COVID-19 WRAP | Eight new deaths in SA, Nxesi says employers must screen employees, Gautrain resumes operations

May 3 2020 - 19:48

Eight new Covid-19 deaths in SA, biggest jump in cases recorded in last 24 hours

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa reached 6783 on Sunday and the death toll has risen to 131.

May 3 2020 - 16:52

Employers must screen employees for Covid-19, says Nxesi

Employers must take measures to protect the health and safety of everyone in their workplace as some companies resume operations under stage four of the lockdown, employment and labour minister Thulas Nxesi said on Sunday.

This includes contractors, self-employed people and volunteers.

“Any employer who does not comply with the direction may be ordered to close business,” Nxesi said.

May 3 2020 - 16:11

Gautrain to resume services on Monday, trains to operate at 40% capacity

Gautrain says it is ready to resume services on Monday to accommodate those returning to work after government moved the nationwide lockdown from level five to four.

May 3 2020 - 15:54

Mbeki urges government 'to take the lead' in a socio-economic fix-it plan

The Thabo Mbeki Foundation has urged the government to “take the lead” and find a way to improve the country's “socio-economic situation”.

In a May Day message, the foundation paid tribute to health and other essential services workers who selflessly continued at great risk to themselves and their families.

But it expressed concern that the Covid-19 pandemic could worsen SA’s problems.

May 3 2020 - 13:16

New court directives will see criminal cases dealt with during lockdown

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng on Saturday issued new directives for the management of courts during the national state of disaster, which will see more court proceedings being undertaken during this period.

The directives repealed the ones he issued on April 17.

May 3 2020 - 13:07

'Our parliamentarians are not fit for purpose,' says former DA leader in parliament Lindiwe Mazibuko

Former DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko has criticised parliament's oversight model as being backward, saying it was not agile enough to properly hold government accountable during the Covid-19 crisis.

In an interview this week, Mazibuko said the coronavirus has exposed how the parliamentary system was still stuck in the past, failing to adapt to a changing world.

May 3 2020 - 12:25

Government creates Covid-19 dispute mediation process to avoid costly court cases

In a move aimed at pre-empting a huge legal bill over the national lockdown, government has moved to amend national state of disaster regulations to create a dispute resolution process outside the court, with a retired judge earmarked for the task.

This is contained in the latest version of the national lockdown regulations that were published this week, which makes provision for mediation or arbitration should civil claims be filed against the state over lockdown.

May 3 2020 - 12:25

Man, 51, from Bloemfontein is the sixth in Free State to die of Covid-19

The sixth person in the Free State to die of Covid-19 on May 1 was a 51-year-old male patient from Freedom Square in Bloemfontein.

He was among seven people the national department of health announced on Saturday had died of Covid-19 in the Western Cape and Free State, taking the national death toll to 123.

May 3 2020 - 10:34

Amcu says court order will ensure safety of mineworkers during Covid-19

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has welcomed the labour court judgment on Friday compelling the department of mineral resources & energy and energy to set minimum health and safety standards during the Covid-19  pandemic.

The union especially welcomed the court order which stated that — pending the publication of safety guidelines in the Government Gazette by May 18 —  all employers must at a minimum comply with the interim Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

May 3 2020 - 09:00

'It's going to have a devastating effect': Jobs axe hangs over half of SA's workforce

For business owner Lucy Markewicz, sending her nine staff to join the unemployment line - knowing that many were breadwinners with no safety net - was a task she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

Her business, an interlinked operation of a boutique bakery, a catering business and venue for hire in Durban, folded last week.

May 3 2020 - 08:00

We're not going to change our approach - Mthembu on cigarette ban

Minister in the presidency Jackson Mthembu has ruled out any possibility of talks with the cigarette industry, saying the cabinet will not back down on its decision to ban the sale of cigarettes.

The government is taking a hard line and will not refer the matter to mediation - an option introduced in the lockdown regulations to try to avoid costly court action by aggrieved parties.

May 3 2020 - 07:00

Public pushed to the edge of despair by lockdown rules as UN warns of 'toxic culture'

The Covid-19 lockdown moves into unknown territory this week, with 1.5-million people going back to work as the government's strict social distancing and stay-at-home rules meet a wave of public fatigue.

The move to level 4 coincides with signs of a public pushed to the limit, their livelihoods on the line in many cases and their patience tested by heavy-handedness and a sea of regulations, which now include a curfew from 8pm to 5am.