#YouAsked Covid-19 Has the ban on the sale of cigarettes during South Africa’s 21-day lockdown been reversed? Source South African minister of police Short answer Has the ban on the sale of cigarettes during South Africa’s 21-day lockdown been reversed? On 2 April, the government of the Western Cape province said it would allow the sale of cigarettes during lockdown, provided that these are bought along with food.Premier Alan Winde said this was how the province interpreted the national government’s regulations.However, during a media briefing la... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Will South Africa’s 21-day lockdown be extended? Source South African minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs Short answer Will South Africa’s 21-day lockdown be extended? Update (09/04/2020): On 9 April, the president announced an extension of the lockdown until the end of April.At a media briefing on 2 April, the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said it was too early to say whether the lockdown would be extended. �... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Can the South African government track someone’s phone during lockdown? Source South African minister of communications and digital technologies Short answer Can the South African government track someone’s phone during lockdown? Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, minister of communications and digital technologies, told a media briefing on 2 April that the lockdown regulations allowed the government to obtain the location information for a cellphone number if the owner had tested positive for Covid-19. The minister of cooperative gov... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Is there a rapid test for the new coronavirus in South Africa or must the test be done by a lab? Source National Institute for Communicable Diseases Short answer Is there a rapid test for the new coronavirus in South Africa or must the test be done by a lab? The National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa has advised against the use of the rapid tests that measure the presence of antibodies to diagnose Covid-19.“Testing for SARS-CoV-2 [the virus] is done in a specialised molecular laboratory, and turn-around times for results are 24-4... Back Full answer
FEATURED #YouAsked Covid-19 Does heat kill the new coronavirus? Source World Health Organization Short answer Does heat kill the new coronavirus? The World Health Organization has warned that neither taking a hot bath nor exposing yourself to sunshine or temperatures higher than 25°C will prevent Covid-19. Using a hand dryer also doesn’t kill the virus. More: Hot baths, hot hand dryers and other heat will NOT kill coronavirus ... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Are visitation rights allowed for co-parents during South Africa’s lockdown? Source Department of Social Development Short answer Are visitation rights allowed for co-parents during South Africa’s lockdown? Update (07/04/2020): On 7 April, the department issued amended directions. These allow for the movement of children in particular circumstances.According to directions issued by the department of social development on 30 March, children may not be moved between co-parents during the 21-day lockdown.... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 When will South African schools reopen? Source South African minister of basic education Short answer When will South African schools reopen? On 26 March, Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said rumours that schools would open in September were false. She urged South Africans to ignore information that did not come from the department.When schools reopen would depend on whether the country manages to “flatten the curve” durin... Back Full answer
Natural resources & energy What share of the electricity used in Africa does power utility Eskom generate? Source Eskom integrated report 2019 and Africa Energy Outlook 2019 Short answer What share of the electricity used in Africa does power utility Eskom generate? In 2018/19, Eskom sold 208,319 GWh of electricity for consumption. This made up 29.8% of the estimated amount of electricity used in Africa in 2018 (700,000 GWh), according to the International Energy Agency.If the electricity (18,699 GWh) Eskom bought from independent power producers and neighbouri... Back Full answer
Education Where does South Africa rank globally based on literacy? Source Unesco Institute for Statistics Short answer Where does South Africa rank globally based on literacy? In 2018, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) ranked South Africa 99th out of 159 countries based on its adult literacy rate. This rate is defined as the “percentage of the population ages 15 and older that can, with understanding, both read and write a sho... Back Full answer