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 […]

Some parents in South Africa may heave a sigh of relief as Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced on Tuesday that SA schools will reopen on 1 June 2020, with Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners returning to the classroom. “Independent and public ordinary schools will open, even in the metropolitan areas,” the Minister said. […]

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 […]

Wildlife is thriving off Simon’s Town during lockdown and “life’s a beach for these locals”, according to the City of Cape Town, South Africa. This beautiful Southern Elephant Seal was photographed early yesterday morning, Monday 18 May 2020, at the Simon’s Town harbour by Dave Hurwitz.  The seal was first sighted yesterday, according to the City, […]

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 […]

With the sale of alcohol banned for over seven weeks, the illegal booze trade has mushroomed and prices rocketed. People who used to frequent shebeens in the southern Cape, say syndicates have stepped in and are charging exorbitant prices for conventional brands of alcohol. In response, people have started to brew their own liquor at […]

In Africa, the wildlife conservation industry has dealt with many a challenge, from political, economic, social, impacts of urbanization and even disease outbreaks. However, most of these challenges, have been contained to parts of the continent. Whereas with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we have experienced unprecedented challenges the world over… writes Dr Duncan […]

The country’s first public advocate for children and guardian of their rights will take up her post from 1 June, Western Cape Premer Alan Winde announced today. The Children’s Commissioner is Christina Nomdo. Winde said this was an incredibly important role, as the person was tasked with monitoring, researching, investigating, lobbying and reporting on children and […]

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 […]

More than 15,000 small-scale farmers in South Africa have been approved for the COVID-19 Agricultural Disaster Fund, says Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza. Didiza said that 55,155 applications were received from smallholder and communal farmers, with the highest number of applications received from the Eastern Cape Province, followed by the Northern […]

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 […]

South Africa recorded its highest new infections since the Coronavirus outbreak, with 1,160 fresh cases in the last 24-hour cycle. According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is now 15 515, while three people succumbed to the COVID-19 related illness bringing the death toll to 264. Of the 264 […]

A majority of SAA unions have called for Business Rescue Practitioners (BRP) to resign and withdraw their legal advisors if they are not willing to categorically support the vision of a new national airline. The unions have also accused the BRPs of continuing the “looting of SAA as a national asset”. The unions are the […]

Children are suffering increasingly from preventable infectious diseases, including TB and measles, due to missed vaccinations. When a novel coronavirus now known as SARS-CoV-2 first entered the world stage on the heels of the Chinese New Year in January 2020, little was known about it and its impact on people, health systems and countries. This […]

While stressing that Lockdown’s priority is to save lives, President Cyril Ramaphosa has conceded in his latest weekly letter to the nation, that each South African citizen has the right to pursue litigation if they are not happy with Lockdown. The President said that when asked recently by a journalist whether he was concerned at […]

While there is general scientific consensus that the novel coronavirus is of zoonotic origin and various groupings are advising that wildlife markets must be closed, the South African government has been putting forward legislation that could massively expand the wildlife industry to become mass meat suppliers to the world. Last year, the Department of Agriculture, […]

South Africans who have been forced into a state quarantine facility in Hong Kong have described the shocking conditions and accused the Chinese government of being racist and targeting them for being from Africa, whilst allowing citizens from higher risk areas like the UK and US the freedom to self-quarantine in their own homes. Vega […]