US President Donald Trump is donating his salary for this quarter to the US Health Department for COVID-19 research. White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, announced the news at a press conference on Friday. McEnany said: “The President, as you are all well aware, donates his salary to various initiatives… across the Federal Government, and […]

The United Nations (UN) in South Africa has shared a video, featuring SA, that launches a new initiative to help citizens of the word share accurate information about coronavirus. Watch below. The campaign – Verified, which features two ticks – is a UN initiative to encourage everyone to check the advice they share. On the […]

The distribution and receiving of food by NGOs and other relief agencies cannot be interfered with by the government, at least not for the next month, according to a high court ruling handed down today. The Democratic Alliance challenged Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu and three other ministers over regulations that started being enforced three […]

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, says South Africa is moving forward with confidence, backed by science, with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said government has taken the necessary bold steps needed to prevent the rapid spread of Coronavirus. “The numbers would have been extremely high and quickly overwhelmed the system, had we not taken […]

A Cape Town resident has told an Australian news channel that there are “many people trying to save this beautiful land” of South Africa. (See video at bottom of page.) Giving an eye witness account from SA, Cape Town resident Bianca Lynch – who is married to an Australian – told 9 News how the […]

The South African Reserve Bank has cut the repo rate by 50 basis points, and from 22 May it will be 3.75 percent. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago made the announcement on Thursday following a Monetary Policy Committee meeting. The cut is the third since the advent of COVID-19 in the country in March, when the […]

A field hospital to deal with COVID-19 patients is being set up in Tshwane with the help of BMW, Nissan, and the embassies of Germany and Japan. Gauteng premier David Makhura made the announcement while visiting the two automakers’ manufacturing plants in Rosslyn to see how they were applying the COVID safety regulations during work […]

South Africa has recorded 30 new COVID-19 related deaths bringing the total number of deaths to 369. The number of cases in the country has risen to 19 137. “We wish to express our condolences to the loved ones of the deceased and thank the health care workers who treated these patients,” said Health Minister, […]

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) announced today that it has facilitated the repatriation by air of 5,239 South Africans stranded abroad. According to DIRCO Minister Naledi Pandor, hundreds more have also returned through the country’s land borders. As several countries went into lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, an initial 3 637 requested […]

As the numbers of COVID-19 cases increase, South Africa has recorded its first death of an infant due to Coronavirus. According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, a two-day-old was born prematurely and had lung difficulties that required ventilation support immediately. “The mother had tested positive for COVID-19 and the child subsequently tested positive for […]

The Western Cape reached several milestone numbers over the last 24 hours, including 200 fatalities from COVID-19, which should reach its peak in the province by the end of June or early July, according to Premier Alan Winde. In a digital press conference also attended by some of the key provincial players in the fight […]

South Africa’s COVID-19 cases rose to 17 200, with the Northern Cape which has the least number of infections in the country, recording its first death. “Regrettably we report a further 26 COVID-19 related deaths. This brings the total national deaths to 312,” Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said on Tuesday. On Tuesday, South Africa […]

R0 is on everyone’s lips these days, and it is a critical measure of the epidemic that guides predictions and policies. Yet how R works is widely misunderstood and this leads to inappropriate conclusions. I hope this article will clarify some misunderstandings… writes Max Price. But I must emphasise the examples here are for the […]

At least seven employees of the SA Revenue Service have tested positive for COVID-19, four of them in the Western Cape and one still in ICU, SARS has said in a statement. SARS said it learnt ‘‘with concern” that by yesterday two more two additional positive COVID-19 cases had been found. It said that besides […]

The Unemployment Insurance Fund has paid out over R14 billion in benefits to employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The total amount disbursed since 16 April is now just over R14 billion. This excludes normal payments the UIF makes, which are R1.849 billion, said UIF Commissioner, Teboho Maruping. On Monday, the UIF, which falls […]

The National Health Insurance (NHI) has become an idealistic concept known as “imaginary.” It’s become the idea onto which all South Africa’s aspirations for healthcare have been projected. The dream of a system that is fairer, less divided and more efficient. It’s even been called “pie in the sky.” Steve Reid reports. It’s clear that […]

The Free State government has identified 25 quarantine facilities to accommodate people who have had contact with COVID-19 patients. “We have 10 quarantine facilities that are state-owned whilst 15 are privately-owned. The rest will be announced once ready for occupation,” Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela said. Addressing a media briefing on Tuesday, on the province’s […]

South Africa’s confirmed COVID-19 cases now stand at 16 433 with 475 071 tests having been conducted. In a statement on Monday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said of the 475 071 tests conducted, 14 198 tests had been conducted in the last 24-hours. South Africa also reported a further 22 COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths […]

The Class of 2020 at a South African school in KwaZulu-Natal – Felixton College near Empangeni – have put together a moving video message to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Watch below. “We are blown away by a few of the Felixton College (Felixton, Zululand) Grade 12 pupils who put together this message entitled ‘Hope is not […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of universal health coverage. That is the message underlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa who was addressing the virtual 73rd Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday. The pandemic should propel countries to act with greater urgency to make it a reality. “In this final decade towards […]

When Zizipho Chwethisa, a cashier at a supermarket in the Bayside Mall, Table View, was told by telephone that she had tested positive for Covid-19 at Dunoon Clinic, she didn’t know what to do. She stayed in her one-room shack, which she shares with her husband, for five days. Then she contacted her ward councillor, […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the government recognises that there have been criticisms of the way it has handled the lockdown and every South African has a right to to take this matter to the courts. “There has been, and will continue to be, robust and strident critique of a number of aspects of […]

Small, medium and macro enterprises in South Africa should watch out for fraudulent agencies purporting to be entities of the Department of Small Business Development and trying to extract fees out of them. “It has come to the attention of the department that an unknown company is requesting food producers and agro-processors to send through […]

Crime in the Cape Town city centre during lockdown has dropped by 73 percent compared with last year, according to statistics released by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District. Only 94 crime incidents were reported from 26 March 2020 to 15 May 2020, compared with 340 during the same period last year, said CCID […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will today, Monday, 18 May 2020, address the virtual 73rd Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), at the invitation of the Director- General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom. President Ramaphosa has been invited to participate as a guest alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who toured […]