Innholdsfortegnelse for 4/5/2020 i City Press

My first prize would be that we shut down alcohol, but I know we can’t do that. Nothing tells me that taking alcohol will make life easier Police Minister Bheki Cele has given the clearest indication yet that regulations prohibiting the sale and drinking of alcohol during the lockdown will not be relaxed, even remarking that he wished they were extended beyond this period. Cele has placed alcohol at the centre of South Africa’s high crime rate. He told City Press during an interview this week that there had been a significant drop in the number of violent crimes reported since the lockdown began on Friday, March 27. “It is a known thing that alcohol is part of the crime generators … [When it comes to] most people who are…

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A Constitutional Court ruling last month has granted protection to members of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) against the abuse of the Defence Act provision which deals with dismissals from the army. Former soldier Teaspoon Maswanganyi took the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to court to challenge his dismissal. But despite winning his appeal, the SANDF refused to reinstate him. Last month, in a unanimous decision, the judges of the apex court ruled in his favour again. This week lawyer Tumisang Phasha, of law firm Tumisang Phasha Incorporated in Polokwane, Limpopo, said Maswanganyi’s court victory against Mapisa-Nqakula had added a layer of legal protection for soldiers against unfair dismissals. The law firm has represented several SANDF members in matters of unfair dismissals. According to a unanimous…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) will reconsider its decision to tell healthy people not to wear face masks to protect themselves against the Covid-19 coronavirus. A recent study found that coughs and sneezes can spread virus particles up to 8m in a cloud around an infected patient. The WHO currently does not recommend that people without the illness wear face masks, because there is little evidence that they help and would be better used by healthcare workers and patients who test positive. But it might be about to change its position, according to a former infectious disease director at the organisation. On Wednesday, Professor David Heymann, now an in-house expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the WHO was to reopen its discussions about masks. He…

The global Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has heightened the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of the most marginalised people in our societies, among them members of the LGBTIQ+ community. Since the first cases of Covid-19 infections were reported on the continent, several African countries have taken precautions – some declaring national disasters and implementing lockdowns to slow down the virus. Last month South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana implemented lockdowns in efforts to stop the virus from spreading. Malawi has a partial lockdown in one city. But LGBTIQ+ organisations have lamented these measures as inadequate, especially to protect the global key population groups. These include transgender people, men who have sex with men and sex workers. Many queer organisations across southern African are using scarce resources to tackle several issues. The impact of Covid-19…

The couple could not understand why they were falling into debt when they looked at what other people around them were doing. “Our lifestyle was nowhere near other people’s. We do not go out for dinner or buy expensive clothes. We live a modest life. We kept wondering: What are they doing that we are not? What are we missing?” says Helen. When we look at other people and wonder how they are managing when times are so tough for us, we miss the fact that most of our neighbours are maxing out credit lines to stay afloat. An expensive car with high finance charges does not mean you are wealthy. Don’t get caught in the comparison game. Focus on your own financial fitness.…

When Sunshine Tour professional Jacquin Hess opened his email on Friday morning, there was a sense of relief when he read about the financial aid programme the tour has instituted for its professionals and registered caddies during the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown. When his fiancée saw the figure Hess would receive as a monthly stipend commensurate with his Sunshine Tour category for the months of April and May, she smiled broadly. “We have a six-month-old baby and this is going to make a massive difference,” said Hess from his home in Robertson in the Western Cape, where, like every other Sunshine Tour professional and caddie, he has joined the rest of South Africa in lockdown. The Sunshine Tour suspended all of its activities last month. Reliant upon tournaments for his income,…

A little confession to begin with. A list like this has been doing the rugby WhatsApp group rounds this week, which made me think about what the 15 positions in a rugby team have come to mean to me from a personality perspective over the past two decades of reporting on the sport. 15 FULLBACK: The one player on the field who doesn’t get why people don’t see him for the superstar he really is. Quick as the wings and sometimes as creative as the centres, he doesn’t understand why such a fuss is made of fly halves because he also deputises for them during the game. 14 RIGHT WING: Due to their sheer size, traditional right wingers can come across as rejected flankers who are not big enough for…

