Covid-19 update: ANC councillor claims 5G, not virus, behind SA deaths

Covid-19 update: ANC councillor claims 5G, not virus, behind SA deaths

An eThekwini ANC councillor has raised eyebrows after claiming that 5G towers, not the virus is the real cause of the pandemic. Briefly.co.za explores the latest updates on the Covid-19 crisis in SA.

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The Covid-19 crisis has seen an abundance of conspiracy theories surfacing as people try to come to terms with the situation.

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The councillor claimed that 5G, not Covid-19, was responsible for the deaths recorded amid the pandemic. Image: eThekwini Municipality
Source: Facebook

An ANC councillor in eThekwini has found himself in hot water after making outlandish claims regarding the virus.

Briefly.co.za explores the latest updates on the pandemic below:

1. 5G towers, not Covid-19, is killing people: ANC politician

ANC councillor Sifiso Mngadi has earned himself some trouble after claiming that Covid-19 doesn't exist and that 5G cellphone towers are killing people.

Despite claiming that the virus doesn't exist, the eThekwini councillor claims white citizens have already been vaccinated:

“As leaders of eThekwini we need to take action against this disease. It is not Covid. We are getting this thing from 5G towers, [some] installed during this period in preparation of the second wave."

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“White people were vaccinated about five months ago. There was a truck that distributed the vaccine in boxes and white people from all over the province, including places like Ixopo and Vryheid, went there to receive these boxes. It was given to white people only.”

The councillor insists that disconnecting the towers would solve the problem, continuing to encourage people to stop waiting for Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize or President Cyril Ramaphosa to take action, reports TimesLIVE.

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala has strongly condemned '5G conspiracies', encouraging citizens to educate themselves on Covid-19 instead.

2. Mkhize on latest statistics

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has once again updated South Africans on the Covid-19 pandemic in SA.

In a statement issued on Monday, Mkhize commented on the latest number of infections:

"Today we report a cumulative total of 1 113 349 COVID-19 cases identified with 12 601 new cases since the last report, representing a 33,7% positivity rate."

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In addition to the latest fatalities, Mkhize reported that over 400 new fatalities had been recorded:

"Regrettably, a further 434 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported: Eastern Cape 133 , Free State 2, Gauteng 36, Kwa-Zulu Natal 71, Limpopo 7, North West 25, Northern Cape 3 and Western Cape 157."

This, explained the Minister, means that SA has breached the 30 000 mark for the cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths identified, at 30 011.

Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that the South African Police Service says that the pandemic has taken an immense toll on its members.

Amid the second wave of infections, spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo commented that:

“As of 31st December, we lost 340 members to this virus and that number is still growing. We’ve had members that have lost their lives over these past three days including this morning as well but we haven’t got the full and final stats as yet."

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Covid-19 update: Over 17 000 new cases, SA's distrust in vaccine high

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Source: Briefly News

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