Daily news update: Covid-19 stats, Limpopo RDP houses ‘fall apart’ and Mboweni calls Masina to ‘order’

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Covid-19 update: SA records 1,218 new cases and 114 deaths

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced that the country has recorded 1,218 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 628, 259.

The country has also recorded 114 more Covid-19 deaths: 13 from KwaZulu-Natal, 39 from Gauteng, 7 from Eastern Cape, 7 from Free State, 20 from Western Cape, 18 from North West and 10 from Mpumalanga.

The total number of deaths is 14,263.

“We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers that treated the deceased patients. Our recoveries now stand at 549,993, which translates to a recovery rate of 87%,” said Mkhize.

Source: Health department

‘ANC leaders must not feed the frenzy, we must unite’, as Mboweni calls Masina to ‘order’

Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni delivers the 2020 National Budget Speech at the Parliament House on February 26, 2020 in Cape Town. Picture: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach

In a series of tweets on Monday evening, Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni was the latest member of Cabinet to “call order” after Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina repeated “protests” against President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying he should step aside.

Masina has been calling for ANC members facing fraud and corruption charges to step down from their official positions, in accordance with a resolution taken at the African National Congress’ (ANC) Nasrec conference in 2017.

Why Mabuza has been MIA

Deputy President David Mabuza. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng / African News Agency(ANA)

After cancelling appearances on two occasions, Deputy President David Mabuza has confirmed he is not only back from sick leave, but would be available to face members of the National Council of Provinces this week and take oral questions.

In the ANC’s National Executive Committee briefing on Monday evening, Mabuza took a swipe at detractors saying although there was information circulating that he was dead, he was in fact very much alive.

Botswana elephant sanctuary owner dies after being trampled in the wild

Doug Groves with assistants and elephant Jabu, ahead of his stem cell treatment in 2019. Groves died on Monday. Photo: Instagram

A Botswana-based elephant conservationist who dedicated his life to working with and studying elephants has died.

Elephant whisperer Douglas Groves passed away after being trampled by a wild elephant, his wife Sandi confirmed on Monday. She said Groves was out in the bush when the incident took place.

Limpopo RDP houses ‘fall apart’ after storm

One of the RDP houses in the Limpopo informal settlement at Namakgale’s Tshelang-Gape section, said
to have been destroyed by a storm. Picture: Supplied

The Limpopo department of cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs is once again in trouble over alleged shoddy work, with claims of a storm apparently having blown over RDP houses.

The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) confirmed yesterday that the project was awarded to a company called Lempitse Trading, which was awarded 90 housing units, each costing about R115 000, totalling nearly R10 million. However, company director Lerato Duba first refuted this and later hung up on The Citizen.

Here’s what we know about Trevor Noah’s new bae Minka Kelly

Trevor Noah, South African comedian and host of America’s The Daily Show, has a new bae and we dug around to bring you the tea on who she is.

A source recently confirmed to E! News that the funny-man has been seeing actress/model Minka Kelly for several months already.

But who is Minka Kelly and what makes her so appealing to Mzansi’s gift to the USA?

Here are five things you need to know about Semali Moeti #Rakgadi

Semati Moedi, sister to the late Lebogang Khitsane | Image: YouTube

Semali Moeti claimed at the funeral of her brother, entrepreneur Lebohang Khitsane, that his wife had an extramarital affair.

The video clip has fired up many conversations the past few days after Semali Moeti revealed family secrets during a funeral.

Moeti claimed at her brother’s funeral, entrepreneur Lebohang Khitsane that his wife had an extramarital affair.

“Lebogang was in pain, it turns out his wife had brought a man into the house…” said Moeti before chaos erupted.

Sundowns unveil new logo and jerseys for 2020/21 season

The upgraded Mamelodi Sundowns logo

In a statement, Sundowns said the “changes to their logo included the ribbon being shortened so that the proportion of the crest could be slightly magnified, the ribbon is bolder, the hands are more defined and the centre circle within the logo surrounding the hand has been removed”.

“Some of these changes were necessitated by the modern media and advertising requirements,” read the club statement.

Lions are revitalised and ready to hit the ground running

Ruan Dreyer in action for the Lions in 2018, before his stint in the UK. Picture: Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images

While it has been a challenging year, Springbok prop Ruan Dreyer says the spirit remains high in the Lions camp.

With top-flight local teams resuming full contact training this week, in preparation for a return to competition, the excitement in the Lions camp is contagious.

A date of October 3 had been provisionally earmarked for the start of the Currie Cup, and the next four weeks of contact training was set to be essential in getting the teams battle-ready.

Running free no more: Ferrari closes the door on GTC4 Lusso

Ferrari GTC4 Lusso

Axing of the GTC4 Lusso brings to an end nearly decade of the shooting brake GT Ferrari that started with the FF in 2011.

With the Purosangue SUV waiting in the wings, Ferrari has confirmed the end of the GTC4 Lusso and Lusso T as per its most recent five year plan.

The evolutionary model of the FF that lasted for five years between 2011 and 2016, the Prancing Horse, in a statement to motor1.com, stated that, “in accordance with its five-year model strategy announced in 2017 and the company’s standard model life cycle, Ferrari has phased out production of the GTC4Lusso and GTC4Lusso T”.

Coupe-styled Audi Q3 Sportback arrives on local shores

Audi Q3 Sportback in German market guise

Having expanded its Q range earlier this year with the introduction of the diesel-powered Q8, Audi has added its latest offering, the Q3 Sportback, to the South African line-up.

Shown last year, and initially expected to have carried the Q4 moniker, the Sportback measures 4 500 mm in overall length with a wheelbase of 2 680 mm, height of 1 556 mm and width of 1 843 mm, dimensions which adds up to a 16 mm gain in overall length, a 29 mm height reduction and six millimetre width decrease with the wheelbase staying as is.

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