South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Monday 5 July 2021

For all the latest news in South Africa, be sure to stay up to date with all the headlines dominating the news agenda across the country on Monday 5 July 2021.

Former president Jacob Zuma’s address to his supporters and the media at his homestead in Nkandla has gripped the attention of most South Africans this past weekend. Zuma had until Sunday midnight to hand himself over to the police. But as thousands of supporters congregated in Nkandla in violation of COVID-19 Level 4 restrictions from Saturday, it became clear that Msholozi was going nowhere.

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Monday 5 July

Jacob Zuma latest: ‘I am not afraid of going to jail for my beliefs’

After a chaotic day in which thousands of people defied lockdown laws to gather at the Nkandla, Jacob Zuma finally addressed the nation and said that the Constitutional Court’s decision to sentence him to 15-months direct imprisonment for contempt of court harks back to Apartheid’s policy of detention without trial. 

Zuma said on Sunday evening that he is not afraid of going to jail, but will continue to fight against the ruling before handing himself over to police. 

Reading a statement to the press who had gathered at Nkandla, Zuma said that South Africa is “sliding back into an Apartheid State”. He said that the lockdown regulations – which his supporters openly flouted by gathering in their thousands without masks on Sunday – bear “all the the hallmarks of a state of emergency, with the curfews like the 1980s”.

He said that he struggled for a free and fair South Africa, but has not been reciprocated in this manner. 

“The struggle for a free SA was a struggle for justice where everyone is treated equally before the law. Constitutional democracy should mean that no one – not even judges – are above the law,” he said. 

‘I will fight police that try to fetch me’: Zuma greets supporters at Nkandla

Former President Jacob Zuma has greeted thousands of supporters who flocked to Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, saying that the judges at the Constitutional Court who imposed a 15-month direct imprisonment sentence for him this week are “conspiring” against him with State Capture Commission head Raymond Zondo. 

Zuma is set to address the nation from Nkandla this evening, with police having been deployed to manage the extreme flouting of lockdown protocols on the go ahead of his address. 

Zuma said that the Constitutional Court had repeatedly infringed on his rights, leaving him no choice but to fail to attend his hearings or submit testimony. 

“They sat and decided that I must appear before the judge that I said I will appear,” he said. “The second decision was that I must pay the costs when I was not present.”

“Thirdly, they said since we know that a person has a right not to answer questions as per the Constitution but we want Zuma to answer. When I heard that, I said they are provoking me.”

“The judges who are supposed to protect me took my rights away, that means they are conspiring with this certain judge. I then decided I’m not going back to the State Capture Commission or even present myself to the judges.”

State foots R1m bill for renovations on army chief’s home – report

Just another day in South Africa: About R1 million of taxpayers’ money was spent towards renovations and furnishings for a Pretoria home occupied by the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) chief, General Lawrence Mbatha, Sunday Times reports.

All this less than three months after Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula bemoaned a R15 billion budget cut for her portfolio.

“We must inform this House of the negative impact our declining allocation has had and will continue to have on the Department of Defence in general – our military capabilities in particular and our ability to meet our operational responsibilities assigned to us as well as our international obligations,” Mapisa-Nqakula said when delivering her budget vote back in May 2021.

Well contrary to the minister’s claim, the latest spending saga implies the SANDF may have money to burn. According to Sunday Times, the state funded the new additions to General Lawrence Mbatha’s house in Waterkloof, one of the poshest neighbourhoods in the capital – properties there range from under R4 million. The house has reportedly been fitted with some plush features including a basketball court and carpets, which totalled nearly R300 000.

Watch: eSwatini ‘soldier’ SHOOTS civilian in another worrying clip

It appears calm is far from being restored in eSwatini, if the latest video clip doing the rounds is anything to go by. Parts of the country have been scenes of chaos over the past week or so: People have been taking to the streets, in violation of a recently-imposed curfew, to protest against the country’s ruling system and calling for a complete end to the absolute monarchy.

The pro-democracy protests have often turned violent, with members of the eSwatini army alleged to have been using excessive force towards civilians. The soldiers are accused of being behind the dozens of deaths that have occurred during the demonstrations.

There has been a number of videos being circulated on social media, showing law enforcement officers being heavy handed towards citizens. In a new video that has surfaced, several law enforcement officers are seen arguing with an eSwatini civilian. It isn’t clear whether the officers are soldiers or part of the police force.

At some point in the video, one of the men pushes the civilian, who goes out of shot. The officer then fires his rifle several times, presumably at the man. We warn you: This video clip is not for sensitive viewers.

COVID-19: Gauteng hospitals overwhelmed as people die in car parks

As Gauteng grapples with the third wave of COVID-19, hospitals are so overwhelmed that medical personnel has said people are dying in private cars outside the emergency units.

This week, a matron from a Gauteng hospital spoke to IOL about how the current situation was different from the last two waves. How mobile cold rooms now come to the back of the hospital to collect the dead because the mortuaries are full. She told the publication that the dead aren’t just counted in the wards, but also the hospital car park.

“When I do my rounds in the mornings, it’s no longer weird and unusual to hear how many people have died during the night or the past 24 hours. I’m not only referring to deaths inside our hospital but also people who died in private cars outside the emergency unit,” said the matron, who wished to remain anonymous, as she is not allowed to speak to the media.

IOL reported that she said family members stop their cars outside the unit and hysterically call for help, saying their loved ones need help or are “breathing funny”.

“Emergency staff frantically ran to these cars to try and help. They rush these dying people inside to the resuscitation area, where they try to save their lives – and fail.”

Drunk driver allegedly knocks three pedestrians dead in Verulam, KZN

Three pedestrians have died have died after being allegedly run over by a drunk driver on an unnamed road in B Section, Parkgate in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Saturday night.

Two pedestrians were killed instantly while the third victim, a 22-year-old man died in hospital. The incident happened around 22:30 after the current 21:00 curfew.

Private security company, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said it received multiple calls at approximately 22:02 from residents in the area requesting assistance for the injured.

“Reaction Officers and RUSA Medics were dispatched to the scene and on arrival found an angry mob assaulting a man who had been stripped naked. It was established that he was the driver of the white Toyota Corolla involved in the accident.

“He abandoned his extensively damaged vehicle and fled the scene on foot when he was pursued by a mob who apprehended him approximately 300 meters away. They began assaulting him while escorting him back to the scene. Medics assessed the injured and found that two pedestrians were fatally injured. They were believed to be in their late twenties.

Witnesses told RUSA that the vehicle was travelling at the high rate of speed when the driver lost control and ploughed into the pedestrians. His vehicle then crashed into a tree.

Sinovac vaccine: ‘A turning point for our country’ says Kubayi-Ngubane

Acting Health Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has described the approval of the Sinovac vaccine for use in South Africa as a turning point and much needed relief for the country’s lagging vaccination rollout programme.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) made the announcement on Saturday, 3 July and the CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine is manufactured by Sinovac Life Science.

The Acting Health Minister said the authorisation with conditions, is based on the safety, quality and efficacy data submitted by the vaccine manufacturer to SAHPRA between 22 March 2021 and 22 June 2021.

“On behalf of the Department, I would like to express gratitude to our regulatory authority for their sense of urgency, which included reducing turnaround time to process applications for registration of medical products, COVID-19 vaccine in particular – without compromising their strict guidelines to ensure the safety of our people.

“Accordingly, SAHPRA has indicated that while it considered the submitted data acceptable at this point, the authorisation is subject to a number of conditions including submission by the manufacturer of the final results of ongoing clinical studies. The regulator also took account of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing (EUL) report on this vaccine.

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