Daily news update: Covid-19 stats, Zuma prepared to go to jail and booze ban lifted

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SA passes second wave peak as 2,548 new cases confirmed

As of Monday, 01 February 2021, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 1,456,309 with 2,548 new cases identified, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed.

235 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported. This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 44 399.

Recoveries now stand at 1,306,022 representing a recovery rate of 89%

Here’s Ramaphosa’s new rules on booze sales

People have drinks at a popular bar Melville, Johannesburg. 22 August 2020. Restaurants and bars have their first weekend of being able to serve alcohol since the national lockdown was announced in March 2020. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

The suspension of the sale of alcohol was lifted subject to certain restrictions.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said alcohol will be permitted for on-site consumption in licensed establishments, from Monday to Thursday from 10am to 10pm.

He, however, noted that liquor outlets will be allowed to sell alcohol for off-site consumption throughout the week during the hours of 10am to 6pm only.

‘I am prepared to go to prison’ – Zuma set to defy ConCourt ruling over Zondo inquiry

Former South African president Jacob Zuma appears at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, 23 June 2020. Picture: EPA-EFE/KIM LUDBROOK

President Jacob Zuma has reacted to the Constitutional Court’s (ConCourt’s) ruling last week which compels him to appear before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry and give evidence, saying there is an agenda to have special and different laws that only apply to him.

In a statement issued on Monday, Zuma said he had received an overwhelming number of messages of support from members of the ANC and the public following the ConCourt judgment.

Government gazettes level 3 lockdown regulations on booze, curfew

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Picture: Twitter / @governmentza

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has gazetted the new regulations in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national address on Monday evening.

Ramaphosa confirmed that South Africa would remain under level 3 lockdown despite the country seeing some promising signs of decline in Covid-19 transmissions.

Food price increases starving the poor

Photo: iStock

The Covid-19 pandemic has made poor people even poorer and looking at the price increases on the basket of food that poor people survive on, it is clear that there is a long and hard road ahead as the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 also came to an end on Sunday.

If you are poor, the price of your food basket increased by 15.3% over the past year, costing R4051,20 on average. The price increased by R48,78 (1.2%) between December 2020 and January 2021), while it increased by R194,86 (5.1%) since September 2020.

Eskom ‘in trouble’ as it burns expensive diesel to keep lights on

Eskom electricity pylons. Picture: Gallo Images / Nardus Engelbrecht

Power utility has been burning money in the form of expensive diesel since this weekend, suggesting that there may be trouble ahead.

Eskom’s latest energy generation data suggests that the grid has been severely constrained for the past three days, coinciding with heavy downpours in the aftermath of cyclone Eloise over the weekend.

According to Eskom’s online dashboard monitoring use of its open cycle gas turbines (OCGT), as of Sunday the utility had been using the diesel guzzling machines at a load factor of 30%.

No political will to fight corruption, ex-Scopa chair Themba Godi tells Zondo commission

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Picture: Refilwe Modise

The fight against corruption, dating back to 2005, was marred by unwilling political leaders, officials and state institutions who outright refused to do their jobs.

This was heard in evidence presented by former chairperson of Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), Themba Godi, during his testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

Zuma ConCourt fallout: ‘Arrest him’ says Ndlozi, ‘remove benefits’ says Mashaba

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi at the Randburg magistrates court as EFF leader Julius Malema and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi face charges of Assault against a police officer, 13 October 2020.Picture: Neil McCartney

Political leaders have called for former president Jacob Zuma’s arrest following his statement in which he said he would not appear before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry despite a Constitutional Court ruling last week.

In a statement on Monday, Zuma said there was an agenda as the implementation of laws applied differently to him.

Mashaba says ActionSA won’t be silenced by thugs following threats of violence

Herman Mashaba addresses the media at a press conference at the Johannesburg city council, 21 October 2019. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says his party has laid a criminal complaint of intimidation with the police following threats of violence against their spokesperson.

This followed the party’s statement on Saturday urging government to respond to reports that former president Jacob Zuma was preparing to travel to Russia for medical treatment. Zuma has distanced himself from the reports.

Two Rage revellers attended after testing positive for Covid-19, says NICD

Matrics at a previous Rage festival. Picture: Knysna-Plett Herald

Two revellers who attended the matric Rage Festival in KwaZulu-Natal late last year had tested positive prior to the event and still went.

