Author: Staff Writer

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has assigned an emergency temporary spectrum to telecommunications operators to ensure connectivity for all during the National State of Disaster period. The Authority has considered applications for temporary radio frequency spectrum assignments in the 700MHz, 800MHz, 2300MHz, 2600MHz and 3500MHz bands, including the use of Television Whitespaces (TVWS) in an effort to ensure connectivity for all during the National State of Disaster period. “Of all applications received, only seventeen (17) were found to be in line with the criteria and conditions outlined in Annexure A of the Regulations which, among others, required…

South Africa has 2 605 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with Limpopo and the Eastern Cape recording their first deaths. “It is with regret that we inform the public that the COVID-19 related deaths is now 48. “We note that two provinces, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, have also recorded their first deaths. We convey our condolences to the families. “We continue to speak strength and appreciate our dedicated health workers, who are faced with these circumstances daily,” said the Health Department on Thursday. The number of tests being conducted continues to rise, with the total number of tests conducted to date being…

Work is underway to prepare Gauteng’s public health infrastructure for the period when the COVID-19 pandemic may peak. With Gauteng as the country’s epicentre, with 930 of the 2 506 confirmed cases, the province has cleared some of its existing hospitals and declared them COVID-19 facilities. “This has helped us to make available 555 standard beds and 308 ICU beds. We are also putting up new permanent wards in Kopanong, Jubilee, Chris Hani Baragwanath and George Mukhari Hospitals. This will add 800 new beds, which will be used for different purposes. “This intervention will help speed-up our existing plans to…

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) has urged consumers to be careful of fake credit provider scams, as South Africa continues the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. “The NCR is warning consumers to be careful of scammers who act as legitimate credit providers, preying on vulnerable consumers during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of this pandemic has unfortunately left many consumers desperate for money with some having to resort to borrowing,” said the NCR Chief Executive Officer, Nomsa Motshegare. She said criminals have spotted an opportunity to exploit vulnerable people by posing as legitimate registered credit providers and offering loans…

South Africa’s parliament will resume its business with immediate effect after the Presiding Officers announced on Thursday that the leave period for Members of Parliament has been cancelled. This follows the suspension of the programme of Parliament’s two Houses last month, as a precautionary measure to curb COVID-19 by drastically limiting the numbers of people at the precincts in Cape Town and at off-site parliamentary activities. Briefing the media on the resumption of the business of Parliament on Thursday, Parliament Presiding Officers — National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson, Amos Masondo — noted that…

If you are stuck at home with a burst pipe, you can now call your plumber to come to fix it. This is just one of the changes made to regulations governing the extended COVID-19 lockdown. The announcement was made by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was addressing the country on Thursday. “Today, we’re not coming with many new regulations. We’re extending the regulations that exist because the lockdown was extended,” she explained. This comes after President Ramaphosa extended the 21-day lockdown until the end of April to contain the spread of the…

Government has begun the process of bringing certain industries on stream in an orderly manner, including that of mining, in a phased approach to easing the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. To this effect, government has amended the Disaster Management Regulations governing the lockdown to include a number of industries as essential trade. Through this amendment, certain sectors will return to operation under strictly controlled conditions. “I am confident that these amendments initiates and lay the foundation for the risk-adjusted measures the President announced last week.  In the coming days, the proposals already made by various stakeholders will be considered in our planning…

Work continues to map South Africa’s future – with Cabinet asking all clusters to work together to produce one consolidated document on key priorities regarding the country’s economic recovery plan that will used post the COVID-19 national lockdown. The call was made during a virtual Special Cabinet Meeting held on Wednesday to discuss the socio-economic recovery plan, post the COVID-19 national lockdown. This follows the announcement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa two weeks ago, that Cabinet have a full discussion to come up with an economic recovery plan for the country. During the meeting, five presentations were received from the…

How long has it been since you drove your car? For many South Africans during this lockdown, the car has mostly been used to go to the shop to buy groceries. Momentum Short-term Insurance (MSTI) will offer car insurance rebates to customers because fewer motorists are on the road as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The insurer said in a statement on Thursday that it realises that clients are less exposed to vehicle accident risk during the national lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and have therefore implemented additional measures to provide financial relief. “We acknowledge that the…

As the impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) begin to take their toll on South African citizens, Vodacom has partnered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to zero-rate its uFiling website. The Vodafone owned company said in a statement that this will give employers and employees who have been affected by the COVID-19 lock down the ability to get information about the UIF and/or apply for UIF benefits, including the COVID-19 TERS Benefit – without incurring any charges for doing so on the Vodacom network. The UIF recently announced that it had committed R10 billion for payouts this financial year to deal…