COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | FF+ challenge to Disaster Act dismissed

July 6 2020 - 21:13

North West MEC dies of 'Covid pneumonia'

North West cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs MEC Gordon Kegakilwe has died of a Covid-19 related illness.

North West premier Prof Tebogo Job Mokgoro announced on Monday that Kegakilwe passed away on Monday after a "short and serious illness".

July 6 2020 - 17:59

Six accused of Covid-19 UIF fraud get R5,000 bail

The six people accused of stealing R5.7m in an Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) fraud and money-laundering scam over Covid-19 relief payments were granted R5,000 bail each on Monday.

Tshepang Howard Phohole, Taetso Zulu, Tsietsi Godfrey Mojela, Itumeleng Charlene Masoko, Tebogo Andries Nchimane Masoko and Dilsfinest Cafe Pty Ltd (represented by Tebogo Andries Nchimane Masoko) made their first appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Tshwane on charges of fraud, theft and money laundering after their arrests at the weekend.

July 6 2020 - 17:57

Another win for government as FF+ challenge to Disaster Act is dismissed

The full bench of the high court in Pretoria has dismissed a challenge brought by the Freedom Front Plus against the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two weeks ago, the court - comprising Gauteng judge president Dunstan Mlambo, judge Jody Kollapen and judge Raylene Keightley - heard an application by the party, seeking an order declaring that sections of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) were inconsistent with the constitution.

The FF+ argued that some of those sections did not make provision for various safeguards that are to be found in the constitution, which deals with states of emergency.

July 6 2020 - 17:50

Doctors in Nigeria state strike over Covid-19 test results

Doctors in Nigeria's Cross River state began an indefinite strike on Monday in protest over allegations the authorities were whitewashing coronavirus cases in the region.

According to figures by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), southern Cross River is the only state in the country where no case of Covid-19 has been officially confirmed.

But the regional branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), the main doctor's union, said positive cases were recorded at a government-run hospital in state capital Calabar last week.

July 6 2020 - 16:42

Did the PSL clubs return to training prematurely without the knowledge of the sport's mother body Safa?

The Absa Premiership and GladAfrica Championship clubs may have returned to training prematurely after it emerged on Monday that the health and safety compliance protocols were not approved by the South African Football Association (Safa).

After sports minister Nathi Mthethwa granted permission for non-contact and contact sport training to resume last month‚ most of the clubs conducted their first round of Covid-19 testing.

This was followed by a return to training but it has emerged that this was done without the knowledge of the sport's mother body Safa.

July 6 2020 - 15:46

More than half of Mpumalanga's grade R pupils back in class: department

More than half of all grade R pupils registered in Mpumalanga's government schools reported back for class on Monday, the provincial education department said.

Spokesperson Jasper Zwane said: “Overall, grade R attendance was above 50%. We are still monitoring and hopeful that everyone will be safe in our schools.”

July 6 2020 - 15:29

North West province offers to host remaining PSL matches in a 'bio bubble' camp

A senior official in the North West department of arts‚ culture and sport says the province is ready to host the remaining PSL fixtures that are expected to be played in a "bio bubble" camp in the coming weeks.

Absa Premiership and GladAfrica Championship teams returned to controlled training in the last few days after sports minister Nathi Mthethwa gave permission for non-contact and contact sport to resume.

The league is yet to disclose the venue for the resumption of the season but coordinator in the office of North West MEC Galebekwe Tlhapi Hendrick Metsileng said the province is ready to step in as host of the matches.

July 6 2020 - 15:21

Unprepared schools in the Eastern Cape will not reopen to other grades yet

The Eastern Cape department of education issued a statement on Sunday evening stating that special instructions were sent to unprepared schools across the province not to allow pupils, aside from grade 7s and matrics, back on Monday.

The statement was issued after a media briefing with minister of basic education Angie Motshekga, in which she outlined the provisions for other grades to return to school, reports HeraldLIVE.

Education MEC Fundile Gade’s spokesperson, Vuyiseka Mboxela, confirmed that Gade had written to Motshekga requesting “a deviation from the prescribed phasing in of grades as articulated by her since the beginning of July 2020”.

July 6 2020 - 14:53

Obvs! Sedgwick's Old Brown Sherry is not a cure for Covid-19, warns brewer

Old Brown Sherry is not a cure for Covid-19, as claimed in viral social media posts.

Rumours have been circulating on social media in which is it claimed that not only does a glass of Sedgwick's Old Brown Sherry “make your blood warm”, it also kills the deadly coronavirus.

