COVID-19 STATE OF DISASTER

Education

• On 22 January, a ministerial directive confirmed:
  • the dates on which state schools should reopen to school management teams, teaching assistants, administrative staff, other educators and, on 15 February, to learners, and that
  • independent schools should not reopen to learners until 29 January.

 

• An 18 January statement on developments in the post-school education and training sector confirmed that:
  • eligible National Student Financial Aid Scheme can expect to receive the digital devices promised in July 2020 before the start of the 2021 academic year
  • this is scheduled to begin ‘in March’, and that
  • negotiations with mobile network operators on affordable access to data will continue.

 

Tourism

 

• Draft norms and standards have been released for comment, focusing on equipping the sector to operate safely during the international Covid-19 pandemic.

 

GENERAL

 

Transport

 

• Input from Minister Fikile Mbalula at a recent departmental planning session points to a moratorium on new operating licences for mini- and midi-bus taxis, a resolution included in the declaration emerging from last year’s taxi lekgotla.

 

Finance

 

• National Treasury issued a statement on 22 January providing insight into the 2020 tax Acts, which were published two days earlier, giving effect to proposals in the 2020 Budget.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby