Daily news update: Covid-19 stats, Zuma vs Zondo and Level 3 regulations gazetted

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Daily Covid-19 update: 13,105 new cases reported as recoveries breach one million mark

Source: Department of Health

As of Tuesday, 12 January 2021, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 1,259,748 with 13,105 new cases identified, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed.

755 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported, with 134 from Eastern Cape, 26 from Free State, 225 from Gauteng, 218, from Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), 11 from Limpopo, 11 from Mpumalanga, 4 from North West, 2 from Northern Cape and 128 from Western Cape.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 34,334.

Recoveries now stand at 1,019,123 with a recovery rate of 81%.

Zuma, Zondo legal standoff continues as former president told: Testify or face arrest

Former president Jacob Zuma. Picture: Neil McCartney

Jacob Zuma’s attorney, Eric Mabuza, says he is yet to discuss with his client the letter the secretary of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture wrote to Zuma reminding the former president that he is obliged to appear before the inquiry next week because the summons issued against him has not been withdrawn.

Permits required for those who travel to work during curfew – NDZ and Motsoaledi explain new regulations

Cooperative Governance Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Picture: GCIS

Citizens who travel to work in the early hours of the morning will need a permit from their employer, in order to avoid falling foul of the curfew conditions in the latest gazetted version of the Disaster Management Act.

Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma gazetted the lockdown regulations that amended the curfew hours to 9pm-5am, and explained the new rules in a briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

‘Big win’ for civil society as Political Party Funding Act nears implementation

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the podium during the State of the Nation (SONA) address, 7 February 2019, during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces in the South African Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa. Picture: Gallo Images/ Jeffrey Abrahams

The Political Party Funding Act is due to be enforced by 1 April 2021, according to Corruption Watch, which has been at the forefront – along with other civil organisations – of the fight for the Act to be implemented.

The National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces passed the Bill in June 2018, and President Cyril Ramaphosa assented to the Act in January 2019.

7,000 people arrested for not wearing masks got criminal records – Cele

A South African Police Service (SAPS) officer gestures towards his watch while asking a pedestrian why he is not home before the new curfew time, to help curb the spread of Covid-19, in Johannesburg on December 29, 2020. – The South African president on December 28, 2020 announced new lockdown measures to halt the spread of COVID-19. One of the measures is a new curfew that will now start at 9 pm — from 11 pm previously — while non-essential establishments such as shops, bars and restaurants will close from 8 pm. (Photo by Wikus de Wet / AFP)

Police have arrested 20,116 people between 29 December and 11 January, Police Minister Bheki Cele confirmed during an interview with eNCA on Tuesday, 12 January.

Cele said the offences varied among liquor-related ones and general non-compliance with the lockdown and state of disaster regulations, including not wearing masks.

“So far there have been 7,000 people who have been arrested for not wearing masks and whether they pay a fine or appear in court they obtain a criminal record immediately,” he said.

Senior Eskom manager tells Zondo about ‘secret’ meetings with Tony Gupta

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Picture: Karen Sandison/African News Agency

Acting senior manager of fuel resources at Eskom, Ayanda Ntetha, on Tuesday told the chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that she did not trust her colleagues at the power utility at the time, and was not comfortable enough to tell them about her 2015 meetings with Tony Gupta.

Alcohol industry laments lack of consultation in ‘devastating’ booze ban

Picture: Michel Bega

The alcohol industry is concerned with the Presidency’s alleged failure to consult them on the booze ban extension.

This after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday that the ban will continue as is to limit trauma cases in hospitals.

“We are deeply disappointed that the alcohol ban was extended,” said Beer Association of SA (BASA) CEO, Patricia Pillay.

High Court approached to declare NMB mayor election unlawful

Nqaba Bhanga, centre, the Democratic Alliance Eastern Cape leader, 6 May 2017. Picture: Twitter

Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Xolile Nqatha has approached the Port Elizabeth High Court on an urgent basis, asking it to declare the 4 December election of DA leader Nqaba Bhanga as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay unlawful.

In his papers filed on Monday, Nqatha described the election of Bhanga as an “unlawful attempt”.

You may soon have to get a TV license to stream on your smartphone

Picture: iStock

Petitions opposing government’s plans to extend TV license fees to streaming services such as Netflix and Showmax have been gaining traction.

This after Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams published the draft white paper on the Audio and Audio-Visual Content Services Policy Framework: A New Vision for South Africa 2020, which has given South Africans until February to voice their opinion.

Kaizer Chiefs’ Billiat out for two months with a broken leg

Khama Billiat of Kaizer Chiefs. Pic: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix)

Kaizer Chiefs received another major blow to their 2020/21 season on Tuesday, with the news that Zimbabwean attacker Khama Billiat will be out for two months with cracked bone in his leg.

Billiat was injured in a poor tackle from Travis Graham, in the 2-0 DStv Premiership loss to Maritzburg United on Saturday, and had to be substituted three minutes after half time.

Currie Cup semi-final kick-off times announced

Marco van Staden surges forward for the Bulls in their match against the Lions. Picture: Gallo Images

The dates of the semi-finals and final were moved out by a week respectively as a precautionary measure to ensure tournament integrity and allow the participants to manage Covid-19 challenges.

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