Daily news update: Covid-19 stats, no planned NCCC meeting and Teddy Mafia shot dead

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434 deaths reported, breaching 30,000 mark

Source: Department of Health

As of Monday, 4 January 2021, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 1 113 349 with 12 601 new cases identified, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed.

Mkhize noted that new cases represented a 33,7% positivity rate since the last report.

Meanwhile, 434 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported, with 133 from Eastern Cape, 2 from Free State, 36 from Gauteng, 71 from Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), 7 from Limpopo, 25 from North West and 157 from Western Cape.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 30 011.

No planned NCCC meeting, says government spokesperson amid level 5 fears

President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: GCIS

South Africans have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to avoid another hard lockdown, amid rising cases of Covid-19.

A message circulating on social media has caused an uproar among South Africans, who say another hard lockdown would make life even more difficult for them.

However, government spokesperson Phumla Williams said the message doing the rounds was fake.

“It is fake. There is no planned NCCC meeting,” she said.

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has urged the public to be cautious of the Covid-19 second wave, calling on young people to be fully conscious of their agency and the role they must play to protect everyone from Covid-19.

“We, as government, have and will continue to mobilise all the state machinery we have at our disposal to fight Covid-19. But this virus can only be defeated by each and every South African’s sense of duty and compassion.

Durban ‘drug kingpin’ Teddy Mafia shot dead, killers beheaded by community

Image for illustration: iStock

Three men, including suspected drug kingpin Yaganathan Pillay, aka Teddy Mafia, were shot dead in Shallcross, south of Durban on Monday in an alleged ongoing drug turf war.

Videos of the incident have been circulating on social media, showing the community avenge Pillay’s death by decapitating his killers.

According to KwaZulu Natal (KZN) South Africa Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker, Pillay sustained two gunshot wounds to the head and later died in hospital.

“The daughter of this well-known drug dealer, was informed by her father that he would be expecting visitors earlier on Monday afternoon.

“She left him and went to the back of the house. Shortly after that, she heard gunshots and when they investigated they found he had been shot. He was rushed to hospital, where we were told, he later passed on.”

Naicker said that Pillay’s two alleged hitmen were thereafter beheaded and their bodies set alight in by community members.

SANDF stepping up the fight against illegal crossings from Zimbabwe

South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members round up suspected undocumented Zimbabwean nationals after attempting to illegally cross the border fence to smuggle goods and fuel into Zimbabwe from South Africa near the Beitbridge border post, near Musina, on October 2, 2020. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)

Security measures at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe are being upped as the festive season comes to a close. 

Issues hit the post particularly hard towards the end of last year, as the annual influx of travellers to and from Zimbabwe, coupled with trucks needing to pass through, were delayed even further due to Covid-19. 

Covid-19 screening for truck drivers was suspended by the health department to ease the congestion. Reports emerged that queues of up to 20km at Beitbridge resulted in the deaths of a number of passengers and truck drivers. 

All other travellers were still made to provide valid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Covid-19 test results or take antigen gets at all South African ports of entry, at their own costs. 

But on Saturday, the Zimbabwean government imposed a national lockdown with immediate effect, which included closing all borders. 

This means that those who were planning to travel in and out of Zimbabwe will now have to wait at least 30 days. 

Only essential services will remain operation in Zimbabwe for the next month. 

Ex-Prasa chief Lucky Montana rails against Zondo commission snub

Former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana. Picture: Christine Vermooten

Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) chief executive officer Lucky Montana has claimed that the cancellation of his testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture was intended to block evidence which slams the commission “and its preferred witnesses, and ultimately, the entire narrative that we stole or mismanaged public funds as part of the so-called state capture”.

In a statement dated 3 January, Montana said the commission had cancelled his testimony before its chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, which was set for 4 January to 8 January.

“The commission states as its primary reason for its decision that my annexures are either not marked or not numbered or incomplete,” Montana said in the statement.