The early cancellation of the South African cricket season due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak was a swift and merciful end to a year that seemed to lurch from one disaster to another. Here’s a wrap of a season that will forever demand an asterisk next to it in the South African cricket annals. THE STATE OF THE GAME: ADMINISTRATION When talking about the uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus this week, acting Cricket SA chief executive Jacques Faul hypothesised: “What if the game falls over, it just can’t go on?” Looking at the meltdown Cricket SA’s administration has gone through over the past six months, it’s a miracle the South African game didn’t go under. As we speak, Cricket SA’s chief executive, Thabang Moroe, has been on suspension since…

Our first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, has once again been proven right, this time by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, when he said that sport had the power to unite people. “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand,” the great statesman once said. As the novel coronavirus continues to rapidly spread around the world, a growing number of sport stars and teams have donated millions of dollars to help medical workers and hospitals fight the global pandemic. They have joined hands to contribute towards helping those in dire need of urgent help, as well as those on the front line.…

Following the declaration of a state of disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel gazetted regulations to strengthen the ability of the Competition Commission and the National Consumer Commission to protect citizens from being abused by unscrupulous stores that are increasing the cost of essential products to take advantage of the Covid-19 coronavirus emergency. This phenomenon, known as price gouging, is not new and has been observed in other parts of the world that have been hit by disasters, and the proactive manner in which our government has responded must be commended. It demonstrates a consciousness about business behaviour and that the state is not going to sit back and watch as it happens. Michael Sandel, in his book Justice: What’s the Right Thing to…

When the world is in turmoil, investors usually rush to get their hands on gold, and the past 18 months have been no different, as there has been a strong uptick in the gold price over the past 18 months. The steady increase in the gold price is a sign that there is a premium on gold as an asset class that stores value, said Johan Gouws, head of advisory services at Sasfin Securities. Investors who invested in gold in rand terms (through an exchange-traded fund, for example) have been richly rewarded over the past 20 years. From the end of March last year to the end of last month, investment in gold grew by 53%. From the fourth quarter of last year until the end of this year’s first…

Personal finance Use this time to start a proper budget. Go through three months’ bank statements and work out how much it really costs you to live As you are not driving your car, ask your insurer for a premium discount. Some insurance companies are offering premium reductions as the risk of accidents is reduced If your income has been reduced and you have contractual savings, such as a retirement annuity or endowment, ask for a premium waiver Claim for UIF Employers should apply for the Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme benefit from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) by sending an email to covid19ters@labour.gov.za. This will provide some income for workers If your employer did not apply for the benefit, you can apply for reduced work benefits at ufiling.co.za/uif/ Deal…

Tears, emotions and vulnerability. This is what viewers are going to witness as they get deeper insight into Evodia “Madam” Mogase and her daughter Mercy on their new 13-part reality show Madam and Mercy. Madam became a viewers’ favourite when she starred in The Real Housewives of Johannesburg season 1, with her popular catchphrase: “What a joke my darling!” However, this time around the show is not only about flicking pricey wigs, going on vacations, and shopping for top designer labels, opulent homes and gorgeous fast cars. “Viewers are going to see another side of me that they have never seen before. I am letting my people into my own space, from my humble beginnings to where I am today. You are going to see me at my lowest,” the…

The filling of vacancies in key chapter 9 institutions is among parliamentary decisions that are hanging in the balance. It forms part of the current uncertainty over the work of Parliament, given the national state of disaster – which could be extended beyond its given three-month time frame. This week, the term of four councillors at regulating body the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) ended. Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has arranged that they stay in office for another 45 days, as provided by law, while the department seeks answers from Parliament and government on how best to maintain the effective provision of services, such as planned spectrum rollout, during the current crisis. Parliament closed before it could see the process of appointing new councillors through, but interviews were concluded,…

