Daily news update: Covid-19 stats, Candy Moloi and ‘Mgijimi’ mourned, and 1.5m more job losses expected

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SA records 7,232 new cases of Covid-19 and 190 new deaths

SA has recorded a cumulative total of 459,761 confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa – an increase of 7,232 from Monday. 

The country has also recorded 190 new Covid-19 related deaths: 11 from Eastern Cape, 55 from Gauteng, 62 from KwaZulu Natal, 49 from Western Cape, and 13 from North West. This brings the cumulative number of deaths to 7,257.

The North West province has recorded 453 new Covid-19 infections in the last 48 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 17,791.

Covid-19 peak expected late August, with 1.5m more job losses

Business lobby group, Business for South Africa, has urged South Africans and businesses to continue with precautions in work and public life as the economic devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic rages on.

In a statement released on Tuesday, B4SA said it expected the national Covid-19 infection rate to peak during August 2020, while daily mortalities will peak by late-August or early September.

B4SA said South African businesses were already in distress and it now expects about 1.5 million further job losses by the end of the year.

Tributes pour in for fallen Orlando Pirates superfan ‘Mgijimi’

Orlando Pirates fan Mgijimi at the game between Stellenbosch and Pirates FC in October. Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

There was an outpouring of grief from across the South African football world on Tuesday, following the news that famous Orlando Pirates fan Mandla Sindane, known as ‘Mgijimi,’ had sadly passed away.

Orlando Pirates shared a moving video with the words: “The Club is saddened to learn of the passing of one of its staunchest and most active supporters Mandla Sindane. Rest in Peace, Mgijimi”.

Former ‘Muvhango’ actor Candy Moloi passes on

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Actress Candy Moloi during the One night with the Legends awards in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images / Daily Sun / Noko Mashilo)

Legendary actor Candy Moloi has passed on, SABC News has reported. The news of her passing was reportedly confirmed by Muvhango creator Duma Ka Ndlovu on Tuesday evening. Moloi is best known for her role as Vho Makhadzi, with actor Florence Masebe playing the character of her daughter, Humbulani, in the SABC2 soapie Muvhango.

5 things we know about new Wiz drug

The drug causes nausea and hallucinations.

South Africa, like many other countries around the world, is grappling with the effects of illicit drug addiction.

Since the early 90s, the country has seen a slow but steady increase in the availability and use of narcotics such as cannabis, LSD, amphetamines, Ecstasy, cocaine and heroin.

A research paper published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website shows that, currently, the primary illicit substance at admission to South African drug treatment centres were:

• Cannabis (16.9%), Tik (12.8%)
• Crack/cocaine (9.6%)
• Cannabis and mandrax (3.4%)
• Heroin/opiates (9.2%)
• Prescription and over-the-counter medication (2.6%)

And now, a new synthetic drug known only as “Wiz” has been added to the long list and authorities are scrambling to determine its origins.

Nehawu outlines escalating protest plan pending meetings with health stakeholders

Nehawu members on a march. Photo by Nokuthula Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)

If the demands outlined in the recent national programme of action to protect frontline healthcare workers by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) are not met by government and key stakeholders in the healthcare sector between August and September, the country could find itself in the midst of “full blown action” by the organisation.

Nehawu recently outlined its plans to participate in various forms of protest action over the next few months, including a national day for its members to all apply for leave, a week of lunch-hour pickets across all sectors and a “complete withdrawal of labour in all sectors if there is no response favourable to our interests until all our demands are met.”

The union made the announcement during a media briefing held on Tuesday to disclose the outcomes of its series of fact-finding site-visits in selected public healthcare facilities in the wake of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and rising cases of Covid-19.

EFF calls IMF loan ‘biggest political blunder’, DA says it’s watershed moment for SA

The $4.3 billion (R70 billion) loan government received from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive board was the biggest political blunder in the history of South Africa, the EFF said in a statement.

The EFF has cautioned that loans from the IMF always come with “neoliberal” and “neocolonial” conditions. The party added that whether immediately or in the long run, the IMF would impose conditions on the country, “which will certainly undermine South Africa’s macroeconomic and fiscal policy sovereignty”.

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