Daily news update: SA unemployment rate, Dudu Myeni’s case postponed, and State of Disaster

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Daily news update 30 March 

Dudu Myeni ‘Mr X’ outing case postponed to May

Former South African Airways chair Dudu Myeni made her first appearance in the dock of the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, on charges of defeating the administration of justice.

In November 2020, Myeni revealed what she claimed was the identity of a protected witness – “Mr X” – live on camera, while testifying before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry.

And despite a warning from commision chair and now new Chief Justice Raymond Zondo not to repeat it, she did.

Later that month, Zondo announced the commission was opening a criminal case against Myeni.

Zimbabwe bus operator slapped with R420k fine for trying to enter SA without passengers’ passports

The Department of Home Affairs has fined Zimbabwe-based Rimbi Travel and Tours Bus Service more than R400,000 after a bus arrived at the Beitbridge Border Post with passengers who did not have passports.

The bus operator has been given until the end of business on Tuesday to pay R420, 000 for breaching the Immigration Act, or the department will recover the money through legal means.

According to home affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza, on 29 March 2021, a driver of a Rimbi Travel and Tours bus arrived at the border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe with 28 passengers who did not have passports.

Cabinet plans to end State of Disaster by 5 April, says Dlamini-Zuma

A week after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has announced that the new regulations to replace the State of Disaster will be gazetted for public comment on Tuesday.

Briefing the country on the progress of the lifting of the National State of Disaster on Tuesday, Dlamini-Zuma said Cabinet met on Monday evening and decided on moving towards ending the State of Disaster.

PSL confirms fans can attend matches again!

Premier Soccer League chairman Dr Irvin Khoza said on Tuesday that supporters will be allowed to attend Premier Soccer League matches again, following government regulations that allow for stadiums to be filled to 50 percent of their capacity.

Khoza said that fans would be allowed back in time for the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals, which start on April 8.

The PSL caused consternation among fans when they refused to allow fans in, even though government regulations allowed for 2000 supporters to attend matches.

The only game the league did allow fans in for was the MTN8 final last year between Sundowns and Cape Town City.

SA unemployment rate breaks new record, Black women still most vulnerable

South Africa’s unemployment rate soared passed the 35% threshold in the fourth quarter, as per Statistic South Africa’s (Stats SA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS).

Unemployment in South Africa grew by 0.4 of a percentage point to reach 35.3% in the final quarter (Q4) of 2021, according to Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke.

South Africa now has an employed workforce of 14.5 million (an increase of approximately 262,000), while unemployed persons now number 7.9 million (278,000 more since 2021 Q3).

Black African women are still the most vulnerable, with an unemployment rate of 42,4% during Q4 of 2021 – approximately 4,2 percentage points higher than the national average.

Zandile Gumede and co-accused’s corruption trial to start in July

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