First Take SA

Uncomfortable, but necessary! That's how some Gauteng residents have described their experience of wearing a mask. This comes after government announced that everyone is required to wear a mask in public. Meanwhile, the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry says it is manufacturing 14-million fabric face masks a week in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa's call for them to increase production.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised Co-operative Governance Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is despite some opposition parties saying Dlamini-Zuma is law unto herself, and accusing her of undermining the president. The president also lauded Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize for his excellent work in helping the country to adequately respond to the novel Coronavirus. The president was in Kwazulu-Natal to assess the provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although advised to stay home as they are susceptible to contract the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of elderly persons and people with disability were on the streets to collect their monthly social grants. SASSA has set aside Monday and Tuesday to pay grants to the most vulnerable section of our society. The SABC caught up with the 56 year old Beauty Citha who is on a life support due to a lung problem but out on the streets to get her grant.

A group frustrated with the ongoing national lockdown has taken to social media, demanding that government lift the COVID-19 lockdown. The group -calling itself the 'End the lockdown Mzansi' - wants the lockdown to be lifted within 3 to 5 weeks. End the Lockdown spokesperson - Michael Southwood - says if the lockdown is allowed to continue, it could lead to thousands of people going to bed without food to eat

Government says the provisional costs to accommodate people in private owned establishments who have tested positive to Covid-19 virus will be to the tune of about R28 million. The Department of Public Works says it has identified more than 700 privately owned properties including four star hotels nationwide for quarantine purposes. Briefing both the Public Works and the Select Committees on Public Works in Parliament- Acting Deputy Director General Morris Mabinja says there are more than six hundred state owned facilities currently being identified as quarantine sites.

South African non-profit organisations have called on the government to offer them more support. The organisations, which have been providing essential services during the Coronavirus pandemic, say their financial wellbeing is even more uncertain as the economic crisis persists due to the Covid-19. The Smile Foundation and other NPO partners, who include the South African Depression and Axienty Group - SADAG - have written an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, appealing for further financial assistance to the sector.

The Minister of Employment and Labour - Thulas Nxesi - has urged employers to implement the return-to-work measures to protect the health and safety of their employees. The minister was addressing the media in Pretoria yesterday on the country's back-to-work readiness. This is after the country moved from Level 5 of the Lockdown regulations to Level 4 which will result in more businesses and industries opening, and more South Africans resuming their duties.

Co-operative Governance Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says people will now be allowed a once off opportunity to move to provinces of their workplaces or to move back home during the new Level Four Lockdown regulations. The minister also stressed that once people have moved they will not be allowed to commute back to another province until the end of Level Four. She was speaking in Pretoria last night on the easing of regulations of the nationwide lockdown. As Ntebo Mokobo reports, the sale of cigarettes and liquor is still be forbidden during the Level Four.

Some children across the country have expressed concerns over returning to school next week. The scholars have asked about the safety measures that they can practice in their schools. This as the Department of Basic Education announced that learners in Grade 7 and Grade 12 might return to school on the 6th of May. This as the country also moves to Level 4 - with the gradual reopening of the economy on Friday. Children raised their concerns and were able to learn more about the coronavirus during a webinar hosted by Media Monitoring Africa on Tuesday as part of a series of webinars focusing on children and the virus.

The Department of Social Development will begin paying out the unemployment grant on May 15th. South African nationals who have no source of income, registered permanent residents and refugees who are unemployed are encouraged to apply for the 350 rands which is part of government's COVID-19 relief efforts. Minister Lindiwe Zulu briefed the media on the roll out of this temporary measure as well as adjustments to other social services during the lockdown period. The unemployment rate is at 29-percent and over 6-point-seven-million people are without jobs.