Daily Podcast – April 09, 2020

9th April 2020 By: Sane Dhlamini - Creamer Media Senior Contributing Editor and Researcher

Daily Podcast – April 09, 2020

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Nehawu pulls court case against government over protective gear, Sassa grant payment days change and, AU chair reaffirms support for WHO amid Covid-19 pandemic

 

Nehawu pulls court case against government over protective gear

Public sector union National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union has withdrawn a court case against the government over a shortage of protective gear for frontline health workers.

A global scarcity of protective equipment for nurses, doctors, porters and other health workers is a big obstacle to attempts to curb death tolls, elsewhere in Africa and on other continents.

Nehawu says the decision was taken following government’s  commitment to address their concerns.

 

Sassa grant payment days change

The South African Social Security Agency has changed the dates of grant payments to ensure physical distancing and alleviate health challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

From May, disability and older persons grants will be paid from the fourth of the month while all other grants will be paid from the sixth of every month.

Sassa’s decision to modify the payment dates follows an incident during its April grant payment, where child support grant beneficiaries descended on payment channels as early as 30 March.

 

AU chair reaffirms support for WHO amid Covid-19 pandemic

As the world continues to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the African Union has reaffirmed its support for the World Health Organisation, calling for solidarity and unity of purpose to overcome this "common enemy".

In a statement, AU chairperson and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa commended the leadership and management of WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for leading the global response to the pandemic.

In addition, the AU called on the international community to join hands to support the efforts of the WHO in fighting the pandemic.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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