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Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Steenhuisen refutes allegations that DA is struggling with race relations

By SICARIOOctober 06, 2021PoliticsNo comments

The Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has refuted allegations that his party is struggling with dealing with race relations internally.

In an exclusive interview with the SABC on the party’s election manifesto ahead of the November 1 local government elections, Steenhuisen said the DA was the most diverse party in the country.

Former DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, former DA MP Phumzile van Damme and former Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba are some of the leaders that have left the party in recent times.

Steenhuisen is adamant that the DA has black leaders that believe that the party stands for non-racialism.

“The DA’s values and principles remain the same, which is why the Siviwe Gwarube, Solly Malatse … all of those people find a home within the DA and they know that the DA is fighting for non-racialism.”

“They don’t allow our opponents to define who and what they regard as important for South Africa or to define them as individuals. They are all in important positions, not because they are black but because they are excellent South Africans. I really do think that this notion of this mass exodus of black leaders of the DA is a little bit far fetched,” explains Steenhuisen.

Below is the full interview with DA leader John Steenhuisen:

DA under fire over election post

Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has accused the DA of trying to gain support among the Indian community at the expense of social cohesion.

This is after the DA put up election posters in Phoenix north of Durban with a message in which it blames the ANC for racial tensions in Phoenix.

The posters refer to the widespread unrest in July when more than 350 people died in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

More than 30 of the deaths were reported in Phoenix.

ANC provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela has called on the DA to stop sowing divisions in communities.

The ruling party says it will approach the IEC to check if the posters are not a breach of the electoral code of conduct:

Steenhuisen vows not to apologise for election posters in Phoenix

On Wednesday, Steenhuisen said he was adamant that he will not apologise for some of the party’s messaging on its local government election posters.

This is despite the DA in KwaZulu-Natal coming under fire on social media for its controversial poster.

Speaking to the media in Midrand, Steenhuisen said he had no regrets about the messaging on the poster in Phoenix.

In the video below, Steenhuisen defends DA election posters in Phoenix:

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WHO backs malaria vaccine rollout for Africa’s children in major breakthrough

By SICARIOOctober 06, 2021AfricaNo comments

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday the only approved vaccine against malaria should be widely given to African children, potentially marking a major advance against a disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people annually.

The WHO recommendation is for RTS,S – or Mosquirix – a vaccine developed by British drug-maker GlaxoSmithKline.

Since 2019, 2.3 million doses of Mosquirix have been administered to infants in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi in a large-scale pilot programme coordinated by the WHO.

The majority of those whom the disease kills are under age five.

That programme followed a decade of clinical trials in seven African countries.

“This is a vaccine developed in Africa by African scientists and we’re very proud,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus.

“Using this vaccine in addition to existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year,” he added, referring to anti-malaria measures like bed nets and spraying to kill mosquitoes that transmit the disease.

One of the ingredients in the Mosquirix vaccine is sourced from a rare evergreen native to Chile called a Quillay tree.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the long-term supply of these trees is in question.

Malaria is far more deadly than COVID-19 in Africa.

It killed 386 000 Africans in 2019, according to a WHO estimate, compared with 212 000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the past 18 months.

The WHO says 94% of malaria cases and deaths occur in Africa, a continent of 1.3 billion people.

The preventable disease is caused by parasites transmitted to people by the bites of infected mosquitoes.

Symptoms include fever, vomiting and fatigue.

The vaccine’s effectiveness at preventing severe cases of malaria in children is only around 30%, but it is the only approved vaccine.

The European Union’s drugs regulator approved it in 2015, saying its benefits outweighed the risks.

“This is how we fight malaria, layering imperfect tools on top of each other,” said Ashley Birkett, who leads global malaria vaccine work at Path, a non-profit global health organisation that has funded development of the vaccine with GSK and the three-country pilot.

Another vaccine against malaria called R21/Matrix-M that was developed by scientists at Britain’s University of Oxford showed up to 77% efficacy in a year-long study involving 450 children in Burkina Faso, researchers said in April.

It is still in the trial stages.

GSK welcomed the WHO recommendation.

“This long-awaited landmark decision can reinvigorate the fight against malaria in the region at a time when progress on malaria control has stalled,” Thomas Breuer, GSK’s chief global health officer, said in a statement.

GSK shares held steady in New York following the announcement, which came after the close of trading in its London-listed shares.

FUNDING CHALLENGE

The recommendation was jointly announced in Geneva by the WHO’s top advisory bodies for malaria and immunisation, the Malaria Policy Advisory Group and the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation.

Experts said the challenge now would be mobilising financing for production and distribution of the vaccine to some of the world’s poorest countries.

GSK has to date committed to produce 15 million doses of Mosquirix annually up to 2028 at a cost of production plus no more than 5% margin.

A global market study led by the WHO this year projected demand for a malaria vaccine would be 50 to 110 million doses per year by 2030 if it is deployed in areas with moderate to high transmission of the disease.

The GAVI vaccine alliance, a global public-private partnership, will consider in December whether and how to finance the vaccination programme.

