TimesLIVE - In The News

How to fight anxiety and depression caused by the lockdown

“The 21-day lockdown may sound like a short time but for some isolation can lead to increased anxiety and depression,” says clinical psychologist and board member of the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, Dr Colinda Linde. She says anxiety will continue to increase as the fight against Covid-19 goes…

6 Apr 2020 9AM 6 min

‘Resilient, persistent & tenacious’: tributes to Mama Winnie, two years on

As April 2 marked two years since the death of struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, political and non-governmental organisations paid tribute to the former anti-apartheid activist, lauding her commitment to the liberation struggle. Affectionately known as the “mother of the nation,” Madikizela-Mandela died aged 81 at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg after…

2 Apr 2020 12PM 3 min

Good Samaritans lend a helping hand during national lockdown

Siya Matya, a grade 2 teacher from East London, wakes up every morning to teach her young nieces and nephews English and maths. Debbie Bekker from Durban is also using the lockdown period to spread some good fortune, by using her sewing skills to make masks for the less fortunate.

1 Apr 2020 8AM 6 min

Pandemic, epidemic and endemic - what is the difference?

On March 11 2020, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO's) director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared Covid-19 a pandemic, but what is the difference between a pandemic, an epidemic and something that is endemic?

31 Mar 2020 5AM 3 min

FULL ADDRESS | President pleads with SA to adhere to lockdown regulations

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation four days into the 21-day nationwide lockdown, which was set up to respond to the spread of the coronavirus and the Covid-19 illness it causes. Ramaphosa lauded South Africa Africans for staying at home, but also cautioned those who thought they were immune to…

30 Mar 2020 1PM 18 min

Legal duo offers 'COVERED-19' docs as pandemic makes us 'face sickness and death in a very real way'

As the Coronavirus pandemic gripped SA, lawyer Sinal Govender and venture designer Claire Keet Pollock realised that many people would be faced with the scary reality of death and sickness. So they shifted the focus of their company, Pop Law, to highlight the often tricky administration that comes with death…

27 Mar 2020 11AM 2 min

'The 21-days are going to be really hard': delivery motorcyclists on lockdown

Motorcycle riders in Johannesburg were unsure on Tuesday how the looming lockdown would affect their incomes as providers of food delivery services. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lockdown on Monday, explaining that essential services personnel would be the only ones exempted, including police officers, healthcare workers and those involved in…

24 Mar 2020 9AM 2 min

'My world stopped for a second': Ndaba Mandela speaks about Covid-19 diagnosis

Ndaba Mandela was at home in Johannesburg with friends on Saturday when he received a call which shook him to the core: he had tested positive for Covid-19. Mandela, the grandson of former president Nelson Mandela, arrived back in SA from New York the Sunday before, the same night President…

23 Mar 2020 6PM 2 min

FULL ADDRESS | Nationwide lockdown declared in SA

SA is going into lockdown, the president confirmed: "The National Coronavirus Command Council has decided to enforce a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, with effect from midnight, Thursday March 26."

23 Mar 2020 2PM 28 min

The state of awareness in SA's communities

A lack of knowledge and information is driving people's ignorance around the deadly nature of coronavirus, which has infected more than 200 people in the country to date. A Sunday Times team spent a day in some of Johannesburg's most densely populated areas to find out what residents, business people…

21 Mar 2020 6PM 3 min

How coronavirus has changed SA's party scene

In regulations gazetted by the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the government outlines the conditions under which the sale of liquor may take place. Places such as clubs, taverns and restaurants where people gather to consume liquor are now closed with immediate effect, unless…

20 Mar 2020 2AM 4 min

University students voice frustration over cancelled graduations

Minister of higher education, science and technology Dr Blade Nzimande announced yesterday that all post-school institutions will be closed for early recess from Wednesday. His announcement, coupled with the postponement of graduation proceedings across the country, has left many students concerned and frustrated.

18 Mar 2020 9AM 5 min

Taxi driver: 'Chances of protecting myself against the virus are slim'

Thousands of commuters interacted as usual with taxi drivers at the Wanderers and Bree Street ranks in Johannesburg on Monday, despite calls for heightened hygiene practices to counter the coronavirus pandemic. SA has recorded at least 62 cases of Covid-19, and on Sunday evening President Cyril Ramaphosa announced drastic measures…

16 Mar 2020 9AM 1 min

Behind the quarantine curtain: the trip back to SA

The South Africans evacuated from Wuhan — the coronavirus global epicentre — arrived back in the country after a 14-hour flight. SAA flight ZS-SND touched down at Polokwane International Airport on Saturday morning. Member of the evacuated party, Amy Pittaway, describes the journey for us.

14 Mar 2020 6PM 4 min

Plane with 146 South Africans returning from Wuhan arrives in SA

The South Africans evacuated from Wuhan — the coronavirus global epicentre — have arrived back in the country after a 14-hour flight. SAA flight ZS-SND touched down at Polokwane International Airport on Saturday morning. The Airbus A340-600, which was part of a military led evacuation of the South Africans from…

14 Mar 2020 5AM 1 min

'High-risk' Gautrain sets out sanitisers to keep commuters safe

With thousands of people commuting daily between Johannesburg and Pretoria amid the coronavirus outbreak, public transport modes such as the Gautrain are high risk places for contracting the infectious disease. Universities and corporates in Gauteng are in the process of disabling their biometric access systems in the wake of the…

13 Mar 2020 8AM 1 min

South African campuses affected by rampant crime

Institutions of higher learning are facing the same rampant crime that is  synonymous with the rest of the country. This is according to Mandisa Makhaye, a lecturer at the University of Zululand in the faculty of criminal justice. She said this issue is one that needs serious attention." Many would…

13 Mar 2020 7AM 4 min

HIV cure won't materialise in SA any time soon

Finding an HIV cure in SA is still an ongoing cause which might take years. According to the World Health Organisation, SA has the largest HIV epidemic in the world, with 19% of the globe's HIV sufferers, 15% of new infections, and 11% of Aids-related deaths.Dr Moeketsi Mathe, a HIV…

13 Mar 2020 7AM 4 min

'Critical' Gauteng coronavirus patient is 57-year-old with renal disease

The Gauteng health department is “worried” about the health of one of the province's coronavirus patients, who was confirmed to be in a critical condition.

11 Mar 2020 2AM 1 min

Covid-19 | Roughly 18 months before we can expect a vaccine

During a press briefing called by national health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize on Monday, Dr Kerrigan McCarthy from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) estimated that it would take 18 months for a vaccine for Covid-19 to be safely developed and administered. In this brief podcast, we outline everything…

10 Mar 2020 10AM 5 min