Disinfecting Bookshops
Retail space everywhere is being disinfected regularly … including Bookstores.
Post-lockdown to-do list
With lockdown eased to level 4 and hopefully continuing to open up, managers have to prepare for open up shop. Here are post-lockdown to-do list guidelines and suggestions.
- Permits, where applicable
- Deep clean premises (public facing surfaces, multiple times a day)
- Order sanitiser at doors (preferable single entry/exit)
- Masks/visors for staff (or see through Perspex screens mounted on counters)
- Contact-less payment methods
- Email receipts/ invoices
- Gloves for staff (difficult to handle money with gloves but OK for back office/receiving)
- Floor markings for queues (1 m spacing)
- Social distancing training for staff
- Thermal scanners to check temperature
- Covid-19 tests for staff (at Dischem)
- TERS claims
- Insurance
- Laminated poster of government rules
- where Public toilets are available, touchless sanitary equipment (soap dispensers, air hand-dryers, foot-operated taps)
Image: Mohamed Hassan/Pixabay
Universities and colleges remain closed
All higher education institutions (public and private universities and TVET colleges) will remain closed under lockdown level 4. This decision was made to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus and to save the 2020 academic year but not at the expense of saving lives. The risk of an early return to 2.5 million students and staff are far too great.
Minister Blade Nzimande said that the 2020 university academic year could be extended into early 2021. The 2021 academic year will align with the plans of the DBE regarding the organisation of the Grade 12 examination. TVET colleges have to re-organise their 2020 academic year. No student will be left behind. This depends on the development of the pandemic.
There will be a controlled return of final-year clinical training students — mainly medical students — to assist with the health management campaign of the department of health. [Read more]
DBE Postpone May/June rewrite Matric exams
Image: Harinath R/Pixabay
The Department of Basic education on 18 April, announced the postponement of the May/June Matric examination. More than 350 000 part-time learners some who did not meet the pass requirements and others who want to rewrite to improve their marks will have to wait until November 2020. [Read more]
No school for SA learners in May
Schools won’t resume in May 2020. Senior officials will start on Monday 4 May to prepare for the return of pupils. School management will go back on 11 May and teachers on the 18 May. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the school calendar’s been adjusted to save the academic year. Each province will have its comprehensive plan for the reopening of the schools. [Video: Minister Angie Motshekga’s speech]
Image: Element5 Digital/Unsplash
TERS Application – A step by step guide
Initially, employers lodged claims under TERS by emailing a designated UIF email address. However, to simplify and expedite the application process, the UIF has recently developed an online portal to lodge claims under TERS.
To assist employers in lodging a claim under TERS using the online application process, the steps to be taken are as follows:
Step One: Go to Website
Enter the URL https://uifecc.labour.gov.za/covid19 into any web browser.
Step Two: Register as User
Register as a user by clicking on the “Register” button which appears on the top left of the application system homepage.
The employer will have to register as a user of the online platform by providing certain information such as, for example, the employer’s UIF reference number and then create a user password.
Step Three: Login Using User Profile
After successfully registering as a user by completing and submitting the above information, the employer will be prompted to further login by entering their UIF reference number as their username and their newly created password.
Step Four: Register as Employer
The employer will then have to further register by capturing its entity’s details including, for example, their PAYE number and chosen payment medium. After having captured these details, the employer will click the “Proceed” button at the bottom of the registration page.
Step Five: Accept Terms and Conditions of Memorandum of Agreement between UIF and Employer
The employer will then have to accept the terms and conditions of the relevant MOA, which will be displayed on the screen, by clicking “Accept”.
Step Six: Accept Terms and Conditions of the Letter of Undertaking
The same process will then have to be followed in respect of the terms and conditions provided in the Letter of Undertaking.
Step Seven: Confirmation of Bank Details
The employer will then have to confirm their bank account details by uploading a PDF document of their bank confirmation in the form of a latest bank statement.
Step Eight: Capturing Affected Employees’ Details
The employer will then have to enter the relevant details of their affected employees, in this regard the employer has an option of doing so by either uploading CSV files (which are Microsoft excel templates provided by the UIF and which have to be converted to CSV files) or capturing their affected employees’ individual details on the online platform.
Step Nine: Wait for Email Confirmation
Once the above has been completed, the employer should be directed to a page providing: “Employee details has been successfully loaded. An email will be sent to client once a claim has been processed.”
Although this online application process is a commendable initiative on the part of the UIF in expediting the application process, the employer should be cautioned that it potentially removes the possibility of re-negotiation of unfavourable terms in the MOA by omitting a step providing an employer with the option to do so. Should employers need assistance in dealing with these issues they should seek further legal advice in this regard.
(With Permission from Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Law Firm)
Covid-19 Interrupting learning – finding ways to work together
The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted the education of children and students globally. More than 120 countries including South Africa, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, have shut their schools.
This means that more than half the world’s student population – 1,2 billion children – are forced to stay away from school and universities because of a virus.
However, schools remain open for younger children in Sweden. Singapore has halved class sizes, instituted strict hygiene measures, and staggered break periods to reduce playground contact.
During the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone the government provided educational radio programmes to listeners five days a week while schools were closed, maintaining a link to the curriculum for the duration.
The Goodthingsguy published weblinks which Jean Parnell suggested learners can use to stay abreast with learning. However, not all learners have the means to access online learning.
Vodacom’s e-School platform is already used by almost 900 000 learners. E-School is free for all Vodacom subscribers and carries content in all 11 official languages from Grade R to 12. Content includes assignments, quizzes and learning videos that are fully aligned with the CAPS curriculum.
