Author: Gugu Lourie

AngloGold Ashanti announced on Monday that its Mponeng Mine in the West Rand has recorded an extra 32 positive cases of COVID-19. The mining group announced on Saturday that it has temporarily halted operations at Mponeng Mine after 164 workers tested positive for COVID-19. The full processing of tests from the COVID-19 testing initiative at its Mponeng Mine is now complete, with 651 tests completed and processed, yielding 196 positive cases, said AngloGold Ashanti. The company last week detected the first positive COVID-19 case at its Mponeng Mine. Operations at Mponeng Mine continue to be voluntarily suspended to enable contact tracing,…

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has made a commitment to pay 100 000 people this week their R350 Social Relief Grant and more payments to follow once the vetting process has been completed. More than 4,9 million people have applied for the new special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant. Speaking to Kaya Breakfast on Monday, SASSA’s CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula said: “In the coming week, we will pay 100 000 people” their R350 Social Relief Grant. SASSA started taking nationwide applications for the grant on 11 May 2020 and promised to make the first payment on 15…

Minibus taxi financier Bridge Taxi Finance announced on Monday that it is providing financial relief to taxi drivers and owners in the form of a R175 million cash injection directly into their clients’ pockets. With the support of its holding company Mokoro Holdings and shareholders, Bridge Taxi Finance has taken the bold decision to settle 50% of its clients’ monthly finance instalments on their behalf throughout the lockdown period. Rather than offer clients the false assistance of a so-called payment holiday, which would increase their indebtedness after the COVID-19 lockdown, Bridge Taxi Finance said it is ensuring that its clients…

The sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products will remain prohibited during South Africa’s lockdown at level 3. But the country has lifted the ban on the sale of alcohol. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday evening during his address to the nation on developments in our country’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19. Ramaphosa announced that South Africa will move to level 3 lockdown from June 1, 2020. “This will result in the opening of the economy and the removal of a number of restrictions on the movement of people, while significantly expanding and intensifying our public health…

South Africa will move to a level 3 lockdown on 1 June 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday evening. Ramaphosa was addressing South Africans on developments in our country’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19. Lockdown Level 5 was introduced in South Africa on 26 March 2020. Monday marks 60 days since the lockdown began. “The implementation of alert level 3 from the beginning of June will involve the return to operation of most sectors of the economy, subject to observance of strict health protocols and social distancing rules,” said Ramaphosa. He added that over time, however,…

South African Breweries (SAB) on Sunday appealed to the government to consider allowing for reasonable trading hours of alcohol during a level 3 lockdown. President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 19h00 on developments in South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19. The President’s address follows recent meetings of Cabinet, the National Coronavirus Command Council and the President’s Coordinating Council, which considered the prospects for the country’s progression from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 of the national lockdown. Ahead of Ramaphosa’s address to the nation, SAB corporate affairs vice president Zoleka Lisa said in…

AngloGold Ashanti announced on Sunday that it has temporarily halted operations Mponeng Mine in the West Rand after 164 workers tested positive for COVID-19. “As a precautionary step, and after discussions with the regulator, operations at Mponeng Mine – which were running at 50% capacity – have been temporarily halted on a voluntary basis, to complete contact tracing and to again deep clean and sanitize the workplace and key infrastructure,” the company said in a statement. The company last week detected the first positive COVID-19 case at its Mponeng Mine. AngloGold Ashanti has conducted 650 tests since last Thursday, including…

The SMMEs Council is accusing JSE-listed Bidvest group of using its personal protective equipment (PPE) donations to township schools to position itself for future government contracts. The SMME Council is an independent membership-based organisation representing professional bodies, business associations and small business chambers with the purpose to advocate for transformation of the South African economy. It aims to create an environment in which small businesses in all sectors can thrive, expand and be competitive. It claims to be the only organisation tasked with ushering in a new dawn in business and industry, and the organisation represents small business interests without…

Innovative Stellenbosch-based start-up company Mellowcabs, which plans to change the face of transport in South Africa by rolling out the first eco-friendly metered transport system in the country, has been inundated with orders. The Sunday Times reports that Mellowcabs has been inundated with more than 100 new orders for its electric three-wheeled car. In just over two years, the start-up company has developed a last-mile delivery vehicle from a prototype to leasing up to 40 cars to local and international clients. Looking beyond South Africa, the company aims to be active in the global market shortly after launch. “We’re in…

The South African ban on alcohol sales is to be lifted but the prohibition on cigarette sales is to be extended if the draft level 3 plan is adopted by the National Command Council (NCC). The plan drafted by Co-operative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was tabled at the NCC. The Sunday Times reports that the issue of cigarette and alcohol sales split President Cyril Ramaphosa’s NCC down the middle. The government’s approach to the tobacco ban is said to be motivated by the belief that smokers would require ventilators more than anyone else should they contract COVID-19. An insider told…