria Day, observed on 25 April, and World Mosquito Day, which commemorates the discovery by Sir Ronald Ross on 20 August 1897 that Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria parasites to humans.

Both World Malaria Day and World Mosquito Day are particularly relevant to Africa. The continent shoulders the greatest burden of malaria globally.

Ninety-three percent of the 228 million malaria cases and 94% of the 405,000 malaria-related deaths reported worldwide in 2018 were from Africa.

Unfortunately the observation of these days falls outside the peak malaria transmission season in most African countries south of the equator.

This dampens the impact of these awareness days. For this reason, the Southern African Development Community declared the first or second week of November to be the region’s Malaria Week, with November 6 designated as Southern African Development Community Malaria Day.

The aim was to provide accurate malaria messaging at the start of the malaria transmission season in southern Africa.

Zim journalist still behind bars over tweet

Award-winning Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was charged on Friday with obstructing justice and ordered held in a maximum-security prison.

Chin’ono is accused of breaching his bail conditions by tweeting about the court outcome of a gold smuggling scandal despite a ban on him posting on Twitter.

He had initially been arrested in July on charges of inciting public violence before planned anti-government protests but was freed in September on bail.

The 49-year-old, who was arrested again on Tuesday, arrived at the Harare magistrate’s court in leg irons and handcuffs, where he was charged with obstructing justice and contempt of court for the tweet.

His latest detention is linked to the arrest of Zimbabwe Miners Federation head Henrietta Rushwaya at Harare Airport on October 26 as she was about to board a flight to Dubai with six kilos (13 pounds) of gold in her hand luggage.

Biden elected as 46th US president

Democrat Joe Biden has won the White House, US media said Saturday, defeating Donald Trump and ending a presidency that convulsed American politics, shocked the world and left the United States more divided than at any time in decades.

CBS, NBC and CNN news networks announced the result just before 11:30 am (1630 GMT) as an insurmountable lead in Pennsylvania took Biden, 77, over the top in the state-by-state count that decides the presidency.

“America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country,” Biden said in a statement.

“The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a president for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.”

EU and UK say Brexit gap still large, talks to continue

The European Union and Britain said on Saturday major divergences remain in their Brexit talks but that negotiations would continue next week to try to clinch a trade deal in the scant time left.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the differences were “large”, while Johnson described them as “significant”.

Despite multiple rounds of talks, including two weeks of “intense” meetings that ended Wednesday, the two leaders said they remained apart on key issues including fisheries and mechanisms to guarantee fair competition between British and European companies.

“Some progress has been made, but large differences remain especially on level playing field and fisheries. Our teams will continue working hard next week,” von der Leyen tweeted.

Johnson said the negotiating teams would reconvene in London on Monday, “in order to redouble efforts to reach a deal”, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.

Maduka has his eyes on the prize after Celtic reach MTN8 final

This time Bloemfontein Celtic head coach John Maduka wants to walk away with the MTN8 gold medal hanging on his neck and a fat R8-million cheque when he guides his side in the MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates, or possibly Kaizer Chiefs.

Celtic knocked out the defending champions SuperSport United on Saturday afternoon, beating them 1-0 in the City of Roses to win the two-legged affair 2-1 in aggregate.

“It is very important for us to go out there and win the cup for the team, it has been a long time. This is our second cup final and we just hope that things go according to our plan.

‘This is the third time we have gone into the final in recent years. We did not win in the previous two, this is the third time for us to win the cup,” said Maduka.

Teams who cannot play Africa Cup matches will forfeit, says CAF

Any team that cannot fulfil an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture between November 11 and 17 will be handed a 2-0 defeat, the Confederation of African Football confirmed Saturday.

African football’s governing body CAF says matchday squads must consist of at least 15 players — 11 starters plus four substitutes — for a qualifier to go ahead.

The measures come amid fears that the coronavirus pandemic could affect some of the 48 matchday three and four qualifiers to be played over seven days from Wednesday.

Four international friendlies involving African countries were cancelled last month — two in Portugal, one in Turkey and one in Senegal — because of Covid-19.

Africans who tested positive while on international duty then included Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita of Guinea and Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew of Ghana.

Sharks boss Everitt gives flyhalf Bosch the big thumbs up!

The Sharks team look to flyhalf Curwin Bosch for direction and on Friday night against the Free State Cheetahs at Kings Park they also received a match-winning performance from the Springbok, according to coach Sean Everitt.

The Sharks bumbled their way to a 19-13 win in a Super Rugby Unlocked match that was strewn with errors from both sides, and it was Bosch who hauled the home team over the line by slotting all five of his kicks at goal, bombarding the Cheetahs with towering up-and-unders and also providing the pinpoint crosskick for the decisive try by replacement wing Madosh Tambwe.

De Bruyn makes big statement after leading Titans to victory with classy 127

Theunis de Bruyn said he had to call upon the services of all his willpower and cricketing intelligence on his way to his match-winning century that took the Titans to a daunting target of 316 in their 4-Day Domestic Series match against the Cape Cobras at Newlands this week.

On a coastal pitch that was much slower than the Highveld wickets De Bruyn is used to, with the ball turning from Day One and a quality spinner brimming with confidence in George Linde, the 28-year-old knew it would be a mental challenge as much as anything to get the Titans to a total that was more than double what they had managed in the first innings.

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