First Take SA

The Constitutional Court has declared parts of the Electoral Act unconstitutional - meaning independent candidates are allowed to contest for national and provincial elections without being a member of a political party. The case was brought by civil society organisation the New Nation Movement and others. They sought to have the Electoral Act declared unconstitutional as it did not make provision for individuals to be elected to the national and provincial legislatures outside of a party list. The judgement has been welcomed by various political formations both established and emergent.

Smokers in South Africa are waiting anxiously for the High Court in Pretoria to deliver judgement in the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Assocation (FITA) case against a ban on the sale of tobacco products. FITA took the government to court saying Regulation 27 of the Disaster Management Act was irrational its impact on people's lives was not considered. A full bench of judges reserved judgement in the matter.

Eight people have been died in a crash involving a truck and nine other vehicles in the town centre of Jozini in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The truck driver is suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol and has been detained by the police. It is alleged that he lost control of the truck and ploughed into the other vehicles. The KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department has instituted an investigation into the crash.

28-year old Tshegofatsho Pule is expected to be laid to rest today following the discovery of her lifeless body hanging from a tree in Rooderport, Johannesburg on Monday. Pule was eight months pregnant and found with stab wounds to her chest. In another gruesome killing in Mossel Bay in the Southern Cape, 26-year old Naledi Phangindawo was butchered to death with an axe by her husband and father of her two children who has since handed himself to the police. Meanwhile, the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre, under the Social Department says request for help from women who remain trapped in their homes with their abusive partners during the national corona virus lockdown continues to soar.

South African repatriates, who were forced into mandatory quarantine after arriving back into the country, say they were treated like prisoners while under isolation. They allege they were ill-treated and forced to live in unhgienic conditions, where they did not receive medical care. Now civil rights group -- Afriforum -- is taking their plight to court and wants repatriates to be allowed to self-quarantine.

The Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) will ask the Pretoria High Court to unban the sale of tobacco products. FITA consists of 7 independent tobacco companies. They are asking the high court to declare Regulation 27 of the Disaster Management Act, irrational and illegal saying it infringes on the rights of smokers.

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Ndzimande says the department remains committed to resume the 2020 academic year. This as the country grapples with the COVID 19 outbreak that so far claimed over a thousand lives. Thousands of students from the country's 26 universities and several TVET and private colleges have been affected. Nzimande says the reopening dates will be adjusted accordingly as institutions could not open on time due to strict lockdown regulations.

South Africans appear to be at different level of preparedness to deal with the worsening infection rates and deaths related to the COVID 19 pandemic. In his weekly letter to the nation Ramaphosa urged each individual household to look at how it can observe hygiene protocols, protect elderly people as well as plan for the possibility that someone in the family may become infected or sick. But as Busi Chimombe some work still needs to be done in the sharing of information by government to citizens to achieve this.

Many Grade 7 and 12 pupils returned to schools across the country yesterday. Schools had been closed for over two months following the Coronavirus outbreak. However, the readiness of schools has been a source of concern, as hundreds were vandalised and robbed during the nationwide lockdown. There are also worries about whether schools will be able to observe all the safety precautions and regulations, to curb the spread of the virus.

South African National Parks - SANPARKS - has opened its gates to day visitors for self-drive excursions. SANParks says the reopening of parks, after two months of closure during the Covid-19 lockdown, is being done under strict health protocols to safeguard both staff and visitors.