Daily news update: Gigaba sees trouble, Solidarity’s Covid ads win, we’ll deal with virus variant

Your morning news update: Click on the links below for the full story or visit our home page for the latest news:

Imagine this: Trouble is coming for Gigaba

Former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba is going to have his hands full next year if his estranged wife Norma Mngoma goes to the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, to confirm under oath that her husband did, indeed, have bags of cash given to him regularly by the Guptas.

In a tell-all interview with eNCA on Thursday night, Mngoma declared that she had no qualms about appearing before Zondo to testify about what she saw during her marriage to Gigaba.

Orchids and Onions: Solidarity’s Covid ads are funny and on point

In our modern, interconnected world, a virus can spread like wildfire. In the same way, disinformation and conspiracy theories go much further and wider than they did even 20 years ago because of our ubiquitous communication channels and, specifically, social media.

I’ve never doubted the reality of the deadly nature of this virus – my cousin was admitted to a hospital in London the week President Cyril Ramaphosa sent us into our first lockdown … and only went home a week or so ago, still unable to walk properly or have the full use of his right arm.

The new virus variant and how we’ll deal with it – Mkhize explains

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, 18 December 2020. Screengrab.

“This evening we convened a public briefing to announce that a variant of the SARS-COV-2 Virus – currently termed 501.V2 Variant, has been identified by our genomics scientists here in South Africa,” Mkhize said in a statement.

“This genomics team, led by the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, or KRISP, has sequenced hundreds of samples from across the country since the beginning of the pandemic in March.

“They noticed that a particular variant has increasingly dominated the findings of the samples collected in the past two months.

Tribute to those lost in 2020

Tributes to those we mourn in 2020.
Images: Supplied

The daunting year that was 2020 claimed the lives of many respected leaders, entertainers, role-models and some of the best actors, both locally and internationally.

Many of these fallen heroes were victims of the coronavirus pandemic, while others were victims of injustice.

The Citizen pays tribute to those who have passed away in 2020.

Black Motion’s Bongz thanks God for his girlfriend, DJ Zinhle

DJ Zinhle and Murdah Bongz, from Black Motion. Picture: Instagram

After months of enjoying their relationship away from the public eye, Black Motion’s Murdah Bongz (Bongani Mohosana) and DJ Zinhle (Ntombezinhle Jiyane) are ready to make things Instagram official.

Mohosana took to Instagram to thank God for his girlfriend in what he calls a “prayer sa mapara.”

Two positive Covid tests as Proteas prepare to enter bubble

All-rounder Dwaine Pretorius is one of three players who have been added to the Proteas squad. Picture: Gallo Images

The vast majority of the Proteas will be at their work station and ready to perform come Boxing Day and the first Test against Sri Lanka after testing before they enter their bubble in Centurion revealed that only two members of the 19-man squad are Covid-positive.

South Africa’s Test squad was expanded on Friday with the addition of three players in fit-again all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius, prolific Knights batsman Raynard van Tonder and promising fast bowler Lutho Sipamla, following a Covid scare in domestic cricket that has seen four Dolphins players and one from the Imperial Lions contract the virus.

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