For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Ramaphosa announces stricter lockdown for Nelson Mandela Bay, DA notes NMB restrictions and, British troops arrive in Mali to join UN peacekeeping mission

Ramaphosa announces stricter lockdown for Nelson Mandela Bay

Nelson Mandela Bay Metro will face stricter lockdown measures as South Africa braces itself for a resurgence of new Covid-19 infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday night.

He urged South Africans not to travel for the holidays if they could prevent it.

The metro is the only one of three declared Covid-19 hotspots to face these restrictions.

Ramaphosa's announcement came after extensive consultations with premiers, metro mayors and traditional leaders, and a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council on Wednesday.

DA notes NMB restrictions

DA leader John Steenhuisen has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision not to place the entire country under higher levels of lockdown this festive season, however, Steenhuisen is calling on government to intervene in what he calls an “unfolding crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay”, in the Eastern Cape.

The DA reiterated Ramaphosa’s call for South Africans to wear masks, sanitise and social distance, and added that significant behavioural change was the most effective way to combat the spread of infections and prevent the overwhelming of hospitals.

Meanwhile, he called on Ramaphosa to intervene in Nelson Mandela Bay to ensure that there is healthcare capacity.

British troops arrive in Mali to join UN peacekeeping mission

Hundreds of British troops have arrived in Mali to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission there, which is the world's deadliest.

Britain already has three Chinook helicopters and 100 personnel in a logistics role in West Africa's Sahel region to support France's Barkhane operation against Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said this deployment is a demonstration of Britain’s firm commitment to peacekeeping and the importance placed on improving security in the Sahel by protecting local communities.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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