South Africa

Parents and caregivers who wish to enrol their children for the 2022 school year in the Western Cape have until midnight to confirm their final choice of school.

South Africa’s COVID-19 cases continue to rise, with 16 078 new infections reported on Thursday, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

Gauteng Premier David Mabuza says in the light of the third wave in the province, the province is stepping up its vaccination rollout programme.

The Commission on African COVID-19 Response has shone the spotlight on the immediate urgency of accelerating COVID-19 vaccine procurement and rollout on the continent through a unified approach.

With South Africa experiencing the third wave of COVID-19, Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has called on the business sector to comply with the Alert Level 3 regulations as the country continues to fight the pandemic.

The Department of Employment and Labour has announced that it is widening its investigation into the R219 million COVID TERS payments made to the Eastern Cape Transport Tertiary Co-operative (ECTCC).

The South African National Parks (SANParks) says an independent report on the wildfire that burned about 600 hectares of land within the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) and some neighbouring properties has ruled out natural causes.

While breakthrough COVID-19 infections have been recorded in vaccinated individuals, signs are beginning to emerge that inoculations were reducing the risk of serious illness and hospitalisation.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says it will not grant approval to vaccines that do not meet stringent standards and protocols.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has declined three applications for the environmental authorisation for the development of gas to power via powerships.

Government says it has noted with concern how acclaimed international opera singer, Pretty Yende, was treated at the Charles De Gaulle International Airport in Paris, France, on Monday.

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government has urged people involved in illegal mining in KwaHlathi, near Ladysmith, to immediately leave the site, warning that people found there on Thursday will face the full might of the law.

Efforts to suppress raging wildfires in the Coldstream and Koomansbos areas of Tsitsikamma, Eastern Cape where just over 2 400 hectares of commercial plantations and natural veld have been destroyed, are in full swing.

South Africa recorded the highest ever single-day spike on Wednesday, with 17 493 COVID-19 cases since the start of the third wave.

The Department of Basic Education says it is satisfied with the first day of the vaccination programme in the basic education sector, which saw more than 48 000 educators and staff vaccinated.