Our Facebook family members speak up

Guest contributors These are some of the experiences our Facebook family members are sharing with us: It has been difficult since we cannot move out to do some piece jobs. Now it is hard, but I understand the situation. I wish I had the money to get food for my family. – Bishop Jali We Read more >

“Our community obeys the law”

Guest contributors Good day Our community (the street where we live) obeys the law and just here and there maybe two or three vehicles that go past our home per day. People from other areas walk on our street, I suppose on their way to a Pick and Pay that is about a kilometre and Read more >

Lockdown life. Ja neh.

Soraya Ebrahim Kathrada I never ever expected something like this to happen to us ever. All I can say is I don’t want to leave the farm. My daughter lives on the same farm and my husband has six sons also living on the farm. I send anyone who tells me in advance they are Read more >

“Since lockdown, I found myself walking into a wall”

Arina Bohler I am not a business person. I am a pensioner. But I do have some businesses to do relating to personal finances and transactions. But since the lockdown, I found myself walking into a wall, taking a turn to try another door and walking into another wall.  Before I tell my stories I just Read more >

Rebellious kids make the job harder

Guest contributor Ever since the start of the lockdown, the biggest challenge has been getting to work on days when we have to report for duty. Otherwise we spend our days off at home. Public transport is scarce and our employer did not make provision for staff, so we have had to find our own Read more >

Irresponsibility puts the elderly at risk

Guest contributor I am staying in Proclamation Hill, Pretoria. In my area, people around Proclamation Hill are taking the rules seriously, they are hardly in the street. The only time you get to see people is when you go into the supermarkets. There are always children playing around the play area at my complex during a normal situation Read more >

Challenges beyond the virus

Guest contributor I have been speaking to a lot of people, particularly those who have to go to work. Most are employed in areas deemed as epicentres of this pandemic like Sandton and Bedfordview. Most work at retail outlets or are security guards, and some work for private retirement villages. They are exposed to a Read more >

Fear and uncertainty in mining communities

Guest contributor I have asked people in my community and some of our mining stakeholders to illustrate briefly, in five lines, how Covid-19 has impacted their professional and personal lives, or even their mental health and well-being.  I have received a few WhatsApps, voice notes, phone calls and emails – some more detailed that others. Read more >

Covid-19 and a tale of two countries

Pearl Nicodemus It has been seven days [at the time of writing] into the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country seems to be steadying into the stringent conditions set out by government. With almost a million recorded cases globally, many countries have gone into a tailspin, putting measures in place Read more >