For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: Motsoaledi assures SA has robust surveillance systems in place amid new Covid variant; CDE advises Ramaphosa not to extend Batohi’s tenure; And, South Africa's April manufacturing output falls 6.3%

Motsoaledi assures SA has robust surveillance systems in place amid new Covid variant

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi today assured that South Africa is actively monitoring the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant, known as Nimbus or NB.1.8.1, which has been linked to a resurgence of cases in parts of Asia.

Motsoaledi was delivering a keynote address during the opening of the fourth G20 Health Working Group meeting taking place in Johannesburg, where he pointed out that the World Health Organisation had designated Nimbus as a Variant Under Monitoring, owing to its growing presence.

The distinctive symptom is characterised by a sharp, stabbing pain when swallowing, often at the back of the throat.

Other symptoms linked to the strain include redness in the back of the mouth and swollen neck glands, as well as established common Covid symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and congestion.

He assured that South Africa has robust surveillance systems in place, noting that the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases manages a comprehensive Sentinel Surveillance programme that systematically tests for key respiratory viruses.

He said currently, data shows very low activity.

Health experts have reported that 13 cases have already been found in the UK, following a surge in cases in China, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Motsoaledi noted that while South Africa is observing a seasonal increase in influenza, it is well prepared to manage the new variant.

CDE advises Ramaphosa not to extend Batohi’s tenure

Think tank, Centre for Development and Enterprise executive director Ann Bernstein has advised President Cyril Ramaphosa to not extend the term of office of National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi and has recommended a new appointment model akin to the 2019 South African Revenue Service commissioner selection process.

Bernstein explained that this would involve the President selecting one or more candidates who would then be interviewed by a high-level, independent and widely respected panel.

Batohi will be required to vacate her office in January 2026, as she reaches the age of 65.

Bernstein called for fresh leadership at the National Prosecuting Authority and urged the strengthening of the entity to successfully prosecute State capture and corruption cases.

She noted that the NPA had failed to successfully prosecute any major State capture cases involving politicians.

Bernstein stated that the NPA had yet to fully recover from State capture and rebuild an effective national organisation.

And, South Africa's April manufacturing output falls 6.3%

South Africa's manufacturing output fell 6.3% year on year in April, after falling by a revised 1.2% in March, statistics agency data showed today.

Factory production rose 1.9% month on month in April after falling by a revised 2.5% in March.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

Don’t forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA