South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Thursday 30 April

Stay informed and up to date with the latest news in South Africa by reviewing the country’s biggest headlines on Thursday 30 April.

While South African’s welcome the final day of ‘hard lockdown’, concerns over the National Command Council’s regulatory amendments persist. Pupils, parent and teachers also wait, with baited breath, for an official briefing by the department of basic education which is expected to finalise the contentious schooling programme.

Today’s latest news in South Africa, Thursday 30 April

Level 4 lockdown regulations confirmed

A briefing held by government’s National Command Council (NCC), tasked with evaluating and amending regulations under the Disaster Management Act, has clarified the finer details of Level 4 lockdown.

South Africans enduring the final day of Level 5 lockdown, today, can expect a gradual relaxation of stringent laws at midnight. Addressing the public on Wednesday night, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, announced that certain sectors would be able to return to work.

In addition, the NCC noted that some personal freedoms, including exercise ‘in adherence to social distancing directives’ between 06:00 and 09:00, would be permitted.

South African smokers were dealt a blow, when Dlamini-Zuma announced that the sale of tobacco products, previously noted by President Ramaphosa to be allowed at Level 4, would still be banned.

A final ruling on the school debate

Following a particularly controversial parliamentary meeting on Wednesday afternoon, whereby the Director-General of Basic Education, Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, presented an amended proposal to reopen schools on 6 May, pupils, parents and teachers will be glued to a departmental briefing scheduled to take place this morning.

The school debate – which has divided public opinion and garnered fierce criticism concerning government’s ‘reckless’ plans to return pupils to school amid the growing COVID-19 outbreak – will finally be put to rest when Minister Angie Motshekga.

Following the contentious meeting hosted by the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Deputy Minister for the Department of Basic Education, Reginah Mhaule, reiterated that the proposals presented by Mweli, including tentative return dates, had not yet been finalised.

Government’s feeding programme grows

The Department of Social Development is working tirelessly to ensure that no person goes to bed hungry, announcing that food parcels are being distributed to thousands of families in dire need of assistance across the country.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said over 58 000 households and about 250 000 people have already started receiving these food parcels through the Community Nutrition Development Centres (CNDCs) and Knock and Drop deliveries coordinated by provinces.

This was made possible by the National Departments that have allocated a sum of R20 million and R23 million from the Solidarity Fund to provide emergency food parcels to the value of R700 per household.

While the country is on a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty and hunger have been rearing its ugly head and Zulu said they have been witnessing this first hand.

“We have been at the forefront of addressing requests to rescue our people from this as well as to provide them with nutritional relief,” she said. (Source: SAnews)

Latest COVID-19 statistics in South Africa

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, on Wednesday 29 April 2020, announced that the confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa have increased to 5 350.

This is an increase of 354, as the total number of confirmed cases stood at 4 996 on Tuesday 28 April 2020. Mkhize also announced a new death toll of 103, which is an increase of 10.

Latest weather forecast, Thursday 30 April

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