1. Are You Ready? South African Schools Plan to Reopen in May 

It has been proposed in a new document that Grade 7 and 12 students will return to school on 6th May at the earliest.

President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa will lift the postponed lockdown at the end of this month. This document was drafted by a committee composed of heads of provincial education departments.

The tentative school reopening date specified in this document is as follows:

6th May for Grade 12 and 7; 20th May for Grade 11 and 6; 3rd June for Grade 10 and 5; 17th June for Grade 9 and 4; 1st July for Grade 8 and 3; 8th July for Grade 2 and 1; 15th July for preschool children;

2. Since the lockdown, the Office of the Ombud of South African army has received 28 complaints 

The Office of the Ombud stated they have received 28 complaints since the nationwide lockdown, including at least 15 complaints from the public, who accused SANDF members of excessive use of armed forces and physical abuse, while some other complaints were filed by servicemen regarding their service conditions.

3.Merciless Executioners! South African Parliamentarians Are Accused of Embezzling Food Parcels to Be Allocated to the Poor 

The South African government is being hindered from providing food for the poor and vulnerable, because opportunists, especially local parliamentarians, are accused of transferring the aids to themselves and their supporters, and even selling the food in some cases.

In some areas of this country, parliamentarians are accused of requiring enterprises to donate food parcels, which have never been delivered to expected recipients.

4. South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa will Make a National Speech Today 

South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver a national speech this evening on Tuesday to expound more measures for economic and social assistance. These will be parts of measures for responding to the pandemic COVID-19. 

5. The South African Unprecedented 500 Billion Rand Social and Economic Rescue Package Is About to Be Unveiled! 

As the government’s most ambitious social spending program since the founding of the Republic of South Africa, this package would help millions of poor and weak South Africans. South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa summarized a 500 billion rand social and economic rescue package to reduce the impacts of the pandemic COVID-19 upon South Africa.

In this country, starvation will cause more severe riots and one million people’s unemployment. Besides, poverty will be greatly aggravated in this country which has been assuming heavy burdens in poverty and employment.

6. South African President Declared Additionally Dispatching 73,000 Military Forces! Will Rigid Confinement Be Prolonged? 

South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa has notified the Parliament that he has approved the request for additionally sending 73,180 members of SANDF to assist the police in fighting against the spread of COVID-19.

According to a letter to the UN’s Standing Committee of National Defense posted on Twitter by John Stephenson, the Leader of the Democratic Alliance of the National Parliament of South Africa. South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa claimed that extra servicemen would be deployed till 26th June 2020.

7.Formal Lockdown Lifting? - All People Look Forward to South African President’s Speech Tonight on How to Restart Economy 

All people will focus their attention on South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, who will deliver a nationwide speech tonight to discuss the measures for reopening the economy after lifting the lockdown.

All political parties hope that Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa will rapidly take action before their country’s tense economy starts to collapse. On the evening of Tuesday, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa reported, South Africa will ease the lockdown at several stages because abrupt cancellation of restrictions would probably cause a drastic increase in the number of people infected with COVID-19.

8.Lockdown Level and Alarm System: South Africa’s Countermeasures for COVID-19

The restrictions on economic activities must be in line with epidemiological trends. They possibly need to be eased and strengthened in different periods. Thus, an alarm, the system shall be constructed to specify the degree at which the National Coronavirus Command Council may impose restrictions when necessary. In other words, the council is allowed to adjust the lockdown level.

Based on the lockdown level, the government may also revise the restriction regulations, in order that the government may make their decisions more flexibly regarding whether to open economic activities or control virus infection rate.

Besides, the government may perform lockdown at varying levels among specific areas, cities, or provinces, and send signals to the public through mass communication platforms (e.g. SMS system).

9. From 1st May, people will be restricted from going out at night from 20:00 to 5:00 in South Africa. 

From 1st May, all people will be restricted from going out from 20:00 to 05:00, except for important staff traveling between their houses and workplaces.

10.South African Industrial Opening Policies and Regional Lockdown Levels 

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in South Africa, and Ebrahim Patel, who is Minister of Trade and Industry in South Africa, held a briefing meeting in the morning of Saturday to discuss the strategies for classifying industries and reopening economy. This plan will be a part of the overall strategy at the end of the nationwide lockdown in South Africa.