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

Making headlines: Basic Education Committee tables plan to reopen schools, eThekwini metro will downgrade to level 4 and, DA threatens to challenge curfew

Basic Education Committee tables plan to reopen schools

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has tabled a plan to resume schooling for Grade 7 and 12 pupils from May 18 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Department of Basic Education director-general and Committee chairperson Hubert Mweli said the department has done extensive research, taking into account strategies in Denmark, Sweden and Taiwan, which had only closed schools for two weeks.

Mweli said they have proposed allowing pupils in Grades 7 and 12 to return to school first.

Grade 11 and Grade 6 pupils will follow two weeks later and other grades will follow every two weeks until Grade R pupils’ expected return on July 15.

eThekwini metro will downgrade to level 4

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has ended speculation that the eThekwini metro could remain on a higher lockdown level come 1 May, confirming on Wednesday that it will downgrade to level 4 on Friday.

Zikalala said they were meeting with big business to talk about how they would follow government measures during level 4.

He, however, warned that regulations would still be quite stringent.

The Democratic Alliance is mulling a legal challenge to the South African government's plans to introduce a curfew from Friday.

The party is believed to be consulting lawyers after it submitted comment to the government on its proposals for the restrictions that will remain under Level 4 of the lockdown, as the phase that will kick in on Friday is termed.

DA interim leader John Steenhuisen said the official opposition believes Level 4 has been intended to allow a greater range of economic activity than that proposed by the government.  The move to impose a curfew smacks of authoritarianism.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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