News in South Africa 18th November: 1. Courts rule against Santam: The Western Cape High Court has ruled in favour of Ma-Afrika Hotels and Stellenbosch Kitchen in the high-profile Covid-19 business interruption claims battle against JSE-listed insurance giant Santam. In a resounding judgment handed down on Tuesday afternoon, South Africa’s largest short-term insurer was ordered […]
News in South Africa 9th November: 1. Construction sector shortage: Critical shortages of building and construction materials, including cement, steel, bricks and timber, are suffocating the sector’s recovery from the Covid-19 lockdown and diminishing its impact on the recovery of the economy. David Metelerkamp, senior economist at construction market intelligence firm Industry Insight, said the […]
News in South Africa 3rd November: 1. We can learn from Europe 2nd wave: South African scientists are concerned about how rapidly the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading in Europe, noticing similarities in the factors driving a second wave. Several countries have gone into yet another lockdown to stop the spread of the virus like in Austria, Belgium, […]
News in South Africa 2nd November: 1. Nelson Mandela Bay Lockdown: From 700 active coronavirus cases on 23 October, the Nelson Mandela Bay metro surpassed 2,000 active cases on Sunday 1 November as health officials claim that there was mass non-compliance with lockdown regulations in the city. Hospital admissions in the province also increased sharply. […]
News in South Africa 28th October: 1. D-Day for mid-term budget: The medium-term budget will be announced this afternoon, and all eyes will be on government’s plans to deal with the public wage bill, its ballooning debt, and its struggling state-owned enterprises – particularly SAA. As at the latest Budget in June 2020, the Treasury estimated […]
News in South Africa 27th October: 1. Another lockdown impossible: Economists and analysts say that another hard lockdown in South Africa will be an impossible situation – which could lead to ‘state violence’. As second- and third waves of Covid-19 sweep the US, Europe and other parts of the world, with South Africa’s infection rate […]
News in South Africa 23rd October: 1. Covid-19 cases rising: COVID-19 infections across the country are increasing, but in the Western Cape there seems to be some confusion over the rate of the increase. Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize said there’s been a 42-percent rise in the province while Premier Alan Winde says it’s less than 20-percent. The Western Cape […]
News in South Africa 22nd October: 1. Civil groups demand end to lockdown: Public participation group Dear South Africa has asked Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to provide the evidence that supported her decision to extend the lockdown earlier this month or prepare for an urgent court date. In a letter delivered […]
News in South Africa 21st October: 1. Travel restrictions hitting tourism: The government needs to do away with its high-risk list or so-called ‘red list’ of Covid-19 hotspot countries or face more chaos around international travel into South Africa. That’s the warning from major industry bodies the Tourism Business Council of South African (TBCSA) and […]
News in South Africa 20th October: 1. Eskom growing debt ignored: Three plans finalised in recent weeks that seek to revive SA’s weak economy have sidestepped a crucial Eskom matter: how to reduce the power utility’s crippling debt that is approaching R500-billion. The plans – all drafted with feedback from the government, business, labour, and […]
