Author: Staff Writer

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will this week announce the department’s preparations with regards to the reopening of schools. At Thursday’s media briefing, the Minister is expected to provide details that include the final dates and detailed plans, for the phased approach to the possible reopening of schools. The scheduled briefing follows a series of meetings the minister held with stakeholders in the basic education sector on Monday. The purpose of the meetings was to consider the state of readiness for the reopening of schools. “These consultative sessions happened ahead of the Minister’s return to the National Coronavirus Command Council…

The Hashtag #DStvMustFall is trending again on Twitter as South Africans call for the pay-TV operator to reduce its prices in South Africa. DStv has been accused of playing repeat shows. A petition with as many as 217 000 signatures has been circulating on social media, urging DStv to give customers a subscription reprieve. The petition was launched on the 29th of April 2020. Some viewers are calling for a DStv package that will allow them to select their own channels. #DstvMustFall @DStv we need your prices to decrease, allow users to choose whatever package at no extra cost…

Many South Africans have expressed valid concerns about the potential for abuse of personal information collected by the government as part of tracking and tracing those exposed to COVID-19 infection. The approach taken, however, appears to be well-balanced, even though the Protection of Personal Information Act of 2013 (POPI) is not yet properly in force. Electronic communication service providers (ECSPs) like ISPs can only provide personal information required to combat COVID-19 to the Director-General of the Department of Health for inclusion in a database which is subject to several restrictions. That’s the word from the Internet Service Providers’ Association of…

GovChat, the South African civic engagement technology platform, announces a partnership with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to support the digitisation of the COVID-19 social relief grant application process. The partnership with GovChat enables millions of unemployed citizens to access electronically, including via mobile device, the largest social security programme on the African continent. GovChat’s platform, accessed through WhatsApp, FaceBook Messenger, SMS and USSD channels provides a secure application portal for pre-qualifying citizens, automating filling, verification and applicant assessment. GovChat’s technology platform supports the seamless transfer and verification of data securely and in real-time in a way that…

As South Africa’s mining sector slowly reboots production following one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, mining companies have been tasked with taking all necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of all employees and contractors returning to work. Some control measures are already in place to minimise the risks arising from COVID-19, and mines will have to test all employees on a regular basis. This does not have to be an onerous process, says Gerald Naidoo, CEO of Leviathan Viral Testing Africa. “Mobile testing kits are going to become an essential piece of equipment in mines across…

The City of Johannesburg is in the process of reviewing its rates rebates and municipal service charges as part of an expanded social package (ESP) programme to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on ratepayers. Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance Councillor Jolidee Matongo said the City appreciates the financial difficulties presented by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown for both the municipality and residents. “The City’s leadership is hard at work reviewing the ESP programme’s current terms and conditions, which require policy adjustments – with the aim of broadening the net for distressed Johannesburg ratepayers,”…

The cast and crew of Mzansi Magic’s favourite telenovelas are happy to be back at work, following the revision of the nationwide lockdown to level four, last week. The South African government has published regulations that have seen several sectors, including the film and television industry, being allowed to return to work under strict health guidelines. The shooting of new episodes has resumed for hit telenovelas such as The River, Isibaya, The Queen and Gomora. “While the R80 million fund MultiChoice Group established has ensured that the cast and crew continued to receive their salaries throughout the start of the…

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) on Thursday warned against the premature re-opening of schools. This comes after the department became aware that some independent (or private) and public schools were already preparing to reopen much earlier, and even receive learners ahead of the scheduled announcement by Minister Angie Motshekga. In some schools, teachers have already been reporting for duty and parents meetings have been held where plans were announced to have learners back in school in May. “The premature re-opening of schools is not permitted as the department is still finalising COVID-19 school compliance protocols. Uniform standards will be…

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on Thursday welcomed the Satrix SA Bond ETF to the main board of the JSE in its first virtual listing and the first ETF listing in 2020. The Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) will track the S&P South Africa Sovereign Bond 1+ year Index, which allows investors to automatically reinvest their coupons.  The index is market value-weighted and consists of bonds with maturities of one year or more. Valdene Reddy, Director of Capital Markets at the JSE, said the ETF was perfectly suited for investors needing a more defensive asset class while chasing inflation-beating yields and…

COVID-19 has arrived the world over, with a torchlight in hand to cast a light on the shadows that lurk in our society. It’s opening our bottom drawers, and airing the dirty laundry of decades of consumer-driven markets. The world is unequal. The systems we’ve created work only for a few. Suddenly in the absence of our daily hustle, it’s become glaringly evident in many industries. The justice system is one of them. “The COVID-19 outbreak has made an already uncertain future that much more frightening. In times like these, we need to call upon our artists, our writers, our…