Update@Noon

School Management Teams and teachers are preparing to return to classrooms next week. This comes after Minister Motshekga revealed that schools would re-open to Grade 7 and 12 pupils on first of June. In line with the new directives issued via the Standard Operating Procedures booklet, schools will need to ensure that classrooms are sanitised and daily screening protocols are in place. We spoke to...

The Coronavirus pandemic could claim as many as 40 000 lives when it reaches its peak in South Africa later this year, new modelling data shows. The data was presented by a team of scientific experts and the Department of Health in a closed media briefing last night (19 May). We spoke to Research Associate Professor at the Center for Global Health and Development of the Boston University School of...

According to a survey by the Door of Hope, there has been an increase in a number of babies and children who have been abandoned since the start of the nation lockdown. A total of 30 abandoned children were received by different organisations since the start of the lockdown on March 27. We spoke to Operations Manager at the Door of Hope, Nadene Gabham...

Nine Lindela guards arrested in connection with their involvement in the escape of illegal immigrants from Lindela Repatriation Centre are appearing in the Krugersdorp magistrate's court today. They face charges of aiding an escape, 37 people awaiting deportation at the centre escaped when the security guards abandoned their post and knocked off early due to frustration with their management. We s...

Embattled Lesotho Prime Minister, Thomas Thabane has resigned from office. Finance Minister, Moeketsi Majoro will replace Thabane. The Council of State, the body that advises His Majesty, King Letsie the 3rd approved the proposed changes to parliament. Thabane has been under pressure to resign over a court case in which he and his current wife are suspects in the murder of his former wife, nearly...

Many employees are complaining about not receiving UIF pay-outs due to them by their employers. Despite efforts by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) which claims to haves processed and paid out corona virus (Covid-19) relief payments of over R8-billion, benefiting about 200-thousand workers, to date. But this is not the situation for employees at a fast food outlet in Park Meadow. He claims hi...

The Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) says the Social Housing Landlords will continue to provide a housing service, however the non-payment of rentals, will undermine the financial sustainability of the Social Housing Institutions (SHIs). The Communicare Tenants Beneficiary Spokesperson, Neville Peterson, told us about abuses tenants face after from landlords for unable to pay rent. To di...

The High Court in Pretoria has ruled that all the members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department - who were present when a 40-year-old resident of Alexandra in Johannesburg, Collins Khosa was assaulted and died, should be suspended for misconduct. The incident happened last month. Khosa's family had earlier approached the Constitutional Court which dismissed the case because of insufficient e...

The Electoral Court has postponed by-elections scheduled for June 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The court ruled that the by-elections could be held beyond the 90 day legislated period for the filling of councillor vacancies but not beyond 120 days from the date of the order. We spoke to the Independent Electoral Commission's Deputy Chief Executive, Masego Shiburi

Eskom says it will be restricting electricity supply on a rotational basis in high density areas of the Gauteng province. The power utility says it will target areas, which are overloading and damaging infrastructure through illegal connections. The power utility says it has continued to record a "substantially high" trend of energy demand during peak periods in the mornings and evenings in certai...

There have been concerns about the non-responsive of the new SASSA whatsapp number for the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant. People are venting their frustration on social media that the whatsapp number is not working. Yesterday the Social Development Department launched the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant for unemployed South Africans. To engage us on few teething...

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has scrapped proof or residence as one of the required documents for the application of the special Covid-19 social relief of distress grant. The portal which will allow unemployed South Africans to apply for the 350- rand relief will go live at midday. Students on NSFAS and those already receiving grants from SASSA, are among those who will not qua...

According to research done by University of Stellenbosch , children under 10 are least susceptible to COVID-19 and they should go back to school first. We spoke to Dr. Nic Spaull- Senior Research Fellow at the Research on Socioeconomic Policy (RESEP) group at Stellenbosch University

The SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) says it won't allow any of its members to report for duty today because the Department of Basic Education has failed to meet the minimum requirements to ensure level 4 safety during the Covid-19 pandemic. School management teams (SMT) are expected to report for duty at schools across the country to prepare for the proposed return of grade 7 and 12 pupils o...

Business for SA (B4SA) called for an urgent reopening of SA's economy as it warned that as many as 4-million jobs could be lost due to the Covid-19 crisis, with economic activity taking three to five years before returning to pre-crisis levels. It estimates that between 1-million and 4-million could be lost, with economic activity only reaching pre-lockdown levels in three to five years' time. Eve...

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says government does not want a fire sale of the assets of troubled national airline SAA nor for the carrier to be liquidated. He told a parliamentary committee that the government was in talks with rescue specialists in charge of state-owned South African Airways (SAA) on how best to save the airline, which entered a form of bankruptcy protection in Dece...

The Basic Education Department has argued that the Polokwane High Court has no jurisdiction to rule over the constitutionality of its Covid-19 Academic Recovery Plan. The Tebeila Institute of Leadership is applying to have the plan declared unconstitutional as it could expose children to contracting the Coronavirus. The department has also argued that the matter should not be heard as an urgent ma...

The family of a man allegedly killed by the soldiers during the lockdown in Alexander has turned to the High Court in Pretoria after their application for direct access to the constitutional court was dismissed. Collins Khoza died on the 10th of April after SANDF soldiers allegedly assaulted, chocked and slammed his head against the cement wall. Now the family demand financial compensation for the...

South African Airways' administrators extended a deadline for workers to agree to severance packages- this comes after, the minister for Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan indicated that he needs time to explore funding options for the bankrupt state-owned carrier. The business-rescue team led by Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana are trying to persuade labour groups to sign off on retrenchment deals...

Queues for old age and disability grants formed as earl as 4am this morning . The SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) calls on other beneficiaries not rush to cash their grants today as only old age and disability grants will be paid out tomorrow, while child grants will be paid on Wednesday. Last month President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an increase in grants, and a R350 unemployment grant to allev...

The National Command Council (NCC) is facing a legal challenge over the role of the country's covid 19. A group of attorneys are arguing that the NCC has effectively displaced constitutional and statutory bodies is overreaching in establishing restrictions for the country...they say clarity is needed around the legality and powers the NCC. We spoke to one of the attorneys challenging the role of t...

Managing Executive for Cloud, Hosting & Security at Vodacom Business, Kabelo Makwane says almost as soon as Covid-19 appeared, so did the increase in related cyber-attacks and email scams. Since the WHO declared coronavirus a pandemic, Kaspersky Lab has reported a spike in devices affected by cyber-attacks, from the norm of under 30 000 daily to 310 000 on 18 March in South Africa alone. Makwane s...

Department of Basic Education's Director-General Mathanzima Mweli says they are working with the Department of Water and Sanitation to ensure schools have provision of water and sanitation facilities. Mweli says learners and teacher will be provided with personal protective equipment (PPEs) and he further added that social distancing and sanitizing measures will be put in place when learners retur...

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and the South African Cabin Crew Association say the next 48 hours are crucial to observe regarding SAA. The unions had a meeting with Minister Pravin Gordhan, Labour and Government to try and avoid the liquidation of South African Airways (SAA) and the liquidation of SA Express (SAX) as well as to find the most optimum solution to SAA and...

The Competition Commission has started to crack down on excessive pricing on essential items during the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday, the commission yesterday laid charges of excessive pricing against Dis-Chem, with the Competition Tribunal for a maximum penalty after saying that its investigation found that Dis-Chem charged customers excessively for essential hygiene goods during the State of...