UNATHI NKANJENI Tuesday’s “family meeting” with President Cyril Ramaphosa has been met with mixed reactions following the announcement of tweaked restrictions to lockdown level 1. Ramaphosa said SA would remain on level 1 but tweaks would…
Along with the ban on alcohol sales, the tobacco ban was one of the most controversial parts of the national lockdown. However, a study published in the African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine suggests that there may have…
IAVAN PIJOOS The cigarette ban in the country was “successful” and slashed a number of emergency visits for lung diseases at a Western Cape hospital, a study revealed. According to a study by the African Journal of Primary Health Care &…
MASEGO MAFATA Originally published on GroundUp When the first lockdown was announced in March last year, theatres across the country went dark. A number of theatres have not reopened. Even before lockdown, theatres were struggling for…
UNATHI NKANJENI The second move to level 1 lockdown has been met with mixed reactions online. On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would be moving to level 1 after two months of being in adjusted level 3. During…
NALEDI SHANGE The South African National Christian Forum (SANCF) — which was due to face off with the government in the high court in Johannesburg on Tuesday over the banning of religious gatherings under lockdown regulations — will…
ORRIN SINGH A Pretoria-based businessman has threatened to sue the state after police detained his employee for eight hours on Friday night, for serving what he says was a nonalcoholic drink. Werner Pretorius, 36, owner of Hennie’s…
ERNEST MABUZA Freedom of Religion SA (For SA) has approached the high court in Johannesburg on an urgent basis to ask that government’s indefinite ban on faith-based gatherings be lifted. The application by the organisation is in two…
FRANNY RABKIN Popular Johannesburg eatery The Local Grill will be unable to keep its doors open beyond the end of January if the alcohol ban continues, its owner Steven Maresch said in court papers on Tuesday. Maresch’s affidavit is one…
BELINDA PHETO Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday that the suspension of alcohol sales has helped in the fight against Covid-19. While he said he was “not at the point” of making recommendations to either continue or lift the…
GENEVIEVE QUINTAL President Cyril Ramaphosa announced minimal changes to the country’s coronavirus strategy even as he sounded the alarm about an acceleration in infections and deaths since the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant late in…
The continued easing of lockdown restrictions has brought some relief to the many sporting clubs in East London, but there is still a long way to go before things are truly back to normal. “Although we haven’t opened the club facility to…
CEBELIHLE BHENGU Some South Africans have stockpiled alcohol despite government squashing fake reports on Tuesday about a reintroduction of the ban on liquor sales. Many were in a state of panic and some threatened to protest as a voice…
The banning of the sale of alcohol remains one of the most controversial regulations to emerge during the national lockdown, both among the industry and consumers. However, doctors are saying that the ban has had a noticeable impact on…
The mobile video-sharing app TikTok is surging in popularity among South African teens, a new study shows. But TikTok users — many younger than the required age of 13 — should be aware of risks to their privacy, say social media experts.…
