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President Cyril Ramaphosa . (GCIS)
CORONAVIRUS
Video

Watch it again: Ramaphosa on risk-adjusted Covid-19 strategy

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to address his fellow South Africans on developments in the risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of the coronavirus

  • Kiri Rupiah
1 min read
This picture shows a poster by Italian urban artist Salvatore Benintende aka “TVBOY” depecting Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa wearing a protective facemask and holding a mobile phone reading “Mobile World Virus” in a street of Barcelona on February 18, 2020, a week after the World Mobile Congress was cancelled due to fears stemming from the coronavirus that sparked an exodus of industry heavyweights. (Pau Barrena/AFP)
ALCOHOL

Lockdown syndrome: The latest fallout from the Covid-19 crisis

Is this “syndrome” another symptom that the lockdown has made us all a little bit crazy? Is it a symbol that we all just need to get a grip on it?

  • Charles R Stith
4 min read
Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
CORONAVIRUS
Video

Watch it again: National command council briefing on Level 4 lockdown restrictions

The national coronavirus command council will brief the nation of level 4 lockdown regulations

  • Kiri Rupiah
1 min read
Honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness and compassion will carry humanity through any crisis. (Paul Joseph Brown/VillageReach)
CORONAVIRUS

Co-values needed as much as a scientific breakthrough

Honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness and compassion will carry humanity through any crisis

  • Arnold Smit
5 min read
City of Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato along with other officials held a media briefing at their COVID-19 lockdown facility in Strandfontein followed by a tour of the large marquee tents. The media presence incited many of the people in the tents that was quickly stopped after media was urged to move along. The City of Cape Town’s Covid-19 lockdown encampment in Strandfontein for up to 4000 homeless people from around the greater city area. (David Harrison/M&G)
BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY

Covid-19 stigma: Revealing the pre-existing fault lines in our society

South Africans have an uncaring stigmatising and marginalising culture and it keeps people on the fringes of society with diminished opportunities in life

  • Casper Lӧtter
7 min read
The gold standard is complete suppression of the virus, which can be done without massive economic disruption by using rapid testing, effective contact tracing and complete isolation of infected cases. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
AIDS

In a pandemic, science and humanities work side by side

Anthropologists ask the difficult questions about human behaviour and also provide the difficult answers

  • Fraser McNeill
3 min read
Abba Kyari’s cause of death was Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, a presidential spokesman confirmed on Twitter.
ABBA KYARI

Nigeria’s president loses his right hand man to Covid-19

Abba Kyari was Muhammadu Buhari’s powerful chief of staff, and the jockeying to replace him has already begun

  • Aanu Adeoye
6 min read
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an “extraordinary coronavirus budget” on Tuesday. (Reuters)
CORONA LEAD

Ramaphosa announces R500-billion Covid-19 package for South Africa

President announces an ‘extraordinary coronavirus budget’ with R20-billion for healthcare and spending on the pandemic equal to 10% of national GDP

  • Beauregard Tromp
  • Sipho Kings
4 min read
Remote work schedules, YouTube tutorials and livestreaming have turned lockdown into “business as usual” for the more fortunate among us. For most young South Africans, however, the shutdown of schools, universities and businesses has put the brakes on their ability to grow and learn — at a time when they could and should be growing and learning as much as they can. Lindokuhle, a 21-year-old from Langa who is part of the Youth Capital network says: “Connectivity is a problem. Like most young people, I rely on internet cafes, as they have standard prices, to do my CV, apply for jobs and do my school work. Covid-19 has dramatically decreased our productivity and is threatening our possible livelihood.” After an inquiry launched in 2017 — based on complaints from the public about the high cost of data — in December 2019 the Competition Commission confirmed that the country’s data prices were too high, especially for mobile prepaid data, and recommended that mobile networks reduce the price of bundles below one gigabyte. The commission also recommended that networks agree on an industry-wide approach to zero-rating public benefit and educational institution websites. Just days after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in South Africa, Vodacom announced it was cutting the price of its 1GB bundle by 34%; MTN followed suit, announcing a reduction in the price of its monthly 1GB bundles and below by between 25% and 50%. And the day before national lockdown was put into place, the government publicised Telkom’s decision to make government and education sites access-free on their network. Vodacom and MTN have also since zero-rated many learning sites, with Vodacom offering a zero-rated e-school portal with content for grades R to 12. In addition to Free Basics, CellC also announced a lifeline package for prepaid customers and access to zero-rated content on selected public-benefit and government websites. Although these price revisions and the zero-rating of educational content are a step in the right direction, we still have a long way to go if we want to ensure more equitable access to relevant content that could help those who need it most, now and post Covid-19. Telkom, Vodacom and MTN have each established their own zero-rated portals, with free access to network-curated content on education, jobs, health, news and government websites ­— CellC is adding content to its existing platform, including government sites. This content is limited and accessible for free if you belong to their network. Upskilling content for out-of-school youth is not prioritised in any of the zero-rated platforms. And this is cause for serious concern. “We have seen a drastic reduction in the jobs available for the youth; young people should use this time to focus on learning a new skill and develop soft skills to increase the chance of finding employment post social distancing,” says Jaryd Raizon, CEO of graduate recruitment platform Trusted Interns. Twenty-eight-year-old Tumi from Johannesburg echoes Jaryd’s views: “As young people, we need to prepare ourselves for the loss of jobs and economic impact of Covid-19. Upskilling now could ensure you stand out from the crowd when things return to normal, but with the current data costs and lack of internet infrastructure in poor areas, that’s just not the case.” With 56% of South Africans living on less than R41 a day, data doesn’t fall into the core basket of affordable essentials for the majority of households. Even with price reductions, data prices remain high for the average South African. Moreover, the process so far has focused on negotiations with individual mobile network operators, and not a co-ordinated, industry-wide approach towards securing universal access to information and services to all South Africans, regardless of the colour of their SIM cards. Lindokuhle comments that not everyone can afford a gig of data because they have other needs. In South Africa, looking for work is unaffordable for most young job-seekers, who spend an average of R550 a month job hunting, with data being one of the biggest contributors to this hefty sum. Many young people in the Youth Capital network admit they can look for work only when they have the money to do so. And with eight million young people (aged 15 to 35) unemployed and not in education, employment or training (NEET), we simply cannot afford for our young people not to have the means to look for work. Recognising that price reduction on its own will not have a sufficient effect, the Competition Commission urged network operators to deliver a lifeline package of daily free data to all users to allow uninterrupted data access, regardless of income levels, while leveraging the increasing smartphone penetration. But the response received so far will not assist young people use this time productively. A unified approach to zero-rating has the potential to unlock access to digital opportunities and information. A much-needed solution is freeing up all the education and upskilling content produced by public benefit organisations rather than a selection of content that is network-specific. This requires alignment and co-operation between the government and network operators, as a true example of social compacts in response to sudden changes in our society. If the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us anything, it’s the power of technology to connect, educate and empower — but in South Africa, your access to digital resources still depends on which cell phone service provider you’re linked to and how much data you can afford. Let’s take the lesson and push for universal access, including for a generation of young people who are stuck at home and hungry to learn.
CELLC

