International Jazz Day
As the great Nina Simone said, "Jazz is not just music, it is a way of life, it is a way of being, a way of thinking". The story of Jazz is written into the quest for human dignity, democracy and civil rights. It has given strength to the struggle against discrimination and racism. UNESCO believes in...
Minister Angie Motshekga: Basic Education Sector recovery plans for the reopening of schools
Good afternoon! Basic education minister Angie Motshekga on Thursday outlined the plans for schools to reopen. She announced that schools will reopen on June 1 for grade 12 and grade 7 pupils. Below is her full speech, unedited: The past few weeks have affected South Africans in ways...
Politics | President mourns passing of struggle veteran Denis Goldberg
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep condolences at the passing of Rivonia Trialist and Esteemed Member of the Order of Luthuli Denis Theodore Goldberg. Mr Goldberg, who lived in Hout Bay, Cape Town, passed away yesterday, Wednesday 29 April 2020, at the age of 87. Mr Goldberg received a National Order for his...
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks at the hand over of the Emergency Response Action Plan and National strategic Plan to combat GBVF
Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Ministers, Co-chairs of the Interim Steering Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, Professor Olive Shisana and Advocate Brenda Madumise-Pajibo, Members of the Interim Steering Committee, Our friends in the development community, Members of the media, Today, we are marking three milestones in our...
UIF payments reach R5 billion
The Employment and Labour Department has expressed satisfaction at the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s disbursement of R5 billion in relief to workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown. This comes after the department said it has tweaked its systems to ensure that more pertinent information is available on its online platform for it to operate...
Opinion | Not wise to return kids to school in the middle of this crisis
The department of education plan to resume with schooling is similar to a commander who sends his soldiers to war unarmed. The country is faced with a sporadic increase in numbers of Covid 19 and uncertainty but the department of education proposes the reopening of schools. It shows the department's lack of foresight and it's clearly not...
Lockdown achieving desired outcomes: Mkhize
South Africa’s prudent decision to institute a countrywide lockdown has evaded an exponential explosion of cases of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic within the borders of the country, the Department of Health said on Tuesday. The Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said while the lockdown will not spell the end of new infections, it...
Gauteng and Free State record 60 % coronavirus recovery rate
Gauteng and the Free State have recorded a 60-percent recovery rate in coronavirus infections. The provinces have attributed this to intensified contact tracing and mass testing. Health MEC's across the country briefed Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize on the measures provinces will take as the country moves to Level 4 on Friday.
Sassa grant registration over WhatsApp: coming soon
New R350 unemployment grants will use WhatsApp for registration - and first tests have been completed. The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has already quietly tested registration via WhatsApp for R350-per-month Covid-19 grants due to be paid to millions of unemployed people. Some six million people are expected to qualify for the grants, making for payments of...
‘Our sports people need psycho-social support now more than ever’
A concerned resident blew the lid off an ill-advised house party organised by a group of youngsters in Nairobi’s Jamhuri Estate, this past Sunday. The 18 young Kenyans, some barely in their teens, were busted by police allegedly stark naked, shooting nudes and imbibing copious amounts of liquor. This incident came...