July 6 2020 - 14:40

DUT staff and students test positive for Covid-19

Seven people at the Durban University of Technology have tested positive for Covid-19.

In a communique to staff and students on Thursday the university said that after its first two cases of staff members from the mechanical engineering department, on Steve Biko campus, last Monday, a further three staff members and two students had tested positive.

“The university, via the relevant heads of department, has conducted contact tracing to alert people who were in contact with those who have tested positive for Covid-19. The affected physical spaces will be thoroughly sanitised,” said the university. 

Jult 6 2020 - 14:29

Private preschools, crèches may reopen immediately, court rules

Early childhood development centres, including private nursery schools and day care centres, may reopen immediately — provided they can do so safely.

This was confirmed in a ruling by the North Gauteng High Court on Monday. The judgment comes after the department of social development announced in June that children would not be allowed back at creche or partial care facilities until the minister had gazetted the final date and conditions under which they could reopen.

Judge Hans Fabricius declared this to be unlawful on Monday and said there was no further reason to prevent children from returning to school. The matter was taken to court by the Solidarity Occupational Guild for Social Workers and the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools (SCS). 

'Football is in my blood': Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebogang Manyama on first day of training after 102 days of not being on the pitch

July 6 2020 - 13:43

Bheki Cele says pandemic has hindered police recruitment

Police minister Bheki Cele has declined to say how many police officers are deployed to enforce the Covid-19 lockdown regulations, citing "security reasons".

Cele did reveal that the police service was struggling to recruit and fill vacancies because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Members of the SAPS and reservists were and still are deployed for future operations, for policing services and for enforcement of the Covid-19 preventative measures.

July 6 2020 - 13:28

Paul Mashatile self-quarantines, a day after being widowed, after staffer contracts Covid-19

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile has gone into self-quarantine after a member of staff in his office tested positive for Covid-19.

July 6 2020 - 13:26

Mmusi Maimane slams 'senseless' reopening of schools as infections accelerate

One South Africa Movement leader Mmusi Maimane has again lambasted the government's plan to reopen schools for some grades during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Monday, grade R, 6 and 11 pupils joined grade 7 and 12 pupils as the second phase of the schooling system was given the green light by the department of basic education.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga said at the weekend that provinces that are not ready to receive grade R pupils have until the end of the month to provide strategic and realisable plans. She said all grade R and pre-grade R learners who have already returned to school must continue going to school.

July 6 2020 - 12:18

Why we are not sending our children back to school: parents explain fears

As the second cohort of pupils return to school on Monday morning, some parents said the safety of their children was just as important as their education.  

“I don’t blame the education department for reopening schools, but I also hope I won’t be blamed for caring about my son’s safety,” Ramondè Batista told TimesLIVE.

The mother of three said she would not send her son Gianni back to school when his grade is due to return on Wednesday this week.

July 6 2020 - 11:51

Covid-19: Eastern Cape's worst fear realised as hospitals fill up

The worst fear of the people of the Eastern Cape is now a reality — hospitals in the province are full, while the Covid-19 pandemic is still only approaching its peak around  the country.

Two special advisers to the provincial health department called on Sunday for urgent steps to avoid a catastrophe, including the possibility of transporting Covid-19 patients from other regions to the two field hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB).

There was no firm response from government on why field hospitals are not yet operational in the eastern part of the province, and a large nurses' union said it was unaware hospitals had reached their full operating capacity.

July 6 2020 - 11:50

Waste collection temporarily suspended in KwaDukuza after workers test positive for Covid-19

Refuse collection in parts of  KwaDukuza (Stanger), north of Durban, has been temporarily halted after workers tested positive for Covid-19. 

In a statement on Sunday, the municipality said seven staff members from various units had tested positive for the virus. 

July 6 2020 - 11:20

'I'd rather risk Covid-19 at home than die in Joburg': interprovincial travel ban flouted

The taxi driver was as cool as a cucumber. It was early on Tuesday morning at the Daveyton taxi rank in Ekurhuleni when passengers filed into his minibus as taxi operators started defying the government's interprovincial travel restrictions.

At 7.55am, the taxi was ready to hit the road.

All 10 passengers already seated inside the taxi were relaxed.

The common feature was the heavy travel bags they were carrying and the protective masks which partly covered their faces as the taxi took off to begin its long-distance journey of more than 300km to Thulamahashe in Mpumalanga.