On his wife’s birthday, Mothusiemang Moepeng and his family would normally be looking forward to celebrating it together. But with the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown in place, that just wasn’t going to happen. Instead, the family sat together at home in a residential complex in Mahikeng on Thursday afternoon with not much to do but watch television, which is how they have been spending their days and nights for more than a week. The celebratory mood wasn’t there for Ntombizodwa Moepeng’s birthday, even though her family were together under one roof. “We cannot really celebrate her special day under these conditions. We are in lockdown and that’s it,” Mothusiemang said, adding that his family was adhering to the regulations, including not moving around a lot. “I have never been in prison,…

Nurses in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have expressed fear and trepidation over “what is coming” as South Africa battles to contain the Covid-19 coronavirus, with the constant increase in the number of infections. A shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the consequent rationing of some supplies in the public health sector have left some of those that City Press spoke to “even more anxious”. Doctors also expressed their disappointment at the slow rate of testing and tracing of suspected infections countrywide. They are concerned about some people’s disregard for social distancing, particularly after government relaxed regulations for how many people taxis can carry. On Friday, the KwaZulu-Natal department of health announced that its laboratories were only now testing 1 000 samples per shift, while private tests – which cost R1 400…

SHOUT SA BANDS TOGETHER FOR MASKS Social movement Shout SA, founded by artists and entrepreneurs Danny K and Kabelo Mabalane, has created a new public service initiative with SMD Technologies called Shout4Masks. Their aim is to help raise money to buy masks directly from the factories to avoid profiteering go-betweens. They want to urgently get the masks to healthcare workers and patients. Mabalane told City Press: “Mask supplies are running out. Our heroes in the front line of this [Covid-19 coronavirus] pandemic have been asking for this support.” Special commemorative plaques and certificates of recognition will be issued to honour those who make the invaluable contributions. Donors will be pleased to know that Shout4Masks is a section 18A company – all donations receive a tax deduction certificate. “This initiative will…

Reading has moved front and centre as people enter week two of lockdown. We asked a book blogger, Vuvu Vena, and City Press’ books editor, Rhodé Marshall, which books are special. “One of the things I do when I cannot make sense of the world is read,” says book blogger and YouTuber Vena (34), who has been working, like many of us, from home for the past two weeks. “I am working through three South African authors, one illustrated children’s novel, an Alice Walker classic and a debut novel by a Nigerian author,” she says. The blogger is a third of the way into Margaret Atwood’s dystopian The Handmaid’s Tale. Some of the South African books others might enjoy include Coconut Kelz’s Guide to Surviving this Shithole by Lesego Tlabi,…

Next year could be a bountiful year for sports fans after the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic forced almost all of this year’s major sporting events to be cancelled or postponed. The tradition-steeped Wimbledon Tennis Championships is the most recent major event to be cancelled, raising fears that tennis might also not return until next year. Not that sports fans will complain as next year could feature the most lavish sporting calender in history. Non-stop football action From the Afcon in January and February to the Euro Championships in June and July, as well as the Olympic football tournament in July and August, soccer fans are in for a thrill. After that, the domestic club campaigns will kick off. Footballers are in for non-stop action – juggling club and country assignments. There…

During this time of no football whatsoever, I thought you might like to hear some of my thoughts on refereeing and why someone would want to be a referee. It’s not an easy “job”. I put job in inverted commas because, for many, it’s not a job – it’s a pastime. I must now clarify, before the “auto-correctors” among you start writing to my editor that we have professional, salaried referees around the world these days. The referees in the English Premier League are now full-time employees of the English Football Association (better known as the FA). Assistant refs still receive a match fee, as far as I’m aware. To many, as I mentioned, it is a pastime and to some, also, it is a form of income on which…

Itumeleng Khune Club: Kaizer Chiefs Joined: July 2004 Khune is closing in on 16 years with the Amakhosi senior team, since he was promoted from the team’s development side in 2004. The 32-year-old has racked up more than 300 top-flight appearances. Others who are nearing a decade with Amakhosi as their home are Bernard Parker and Willard Katsande, who have each been Chiefs players for eight years Happy Jele Club: Orlando Pirates Joined: August 2006 ‘Magents’ has not worn any colour in the professional ranks other than the Bucs’ black and white, since he was recruited from his hometown amateur club Walter Stars in 2006. The defender from Mhluzi township in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, will mark his fourteenth year at Pirates in August. The 33-year-old has accumulated more than 300 appearances…

