Deon Blume

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality says water pressure will be low in large parts of the Metro's western suburbs to restore the levels of reservoirs quicker.

Rating agency Moody's has cut South Africa's sovereign credit rating to subinvestment grade, meaning the country now has a junk rating from all three major international rating agencies.

Eastern Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga has expressed shock and dismay at yet another cold-blooded killing of a defenceless elderly woman at Idutywa on Friday evening. Preliminary investigations revealed that the 85-year old was asleep alone in her rondavel when she was shot in the upper body.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality says beaches and all public amenities are closed from Sunday. It says in a statement new directives are in effect in efforts to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to ensure that the transmission of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is contained.

Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte said late on Saturday evening that all commercial activities in the country would be shut down - unless they performed an "essential" role for the country in its battle against the spread of coronavirus.

Hotel magnate, Sol Kerzner has died at the age of 84. Sun International says on its website that he passed away at his home in Leeukoppie Estate, Cape Town, surrounded by family on Saturday.

A sixth suspect has been arrested in Mpumalanga for killing an 83-year-old granny in Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape. Saturday's arrest of the 32-year old man follows after five suspects were arrested in various parts of the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.

UPDATE: The South African National Defence Force will be deployed to help the South African Police Services enforce a 21-day country-wide lockdown. This will be from midnight on Thursday 26 March to 16 April.

The Eastern Cape has registered its first positive case of the Covid-19 virus, as the number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 240. This was announced by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases on Saturday.