In the first weekend of December, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) received an alert from a clinician from Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, regarding a number of Covid-19 cases among young people who reported to have attended the Rage Festival and launched an investigation into the matter across provinces.

Tembisa Hospital needs upgrading, record keeping poor – Parliamentary committee

The main entrance of the Tembisa Hospital in Tembisa near Kempton Park, 20 January 2020. Picture Neil McCartney

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health has called for the upgrading of the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Gauteng.

The committee made an oversight visit to the hospital on Saturday after a report released by Health Ombudsman Professor Malegapuru Makgoba on the care and death of Shonisani Lethole. Lethole died at the hospital in June 2020.

‘Drunk’ cop caught in video struggling to inspect car damage has been fired

Picture: David Ritchie/ African News Agency/ ANA

The South African Police Service (Saps) has dismissed Constable Tsekiso Jonas Tshabalala from North West after being caught on video struggling to inspect state car damage after allegedly hitting a fence in November.

In the video, community members could be seen trying to show the constable where the state vehicle was damaged, but he struggled to inspect it himself as he could not stand. He ended up falling to the ground.

Weather service warns of more heavy rainfall in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga

A view of the overflowing Hans Merenskydam that has been spilling over after heavy rains following cyclone Eloise making landfall in Mozambique, 24 January 2021, Limpopo. Picture: Jacques Nelles

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning of more rainfall expected in Gauteng including over the eastern parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga from Monday evening into Tuesday morning.

According to the SAWS, there is a 60% chance of showers and thundershowers over the provinces and the heavy rainfall could result in flooding as the soil is still saturated due to the rainfall from the tropical depression Eloise.

PICS: Back to school for private schools, public school teachers also return

Grade 1s at Mimosa School private school enjoy their first day of primary school in their classroom on 1 February 2020. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark.

The Department of Basic Education has confirmed that there will be a return for pupils this month, as the government’s “back to school” schedule officially kicks off on Monday.

Public school teachers returned to work on Monday morning in order to prepare for the arrival of pupils next week, with schooling officially starting from February 15.

Report on Ters corruption shows the cracks in the system

The Unemployment Insurance Fund has been beset with a plethora of fraud allegations and complaints from clients and companies since the inception of the Covid-19 Ters relief scheme. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

Government introduced Ters as one of a range of economic stimulus measures when the national lockdown was instituted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ters was supposed to support employees who could not work during lockdown due to the disaster regulations that determined that only some industry sectors and workers are essential.

Master KG on his trip overseas and why he didn’t pay Burna Boy for ‘Jerusalema’ remix

Image : Instagram : MasterKG

The collaboration between Master KG and the “African Giant” himself  Burna Boy for the remix of Jerusalema took the song to another level.

As the original song, featuring Nomcebo Zikode, was making waves across the globe and breaking many music records across the board, the remix with Burna Boy was released in June 2020 six months after the original. The remix reached over 15 million streams and was certified gold in just two months

Has Ntshangase already given up on his Chiefs career?

Siphelele Ntshangase. Pic: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

Siphelele Ntshangase may have resigned himself to the possibility that this is his last season at Kaizer Chiefs where he has failed to make an impact since joining in the 2017/18 season.

His deal at the Naturena was extended by a further year at the end of last season. There was hope that with a new coach in Gavin Hunt who was willing to give the 27-year-old a chance, Ntshangase would grab his chance and run with it.

Proteas batsmen target more time, better execution in second Pakistan Test

South Africa batsman Rassie van der Dussen hits out during Day Four of the Fourth Test between South Africa and England at Wanderers on January 27, 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Rassie van der Dussen was a virgin when it came to Test cricket on the sub-continent going into the first Test against Pakistan in Karachi last week, and South Africa’s No 3 batsman pronounced himself satisfied with his efforts on Monday.

Van der Dussen, whose previous sub-continental experience had been limited to a first-class game for SA A in 2018 and a handful of T20s, made 17 and 64 in Karachi.

Australia offers to host Lions’ South Africa tour: reports

Ryan Kankowski of South Africa and Stephen Jones of the British Lions chase the ball during the 2009 Lions tour. Picture: Gallo Images

Rugby Australia has offered to host this year’s British and Irish Lions series against South Africa, reports said Monday.

Fears have grown that the invitational side’s highly anticipated tour could be cancelled as South Africa’s Covid-19 cases ballooned to more than 1.4 million, with almost 45,000 deaths.

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