Author: Gugu Lourie

The 13 million jobless South Africans are begging for help, but their cries have been met with a deafening silence. By Friday, the South African Social Services Agency (SASSA) had received 13 million applications for the R350 Social Relief Grant. The agency also stated that only 6.3 million of these applications were properly completed and valid. The unemployed are facing an unprecedented crisis as they cannot fend for themselves because of the lockdown. A hard lockdown was imposed at the end of March to curb the spread of COVID-19 while giving the government time to prepare the healthcare system for the expected spike…

Logistics company Santova is planning to expand its presence globally as COVID-19 batters the world economy and disrupts supply chains. The JSE-listed company said it will focus on establishing a presence in strategic locations, namely India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the United States. “The ‘new norm’, continuous unrelenting disruptive change, offers Santova real growth opportunities.,” Santova informed investors on Thursday. “Our focus is on exceptional client-centricity, innovation and latest technological software packages,” the group said. “We will build our business in and along real economic growth zones or trade lanes, including participating in intraregional trade between China, Japan, India, Singapore,…

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…

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) paid 116 867 people their R350 Social Relief Grant. The Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) announced on Monday on its Twitter page: #SASSACares #SocialReliefGrant @OfficialSASSA has kept the promise to pay at least 100 000 clients who applied for the Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress. By 31 May 2020, 116 867 clients were paid for the Special COVID-19 SRD Grant. — GCIS Media Liaison (@GCISMedia) June 1, 2020 However, GCIS seems to have forgotten to inform the millions of frustrated jobless people who have applied when they should expect their money…

While everything was locked down, daring thieves dug a tunnel and stole huge amounts of booze from a Shoprite Liquorshop in Newtown Junction, Johannesburg. Liquor sales had been banned during level five and four of the COVID-19 lockdown. That is when the thieves struck and made off with an assortment of booze that included whiskey, brandy, gin, ciders, vodka and beer worth about R300,000. The theft which involved boring through a concrete floor was only discovered on Friday because liquor outlets had been shut since the lockdown began at the end of March. A manager of the liquorshop was shocked to…

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that no school should re-open until all necessary precautions are in place. As part of the staggered approach, grades 7 and 12 were expected to return to school today. This week, teacher unions and national governing body associations called on Motshekga to urgently postpone the reopening of schools on Monday, warning that the move will only perpetuate inequalities at schools across the country. In a joint statement, the unions have raised a number of concerns, including that most provincial departments have reported that schools have not been cleaned and disinfected and that educators need…

Telkom unveiled its Big Deal for June 2020, which will enable you to enjoy nonstop, superfast internet connectivity. Uncapped LTE Business Hours is a SIM-only deal. The deal includes the following: Uncapped LTE (Business hours 00h00 – 17h00) 24-month contract Free installation R399 per month “This means that between 00h00 and 17h00 you can enjoy nonstop, superfast internet connectivity, so you can smash those work goals without busting your budget.” You can place your order in three ways: Telkom shop Call 10213 Order online

iiDENTIFii, South Africa’s digital identity artificial intelligence company, announced on Sunday it has expanded its platform onto the Microsoft Azure cloud. iiDENTIFii provides a secure and user-friendly technology platform that authenticates physical identities in a connected world. They are on a mission to stop identity fraud by making seamless identity authentication accessible to everyone, everywhere, on any mobile device. The exponential rate at which iiDENTIFii is growing has allowed for their platform to be deployed across a multi-hosted global infrastructure within a matter of months. This locally based, innovative, artificial intelligence company which is focused on the augmentation of online…

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga‘s media briefing scheduled for today,31 May at 18h00 has been rescheduled to tomorrow due to the Minister being engaged in further consultations on the readiness for the reopening of schools. UPDATE: The media briefing by the Minister of Basic Education,Angie Motshekga scheduled for today,31 May at 18h00 has been rescheduled to tomorrow due to the Minister being engaged in further consultations onthe readiness for the reopening of schools #schoolreopening #COVID19inSA — GCIS Media Liaison (@GCISMedia) May 31, 2020 Initial statement below MEDIA ALERT: Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga will brief the media to provide…

The African National Congress (ANC) is proposing using private pension savings and direct financial interventions to revive South Africa’s economy after the COVID-19 crisis, according to a report in the Sunday Times. According a ANC document on economic reconstruction leaked to the Sunday Time, the ruling party proposes to use direct financial interventions by the state pension fund, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) and the Reserve Bank to “fund long-term infrastructure and capital projects” to help revive the economy. The document proposes more state interventions such as speeding up the creation of a state-owned bank and state-owned pharmaceutical company. The asset…

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga‘s plans to partially reopen schools from tomorrow are in serious doubt, according to a report in the Sunday Times. As part of the staggered approach, the grades 7 and 12 are expected to return to school tomorrow. This week, teacher unions and national governing body associations called on Motshekga to urgently postpone the reopening of schools on Monday, warning that the move will only perpetuate inequalities at schools across the country. In a joint statement, the unions have raised a number of concerns, including that most provincial departments have reported that schools have not been cleaned…

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) was not ready to operate from 1 June, Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said on Saturday. “When we presented Level 4 Directions, we indicated that commuter rail will resume operations gradually on an incremental basis, based on detailed plans submitted by operators,” said Mbalula. He added that the Gautrain resumed its operations at the beginning of May 2020 and as on 1 June 2020, it will resume the airport service. PRASA  is not ready to resume “Through our ongoing engagements and evaluation of PRASA’s state of readiness to resume operations, we have…

As soon as President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the R350 COVID-19 grant for the jobless, doubts were raised? How would the government with a poor track record of efficiency pay these millions of jobless people? For more read: Is The R350 COVID-19 Special Grant For The Jobless A Mess In The Making? Many of the jobless are hungry. They live on the streets or in cramped conditions and the promised relief under the hard lockdown was like manna from heaven – except for many it still hasn’t fallen to the ground. Caught up in the excitement of being useful, the Ministry…

Mark Janse van Vuuren, the CEO of Jasco, has stepped down, the JSE-listed tech group announced on Friday. His resignation is effective 31 May 2020. ”Following the successful completion of a restructuring and repositioning programme for the company and its subsidiaries, Mark felt it was time to pursue his own new interests, after 12 years of service with the group,” the company informed investors on Friday. Pete da Silva, alternate to the deputy chairman of Jasco, will serve as the interim group CEO with effect from 31 May 2020 while the board evaluates potential successors. The board is expected to…

Altron remains on track to double its EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) by 2022 financial year, the CEO the JSE-listed technology firm said. “The expected outcome of our five-year plan was to provide leading returns for our shareholders – over the past three years our total shareholder return of 167% ranks us as the best-performing ICT company in South Africa,” Mteto Nyati, disclosed in the company’s annual report. Altron is delivering on the promise of shareholder value, he said. “We remain on track to double our EBITDA by the 2022 financial year,” Nyati explained. “Altron has not…

British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) announced on Friday it is commencing urgent legal proceedings to challenge the government’s decision to extend the ban on tobacco sales during Level 3. BATSA is supported in this action by Japan Tobacco International (JTI) as well as groups and organisations representing the tobacco value chain across the country, including consumers, tobacco farmers and retailers. The company said in a statement it has made every effort to constructively engage with the government since the ban came into force, including making detailed submissions, along with other interested parties, to various Ministers, as well as directly…