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

Making headlines: 17 412 new infections and 339 new deaths, BLSA’s Mavuso calls for comprehensive vaccine strategy and, Zambian president dismisses health minister, no reason given

17 412 new infections and 339 new deaths

South Africa has recorded another 17 412 confirmed Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours, along with 339 new Covid-19 related deaths – taking the death toll to 33 163.

Gauteng remains the most affected province with 27.1% of the total confirmed cases.

To date, more than 7-million tests have been completed, with over 63 000 tests conducted in the past 24 hours.

BLSA’s Mavuso calls for comprehensive vaccine strategy

Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso has lamented South Africa’s lack of a vaccine strategy and says that, with the end of the festive season, “it became clear” that the basics thereof had not been in development yet.

In her first weekly newsletter of 2021, she said that, unlike many other developed and developing countries, South Africa had not negotiated any “advance market commitments” with manufacturers to buy vaccines conditional on their successful approval following trials.

While this is a start, Mavuso stressed that it is “far from enough”.

Zambian president dismisses health minister, no reason given

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has dismissed Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya with immediate effect, without giving a reason for the move.

Once seen as a potential presidential replacement for Lungu, Chilufya's political ambitions have faded amid growing calls for his dismissal from opposition parties and health workers.

Chilufya, health minister since his appointment in 2016, was not immediately available for comment.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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