July 6 2020 - 11:18

Covid-19: Eastern Cape's worst fear realised as hospitals fill up

The worst fear of the people of the Eastern Cape is now a reality — hospitals in the province are full, while the Covid-19 pandemic is still only approaching its peak around  the country.

Two special advisers to the provincial health department called on Sunday for urgent steps to avoid a catastrophe, including the possibility of transporting Covid-19 patients from other regions to the two field hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB).

There was no firm response from government on why field hospitals are not yet operational in the eastern part of the province, and a large nurses' union said it was unaware hospitals had reached their full operating capacity.

July 6 2020 - 10:37

Hesitant return to school for three grades in Gauteng

On the first day of the return of the second cohort of pupils during the Covid-19 lockdown, mixed results were seen in grades R, 6 and 11 classes.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga on Monday thanked a class of pupils in Midrand for coming back to school, and thanked them for trusting her department with their safety.

Motshekga addressed a class of grade 11 pupils at Noordwyk Secondary School on Monday, and stressed the need for pupils to always wear their masks, practise social distancing and sanitise all the time.

July 6 2020 - 10:06

'Covid-19 is killing our brothers and sister, let's go back to level 5': EFF's Vuyani Pambo

July 6 2020 - 09:43

Hard lockdown considered as cases surge? Here is what Cyril Ramaphosa had to say

SA will not be returning to higher levels of lockdown despite the rapid surge in Covid-19 cases.

This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who confirmed that a decision to move the country back to level 4 or 5 of lockdown was not on the cards.

Speaking during his visit to Mpumalanga this past week, Ramaphosa said a hard lockdown wasn't on the cards due to spiralling job losses.

July 6 2020 - 09:42

India becomes third hardest-hit country for virus cases

India announced Monday that it has nearly 700,000 coronavirus cases, taking it past Russia to become the third-hardest-hit nation in the global pandemic.

The health ministry said 697,358 cases had now been recorded, a rise of 24,000 in 24 hours, while Russia has just over 681,000.

The United States and Brazil have the highest numbers of cases but India's tally is not expected to peak for several more weeks and experts predict the one million figure will be passed this month.

July 6 2020 - 09:10

People under 55 without comorbidities slip down Covid-19 test priority list

With infections surging and a limited number of test kits, pathology practice Pathcare is restricting Covid-19 tests to patients most in need and at risk.

This is being implemented at all its laboratories and depots from Monday.

July 20 2020 - 08:14

‘Gauteng is ready, we did not request a hard lockdown,’ says provincial government

The Gauteng government said it did not ask the national government to allow it to introduce an “intermittent” hard lockdown in the province, but instead called for tougher enforcement of the current regulations.

“We are not calling for a return of a hard lockdown. We fully understand and support the current risk adjusted strategy which is being implemented by the national government and the president,” provincial spokesperson Thabo Masebe told eNCA on Monday morning.

July 6 2020 - 07:42

Schools have taken a hit, and it’s going to get worse: Motshekga

Dozens of teaching days have been lost to Covid-19, but it won't end there - and the full impact of this is not yet known.

This is the grim news from basic education minister Angie Motshekga. 

July 6 2020 - 07:40

Lockdown night out in Joburg — without wine

“I am breathing again,” sighs Kanto Razafimandimby on her first night out since SA reopened restaurants and casinos as part of a gradual loosening of lockdown, even as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise.

“It really feels like my freedom is back,” the 27-year-old said while dining with three friends at Verdicchio Restaurant and Wine Cellar in the northern Johannesburg suburb of Fourways.

Saturday marked the 100th day of lockdown for SA.

The lockdown has imposed some of the strictest stay-at-home measures in the world since March 27 in a bid to limit the spread of Covid-19.

July 6 2020 - 07:39

1,718 schools vandalised during Covid-19 lockdown: Angie Motshekga

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga said almost all the provinces are currently doing repairs to schools which have been vandalised.

A total of 1,718 schools have been vandalised during the national lockdown, she told a briefing on Sunday.

“What is disturbing is that the criminals continue to cause havoc in our schools,” the minister said.

'Older people among those at highest risk of getting severely ill and possibly dying from Covid-19': Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern about the outbreaks of coronavirus in old age homes. 

"The reality however is that in keeping our distance from our elderly parents and grandparents at this time we could be saving their lives."

July 6 2020 - 7:21

Second cohort of pupils return to schools across SA today

Learners in grades 6 and 11 are set to return to school on Monday.