Author: Gugu Lourie
A high court in South Africa has declared some of the earlier coronavirus lockdown restrictions unconstitutional, but it also ruled that level 3 remains in force for now. On Tuesday, Judge Norman Davis declared that the regulations promulgated by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma were “unconstitutional and invalid”. The lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 while giving the government time to prepare the healthcare system for the expected spike in virus infections. For more read: Lockdown Makes No Sense – Says South Africa’s Court While some citizens are pleased with Judge Davis’ decision, it is likely, in…
Irene Charnley, a former trade unionist and businesswoman, must vacate her seat on the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) board immediately, the United Democratic Movement leader, Bantu Holomisa, said. In a letter to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, Holomisa said Charnley was a former beneficiary of the PIC’s funding initiatives, making her ineligible to serve as a board member. PIC is a state-owned asset manager that manages R2 trillion in government pension savings on behalf of the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF). In 2015, the PIC committed an investment of $100 million in Smile Telecoms, a company owned by Charnely. “This is…
Members of the public are prohibited from transporting alcohol outside of level 3 trading hours, said SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo. Speaking on Cape Talk’s Afternoon Drive with John Maytham, Naidoo said that this means that transporting booze is prohibited on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Naidoo added that only licensed traders are permitted to transport alcohol outside of trading hours for the purposes of restocking retail outlets. “If a person is stopped at a roadblock during the weekend and found to have alcohol in their vehicle, they will be in contravention of the lockdown regulations,” he explained.…
This Youth Month, MultiChoice Group (MCG) announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a partnership with the Youth Employment Service (YES) initiative. The partnerships have resulted in the creation of 400 new job opportunities. In addition, MCG has created 100 sports coaching learnerships through its Let’s Play initiative. The two partnerships equate to a total investment of R50 million towards putting 500 South African youth to work. These young people will be employed in industries that include telecommunication, human resource management, engineering, satellite communication, coaching and ICT. In addition, the opportunity has spread to youngsters across different provinces, including…
Ukheshe, a SMME focused digital banking platform, has launched a Track and Trace service using its existing payment ecosystem to assist consumers in managing any possible risk factors in level three lockdown. The Ukheshe app is free, user friendly and easy to download for anyone needing to transact without a bank account. Clayton Hayward, CEO and co-founder, Ukheshe, says that Covid-19 is a concern for all citizens and in addition to making the platform free for grant disbursements, Ukheshe wanted to assist in other ways. “We created a track and trace solution to assist consumers to keep updated on infection…
The River, one of South Africa’s most popular telenovelas, has halted production after one of its crew members tested positive for the coronavirus. In a statement released by Tshedza Pictures, which produces the show, the company said it has since halted shooting and all cast and crew members have been asked to self-isolate while the necessary health protocols are being implemented. #Covid19InSA #TheRiver1Magic pic.twitter.com/qT9KoEwbv3 — Tshedza Pictures (@TshedzaPictures) June 3, 2020 They have also offered empathy and support for their colleague, and the entire cast and crew have been asked to self-isolate while health protocols are being implemented. “After I…
A high court in South Africa has declared some of the earlier coronavirus restrictions unconstitutional, but it also ruled that level 3 of the lockdown remains in force for now. The lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 while giving the government time to prepare the healthcare system for the expected spike in virus infections. Locking down all business and other activities and confining millions of people to their homes was never going to be easy socially and economically. All the relevant scientific data has shown that the lockdown saved thousands of lives and set the country…
The high court has ruled that the South African government’s lockdown regulations are not legal but they will nevertheless remain in place for at least the next 14 days. “Government has taken note of the judgment delivered by the Gauteng Division of the High Court today, 2 June 2020, declaring the Alert Level 4 and Alert Level 3 Lockdown regulations unconstitutional and invalid,” said Phumla Williams, South Africa’s Cabinet spokesperson. The court suspended the declaration of invalidity for a period of 14 days. “This means that the Alert Level 3 regulations remain in operation for now,” explains Williams. “The court…
South Africa may introduce “a total prohibition for the use and consumption of alcohol by all motor vehicle operators on South African public roads.” In March, the cabinet approved the submission of the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill of 2019 to parliament. It said that once passed into law, the bill would contribute in reducing the carnage on the country’s roads. In the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill, the South African government proposes a total ban of alcohol in your system while driving a car. The bill, which was published on Monday, proposes: “Clause 46 amends section 65 by introducing a…
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has disapproved 1.6 million applicants for the R350 Social Relief Grant. “Over 1 597 127 have been disapproved since the applicants have some or other means of income,” according to the SASSA statement published on Monday. The agency urged applicants to respond immediately to the SMS received by SASSA and provide their banking details through a secure link. “This will enable SASSA to ensure payments are processed without delay to all eligible applicants. Citizens are reminded that there is no cut-off date for applications for this special relief grant. Anyone who meets the…