Disability grants that were supposed to lapse from March 2020 have been extended to the end of October, Sassa said in a statement today. This was to cushion beneficiaries against the pressures brought about by the State of National Disaster and the subsequent lockdown. Ministerial Directions issued on 30 March 2020 enable continued payment of temporary disability grants throughout the lockdown period. Directions were issued in order to reinstate all temporary disability grants which lapsed in the period between February and June 2020. These grants would remain in payment until October 2020, the Agency said. In preparation for re-instating the…
Author: Staff Reporter
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Eskom has asked the public to reduce electricity usage because the power generation system is still severely constrained. In a statement this morning, the utility said one generation unit each at the Kendal and Tutuka power stations tripped, adding to the Tutuka unit that tripped yesterday evening. “Eskom teams are hard at work trying to return these units to service.” While the Medupi unit that tripped yesterday evening had been successfully returned to service today, the power generation system remained constrained and any additional breakdowns would compromise Eskom’s ability to supply the country through the peak demand period of 5pm to 9pm.…
Local entrepreneurs can benefit from four video seminars on how to survive the economic impact of Covid-19. The series is presented by the GIBS Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA) and is free. Sponsored by JP Morgan, the Academy in May began a series of video-based programmes to offer SMMEs across South Africa a practical toolkit to navigate the current climate of uncertainty and economic distress. Entrepreneurs can expect practical tips and guidelines form experts and specialists in various fields ranging from leadership and behavioural economics to operations, marketing and finance. The weekly series is hosted on Linkedin Live for participants who would…
First National Bank today announced that it will be discontinuing the issuing of cheques by 1 January 2021. Customers who still use cheques have been given a six months’ notice period to adapt to alternative forms of payments. In a statement, the bank said this decision followed the declining use of cheques locally and globally, coupled with the recent announcement made by the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) to reduce the maximum value of cheque limits from R500 000 to R50 000 in May this year. “As of 1 January 2021, FNB clients will no longer be able to issue cheques,”…
The South African Weather Service has warned of gale force winds on Thursday 9 July ahead of a cold front that may bring snow to mountains in the Eastern Cape. The warning is for the Sarah Baartman District, Chris Hani District, Joe Gqabi District, Nxuba (LM) and Nkonkobe (LM), said Garth Sampson of the Service’s Port Elizabeth office. “There is a medium likelihood of significant impacts to occur over the western and central parts of the Eastern Cape interior from Thursday morning to moderating in the afternoon due to damaging winds,” Sampson said. “A cold front will make landfall on…
Students urged to self-quarantine in residence for 14 days Specialist training for staff, strict protocols including daily screening, physical distancing, hand hygiene and mask-wearing, are in place as Rhodes University this week welcomes back on campus the first cohort of students who have been identified in line with the criteria set out by the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET). These include senior science and pharmacy students, students with disabilities and students whose home environment is not conducive to quality learning. In a statement, the University said that training for relevant staff members had included the application of basic…
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has asked residents to report any theft and vandalism of boreholes and water tanks to local authorities. Together with Water Service Authorities (WSAs) in the Eastern Cape, the Department had drilled and equipped 274 boreholes in various parts of the province to help address water challenges amid the spread of the Coronavirus, said spokesperson Sputnik Ratau. “The drilling of boreholes is part of the Department’s efforts to construct new water infrastructure to augment water to communities still faced with water challenges,” Ratau said. The boreholes had been installed in several district municipalities including…
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) are set to work together to develop technologies and infrastructure to support socio-economic development in South Africa and Southern Africa. The parties recently signed a framework agreement to collaborate on projects of mutual interest in fields such as water, energy (including bioethanol production), infrastructure development, emerging and small-farmer support and the DBSA’s Development Labs (known as D-Labs). D-Labs are development precincts designed to create economic development spaces within communities where all local participants are connected and have access to digital presence, technologies and information.…
Robust moves by banks to counter crime are paying off, according to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre which recently released its annual crime stats for 2019. “In 2019, associated robberies decreased by 2%,” said SABRIC CEO Nischal Mewalall. An associated robbery is a violent bank-related robbery of cash or a bank card committed against a bank client en route to, or from a bank branch, ATM or cash centre to make a deposit or withdrawal. Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape had shown the biggest decreases for these crimes. Other key statistics were: ATM attacks decreased by 9%. The North…
Grade 6 learners are invited to apply for the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Scholarship programme. the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation is calling on young learners to begin creating change, through a Scholarship programme that focuses on developing the next generation of entrepreneurs. Scholarship applications close on 14 September 2020. “The Foundation believes that entrepreneurially-minded individuals with ethical values and strong leadership skills hold the promise of change,” the organisation said in a statement. “The Scholarship focuses on cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, personal mastery and academic excellence among candidates. “Creating a change starts with one person – learn to change your life and you’ll…