As of today, Saturday 4 April 2020, South Africa has recorded 1,585 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and has nine confirmed fatalities. A public announcement has also been issued for former patients at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban to get in touch with authorities. The Department of Health said: “We have received a report from KZN […]

Children earn money directing cars around potholes hidden by a flooded road in Bethelsdorp… writes Mkhuseli Sizani. A flooded street where motorists cannot see hidden potholes has become a source of income for some enterprising children in Bethelsdorp, Port Elizabeth. Their parents aren’t too pleased. The group of children, aged between five and 18, some […]

With an urgent need for medical supplies and equipment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, African Union (AU) Member States have called for international cooperation and support. The call was made in a teleconference convened by AU Chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa. “Lifesaving supplies, including PPEs [personal protective equipment] masks, gowns, and ventilators and other support devices […]

Dear Family and Friends, On an early morning emergency dash to collect supplies I was anxious about venturing out and what I would see. It was Day 5 of Zimbabwe’s 21-day Coronavirus lockdown and I knew that by now people who live hand to mouth and eke out a living selling fruit and vegetables from […]

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola has appointed Justice Catherine (Kate) O’Regan as the COVID-19 Designated Judge. Government will report on a weekly basis to the former Constitutional Court Justice the particulars of those who have been traced using cell phone data. The move is aimed at finding the contacts of those who test […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences at the passing of Freedom Front Plus founding leader and former Chief of the then South African Defence Force, General Constand Viljoen. Aged 86, Viljoen passed away peacefully on Friday afternoon at his farm in Ohrigstad, Mpumalanga. The President offered his sincere condolences to Risti Viljoen and the […]

As rating agency Fitch announced its decision to downgrade South Africa from ‘BB+’ to ‘BB’, placing the country further into non-investment grade, the SA government has emphasised its commitment to implement structural economic reforms. In a statement on Friday, government said it has noted the decision by the agency. In its decision, Fitch cited the […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for an end to “arbitrary limitations” on what can be sold in stores that are open in South Africa during the lockdown. The confusion around what are considered “essential items” in grocery stores, pharmacies and the like, is unhelpful and should be ended, says the DA. “I will write […]

Welcome to the Lock Up/Down Cartoon by Piet Frans (aka Pieter Kruger). If you missed the first few days, view Day 1-5 of the Lockdown cartoon here. By Piet Frans (aka Pieter Kruger) – a former lawyer who spent 13 years in The Hague prosecuting war criminals at the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal. Now retired, […]

I have spent quite some time documenting the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, as well as the communities’ response to the lockdown… writes Durban photographer Kierran Allen (who is covering the Lockdown in Durban for SAPeople, with authorisation from SAPS). There are two very different takes on it: and I have witnessed both with my […]

Two more elderly people have sadly passed away in KwaZulu-Natal, where South Africa’s coronavirus mortality is at its highest, according to a Covid-19 update by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. The Minister said a gentleman aged 80 passed away on 1 April, and an 81-year-old female on 2 April. “Both didn’t have a history of travelling […]

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says it is pleased to announce that 16 South Africans who were stranded in Dubai and Doha, respectively, have been successfully repatriated back to South Africa.   They arrived yesterday, 02 April 2020, following the announcement by the President of the relaxation of the restrictions to allow South […]

This Sunday, Carte Blanche investigates how hundreds of desperate South Africans stuck abroad on almost every continent are dealing with this crisis. You can watch the show on Sunday 5 April in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries abroad from Tues 7 April on Showmax International. C O V […]

One of the world’s leading news broadcasters, the BBC, has praised South Africa for its “ruthless efficiency” in fighting the coronavirus, and for its “formidable leadership”. “South Africa seems to have acted faster, more efficiently, and more ruthlessly than many other countries around the world,” says the BBC, stating that more than 47,000 have been […]

A singing doctor in America is taking the world by storm, and in a way his inspiration to help people all started with a trip to South Africa a few years ago… which left him feeling “unstoppable”. Dr Elvis Francois (his name really is Elvis!) posted a video a couple of weeks ago from Rochester […]

A South African Police-led operation has ended the occupation by refugees of the Central Methodist Church on Greenmarket Square, writes James Stent for GroundUp. A large contingent of police officers broke down both entrances to the Central Methodist Church on Thursday afternoon, before entering the church as a group. The police appeared to meet very […]

Former Stellenbosch Mayor Conrad Sidego has sadly passed away at the age of 73. DA Leader John Steenhuisen said: “Saddened to hear of the passing of the DA former mayor of Stellenbosch, Conrad Sidego, a man who lived life to the fullest and who had a passion for service. Condolences to his family and friends […]

The Duduza Clinic near Nigel in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, has been shut indefinitely today – Thursday 2 April – following a resident nurse testing positive for Covid-19.  The infected nurse was reportedly among the 859 churchgoers whom attended a prayer meeting – the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast – at the Divine Restoration Ministries in Bloemfontein, earlier […]

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, as of Thursday, stands at 1 462. The Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced the increase in cases at Universitas Hospital in the Free State, where he met with the COVID-19 task team in the province. A mass screening and testing is now underway there. […]

Ministers representing the Coronavirus National Command Council updated the nation on revisions to some of the Lockdown regulations on Thursday evening. (It’s still ongoing – watch below.) Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said clarifications and the strengthening and relaxing of some regulations would be ongoing as the government learnt from […]

American singer Chris Mann’s brilliant Adele parody of Hello – his version being “Hello (from the Inside)” – has now been viewed by OVER 6 million people on YouTube since he posted it on 26 March. The reason it’s been so popular worldwide is that everyone can relate! The song begins: “Hello, it’s me, I’m […]

South African photojournalist Tom Brown, who is usually based between India and South Africa, ventured out into Tshwane on Wednesday to bring SAPeople readers a snapshot of the city under lockdown. (Tom is an accredited photographer with permission to carry out this assignment during lockdown.) Pick n’ Pay are putting up perspex screens to safeguard […]

What a wonderful world it is… as people all over the planet join together separately to create videos like this. John Foreman’s Aussie Pops Orchestra posted this video on YouTube and said: “While we’re all staying at home, the talented musicians of the Aussie Pops Orchestra, together with some amazing Australian artists, have phoned in […]

A small chartered plane from Zimbabwe that had not been authorised to land at O.R. Tambo International Airport during the lockdown and was carrying only one passenger, an Italian-South African, was told to return to Harare after police intervened. The plane landed at midday on Wednesday, according to the Department of Transport, and the passenger […]

The short dragon movie “Zog,” animated by Cape Town’s Triggerfish and voiced by famous actors of film and TV like “Game of Thrones” Kit Harington, has won the International Emmy for Best Kids Animation. The 27-minute short film, produced by Magic Light Pictures and co-directed by South African Daniel Snaddon (“Stick Man”) and two-time Oscar […]