SA among countries committed to COVID-19 vaccine trials: WHO


The anaesthetist who assisted the emergency team with Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu’s resuscitation, Dr. Rudolph Mononyane, was killed in a rescue helicopter crash on Thursday afternoon.

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is likely to protect against a more infectious variant of the virus, which was discovered in Britain and has spread around the world, according to results of further lab tests released on Wednesday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is addressing the nation on the latest response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) says the procurement and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine should be done in a transparent manner. The association is also calling on authorities to crack the whip on those who could act in a corrupt manner in the procurement of the vaccine.

South Africa have included uncapped seamers Daryn Dupavillon and Ottniel Baartman in an extended 21-man test squad for their first return to Pakistan for 14 years later this month.

170 teachers, who were due to mark matric examination papers, have tested positive for the coronavirus. However, Basic Education Director-General Mathanzima Mweli says this will not delay the marking process as provinces have been able to find replacement teachers.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday announced a second case of transmission of the new coronavirus within the United States and provided more detailed plans on how it will handle travelers returning from China as the country works to limit the outbreak.

A political analyst from the North West University, Professor Andre Duvenhage, says the repositioning of State Owned-Entities (SOEs), will not address the problems these institutions are facing.

The family of 13-year-old Enock Mpianzi says they are still waiting for answers from Parktown High School about the circumstances surrounding his death.

The Cape Winelands District Municipality says fire services continue to battle the uncontained fire in the mountains above McGregor.

International law expert Gary Eisenberg says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must play its part in helping with the extradition of the Gupta brothers to South Africa.

The National Prosecuting Authority says more people have been implicated in the Eskom fraud case. Eskom's former senior managers, Abram Masango and France Hlakudi appeared in the Johannesburg Regional Court on Thursday.

Johannesburg's City Power says it loses roughly R 2 billion per annum due to cable theft. City Power says it has resolved never to replace the streets lights where they are continuously vandalised.

The former Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Mongameli Bobani says he believes he will be reinstated as the mayor when the merits of his case are heard.

Mongameli Bobani’s application has been dismissed in the Port Elizabeth High Court with costs. Bobani, was applying for his removal to be overturned.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the national Reconciliation Day address in Bergville in northern KwaZulu-Natal today.

Monday is the final day of the EFF Elective Conference.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala says government is working towards creating jobs to help alleviate poverty and increase unity in South Africa.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says he is unsurprised that he was elected unopposed to be the party's president for another five years.

The Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape has ruled in favour of the Centre for Child Law in the application to interdict the Eastern Cape Department of Education from excluding children without any documentation from public schools.

Johannesburg's City Power says its technicians are reluctant to attend to faulty electricity substations out of fear. This after a team of City Power technicians was held hostage by residents on Tuesday.

Six people have been killed in an alleged attack at Mpumalanga township west of Durban.

Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer has apologised to South Africans for the embarrassment of having to implement Stage 6 load shedding.

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has denied reports that he is deliberately deepening the country's energy crisis by refusing municipalities to procure energy from Independent Power Producers.

The office of the Presidency says President Cyril Ramaphosa has cited major concerns over load shedding in the country as he prepares to be briefed by Eskom.

The Acting Mayor of Tshwane, Abel Tau, has confirmed that at least two people have died following floods in and around Pretoria. Heavy rains have lashed Gauteng in the last week, causing water to rise in various areas.

Eskom board and management will on Wednesday brief President Cyril Ramaphosa on the deepening power crisis in the country.

Eskom's Chief Operations Officer Jan Oberholzer says the outlook for this week is to maintain loadshedding due to the persistent rain because of the coal handling challenges.

Energy experts say one of the reasons of loadshedding is possibly due to Eskom deviating from regulations pertaining to the purchase of fine coal.

The Water and Sanitation Department says the current rainfall has had no impact on the dam levels and some continue to decline.