Syndicate behind KZN school vandalism: MEC
KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Kwazi Mshengu says the continued burning and burgling of schools in the province is part of a ploy to get the government to hire private security. “What is clear in our minds is that we are dealing with a criminal syndicate which is trying to communicate a particular message to the government. We suspect that this syndicate is not far from the economic interests and demands we continue to get from people who say until you hire private security to guard your school, we will continue to have these burglaries and burning of schools,” said Mshengu.
Japan firms back same-sex partnership certificates
A Japanese charity has won the backing of businesses for a scheme offering digital partnership certificates that allow same-sex couples to tap into the same staff benefits as heterosexual ones. The Famiee Project said it wanted to spur change by tapping into growing business support for LGBTI+ rights in socially conservative Japan. Gay marriage is illegal in Japan and though some cities, towns and wards issue same-sex partnership certificates, they lack legal standing. The project aims to get 100 companies on board by July to provide same-sex couples with benefits such as marriage or parental leave. — Reuters
Lesotho among the last nations without Covid-19
Despite infecting more than three million people worldwide, there are 34 countries and territories that have yet to report a case of Covid-19. These include Comoros, Lesotho, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and far-flung island nations in the Pacific, such as Nauru, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. By April 20, 213 countries and territories of the 247 recognised by the UN had seen at least one case of Covid-19. There have been deaths in at least 162 of them. Anguilla, Greenland, the Caribbean islands of St Barts and Saint Lucia, and Yemen have managed to rid themselves of Covid-19. — Reuters
Bonking Boris a dad again, weeks after virus scare
Boris Johnson on Wednesday became a father again when his partner, Carrie Symonds, gave birth to a boy, weeks after the British prime minister was hospitalised with Covid-19. The news came as a surprise, as Symonds, 32, was not thought to be due for several weeks. She and the baby are said to be doing “very well”, however. Symonds also reported having symptoms of the virus, but recovered at home. The prime minister has at least five other children — four with his second wife, Marina Wheeler, and a daughter as a result of an extramarital affair. — AFP
Another fuel price drop will set record
May 2020 will soon join April in setting back-to-back records for monthly fuel price drops. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA), which was commenting on unaudited month-end data released by the Central Energy Fund. Against the backdrop of the international oil picture, even the disastrous performance of the rand vs the US dollar in April barely moved the needle on local fuel prices. “The rand has been pummelled by Covid-19 and the Moody's downgrade to junk status, and yet we are still able to predict record-territory fuel price drops. This goes to show just how severely the world oil price has collapsed.” Petrol is set to drop by about R1.74 a litre in May, with diesel falling by R1.56 and illuminating paraffin a whopping R2.18.
EFF private school ‘will be state of the art’
EFF leader Julius Malema has shed some light on the party's plans to open a state-of-the-art school that it says will “decolonise” and prioritise poor black people. Speaking during the party’s virtual address on Monday, Malema said the school would prioritise black history, culture and languages among its subjects. Malema said the school would operate independently of the political organisation and would be named after the late struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. The party had notified her family of their intentions. Built in the next five years The Winnie Mandela Combined School would be built in the next five years.
Thursday, April 30 2020
THE BIG ISSUES
LEADING THE AGENDA
Yes to mutts, no to butts: minister does u-turn on cigs
Dlamini-Zuma says smoking ban is 'health related', and warns new jogging rules aren't an excuse to gallivant
Education dept caned for saying no face masks for ‘rich’ kids
Unions and school bodies say this backtracking shows the department ‘doesn’t care’ about quintile 5 kids
There’s no use reopening schools if there are no teachers
The scale of the crisis must be established and schools funded until the end of the year, or there will be none
Schools knocked hard: no more bricks in the wall for KZN
Cash meant for building new schools and fixing those damaged in lockdown shifts to Covid-19 readiness
SMART NEWS
IN ONE TAKE
New parents beat lockdown laws to be at birth of ‘beautiful’ baby girl
Travel restrictions almost saw them miss the birth, but an urgent court order got them to the delivery room just in time
SA’s Covid-19 testing gets boost as huge stock of vital kit arrives
Traditional testing methods take two days. These newly imported cartridges reduce that to 45 minutes
Empty tanks, empty promises: the harsh, dry truth of rural life in lockdown
In rural KZN, taps are dry, water trucks inconsistent and people share the water they do have with animals
Anxiety, guilt and stigma add to burden of nurses on the front line
Female health workers are particularly at risk mentally because of their caregiving roles at work and at home
IDEAS
FEEDING YOUR MIND
Teamwork vital to keep pupils safe
Parents, schools and government need to be vigilant to ensure lives are not risked and good work is not undone
Epic! A kid to take a tern for the worse
A column to satisfy your inner grammar nerd
SNAPSHOT
Image: Reuters/Bernadett Szabo
6 things you need to know
Syndicate behind KZN school vandalism: MEC
Japan firms back same-sex partnership certificates
Lesotho among the last nations without Covid-19
Bonking Boris a dad again, weeks after virus scare
Another fuel price drop will set record
EFF private school ‘will be state of the art’
THE VISUAL SIDE
Every day, hundreds of Covid-19 testers are at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus in SA. For Bhelekazi Mdlalose, nursing is more than just a job, it is a passion. Mdlalose is a registered nurse and Covid-19 tester working for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in partnership with the department of health. We followed her for a day.
CROSSWORDS
GIVE YOUR BRAIN SOME EXERCISE
Today’s cryptic crossword
It's time to put your brain to work
Today’s quick crossword
How fast can you get it done?
WORLD
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