The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo has been postponed for a year, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan announced today, Tuesday 24 March 2020. In a joint statement, they said “in the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan […]

Our intrepid correspondent Bruce Marais, who is usually travelling, has been in self-imposed quarantine in Casablanca, Morocco, for almost two weeks. For South Africans about to go into 21 days of lockdown he has some useful tips. “Dear friends in South Africa who are going on lockdown this Thursday, I’ve been in isolation for 13 […]

PRETORIA – Huawei Technologies has handed over a million rand donation to South Africa’s Department of Health, to support efforts to fight and contain the spread of the covid-19 virus. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize – who also received a further R2-million from the South Africa-China Economic and Trade Association, at the Chinese Embassy in […]

A rather large elephant seal has set up home on what is normally a popular tourist beach at Hout Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. But fortunately for the seal, the chances are he won’t be much disturbed as the City of Cape Town announced that the beaches will be closed from today, Tuesday 24 […]

The DA says it welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement Monday evening of a nationwide lockdown and the deployment of the South African National Defence Force. DA Leader John Steenhuisen said after the speech: “These measures are of critical importance in our efforts to combat the spread of the Coronavirus through our communities and contain, as […]

South Africa will officially go into lockdown at midnight on Thursday night, 26 March 2020, for 21 days, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in a live streaming to the nation on Monday evening. He said that since his last address a week ago the global coronavirus crisis has deepened from 160,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases to 340,000… […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will be addressing the nation on the outcome of a meeting with business and political party leaders on ways to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in SA. WATCH VIDEO: Live streaming – President Ramahosa Addresses the Nation on Coronavirus

As uncertainty and fear grow amid the Covid-19 virus outbreak, some farms in the Western Cape are closing their doors. This could see hundreds if not thousands of seasonal farmworkers like Elizabeth Pietersen without means to provide for their families. Pietersen said she was recently dismissed “with immediate effect” without any warning. The only explanation […]

The South African business community has mobilised to combine its resources as a way of limiting the economic, social and health impact of COVID-19 on the country. This emerged at the discussions held by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s business formations on Sunday. Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), the Black Business Council (BBC) and […]

In response to government’s call on citizens to refrain from excessive purchasing and stockpiling goods as it intensifies its efforts to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19), Dis-Chem Pharmacies has advised that it will be limiting the number of items consumers can purchase. With immediate effect, shoppers will be able to purchase a maximum of six units […]

Suppose you had the choice between two health policies, A and B. Policy A would result in the death of a lot of elderly people. Policy B would result in the death of a lot of children, especially infants. Which would you choose? Right now we are facing a choice between more or less drastic […]

Here is today’s letter from President Cyril Ramaphosa, keeping South Africans updated on the latest coronavirus news. Dear Fellow South African, There comes a time in the affairs of a country when, in the face of the most formidable of challenges, its very existence as a nation is put to the test. The corona virus […]

The proliferation of fake news about the COVID-19 pandemic has been labelled a dangerous “infodemic”. Fake news spreads faster and more easily today through the internet, social media and instant messaging. These messages may contain useless, incorrect or even harmful information and advice, which can hamper the public health response and add to social disorder […]

In the latest coronavirus update in South Africa, confirmed by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Sunday evening 22 March 2020 – the country had 34 new cases that tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, bringing the current total to 274. According to the NCID (National Institute of Communicable Diseases), South Africa has tested 9,315 people. […]

South African Olympic gold medallist Chad le Clos is back in Cape Town after his Olympic training preparations were thrown into disarray due to Covid-19. Le Clos, gold medallist in the 200m butterfly at London 2012 and awaiting news whether his 200m freestyle silver from Rio 2016 is going to be converted into gold, had […]

World famous Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo is the latest celebrity to announce he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 79-year-old announced his diagnosis on Sunday, posting the following message on Facebook: “I feel it is my moral duty to announce to you that I have tested positive for COVID19, the Corona virus. “My […]

Hollywood movie producer and recently convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, who is serving 23 years for third-degree rape and sexual assault, has reportedly tested positive for Coronavirus. According to reports, Weinstein was moved from Rikers Island in New York City into isolation at Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo in New York state on Wednesday. It’s believed […]

South Africa’s The Kiffness has created an awesome version of Toto’s Africa that’s going viral faster than a virus! The Kiffness’ David Scott posted the brilliant video on Sunday, saying: “Please stay home South Africa #FlattenTheCurve” (For more info on flattening the curve, see below the video.) He calls the video “Toto – Africa (COVID-19 […]

Check out this adorable three-year-old South African child – Ibanathi Mpungose – teaching the nation how to prevent Coronavirus, in her very passionate manner. South Africans are loving her! The video, shared by her father, has gone viral – watched by over 36,000 people on Instagram; and shared on Twitter by the likes of DJ […]

The Presidency says it welcomes the announcement by the Rev Kenneth Meshoe, leader of the African Christian Democratic Party, that he has been tested for the coronavirus, COVID-19. Rev Meshoe was among leaders of political parties represented in Parliament who met President Ramaphosa in Cape Town on Tuesday, 17 March 2020. Rev Meshoe has since […]

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation, following his meetings today, has been postponed to tomorrow. Jackson Mthembu, Minister in the Presidency, explained that President Ramaphosa has decided to rather conclude the meetings he is having, before addressing the nation – so that he has all the facts and knowledge. Mthembu said it […]

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) will pay social grants to older persons and persons with disabilities from 30 and 31 March 2020. Other beneficiaries will be able to access their grants from 01 April 2020. The social security agency’s decision to pay grants earlier is in response to the State of National Disaster […]

Dear Family and Friends, This is not a letter about Coronavirus, it’s one for the campfire when next you get there and I write it today for everyone struggling to save lives in this dark time in our history… writes author Cathy Buckle in her latest Letter from Zimbabwe. On a steaming hot night when even the […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s programme for today, Sunday 22 March 2020, is dedicated to key engagements around South Africa’s national state of disaster triggered by the outbreak of the coronavirus… and will culminate with the President addressing the nation after chairing a meeting with the National Command Council in which they will discuss whether current measures […]

I woke up really early this morning. It’s a general restlessness I suppose, an unsettling of self… writes well known South African author and former radio and TV presenter Tracy Going. I went to bed last night fitful with the uncertainty of the future. So instead of lying in bed fretting this morning, I decided […]