First Take SA

President Cyril Ramaphosa says government will only be guided by scientific evidence before re-opening the country for economic activities. The number of Coronavirus infections has risen to 3 635 with over 133 thousand-tests conducted countrywide. President Ramaphosa will THIS EVENING (thursday) address the nation on measures aimed at easing the lockdown and lift the restriction on economic activity.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a massive 500 billion Rand (or ten percent of the GDP) economic and social package to help curb the effects of the corona virus pandemic. The money will be raised from re-directing 130 billion Rands from other government's departments while the rest will come from local and international institutions. Government says its priority will be to intensify health interventions and more funds will be prioritised in that area.

Clashes between police and residents of Lawley, South of Johannesburg led to the arrest of thirteen people for public violence. This after a City of Johannesburg operation carried out by the Red Ants and the JMPD led to the demolition of several shacks in the informal settlement for the second time in a week on Tuesday. Residents responded by pelting officers and Inyalas with rocks. Last week Thursday, a similar operation took place, leaving some people displaced

Political parties have reacted positively to the social and economic relief plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The President announced a five hundred billion rands plan which seeks to stimulate the economy, protect jobs and alleviate hunger

Analysts have welcomed the 50-billion-rand Covid social relief measures of the total 500-billion-rand economic support packages announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa announced that Government will implement a six month Coronavirus special grant to curb food insecurity and to assist distressed communities through increased social grant funding over the next six months. The President further indicated that 130-billion-Rand will be reprioritised in the current national budget towards support measures to mitigate the effects on the Coronavirus pandemic

As the COVID-19 death toll edges closer to 41-thousand in the United States with 765-thousand cases, small protests have sprung up in several states against stringent lockdown or stay-at home measures. Despite issuing new guidance on measures to reopen economies in a systematic step-by-step basis, President Donald Trump has cheered on protests against social distancing measures in some states run by Democratic Governors.

Corruption and ill discipline may cost Kenya 28,000 (TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND) lives, the country's Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has warned. From holding private house parties during the designated curfew period to bribing police officers manning the quarantine institutions, Kagwe warned that a section of Kenyans have not internalised the seriousness of COVID-19 and their seeming reckless behavior is now undermining efforts to containing the deadly viral disease. Kenya has over 280 confirmed cases of COVID 19.

Residents of Eersterust, East of Pretoria, have appealed to government to speed up the process of delivering food parcels, as the number of families going to bed hungry continues to grow. Some members of the community say despite submitting their names early this month, no assistance has come from the City of Tshwane municipality.

Residents of Lawley in the south of Johannesburg have taken to the streets in anticipation of being addressed by Gauteng Human Settlements MEC, Lebogang Maile and City of Johannesburg Mayor, Geoff Makhubo. The pair are expected to visit the area this afternoon after community members were allegedly evicted during the course of the week despite the country being under national lockdown.

Increasing the child support grant for six months is a quick and effective measure to ease the plight of vulnerable South Africans that have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the view of various NGOs and academics, who have suggested alternative ways in which government can provide immediate relief to citizens battling with a loss of income and food shortages during the extended lockdown. While government, together with the Solidarity Fund, have distributed food parcels across the country amidst reports of growing hunger, the efficacy of this system has been questioned