First Take SA

The C19 People's Coalition is calling for the provision of a basic income grant to all unemployed South Africans between the ages of 18 and 59. According to the presure group, this will mitigate the economic hardships facing millions of people imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing lockdown

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority SAHPRA) has advised that the Serological test kits that are being used to test for COVID-19 are not suitable for diagnosis. It found that Serological test kits are being sold, outside medical facilities to individuals for testing at home.

Department of Justice to spell out Co-Parenting procedure during lockdown after a Pretoria father was arrested for allegedly abducting his son and ignoring rules around the movement of children of separated parents during the national lockdown.

Government will roll-out a massive screening and testing process for Coronavirus symptoms and infections at homes across the country in the next few days. That's according to President Cyril Ramaphosa in his address to the nation at the Union Buildings in Pretoria last night. The president's address followed his regular meeting with members of the National Command Council.

Members of the South African National Defence Force and other law enforcement officials have been accused of heavy handedness and abuse of power while enforcing the lockdown regulations. Several videos have gone viral on social media showing SANDF soldiers, the SAPS and metro police officers assaulting people and punishing them with physical exercise for not adhering to the lockdown regulations. A...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially released the 114 South Africans who were quarantined at the Ranch Resort, near Polokwane, in Limpopo, after being evacuated from the Chinese City of Wuhan where Coronavirus originated. The president has reiterated that all of them have tested negative for Covid19 and are displaying no symptoms of the Coronavirus. They will now be re-united with their famili...

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has met with the team that embarked on a mission to evacuate 114 South Africans from Wuhan city in China, as well as workers of the Ranch Resort, near Polokwane, where the repatriates were quarantined. He has thanked them for their service in ensuring that the evacuated citizens are safe and well looked after. The group of 114 has tested negative for Covid19 an...

Zimbabwe is starting a nationwide lockdown for 21 days from today to help curb the spread of coronavirus. President Emmerson Mnangagwa says only state and health workers will be exempted from the lockdown. Zimbabwe has five confirmed coronavirus cases, including one death.

Homeless people around Johannesburg say they feel let down by government as the 21-day lockdown starts. News has not filtered through to them that they will be allowed to stay at temporary shelters across the province. Many are still on the streets despite Acting Gauteng Social Development MEC Panyaza Lesufi announcing that they have identified 30 schools in Gauteng which will be used as temporary...

Some healthcare workers who are at the forefront of combating COVID-19 say they are fearful of contracting the virus, while others say they have decided to isolate themselves from their families. South Africa currently has more than 900 confirmed corona virus cases. The national lockdown, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa commenced at midnight LAST NIGHT. Healthcare workers who will continue...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged members of the South African National Defence Force to serve the nation with great respect and humility during the 21 day nation-wide lockdown which began last night. He was speaking at the official deployment ceremony of soldiers at the Doornkop army base in Soweto last night. These SANDF members were called in to support the police to help stop the spread of t...

Traditional healer and author, Credo Mutwa has been hailed as a doyen of African culture and traditions. This follows Mutwa's death in Kuruman after a short illness. The Sanusi predicted many historic events, including the 1976 Soweto student uprising and the demise of apartheid architect, Hendrik Verwoerd.

The fear of contracting the Coronavirus is very real and people in the Mthatha area in the Eastern Cape say they have no option but to heed the president's call for a 21-day lockdown. Villagers at KwaTshemese village believe remaining indoors is the only solution to contain the spread of the virus.

To preserve the indigenous knowledge that the future generation will benefit from , the National Lotteries Commission funded the Credo Mutwa Museum and Library in 2019. Credo Mutwa was a prominent and respected resident of Mahikeng. His cultural home at Lotlamoreng Dam fell into disrepair, when he left, following his expulsion by the then Bophuthatswana President Kgosi Lucas Mangope. He was expell...

So it's going to be a Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games rather than a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Olympics have been postponed to no later than the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced YESTERDAY.Tokyo had completed preparations when the virus started spreading across the world. Despite insisting for months the Games wou...

The Ministry of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi has assured workers that regardless of the hours worked, they are entitled to receive the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits if their employer has been compliant. The Minister says the basic conditions of employment rights have been activated for workers to seek annual leave. Nxesi was addressing an inter-ministerial committee briefing re...

South Africans say the national lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last night is a responsible step to help minimise the spread of the Coronavirus in the country. But for many, the challenge is how to spend 21 days at home. Some are buying board games to play with their children, while others plan to relax in front of the television.

Different political parties have welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa's new stringent measures aimed at preventing the spread of Coronavirus. Most political parties have urged the nation say although inconveniencing, the new measures are meant to save lives.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a national lockdown for 21 days under the Disaster Management Act. This follows a meeting with the National Command Council to assess the efficacy of the measures put into place on Sunday last week. The lockdown will run from midnight on Thursday 21 March up until 16 April and will see all citizens required to stay home with the exception of various professi...

Aid organisation Gift of the Givers will this week start operating a Coronavirus testing facility in Northgate, Johannesburg. This will be among three of the organisation's facilities in Gauteng that will provide testing at a subsidised rate. South Africa currently has 274 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 infections, an increase of 34 since Saturday.

The number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in South Africa has risen to 274. The Health Ministry released the latest figures last night shortly after the Presidency announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa's expected address to the nation on the pandemic had been postponed to today. President Ramaphosa was locked in meetings till late yesterday engaging with business leaders, heads of political par...

South Africans waited with bated breath last night as President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to address the nation following his meeting with the National Command Council on the Coronavirus situation in the country. However, Ramaphosa's planned announcement of further measures to tackle the virus, was postponed to today.

The civic group Unemployed People's Movement has expressed concern about the health of residents of Makana Municipality during the outbreak of the Corona Virus. Members of the UPM occupied the council chambers of the municipality demanding answers. The residents say they have been without water and are concerned they won't be able to practice safety measures to prevent themselves from contacting t...

The National Council of Provinces, with the exception of the Western Cape has adopted a report by the Gauteng department of COGTA to dissolve Tshwane Metro Council, under section 139: 1 C of the constitution. The NCOP has spent the past few days in Gauteng, deliberating on a number of issues, including the challenges that have emerged from Tshwane.

Government says it aims to establish quarantine zones in every region of the country. The department of public works together with relevant municipalities have the task of identifying areas where people infected with the Covid 19 virus will be treated. This was announced during a briefing of several cabinet ministers aimed at clarifying the regulations gazetted to give effect to the national state...