Daily news update: National Assembly gets new Speaker, Over-18s can now vaccinate and Gary Player pays tribute to wife

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Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula elected as National Assembly Speaker

Former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been elected as the new Speaker of the National Assembly.

The National Assembly held a plenary sitting in Parliament to elect a new Speaker on Thursday.

The proceedings saw Members of Parliament (MPs) vote by a secret ballot following the nomination of two candidates.

Mapisa-Nqakula was nominated for the position of Speaker by African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Pemmy Majodina.

The nomination was seconded by Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.

Everyone older than 18 can get their Covid vaccines from Friday

All adults above 18 years old will be able to register to get the Covid-19 vaccine from Friday following approval from Cabinet.

“As part of increasing the vaccination roll-out programme, Cabinet approved the vaccination of persons aged between 18 years and 35 years from 20 August 2021,” the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said in a statement on Thursday.

The move comes after there had been calls for the vaccine to rolled out to 18-to-34 year olds immediately, rather than waiting until 1 September.

Violent riots shut down Middleburg

Protesters in Hlalamnandi and Mhluzi townships have led to business closures in most of Middleburg, Mpumalanga.

Local media in the area are reporting that ongoing violent protests spread to Extension 24, Rondebosch, Nasaret and Rockdale on Wednesday night.

Residents are being advised to stay home while protests continue. It’s understood that police have also closed off access with a blockade at the Cowen Ntuli and N11(Hendrina) intersection after violence erupted in the community.

‘Get well my brother,’ says Mboweni as Zuma arms deal case hits a snag

The former president’s legal team met on Thursday evening after his arms deal case hit a snag.

This after his legal team reportedly wrote to ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile requesting the party’s financial statements in an attempt to prove he did not benefit from the arms deal.

The ruling party reportedly told Zuma’s lawyers they could not find the documentation despite “diligently searching” for them.

Covid-19 third wave ‘rearing its ugly head’: 7-day average up 21.7%

Back in July, Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the number of new Covid-19 infections began to decline, but added that the country “was not out of the woods just yet” with regards to the third wave.

Spike in third wave cases predicted

Despite a dip in new infections, the health minister at the time expressed concern over the “many gatherings we saw during the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal”.

She said it may lead to a surge in numbers, which indeed, it has. The latest stats show the third wave of Covid-19 infections is gaining momentum again, especially in the southern parts of the country.

Condolences pour in as Gary Player pays tribute to his ‘sweetheart’

South African golf icon Gary Player has paid a moving tribute to his late wife, Vivienne, who lost her battle with cancer on Wednesday.

Vivienne was being treated at a facility in Santa Barbara in the USA. The couple were married for 64 years.

Player, one of the world’s most successful and recognisable golfers, called Vivienne his “childhood sweetheart, his rock and his soulmate.”

He further said in a statement posted on Twitter: “Vivienne has been a constant in my life from the moment I first set eyes on her when I was 14.”

‘A newly healed woman’- Enhle Mbali to tell all

Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa may finally put to bed the constant speculation and drama between herself and estranged husband DJ Black Coffee (Nkosinathi Maphumulo) in a new sit down interview.

The star is sharing cryptic videos promoting the interview, titled Voice, Simply live, Simply Love, Simply Enhle. The interview was conducted by the actor’s production company, Enhle Productions and recorded by Pitch Films.