The government’s aim of introducing the 21 days of national lockdown was to ensure that as few people as possible would be out and about at any given time. In this way, the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus could be slowed and eventually stopped as fewer and fewer people interacted. Everyone was to give a little for the good of the country. It was accepted that businesses would suffer; employees would lose jobs; the economy would take a knock; education would be severely disrupted; and loneliness would be the order of the day. Nothing and no one was expected to work, except for those in essential services to ensure that we had food, access to banking and government services and were able to move from point A to B –…

Trumped again Our president, Cereal, has been hailed for his firm and forward-looking approach to the Covid-19 coronavirus. A small dent, though, has been his consistent inability to keep time. On each of the three times he has spoken to the nation, he has been late. But this is nothing compared with what the Americans have been subjected to. This week, while announcing that more than 5 000 Americans had died from the disease, US President Donald Trump still found time to boast about his position on Facebook. “I just found out that I’m number one on Facebook. I thought it was very nice.” (Mini)busted There is nothing funny about being in lockdown, but that hasn’t stopped Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula from donning clown garb. Apart from appearing daily on…

The Covid-19 coronavirus and the response of authorities in proclaimed democratic states around the world to the pandemic have clearly shown that while all citizens are notionally equal, some are more equal than most others – with a minority much more equal than the rest. While the media often concentrate on the fact that the likes of Britain’s Prince Charles or some other notables have contracted or succumbed to the virus, this does not mean that we are all equally “in the same boat”. We are in the same boat only in that this particular coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person in a world that has become a global village, where the better off can travel freely almost everywhere. This adds another dimension to the historical fact that…

The Gauteng government has been accused of using the cover of the Covid-19 coronavirus to rush through a big information technology (IT) contract without proper tender processes. The R30 million contract to provide Gauteng’s e-government department with IT services, including cybersecurity, was concluded within 24 hours. This, after Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the MEC for finance and e-government, requested permission from Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams for a deviation from following normal procurement processes. The contract was won by In2IT Technologies, the sponsor of National First Division side Moroka Swallows. The matter has now landed on the desk of President Cyril Ramaphosa after a whistle-blower wrote a letter of complaint to the Union Buildings. Enraged technology companies which lost out to In2IT have also lodged complaints with Ndabeni-Abrahams, saying the…

Popular slay queen Paloma “Lolo” Mlunjwana has been blessed with a “Covid-19 allowance” from her blessers. Lolo, as she is known by her followers, said she was grateful to have boyfriends who support her financially in these trying times. The 35-year-old Zimbabwe-born slay queen is dating more than one man and said they had contributed to her Covid-19 allowance. But she would not divulge the amount, saying she did not like discussing her finances publicly. “My allowances have been helpful and, because of the unstable global currencies at the moment, when I exchange my allowance from dollars to rands it is slightly higher.” Lolo, who moved to South Africa four years ago, described herself as a woman who “attracts only the finer things in life”. She said her boyfriends were…

When police officers arrived this week at a Boksburg, Gauteng, man’s home to arrest him on a charge of assault, they were forced to leave empty-handed – and with red faces. The reason? Wade Martin (35) was in quarantine. “I was in Guatemala, in central America, and I flew back to South Africa on March 18. “On the way there – and on the way back – we travelled via America and, because it is a high-risk coronavirus country, I had to undergo two weeks of strict self-isolation,” Martin said from behind the bars of his gate in Atlasville. The death toll in the US this week surpassed that of China and, with more than 4 000 US citizens having already fallen victim to the Covid-19 pandemic, the coronavirus is…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned countries against relaxing lockdown regulations, saying that such a move could have devastating outcomes in the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said lifting the lockdown and other restrictions too soon could lead to a resurgence of the virus and the economic impact could be even more severe and prolonged. “We don’t want to end up in a cycle of lockdown followed by release, followed by another lockdown followed by release,” said Mike Ryan, head of health emergencies at the WHO. Countries need to make a massive investment in testing and contact tracing because the only way to get rid of the virus truly is to hunt it down, he said. The WHO conceded slightly on…

