A 43-year-old police officer from Doringberg Police Station, a retired Fort Beaufort cop and a member of the public appeared in the Fort Beaufort Magistrate’s court on 29 April 2020. They have been charged with fraud, forgery and uttering, and defeating the ends of justice. Police spokesperson Captan Khaya Tonjeni said their arrests followed a joint operation conducted at Fort Beaufort by members of the Anti Corruption and Vehicle Crime ldentification task teams. “The suspects allegedly colluded together to create false documents for an accident scene with a traffic vehicle and also assisted in the registering a false insurance claim,” Tonjeni…
Author: Staff Reporter
Read More
This is the Covid-19 Basic Education Sector Plan released today. The opening of schools is subject to the final regulations that will be announced by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Thursday 30 April 2020. [pdf-embedder url=”https://www.grocotts.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PORTFOLIO-SELECT-COMMITTEES-COVID-19-BASIC-EDUCATION-SECTOR-PLAN-2-2-2.pdf” title=”PORTFOLIO SELECT COMMITTEES COVID-19 BASIC EDUCATION SECTOR PLAN (2) (2) (2)”] Main photo: Nienke Botha
The government has disbursed R3.3 billion in Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claim benefits submitted by 1.75 million workers – as relief for the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism Minister Mamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said the UIF has, to date, received just over 103 000 applications from employers representing about 1.75 million employees. A bulk of the applications were made by employers, through the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme, on behalf of their affected staff. In South Africa, many workers and employers have been without income since the beginning of the lockdown on 27 March. The lockdown was put in place as…
The elderly and persons with disabilities, who receive their monthly social grants from the South African Post Office (SAPO), will from May receive their monies from the fourth day of the month. All other grants will be paid from the sixth of every month, SAPO said in a statement on Tuesday. “The Post Office also advises beneficiaries not to make a balance enquiry on the first day of the month, as their grant will only become available on the dates mentioned above and the balance enquiry may incur unnecessary bank charges,” said SAPO. Beneficiaries are allowed one free balance enquiry…
Soon after the lockdown was announced in March, the National Arts Festival made the decision to go digital. In a webinar on Tuesday, 21 April, the Festival’s team explained how the first-ever digital edition of the 46-year-old Festival would work. CEO Monica Newton said the decision to go virtual was made with artists in mind: “We considered postponing but the timeline looked very uncertain. We have to work with Makhanda’s academic calendar and the only other time of the year to consider would have been December, which is impossibly hot in Makhanda.” Artistic Director Rucera Seethal said, “Choosing to go the virtual route was…
Over the next month, the state will shift its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by preserving the economy, developing immediate recovery plans and pivoting the economy in a position of growth. This was revealed by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on Friday during a press briefing in which he outlined a R500 billion economic support package. The package was initially unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa during an address to the nation on Tuesday. In May, government will focus on three phases. The first phase, which the state is currently in, aims to preserve the country’s economy. “It is designed to be…
As of Tuesday 21 April, South Africa’s confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 3 465. The total number of tests conducted are 126 937 of which 5 427 were done in the previous 24 hours. Provincial breakdown is as follows: Gauteng 1199 Western Cape 1010 KwaZulu-Natal 671 Eastern Cape 345 Free State 106 Limpopo 27 North West 24 Mpumalanga 24…
The President on Tuesday 21 April announced a massive social relief and economic support package of R500 billion (around 10% of South Africa’s GDP) to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Highlights include that: Child support grant beneficiaries will receive an extra R300 in May and from June to October they will receive an additional R500 each month. All other grant beneficiaries will receive an extra R250 per month for the next six months. A special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant of R350 a month for the next 6 months for the unemployed who don’t receive any other…
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is appealing to the public to participate in an online survey it launched recently to gauge the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Accurate, real-time statistics are of utmost importance in times of crisis,” said Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke. “These surveys will be used to see how COVID-19 has impacted the population, and will be used by government to inform their strategy going forward. For us to win this fight, the decisions we make must be evidenced-based.” COVID-19 and the lock-down will have a multi-dimensional impact. For this reason, the survey will be conducted in three waves.…
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation this evening – Tuesday, 21 April 2020 – on additional economic and social relief measures that form part of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The President’s address flows from recent deliberations at Cabinet, the National Coronavirus Command Council, the President’s Coordinating Council, and the National Economic Development and Labour Council, among others. The Presidency will in the course of the day announce the time for the President’s address which will be broadcast on radio and television and will be streamed live. Public Enquiries: Presidential Hotline 17731 COVID-19 Specific enquiries: NICD Hotline…