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Armed bandits kill 18 in Nigeria’s Zamfara state

By SICARIOOctober 06, 2021AfricaNo comments

Armed men killed at least 18 people and set ablaze cars and shops in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, where the government has imposed a telecoms blackout as part of a security operation against groups of kidnappers, two residents said on Wednesday.

Northwest Nigeria has been engulfed in crisis since late 2020, when groups of armed men began a spate of mass abductions from schools and other violent attacks on villages and on people travelling by road.

Two residents said the attack on Kuryan Madaro village in Zamfara happened around 9 pm on Tuesday when a dozens of bandits rode into the village on motor-bikes.

Abubakar Yakubu a resident of Kuryan Madaro who had travelled to neighbouring Kebbi state told Reuters by phone that the men had shot sporadically, forcing villagers to flee.

Abubakar Abdullahi Alhassan, a lecturer at Kebbi State Polytechnic who has relatives in Zamfara, confirmed the attack.

“Many other people obtained various degrees of injuries as the result of this attack,” said Alhassan said.

Zamfara state police spokesperson Muhammed Shehu could not be reached for comment after repeated calls to his mobile phone.

Alhassan shared pictures of the burial of some of the people said to have died during the attack but Reuters could not independently verify them.

Zamfara State is among states worst hit by kidnappings and is under a telecoms blockade since early September, which authorities said they imposed to disrupt coordination among the bandits and help the armed forces to tackle them.

But that has also meant few people know what is going on in Zamfara as authorities are not forthcoming with information on their operations.

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Weather forecast, alerts and UVB index for all South African provinces, 07 October 2021

By SICARIOOctober 06, 2021The South AfricanNo comments

Weather data provided by the South African Weather Service. For a detailed forecast of your province, click here.

Severe Weather Alerts

IMPACT-BASED WARNINGS:

Nil.

FIRE DANGER WARNINGS:

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over Matzikama Municipality and Central Karoo District of the Western Cape, eastern parts of the Northern Cape and the western parts of the North West Province and the Free State.

ADVISORIES:

Nil.

Gauteng:

Temperature: Partly cloudy and warm with scattered afternoon thundershowers.

The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Extreme.

Mpumalanga:

Temperature: Cloudy in the east with morning fog patches and drizzle over the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy cold to cool with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers but scattered in the south-west.

Limpopo:

Temperature: Cloudy in the east with morning fog patches and drizzle along the escarpment areas, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the south-west.

North-West Province:

Temperature: Partly cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered afternoon thundershowers but isolated in the extreme west.

Free State:

Temperature: Cloudy in the east, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered thundershowers but isolated in the extreme west

Northern Cape:

Temperature: Morning fog along the coast otherwise fine and warm but hot over the southwest coast and cool over the north-western parts. It will become partly cloudy in the east in the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers in the north-east and extreme eastern parts.

Wind: The wind along the coast will be light and variable becoming light north-westerly.

Western Cape:

Temperature: Cloudy with fog along the south coast in the morning, otherwise fine and warm to hot becoming partly cloudy in the extreme east.

Wind: The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong easterly to north-easterly in the south until in the evening, otherwise northerly to north-westerly.

The expected UVB Sunburn Index: High.

Eastern Cape:

The Western half – Temperature: Morning fog in places over the interior, otherwise fine and warm, but hot over the interior. It will become partly cloudy in the afternoon with isolated thundershowers in places.

The Western half – Wind: The wind along the coast will be moderate north-easterly, becoming moderate south-westerly in the evening.

The Eastern half – Temperature: Fine and warm, with morning fog in places over the interior. It will become partly cloudy with isolated afternoon thundershowers in places.

The Eastern half – Wind: The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong north-easterly.

Kwazulu-Natal:

Temperature: Morning fog in places over the interior, otherwise cloudy at times and cool but warm in the west, where it will become partly cloudy solated showers and thundershowers are expected.

Wind: The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly.

The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Low.

Tweets by SAWeatherServic

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Your daily Horoscope for 07 October 2021

By SICARIOOctober 06, 2021The South AfricanNo comments

TODAY’S MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:

Flowers are the poetry of earth, as stars are the poetry of heaven. — Anonymous

TODAY’S WISDOM FROM AROUND THE WORLD:

If the beard were all, goats could preach. — Danish Proverb

TODAY’S CHINESE PROVERB:

The Gods cannot help those who do not seize opportunities.

FOR THOSE OF US BORN ON THIS DAY:

Happy birthday! The months ahead will begin with an exciting romantic interlude. If you are currently single this could lead to something very special indeed. If you are in a relationship there will be a need for care in communication as you head into the early months of the New Year. Family will be very important in the late spring and your particular skills are likely to be called upon by a favorite relative. Financially the autumn months may bring an unwelcome surprise, but some careful planning should ensure that this does not pose a major problem. Early in 2018 you may well receive an invitation to join a friend or colleague on an extended period of travel. This will be an experience not to be missed!

