South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Thursday 25 November 2021

Are you keeping up with the latest news stories and headlines in South Africa? We’ve got the news you really need to know on Thursday 25 November 2021.

Covid-19 infections are on the rise in South Africa, weeks ahead of an expected fourth wave in December. A total of 1275 new COVID-19 cases were reported in South Africa on Wednesday.

The majority of the cases were detected in the most populous province of Gauteng, including Johannesburg and Pretoria. On the vaccine front, over 24.8 million jabs have been administered in the country so far.

On the political front, the fate of eThekwini was decided on Wednesday. This comes after a gruelling battle between the ANC and the DA. Mxolisi Kaunda was elected as the metro’s mayor, capping a breathless victory for the ANC.

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said the election results were “a big setback” for the party. He said his party will go back to the drawing board ahead of the next elections.

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Thursday 25 November

‘Back to the drawing board’ – Ramaphosa reacts to ANC’s dramatic defeats

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, fully aware of the dark arts which rejected his party, has insisted that the results must be respected – and he announced it was time for the 109-year-old organisation to ‘go back to the drawing board’.

“What is unfolding is how democracy works. This is the footsteps, if you like, of democracy and we’ve seen it play out throughout the country. We are a party that learns very quickly and we are going to go back to the drawing board. This for us is a big setback, and we’re going to reflect on all these setbacks.” 

“As the president of the governing party, it is disappointing for the ANC, but we should accept the clear message of our people on the ANC. We’ve taken heed and listened and this for us is a big setback, but it is also a big lesson.”

Cyril Ramaphosa

COVID-19: SA records more than 1200 cases, 80 percent are in Gauteng

South Africa recorded more than 1200 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, 24 September, according to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). The 35 390 tests conducted over the past 24 hours represent a positivity rate of 3,6 percent.

The 1275 new COVID-19 cases detected in South Africa on Wednesday bring the total number of active cases in the country to 20 610. Unfortunately, 22 more people died of COVID-19-related complications, according to the NICD, bringing the death toll to 89 657.

There were 53 people admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 treatment within the latest testing cycle. The 258 private and 408 public hospitals reporting to the NICD now have 2106 patients admitted.

eThekwini results confirmed: ANC win! Kaunda snatches dramatic victory

After a topsy-turvy few days, fraught with tension and high emotions, we finally have a winner in eThekwini: Mxolisi Kaunda has been elected as the metro’s mayor, capping a breathless victory for the ANC.

Kaunda defeated the DA’s Nicole Graham by 113 votes to 104 votes. There were two spoiled votes.

Well, where do we even begin to summarise how we got to this point? The IFP’s decision to dump the ANC after agreeing to a coalition pact with them last week set the tone for the ruling party’s disastrous week. Despite taking NMB on Monday morning, they lost control of both Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni to the DA before the close of business.

Prayer session planned for Len Cloete, who is still fighting for his life

A public prayer session is planned for Len Cloete, who is still fighting for his life after he was shot in the head by a police officer at a lodge in Muldersdrift. 

Len was shot in the head by a police officer in front of his wife and friends earlier this month is still fighting for his life in hospital. 

In a video of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Len is seen shouting at the police. He takes a firearm out of the bed drawer and cocks it while swinging it around in front of the police officers.

Len then disarms a police officer. Another police officer at the scene fires a single shot and hits Cloete in the head. He falls to the ground.

During a recent radio interview, his wife, Chantal, said he was on life support and that doctors would slowly start bringing him out of sedation to assess the damage to his brain. 

The bullet remains lodged in his head. 

The prayer session will be held on Saturday from 10:00 – 11:30 at the Pretoria High School Old Boys’ Club in Pretoria. 

“Please join us to pray for Len Cloete, Father, and Husband, and awesome friend to many.

“All Believers stand together and pray for Len Cloete. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” the invite read.

Racist SA TikTok user Henrico Barnard not arrested yet – in hospital

The racist SA TikTok user Henrico Barnard who instantly gained fame with his disgusting racial slur videos last week has not been arrested yet as he is currently in hospital. 

Limpopo police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo could not explain why Barnard was in hospital but says the charges still stand.

He said police in the Waterberg district have open charges of intimidation, crimen injuria, and incitement to commit crime after the video went viral on social media. 

SA journalist in hot water – after getting elected as an ActionSA councillor

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) slammed freelance journalist Edwin Ntshidi after he was elected as a PR councillor of ActionSA in the City of Johannesburg on Monday, 22 November. The journalist in question covered the 2021 municipal elections for one of the country’s biggest news brands.

Ntshidi worked the elections for Eyewitness News (EWN). His last article, titled ‘Political parties set to meet to hammer out coalition deals for Gauteng metros’, was published nine days ago.

EWN editor-in-chief Mahlatse Mahlase told News24 that Ntshidi served his notice on 7 November and that the publication – which has a significant reach online and on the country’s radio waves – had no idea about the journalists’ political ambitions.

SANEF said it is happy that the journalist is no longer a reporter and that his association with EWN is over. However, the forum is concerned with his conduct and that he agreed to be an ActionSA candidate, while he was reporting on the elections and the selfsame party he now represents.

Power and bread to the people! ‘Cabbage Bandit’ wins pavement veg battle

Earlier this year, Joe Nkuna aka ” The Cabbage Bandit” went viral because of a run-in with South African police. This was because he had been growing cabbage and other vegetables on the pavement outside his Pretoria home. He was initially told that he was violating pavement by-laws and found himself headed to court.

And now the case has been thrown out.

Most South Africans who were following Joe Nkuna’s story sided with him after hearing how he got into trouble for planting veggies for the poor outside his home.

Many people find it outrageous that flowers and grass are welcome outside yards but vegetables are not. Joe was subsequently fined R1500 for violating some pavement bylaws but decided to take the matter to court.

This resulted in nationwide outrage.

And now the famous Cabbage Bandit has headed online to update his supporters that the case has been thrown out of court!

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