Daily news update: Covid stats, Holomisa throws ‘political jab’, Steenhuisen gears up for action

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Daily Covid-19 update: Deaths breach 13,000 mark

The Department of Health confirmed a cumulative total of 609,773 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country.

The total number of tests conducted to date is 3,553,425 with 18,358 new tests conducted since the last report.  The department also confirmed a further 72 more Covid-19 related deaths.

Eleven from Eastern Cape, 41 from Gauteng, 12 from KwaZulu-Natal, and 8 from Western Cape.

This brings the total Covid-19 related cumulative deaths to 13,059.

Recoveries now stand at 506 470 which translates to a recovery rate of 83%

Remember they defended a swimming pool, says Holomisa on ANC fighting corruption

Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Movement.
Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

Political jabs have been thrown as United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa highlighted that the ANC had a history of sweeping things under the carpet.

Mentioning a scandal that has become known as the “Sarafina 2 scandal” which saw a musical that was supposed to tour the country carrying a HIV/Aids educational message, unable to take flight due to a bungling government, Holomisa said it showed how some corruption was swept under the carpet.

Questioning a one-party dominance he said it remained easy for some individuals to slip away from accountability on acts of corruption.

AG finds OR Tambo municipality riddled with irregularities

Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu. Picture: ANA

The troubled OR Tambo district municipality in the Eastern Cape, famous for paying millions in handwritten invoices for Covid-19 “awareness” campaigns, has racked up close to R1.4 billion in irregular expenditure.

This week, municipal officials revealed these figures to Parliament’s portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs.

Why Steenhuisen isn’t convinced by Ramaphosa’s rhetoric

The Democratic Alliance interim leader John Steenhuisen. Picture: Veli Nhlapo

The DA’s John Steenhuisen says he isn’t sold by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s rhetoric.

Steenhuisen was not impressed by the lengthy seven-page letter, saying that not once in it, was there any mention of the independent, decisive, and urgent investigation and prosecution of party or Cabinet members, as part of the president’s so-called “turning point in our fight against corruption”.

On Sunday, Ramaphosa told party members that the ANC was “accused number one” for corruption and warned those who wanted to use the party as a gateway to power, to leave the ANC.

The fatal head-on crash of TMPD metro officers, with a suspected drunk driver, has caused a stir, especially following the lifting of the alcohol ban – in less than a week.

MEC saddened by fatal crash of TMPD officers with suspected drunk driver

Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

The suspected drunk driver was also killed in the accident, according to TMPD spokesperson Isaac Mahamba.

“It is reported that the three officers were providing back-up in pursuit of a vehicle that was reported to not have stopped when instructed by other TMPD officers. The vehicle that was being pursued collided with the vehicle the three TMPD officers were in and the three officers died on the scene,” said Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko.

Mazibuko added: “It is less than a week since the sale of alcohol has been opened under the National Disaster Act regulations, and a driver suspected of being drunk has taken the lives of three law enforcement officers. As government, we continue to plead with citizens to drink responsibility to prevent the senseless loss of lives.”

Driver busted going 204km/h claims he was rushing friend with ‘Covid-19’ to hospital

A Chinese national caught by police allegedly driving 204km/h in a 120km/h zone, tried to avoid getting arrested by claiming he was rushing a friend who had symptoms of Covid-19 to hospital.

But the friend told the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers that he did not have Covid-19 symptoms.

The 47-year-old driver, from Mpumalanga, was arrested for reckless and negligent driving, said EMPD spokesperson Kobeli Mokheseng.

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