Want to know what the future holds? Get a FREE tarot card reading.

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY:

John Mellencamp, Yo-Yo Ma, Desmond Tutu, June Allyson, Toni Braxton, Shawn Ashmore, Rachel McAdams, Thom Yorke, Christopher Norris, Yo-Yo-Ma

CELEBRITY GOSSIP:

Ashley Graham has had a fantastic year as her supermodel fame continues to grow. The planets tell us that she is likely to seek a book deal before the end of the year and that will only serve to boost her fame!

ARIES DAILY HOROSCOPE | Mar 21 – Apr 19

Although the mood will feel relaxed, there may be a marginal edge to the general vibe. There is a slight tendency to be a little materialistic. If you can channel the somewhat intractable vibe, then it could give way to a minor opportunity. Bear in mind that short term distractions are likely!

Today’s Numbers: 4, 7, 13, 26, 34, 47

TAURUS DAILY HOROSCOPE | Apr 20 – May 20

A generally upbeat vibe has the capacity to offer a pleasant environment in which to relax and unwind. That said; there’s a slight propensity to be a little offhand particularly when it comes to vague or incomplete incoming news. It’ll be best not to take a rumor for granted!

Today’s Numbers: 3, 12, 24, 29, 33, 49

GEMINI DAILY HOROSCOPE | May 21 – Jun 20

You may need to try and contain a marginally self-serving vibe when it comes to your approach in general. You may be particularly susceptible to a subtly empowering vibe, and there is a slight indication that you may start to try and micro- manage an ongoing matter. Take care with how you project yourself!

Today’s Numbers: 1, 18, 26, 34, 42, 45

CANCER DAILY HOROSCOPE | Jun 21 – Jul 22

If you can resist a slight tendency to dig your heels in, then it needn’t be a draining day. A more amenable approach on your part could make life easier when it comes to a personal matter, since it’ll be easier to open up the communication lines. If a down-to-earth perspective advises a little more flexibility, then heed it!

Today’s Numbers: 3, 12, 20, 31, 37, 48

LEO DAILY HOROSCOPE | Jul 23 – Aug 22

It’s a generally stable day, where choices and options will seem to open up. That said; given the slightly pushy vibes, your first inclination might be to slip into overdrive and try to do everything. There’s no sense of external pressure, so choose achievable targets or aims wisely!

Today’s Numbers: 7, 18, 26, 33, 40, 43

VIRGO DAILY HOROSCOPE | Aug 23 – Sep 22

There’s a distinct tendency to allow a subtly confident outlook to direct your choices and courses of action, particularly when it comes to your near term future aims. This could pan out in your favor, but don’t go actively searching for glitches to fix. Do curb blunt responses too!

Today’s Numbers: 1, 6, 15, 22, 35, 47

LIBRA DAILY HOROSCOPE | Sep 23 – Oct 22

There’s a hint of stagnation in the planetary line-up. A somewhat inflexible vibe has the capacity to focus both your thoughts and your energies when it comes to one specific key area of your life. However; it may be a case that you’re looking back too much instead of forward!

Today’s Numbers: 5, 14, 17, 23, 38, 46

SCORPIO DAILY HOROSCOPE | Oct 23 – Nov 21

The recently pressured vibe may appear to settle down. However, there could be a possible choice or dilemma on the near horizon. An ongoing or continuous issue could shift slightly, particularly when it comes to romance. An unexpected change could develop as a result. A plan may need to be reviewed somewhat!

Today’s Numbers: 3, 7, 15, 21, 36, 44

SAGITTARIUS DAILY HOROSCOPE | Nov 22 – Dec 21

A slightly thoughtless attitude may encourage a rather self- serving approach. If someone is depending on you for results or support then make sure that you deliver. In general; don’t ignore any outstanding obligations. Don’t allow important decisions to be influenced by an overly materialistic accent!

Today’s Numbers: 2, 19, 21, 35, 41, 46

CAPRICORN DAILY HOROSCOPE | Dec 22 – Jan 19

It’s a day where a more stable vibe has the capacity to impose a little order. That said; while emotional matters are likely to move into a warmer phase, don’t assume that other key areas will somehow work out without any personal input. As an aside: try not to be too goal-centered!

Today’s Numbers: 3, 7, 13, 24, 38, 44

AQUARIUS DAILY HOROSCOPE | Jan 20 – Feb 18

The stabilizing vibe may feel a little restrictive for many air signs. There’s a chance of a possible clash between your work life and your social zone. There may be a sudden or unexpected deadline to meet. As an aside; a surprise suggestion may well throw you off kilter, somewhat!

Today’s Numbers: 9, 12, 21, 27, 33, 48

PISCES DAILY HOROSCOPE | Feb 19 – Mar 20

If you made one or two errors earlier in the week, then the consequences may well crop up again. You may feel obliged to tie up any loose-ends from the previous few days. The resilient vibe will increase your willpower, but do aim to maintain the harmony by ignoring the things that aren’t relevant!

Today’s Numbers: 6, 11, 19, 32, 36, 44

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