• Draw up a proper budget so you understand what it really costs you to live. This is not what you think you spend, but what you really are spending. Adjust immediately, do not wait for “things to get better”. Rather make the cuts now and, if the situation improves, you have extra cash. • Be careful of using your mortgage as easy credit. You may think you will pay it back, but, in most cases, you end up financing short-term needs over 20 years. • Make budget cuts rather than cashing in your retirement funds. Peter has set back his retirement fund significantly and will have to consider working well beyond his retirement date. • Ensure you have liquidity in the form of an emergency fund, but do not…

Last week we found out that Matiwane had a strange friendship with Moshoeshoe and that many of the amaNgwane did not approve of this. This alliance was about to change. It was in around 1827, it is said, that Matiwane sent messengers to Moshoeshoe at Thaba Bosiu. Now, no one is quite sure what that message was, or even if it was sent at all, but Moshoeshoe became convinced that there was something amiss. These amaNgwane had evil intentions and he needed protection, quickly! The amaNgwane messengers entered Moshoeshoe’s kraal with great courage, showing no respect. They did not ask permission to enter, a most disrespectful action at that time and punishable by death. Matiwane’s men sang the praises of their chief, whose fearsome reputation would, they were sure, allow…

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics should help Caster Semenya’s unprecedented quest to drop down from the middle-distance events and qualify for the half-lap sprint, according to her former coach, Jean Verster. The Games were supposed to take place in Japan in July, but the global Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak has forced the International Olympic Committee to announce that it will now hold the quadrennial event at about the same time next year. The delay coincides with what can be interpreted as either a desperate or a daring move by Semenya, the reigning Olympic 800m champion, to qualify for the 200m for the Olympics, a journey that began with her winning the event at the Gauteng north provincial championships with a time of 23.39 seconds. Semenya’s decision comes in the wake…

It’s not only the big sporting events such as the Olympics, Wimbledon or the European Championships that have been suspended, postponed or cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. Sporting organisations and federations worldwide have been forced to close shop for weeks or even months. APRIL Football: The Premier League and the German Bundesliga have postponed all matches until April 30, but that deadline could be extended. MAY Golf: The PGA Tour, which plays mainly in the US, has cancelled all events up to May 17, but it is hoped the Masters and the PGA Championship can be held later this year. Boxing: The British Boxing Board of Control has banned all events until May 31. JUNE Cycling: Organisers of the Tour de France are still hopeful that…

If loyalty was a person, it would look like Free State Stars’ long-serving technical team member Themba Sithole. Sithole, who turns 56 next month, is celebrating three decades at Stars, which he joined as a player in 1989, when the club was then known as Fairway Stars. He is currently the team’s head coach in the NFD GladAfrica Championship, where Stars are well on track for a return to the Premiership following their relegation last season. “I believe the more you stay at one club, the more you become productive,” said Sithole. “That’s what loyalty means in my case. And where will I go? Bra Mike has been good to me all these years,” Sithole said with pride. He was paying tribute to his boss, Stars owner Mike Mokoena. The…

South African Under-23 head coach David Notoane has welcomed the recommendation by a Fifa working group to raise the age limit for the Olympic Games men’s football competition to 24 after the event was postponed by a year. While professionals are allowed in the men’s tournament, the initial rules restricted teams to players no older than 23, with the exception of three overage players, while there is no age limit for the women’s tournament. On Friday, a Fifa-Confederations Working Group, which was established by the Bureau of the Fifa Council to address the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, recommended that the competition remain open to players born on or after January 1 1997, as originally planned. This would ensure that players such as South Africa’s captain Tercious Malepe and vice-skipper…

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is not only altering the world order as we know it, it is also exposing a host of issues about society, governance and leadership in general. Watching the press conferences of US President Donald Trump tells more about what the world community is about and what the American vote has done to the world. Italy, the home of the Catholic Church, and for a while the epicentre of the pandemic, presents the clearest example of what it takes to turn a blind eye on poor leadership. At some point, Italy spent a considerable amount of time fighting off a prime minister who had become the centre of everything good leadership and governance entailed. In the process, public services took a back seat as the Covid-19 pandemic…

