NATIONAL NEWS - Click on the links below for the full story or visit our home page for the latest news:
Covid-19 update: South Africa’s recovery rate increases to 66%
Despite being the country with the fifth-highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world, South Africa has reason to be hopeful, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told the National Summit on Science and Innovation Response on Friday.
He said another reason to be hopeful lies in the recovery rate, which has now increased to 66%, showing that more people were overcoming the virus, he said.
South Africa has recorded a total of 493 183 confirmed Covid-19 cases.The country has recorded 193 new Covid-19 related deaths: 8 from Eastern Cape, 103 from Gauteng, 36 from KwaZulu Natal, 33 from Western Cape and 13 from Mpumalanga. This brings the cumulative number of deaths to 8 005.
Deputy finance minister asked to step down by the ANC’s Integrity Committee
The ANC’s Integrity Committee has recommended Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo should step down from his position in the government and ANC.
The committee’s chairperson, George Mashamba, had written to Masondo asking him to voluntarily step down from his position given accusations made against him that he had used his influence as deputy minister to set the Hawks on a former lover.
Crime stats: Murders increase yet again, but bank robberies down 100%
There were 21 325 murders recorded in the previous financial year, representing an increase of 1.4% from last year’s murder rate, said Police Minister Bheki Cele on Friday.
But while contact crimes saw an increase of 0.7% or 4,072 cases in the year, the small silver lining in the crime statistics released on Friday is that bank robberies are down from four in the previous year to zero this year.
Bank robberies have declined by 100% according to the police ministry who stated that during the period under review (April 2019 to May 2020)
There seemed to be a drop in robberies overall as burglary at residential premises recorded a decline of 6.7% while robbery at residential properties recorded a decrease of 5.8%.
Former minister’s wife has been arrested – reports
A former minister’s wife has reportedly been arrested and is being detained at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria.
She was allegedly under investigation for damaging a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon believed to belong to her husband.
While she was arrested on alleged assault and malicious damage to property, the Hawks told SABC news that she could face more charges.
The complainant in her arrest is reportedly her husband and “another person”.
“The complaint has been with us for some time we are still busy working on those allegations,” Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi told the SABC.
Mbeki criticises ANC’s synchronised election plan
In a newsletter published by his foundation on Friday, Mbeki said having synchronised elections would mean local government would continue to be neglected and that crises in most municipalities across the country would persist, if not worsen.
“This would entrench processes according to which practically, local government would not be given the special focus it needs. Necessarily this would ‘legalise’ the counter-productive neglect which the ANC itself has visited on local government for two decades,” Mbeki said.
The former president wrote at length about the challenges in local government across the country, noting that the ANC had neglected the local government since 1994.
“As the country must move away from this position, the ANC NEC (national executive committee) must review the decision it has taken to ‘synchronise’ the elections,” Mbeki wrote.
KZN hospital allegedly torched for treating Covid-19 patients
According to a statement by the KZN health department, it is alleged that the torching of the brand new centre in Amatikulu, near Eshowe, was linked to disquiet among sections of the community over the conversion of a part of the hospital into a Covid–19 treatment facility. The centre was also burned down three years ago.
“The fully furnished centre, with computer equipment and some patient files, also had offices for the occupational safety nurse, monitoring and evaluation personnel, infection prevention and control officials, as well as the public relations officer,” the department said.
Police said it is alleged that at 01:00 on Thursday, a group of unknown people attacked the hospital in Eshowe and set alight a park home comprised of eight offices.
One security guard was left with a facial injury after he was hit by an object during the incident.
