Daily news update: ANC wins most municipalities, Vooma vaccination drive and SA writer wins 2021 Booker Prize

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Despite setbacks, ANC wins majority in 161 municipalities countrywide

Taking to the podium, IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini announced the results of the local government elections which saw the ANC winning the majority of the municipalities.

“We are satisfied that we have delivered a free election, despite the glitches which we apologise for,” said Mashinini of the elections.

“The fact that we are here today, having delivered these elections is an achievement we should all be proud of as a nation. Our thriving, vibrant and maturing democracy has indeed withstood the test thrown at it.”

Tshwane likely to have another DA-led coalition as parties try to block ANC-EFF union

Results for the highly contested City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality are not looking good for either the ANC and DA, but two of the top five parties in the city are willing to work with the DA to reduce chances of an ANC-EFF coalition.

While 97% of the votes in the metro have been captured and finalised, the ANC and DA have both failed to achieve a majority, with results standing at 34.55% and 32.08% respectively by Thursday morning.

SAA board signs Mango’s death sentence – 709 jobs likely lost

Frail budget airline Mango will not resume operations in December this year as outlined in its business rescue plan, if its shareholder SAA and ultimate shareholder the Department of Public Enterprises, have their way.

The Citizen has seen an exchange of correspondence between SAA interim chairperson Profession John Lamola and business rescue practitioner Sipho Sono, wherein Mango is explicitly instructed not to pursue the intent of the plan, published at the end of October.

This could mean the end of Mango and all 709 jobs soon.

Vooma vaccination drive to take place next weekend as citizens urged to get second jab

Government is set to roll out another vaccination drive themed Vooma Vaccination Weekend to encourage citizens to get their vaccinations against Covid-19.

This was annonuced by Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele during a post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday morning.

Gungubele said the nationwide mass vaccination drive would take place next weekend from 12 to 14 November.

I’m not dead and it’s not funny – Leon Schuster

Filmmaker and prank puller Leon Schuster (70) says it is starting to feel like someone wants him dead after another rumour of his death has been doing the rounds.

One of Schuster’s friends tried to phone him several times on Monday while he was caught up in a meeting. When Schuster returned the call, his worried friend asked whether he was okay.

He says that people even phoned from Namibia just to hear his voice, as they’d heard that he had passed away.

SA writer Damon Galgut wins 2021 Booker Prize

South African playwright and novelist Damon Galgut on Wednesday won the 2021 Booker Prize for “The Promise”, his third shortlisted novel which chronicles a family in his homeland from the late apartheid era through to Jacob Zuma’s presidency.

Spanning several decades, the book shows the family’s growing disintegration as the country emerges into democracy.

“I am really profoundly, humbly grateful for this,” the 57-year-old said as he accepted the prestigious British award at a televised ceremony in London.