The Covid-19 coronavirus has highlighted one of the biggest of society’s abnormalities, which needs to be fixed immediately. Not everyone is in lockdown. There is a small section of society that is holding the fort, keeping the economy ticking over and fighting one of the biggest enemies we will come across in our lifetime. Some of these are bean counters and decision-makers. Others are risking their own lives as they physically fight the virus, testing people, treating people and saving many lives. And then there is a large portion of those – rendering what have been classed as essential services – who are paid a paltry amount of money and are also treated really badly by society. These include farmworkers, store tellers, petrol attendants, those who provide care services, cleaners,…

When President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of the 21-day national lockdown in response to the increasing threat of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic was government’s intervention in an attempt to disrupt the chain of transmission across the country. Again on Monday, Ramaphosa informed the nation of the need to further intensify interventions to reduce and prevent further infections. This was just days after several ministers echoed these sentiments, saying: “We are ready to deal with the virus.” As members of the care sector who are also service providers, we are often confronted with the harsh realities faced by the vast majority of people living in this country. It is evident that we need to expand the parameters of our public health system by emphasising psychosocial factors. Public healthcare, access to information, access…

What kind of people are we as South Africans? Do we know what our rights and responsibilities are as citizens in a constitutional democracy? Put differently, what should a constitutional state expect from its citizens? I ask these questions, compatriots, informed by our conduct and attitudes towards the measures put in place by government in response to the battle against the invisible enemy – the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. I understand that the footprints of this deadly virus are there for everyone to see – the human casualities in devastated countries. However, a significant majority of South Africans are not helping government in fighting this pandemic. During these trying times, do we expect government to negotiate and baby-sit us for our cooperation? Firstly, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of national…

South Africa is not one of the 20-odd countries in Africa south of the Sahara (SSA) that have asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency financing, the institution has said. But Treasury on Friday said that government was “investigating all financing options” to fund programmes and measures related to combating the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. “These options are not limited to the local market, but include our partners worldwide,” Treasury said, in a response to a query from City Press’ sister publication, Rapport. In another blow to South Africa’s economic outlook, agency Fitch Ratings on Friday dropped South Africa’s investment grade further into negative territory, to ‘BB’ from ‘BB+’ , citing “the lack of a clear path towards government’s debt stabilisation as well as the expected impact of the coronavirus…

The brilliant cosmos flower signals the coming of winter in South Africa. It is not indigenous to this country. It came with contaminated horse feed that was imported from Argentina during the South African War. The cosmos is fragile. It dies when the first frost arrives. Fortunately, the African bee has an excellent symbiotic relationship with the Argentine flower. It collects its nectar and pollen, so, in return, the cosmos species is thriving on these shores. South Africa is battling a hostile economic winter of 20 million unemployed people. The state is bankrupt and has been recently thrown into the junk yard by the rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service. We are at the beginning of an unprecedented Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and our creaking health system is threatening to fall over.…

If you are being retrenched or forced to take unpaid leave due to the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown, you may be able to claim from your credit insurance policy. Many people, especially those with short-term debt and store cards, may have credit insurance without even being aware of it. This insurance covers your debt repayments if you are retrenched or experience a loss of income, and if you are disabled or die. Some credit insurance policies have a “loss of income” provision, which comes into effect if your employer has forced you to take unpaid leave or is unable to pay you due to the lockdown. These policies also cover you if you contract the virus and are unable to work. Under the loss of income and retrenchment provisions, your debt…

The banks have notified customers that debt payments can be deferred or reduced for three months. However, in all cases, interest, fees and any insurance premiums will simply be added to the principal debt. So, while this may provide cash-flow relief for those who are genuinely affected by income loss due to the lockdown, it should be avoided if possible. For example, if you have a mortgage of R650 000 over 20 years and if you maintained your bond repayment of R6 234, the value of your home loan would have dropped to R647 326 after three months. If you took the payment holiday of three months, your outstanding home loan value would have increased to R666 165, so you would either need to extend the term of your loan…