Western Cape looking at mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations
The Western Cape government is discussing mandatory vaccinations – considering the policy for staff within the provincial government’s various departments, and mulling the province’s official stance on the issue, says premier Alan Winde. Addressing the Western Cape provincial parliament on Friday (3 September), Winde said…
IEC re-opens voter and candidate registration for 2021 elections
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced that voter and candidate registration for the 2021 elections will be re-opened. This follows the Constitutional Court’s decision to dismiss the IEC’s bid to postpone the elections to a later date, possibly early 2022. The Constitutional Court ordered…
No more bailouts for state-owned enterprises
Public Enterprises director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi says government will no longer be funding bailouts, as they are known, for state-owned enterprises. Tlhakudi was speaking during a departmental briefing of Parliament’s Public Enterprises Committee. He said any funding would be given under strict conditions. “What has been…
South Africa on high alert for more civil unrest: report
South Africa’s security forces have been placed on high alert ahead of former president Jacob Zuma’s court appearance this week, with officials not keen for a repeat of the July riots, which left R50 billion worth of destruction in its wake. The City Press reports…
Ramaphosa’s big cabinet reshuffle: here are all the changes – including a new finance minister
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced his new cabinet in a press briefing on Thursday evening (5 August). In his late-night reshuffle, Ramaphosa said that the changes come as the country faces a number of challenges including the Covid-19 vaccination programme, peace and stability after recent…
South African election board will file application to delay vote
South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission may file an application with the Constitutional Court on Wednesday to delay a municipal vote due in October. The necessary documentation has been signed and now it’s a matter of compiling it, IEC chairman Glen Mashinini told reporters at a…
Government’s plans for masks and Covid screening as primary schools fully re-open in South Africa
Primary school students in South Africa returned to full-time teaching for the first time in more than a year on Monday (2 August), as the government aims to make up for the teaching time lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since South Africa first introduced Covid-19…
How much money government makes from traffic fines
Statistics South Africa has published its financial census of local municipalities for the year ending June 2020, providing a general breakdown of their financial health, along with wider insights into how self-efficient they may or may not be. The stats body said that the country’s…
Here are the updated rules for schools in South Africa
The basic education department has gazetted new regulations ahead of the return of full-time classes on Monday (2 August). While all government schools reopened on 26 July as part of the country’s move to an adjusted level 3 lockdown, the basic education department also instructed…
Blow to full reopening of schools in South Africa: report
Thousands of schools across South Africa will not be able to resume full-time classes on Monday (2 August), as they do not meet the physical distance requirements for learners and staff, the Sunday Times reports. While all government schools reopened on 26 July as part…
South Africa’s shrinking police force
The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) states that its labor force has actually gradually decreased over the last 5 years. The SAPS presently has around 184,000 team member, with around 39,000 working as civilian staff members. In a discussion to parliament today, the cops service…
Fourth Covid wave in South Africa – what health experts are saying
As South Africa passes the peak of the third wave of Covid-19 in the country, health experts warn of a fourth wave on the horizon. President Cyril Ramaphosa eased lockdown restrictions this week, citing fewer Covid-19 infections, most notably in Gauteng. The president, however, cautioned…