For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines: Mixed reaction to 76.2% pass rate; South Africa records 792 new Covid-19 cases and 97 new confirmed deaths; And, Benin president will face two challengers in April election

 

Mixed reaction to 76.2% pass rate

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa has congratulated the class of 2020 for achieving a pass rate of 76.2%.

The 76.2% is, however, a 5.1 percentage point decrease from the previous year.

The organisation said achieving the 76.2% pass rate in the "face of the adversity" the Grade 12 pupils experienced in 2020, was beyond expectation.

Lobby group AfriForum also congratulated the class of 2020, but said it placed the five percentage point drop in the matric pass rate at the door of the Department of Basic Education’s "poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic".

 

South Africa records 792 new Covid-19 cases and 97 new confirmed deaths

South Africa recorded 792 new Covid-19 infections by Monday evening, along with 97 new confirmed Covid-19-related deaths.

The country recorded a total of 1 504 588 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

The total number of healthcare workers vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol is 23 059.

Gauteng remains the most affected province with 26.7% of the total confirmed cases, which translates to 402 249 cases.

 

And, Benin president will face two challengers in April election

Benin President Patrice Talon will run against two challengers in a presidential election on April 11, the West African nation's constitutional court said on Monday.

Talon, who came to power in 2016, will run against Alassane Soumanou of the opposition party Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin and opposition figure Corentin Kohoue.

The country's image as a bastion of democracy and stability in a troubled region was dented by the exclusion of opposition parties from parliamentary elections in 2019, which sparked rare unrest.

 

That's a roundup of news making headlines today

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