Rape-accused ANC councillor voluntarily steps down

General views of the African National Congress (ANC) headquarters Luthuli House in Johannesburg, 9 December 2020. Picture: Michel Bega

An ANC Johannesburg councillor accused of rape has decided to voluntarily step down from his duties with immediate effect.

The man, who can not be identified until he has pleaded in the case, appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was released on R2 000 bail.

In statement released by the accused, he said: “I am fully committed to participating with the legal process in order to ensure a free and fair trial and resolution of the very serious matter.

“I remain a loyal and committed leader of the ANC and I will trust in the judicial process which guarantees my right to a free and fair trial.”

The councillor said he has noted that the ANC has no policy currently on accused members stepping aside from their positions.

“However, given the seriousness of such an allegation levelled against me as as my steadfast commitment to end all forms of gender-based violence and attain a non-sexist society, I have taken a voluntary decision to request a special leave of absence with immediate effect… to allow myself an opportunity to clear my name away from my everyday responsibilities I discharge as a public representative of the ANC,” he said.

Independent schools pushes back 2021 opening, cancels orientation days

In total, there are a little over one million candidates who will be sitting for their final exams from 5 November 2020. Picture: iStock

Independent schools have pushed back opening their doors to pupils by a week as a result of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The schools were supposed to open on 12 January, but Independent Schools of Southern Africa’s (ISASA) executive director Lebogang Montjane said this has now been pushed out to 18 January.

The decision was taken after President Cyril Ramaphosa moved the country to Level 3 Lockdown until 15 January.

Montjane said the majority of schools in the sector will open on 18 January, but a few will start online lessons from 13 January.

“We have pushed the opening to 18 January as we await the president’s announcement on 15 January regarding Level 3 lockdown. Depending on what we hear from government we will have a revised calendar.

SA reacts to news of former ‘True Love’ editor Dorah Sitole’s passing

Award-winning chef and author Dorah Sitole on the cover of her book ’40 Years of Iconic Food’. Picture: Screenshot

Celebrities and fans alike have been left in disbelief after hearing that South African chef and author Dorah Sitole had died.

Her family confirmed that she had died at a hospital in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Kaya FM’s host Thabo Mokwele, actress Rami Chuene and book publisher Nadia Goetham were among those who took to social media to express their sadness and shock after hearing the news.

Second Test evenly poised after Fernando’s five wickets and Karunaratne’s 91

Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored 91 runs in his team’s second innings to help with the fight back by the tourists in the second Test against the Proteas at the Wanderers on Monday. Picture: Getty Images

Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne is standing between the Proteas and victory in the second Test as he scored 91 not out to shepherd his team to 150 for four, a lead of five runs, at stumps on the second day at the Wanderers on Monday.

Karunaratne is certainly leading from the front as he has occupied the crease for 190 minutes, but the left-hander is putting away the bad ball effectively as he has collected 17 fours off 116 deliveries.

With Sri Lanka trailing by 145 runs on first innings and losing master blaster opener Kusal Perera for just a single in the third over, bowled through the gate by a beautiful Lungi Ngidi delivery, it has been important for Karunaratne to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Latest Covid tests will determine whether Bulls, Lions game gets green light

Lions captain Elton Jantjies is expecting another big local derby outing against the Bulls at Loftus on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

The postponed Currie Cup game between the Bulls and Lions – scheduled for Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday evening – will only officially get the green light following the outcome of the latest round of Covid-19 tests in the Lions squad.

The match was originally slated to be played on December 26, but was postponed because of Covid issues in the Bulls camp.

It is now the results of the Lions’ latest tests that will determine whether the game goes ahead or not.

The Lions were due to announce their team for the match on Monday, but decided to postpone it until Tuesday because the Covid testing was only done on Monday morning, with the results due on Tuesday.

The Lions struggled past the Pumas 33-25 in Nelspruit at the weekend to remain unbeaten in the Currie Cup.

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