Author: newsnote correspondent

The Department of Health is reported to have called on South Africans to start wearing their masks again and to continue getting vaccinated and receiving booster shots, after the first case of what is said to be a highly transmissible Covid-19 Omicron XBB.1.5 variant was detected in South Africa recently. The Department said it is consulting with scientists to make a determination of what is reported to be a highly transmissible variant also found in the United States of America in recent weeks. There is no reported increase in the number of hospital admissions or deaths in South Africa while…

The main driver behind the lower projected prices is a huge drop in the international product prices for petroleum, which are guided by global oil movements. This is being supported by a stronger rand versus the US dollar. Global oil prices have dropped below $80 a barrel so far in January, ending last week over 8% lower. The drop in prices was largely driven by market sentiment around demand, with analysts holding a dim outlook for demand coming from industrious nations like China – while supply concerns eased. According to Bloomberg analysts, however, the trend may be shifting. China has…

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has said the alleged poisoning incident “will be thoroughly investigated” and anyone responsible will be charged. Gordhan said an intense battle was taking place “between those who want South Africa to thrive and those who want to corruptly enrich themselves”. Andre de Ruyter resigned on December 14 after failing to solve the crisis in Eskom that has led to record power cuts in the country. After taking office in January 2020, de Ruyter led a company-wide clampdown on corruption and organised criminal behaviour, including sabotage of infrastructure, within Eskom. “Eskom cannot comment further on the poisoning…

This was confirmed on Friday in a tweet by Professor Tulio de Oliveira, the director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University and the KZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He said teams looking for new variants and subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus had found XBB.1.5 in South Africa. Scientists found the subvariant in one of 97 samples tested. The sample was taken on 27 December 2022. Dean of Wits University’s Faculty of Health Sciences Professor Shabir Madhi questioned the value of publicising this on social media. “It is unclear what value…

He played a key role in enforcing the racist system of apartheid, with police running hit squads that kidnapped, tortured and murdered activists. Vlok confessed to some of his crimes after apartheid ended in 1994 and was granted amnesty. He also washed prominent anti-apartheid cleric Rev Frank Chikane’s feet in 2006 in a gesture of contrition. His critics saw it as a stunt to gain sympathy, and to avoid making a full disclosure of all the crimes committed by the apartheid regime. Rev Chikane had survived an attempt by police to poison him to death in 1989. More than 45 years…

Cyril Ramaphosa praised two teenage brothers for fighting off several middle-aged white men during a racist attack at Maselspoort Resort outside Bloemfontein. Announcing the party’s key priorities for the year at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Mangaung on Sunday, Ramaphosa also talked tough about racism. While sitting alongside the newly elected leadership of the ANC, he applauded the Nakedi brothers, aged 15 and 18. “The most shameful act to perpetrate against young boys like these was to see old white men choke these men and drown them in a pool underwater,” Ramaphosa said. Several white men attempted to prevent…

A Mozambican man accused of masterminding kidnappings for ransom has been arrested by the Interpol in South Africa. Esmael Malude Ramos Nangy is suspected of orchestrating kidnappings that netted several million dollars in ransom over the past two decades. The South African police said he was arrested in a raid at an upmarket housing estate in Centurion, near the capital Pretoria. Police in Mozambique also confirmed the arrest of the wanted man over the weekend. The news of the arrest of the 50-year-old Mozambican citizen was first issued by the international police. It followed an international arrest warrant issued in…

Wearing shirts in the bright yellow and green of Brazil’s flag they vandalised the buildings that house its key democratic institutions. Why is this happening? Brazil held a bitter election two months ago The presidential elections in October 2022 pitted the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, against his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known known as Lula. Following an acrimonious and bitter campaign, Lula, who was president between January 2003 and December 2010, defeated Mr Bolsonaro by a narrow margin in the run-off on 30 October. Lula said the storming was “without precedent” and labelled those behind it…

Ant Group said that after the change no-one would have overall control. The formerly flamboyant Mr Ma has seldom been seen in public since criticising China’s financial sector in 2020. Following that criticism, Ant Group’s planned stock market flotation was abruptly halted. Ant Group runs Alipay, the main online payment system in China, which has eclipsed cash, cheques and credit cards. Mr Ma, a former English teacher who founded e-commerce giant Alibaba, directly and indirectly controls more than 50% of Ant Group. However, after the changes in governance structure, he will control just over 6%, according to an Ant Group statement.…

The warning comes as low-lying areas in the city experienced flooding and cars were submerged in Benoni and surrounding areas, including Lakefield and Van Dykpark in Boksburg. Forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela told said the heavy rains affected most parts of the East Rand, with Benoni and Boksburg being the hardest hit.  He said there would be a 30% chance of rainfall in several parts of the country and Gauteng throughout the weekend. He said although this is lower than the current rainfall, areas already submerged in water would be at risk of further flooding.  On Thursday, SAWS issued a yellow level…