One of the unfortunate consequences for employees of this outbreak of corona virus, is potential retrenchment. This week Ivan explains the benefits offered by the Department of Employment and Labour to mitigate this eventuality, and reminds employers of the importance of following the consultation steps as set our in the retrenchment clauses of the Labour Relations Act. 

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit – the exact time we have been told to stay at home in order to flatten the curve. Memes all over social media have suggested that most of us have one fear while staying at home – the refrigerator!

President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited all South Africans to take part in a National Day of Prayer wherever they are, in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19). The President made the call on the eve of the 21-day national lockdown, which will start at midnight on Thursday.

SASSA have announced that grants for older persons and those with disabilities will be paid earlier this month. All other SASSA grants will be paid on the 1st of April. It was previously announced that all NSFAS allowances would be paid as normal during the lockdown.

Minibus taxis and operators like Uber will be able to operate during the national lockdown but it will only be on a scaled-back schedule with limited working hours. They are expected to only be transporting essential workers and they can only carry a limited number of passengers.

After different messages were being communicated by different government ministers, Police Minister Bheki Cele confirmed at a nationally-televised media briefing what was finally decided on the rules for the national 21 day lockdown to tackle the coronoavirus pandemic.

As the highly contagious Covid-19 virus continues to spread, the South African government has decided to gather a task team for stakeholders in the post-school and education training sector. The department has requested all universities and colleges to complete an updated survey on their information technology capabilities for offering online learning.

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande announced that the race to find a cure for the deadly Covid-19 virus has started with University of Cape Town (UCT), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Biovac.

Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza says her department has set aside a package of R1.2 billion to address the effects of the Coronavirus and to ensure sustainable food production during and after the pandemic.

Last night, after postponing multiple times, President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly addressed an anxious nation to highlight the way forward.  Following in the footsteps of other affected countries, the president announced a nationwide lockdown for 21-days with effect from midnight on Thursday 26 March 2020.

President Ramaphosa has decided that the country must, "Urgently and dramatically escalate the response to the Covid-19 challenge".

"We have learnt that those countries who acted swiftly and dramtically were successful."

Ivan Israelstam explains how a Corona virus KIT of Knowledge, Intelligence, and Teamwork will limit the potential damage not only to physical health, but also the economic health of  workers, employers, and the economy as a whole. 

Covid-19 - Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu has announced the suspension and postponement of all face-to-face training by the National School of Government (NSG) with immediate effect.