Cape Town —
The Colour Is Gold for Van Niekerk, Coetzé, Blitzboks, Schoenmaker at Commonwealth Games
South African athletes are making their presence felt at the Commonwealth Games 2022 which began in earnest this weekend. Lara Van Niekerk drew first blood with her gold win in the 50m breaststroke on Saturday in a time of 29.73 seconds. Olympic and world champion Tatjana Schoenmaker finished fourth in 30.41 and Kaylene Corbett sixth in 31.10. Van Niekerk also set a new Commonwealth record. Also on Saturday, Pieter Coetzé outgunned the field in the 100m backstroke final, speeding to gold in 53.78 seconds. Schoenmaker and Corbett returned to the pool on Sunday for the 200m breaststroke which won Schoenmaker another gold medal in a time of 2:21:92 while Corbett took bronze with a time of 2:23:67. The Blitzboks beat Fiji to the gold medal in the Sevens final with a magnificent 31-7 win on Sunday. Meanwhile a bittersweet moment for much-loved veteran swimmer Chad le Clos who claimed the silver medal in the men’s 200m butterfly event, narrowly missing out to New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt, who won in 1:55.60. Le Clos managed a time of 1:55.89. Le Clos set a new record for the athlete with the most medals won at the Commonwealth games – 18 in total. South Africa’s Commonwealth Games medal tally currently stands at six – four gold, a silver and a bronze.
Reduction in Covid-19 Cases, So No More Daily Reports – Health Department
The National Health Department has announced that with the reduced number of Covid-19 cases in South Africa, it will no longer publish daily reports. Due to the reduced number of cases, the department will instead, together with the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, publish reports on a weekly basis, but will continue monitoring the situation, IOL reports.
Three Suspects Arrested For Rape of Women In Krugersdorp
Three men have been arrested in connection with the rape of eight women in Krugersdorp during the filming of a music video at the weekend, SABC news reports. At least 80 men are suspected of being part of the armed gang that attacked and robbed the film crew and the women. Police say the men are believed to be illegal miners.
Good News for Motorists at the Pumps for August
Cash-strapped South Africans can breathe a sigh of relief at the Minerals and Energy Department’s announcement of a decrease in fuel prices for August. Both grades of petrol will drop by R1.32 per litre and diesel by R0.88 cents per litre, while illuminating paraffin will see a drop of R1.44 cents per litre. The department said in a statement that fuel prices are adjusted on a monthly basis, influenced by international and local factors. This includes that South Africa imports both crude oil and finished products at a price set at the international level, including importation costs.