For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines: WC Education wants one metre rule in schools scrapped, Sisulu faces embarrassing plagiarism claim and, ‘still a way to go' before Western Cape exits fourth wave

WC Education wants one metre rule in schools scrapped

The Western Cape Department of Education has called for the scrapping of the one metre rule in schools citing long-term negative consequences.

This comes after Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said on that there were no plans to change the Disaster Management Regulations in schools, except as they related to the number of spectators at school sport venues.  

The department claims that despite Motshekga calling for all primary schools to revert to full attendance in July last year, this has not happened as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma promulgated a regulation stating that the social distancing measure in primary schools is “reduced”.

Other areas of concern are the fact that many learners are not able to access the feeding programme as often as they should.

Sisulu faces embarrassing plagiarism claim

Plagiarism accusations against Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu were "ridiculous", her spokesperson said today.

Spokesperson Steven Motalee denied that the tourism minister committed plagiarism, despite penning an opinion piece in which a large section was almost identical to a speech given by former UK attorney-general Dominic Grieve.

Sisulu was responding to criticism around the article she wrote tackling the judiciary.
The ruling African National Congress has since distanced itself from Sisulu's comments.

‘still a way to go' before Western Cape exits fourth wave

The Western Cape still has "some way to go" before it exits the fourth wave of infections, but Covid-19 numbers in the province are continuing to decline.

This comes as the province begins preparations for the fifth wave of infections, likely to take place in winter.

Western Cape health department head Dr Keith Cloete said the province had been recording an average of 2 013 new Covid-19 diagnoses per day.

The Western Cape reached the peak of the fourth wave on Thursday, 23 December, with an average of 3 700 new infections per day.

Cloete said despite higher than predicted case numbers, the province was continuing to show a decline in Covid-19 cases.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today
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