South Africa’s digital divide detrimental to the youth

Without the means to leverage lockdown as a time to grow, Covid-19 reinforces how access to data remains a barrier to young people’s progress

  • Kristal Duncan-Williams
5 min read
Hands on: South Africans have been told to prioritise hygiene, such as using soap and sanitisers (above) to wash their hands. There is concern, however, about infections spreading in densely populated, impoverished areas where access to water is limited and healthcare facilities are already strained. (Guillem Sartorio/AFP)
AFRICA

To fight Covid-19 in Africa, we must fight inequality

Our global health is only as strong as our most vulnerable community. The coronavirus pandemic can be defeated — but only if we leave no one behind

  • Oumar Seydi
6 min read
Despite the long history of medical racism, any potential Covid-19 vaccines must be tested in Africa — but not only on the continent. (Reuters)
AFRICA

My late uncle, and the ethics of clinical trials in Africa

Despite the long history of medical racism, any potential Covid-19 vaccines must be tested in Africa — but not only on the continent

  • Lydia Namubiru, The Continent
6 min read
President Cyril Ramaphosa.
CORONAVIRUS

Why we need to be able to trust our government in a time of crisis

The well-being of each of us is dependent on the well-being of our fellow beings. This interconnectivity means trust in government and institutions matters a great deal

  • Badri Zolfaghari
5 min read
(Paul Botes/M&G)
CLIMATE CHANGE

Pandemic gives us a last chance to avert climate – and social – catastrophe

As Covid-19 upends life, it has taught us critical lessons and offers an opening to confront other crises. Political will is required, of course

  • Bruce Baigrie
9 min read
(Reuters)
ADAM HABIB

Covid-19 lockdown pushes Wits University to offer online learning

The university plans to teach online as South Africa’s lockdown continues, and is offering zero-rated data for its teaching sites, as well as computing devices for students

  • Bongekile Macupe
3 min read
South African Reserve Bank Governer Lesetja Kganyago. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg)
CORONAVIRUS

GDP to contract 6.1% — Reserve Bank

The central bank warns of the harmful effect of Covid-19 on the economy, while the treasury details more plans to ease the pain

  • Thando Maeko
  • Tshegofatso Mathe
4 min read
Early learning difficulties lead to school dropout, poor matric results, repeated school years and a less effective system for preparing young people for the world
CORONAVIRUS

What we are learning about distance learning

Sacred Heart College in Johannesburg has learned some important lessons about teaching during the Covid-19 lockdown

  • Mark Potterton
5 min read
Artificial ventilators are produced at a rapid rate at Sanko Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Saitama on April 8, 2020, amid an outbreak of the new coronavirus COVID-19. Japanís Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proclaimed a state of emergency to Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka for about one month on April 7th, and asked for refraining from going out to the extent possible. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic, globally widespread on March 11th. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)
CENTRE FOR ECONOMIC AND POLICY RESEARCH

To fight Covid-19, we must fight intellectual property, trade and investment rules

These restrictions must be overturned or ignored because they are limiting the production and importing of essential medical equipment such as ventilators

  • Jonathan Cannard
9 min read
Health worker infections have risen to 170 at state and private hospitals and two healthcare staff succumb to the disease in a space of seven days. (Paul Botes/M&G)
BHUTAN

Spain did it, so why can’t South Africa nationalise healthcare to save lives?

South Africa is working towards establishing a publicly-funded universal health service and now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, is the time to implement it

  • Nimi Hoffmann
6 min read
It is difficult for residents of informal settlements to follow guidelines to prevent Covid-19 transmission, such as hand-washing, in the absence of access to water. It is governments’ responsibility to provide these basic services. (Lucky Tshuma)
AFRICAN UNION

Covid-19 and the call for solidarity: Challenges for informal settlements

It is difficult for residents of informal settlements to follow guidelines to prevent Covid-19 transmission, such as hand-washing, in the absence of access to water. It is…

  • Hloniphile Simelane
7 min read
Wonderful world: Children who read at home for pleasure do better at school. (Oupa Nkosi/M&G)
ANXIETY

Locking down and in with stories for all ages

Using narratives help human beings to cope with life … reading aloud to babies and children gives them this skill for the future

  • Malini Mohana
5 min read