Unesco reminds us that back in 2015, Bill Gates warned in a prescient Ted talk that the greatest risk of a global catastrophe would be a highly infectious virus which we were not ready to fight.With restricted online access, the question is what can South African citizens, publishers and booksellers do to assist?
World Poetry Day goes virtual
South African collaborators Hear My Voice, Imphepho Pressand Bridges Pan Afrikan Arts Movement watched in dismay as the Covid-19 outbreak disrupted events planned worldwide for World Poetry Day on 21 March, and decided to do something about it. Together they collected funding for a Zoom event, roped in 16 of the best poets around the globe and managed to livestream a 3-hour gathering of souls to 4 900 eager attendees on Facebook. Since then, the video has been viewed 8 500 times. The stellar line-up featured local poets Busi Mahlangu, Sarah Godsell, Mandi Vundla, Mak Manaka, Lebo Mashile and Toni Giselle Stuart, while the international guest list consisted of Aja Monet (USA), Claire Trevien (France/UK), Tolu Abgelusi (Nigeria/UK), Elisangela Rita (Angola), Q Malewezi (Malawi), Holly Bass (USA), Crystal Kwadkwa Tetty (Ghana), Raya Wambul (Kenya), Des Lee (USA) and Danai Mupotsa (Zimbabwe).
Ishmael Sibiya of Hear My Voicebelieves digital can never fully replace the experience of being in the same room as a poet, but sees the two formats co-existing comfortably in the future: ‘Digital allows those who can’t attend, because of reasons such as distance, to also experience the event, not only the “live” version but also after.’ In terms of payment to participants, he reckons virtual events can be made sustainable through options such as charging an entry fee to enter a livestream. ‘This platform will only get more popular, especially since it tends to allow more people access to the art, across borders.’Readers interested in donating to this cause can use the pay platforms below.
Time of the Writer 2020 turns to social platforms after cancellation
When this year’s edition of Kwazulu-Natal’s most popular literary festival (originally scheduled to run 16 – 21 March) had to be cancelled due to coronavirus fears, the organisers had to think outside the box. Participants had already been paid, and readers were looking forward to interacting with their heroes. According to Marlyn Ntsele, the conversion from a physical festival to one hosted across social media platforms, turned on a dime: ‘We did not give ourselves much time, because we did not want to lose the momentum. Luckily the festival was already active on most social media channels. We needed a day to brainstorm and make choices between all the options and applications we could use.’
The program consisted of a series of Q&A’s on Twitter, live interviews on Instagram, Skype interviews, live readings on Facebook, Facebook book launches and a number of workshop videos writers recorded from their homes. Participating authors included Remy Ngamije, Lebohang Masango, Shafinaaz Hassim, Refiloe Moahloli, Fred Khumalo, Siphiwo Mahala and many more. The audience varied greatly, depending on time, medium and writer. Some of the interviews had over 800 views, some much less.
Ntsele does not however think the format would work if customers are charged for entry: ‘I think the advantage of using a virtual medium is that you do not only reach book lovers, but also many people in passing – who may have never bought a ticket to the event – their interest in literature may have been triggered by us. Once we make events like these ticketed, we will miss out on this advantage. It would therefore only be sustainable if there is funding.’Another good thing about virtual events is the gradual collecting of an archive of interviews, perpetually available for re-use and for upload to one’s YouTube channel. Ntsele, however, believes the online version of the festival is too exclusionary to become the norm: ‘Time of the Writer prides themselves in organising many panel discussions and “meet the writer” events at community centres and libraries. Due to lack of internet access, these communities were now left behind. We certainly feel that festivals like this may miss many opportunities by not digitising themselves more, but, at the end of the day, that personal face-to-face contact with writers is way too important to make it the only way. Also the writers are normally so happy to, for a change, leave their spaces and meet the readers in person. To conclude with the words of Zakes Mda on Twitter recently: “If virtual Time of the Writers works successfully this year, please do not make it permanent after Time of the Coronavirus. We still need to hug our writers.”’
LAPA Publishers sold to Penguin Random House SA
Iconic Afrikaans publishing house LAPA was sold to Penguin Random House South Africa in February, where it will now function as an imprint and independent division of the global giant. Their offices will remain in Pretoria, while the Cape Town arm of the publishing house will be based at PRH’s premises in the Mother City. Sylvia de Wet will continue in her role as Managing Director at LAPA.
LAPA’s history stretches back to before the Second World War, when J.P. van der Walt founded Springbok Biblioteek under the erstwhile Unie-Boekhandel. In 1958 his son, Manie van der Walt, joined the company as the managing director and in 1961 the publishing house was renamed J.P. van der Walt en Seun (Edms.) Bpk
More than 30 years later, in October 1996, an apolitical organisation promoting the Afrikaans language and culture called the ATKV (Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging) bought the company and renamed it LAPA Uitgewers (Pty) Ltd, an acronym for ‘Lees Afrikaans, praat Afrikaans’ (read Afrikaans, talk Afrikaans). This motto was recently changed to ‘A home for readers’.
The merger brings benefits to both parties, with PRH increasing their local market share and diversifying their customer base, while LAPA gains access to international opportunities and the means to expand their publishing list.
According to Sylvia de Wet, the deal will strengthen LAPA’s brand as the biggest Afrikaans publisher and market leader in Afrikaans:
‘We look forward to be part of this international publishing giant, eager to learn, to offer support and to continue honouring our core business – delivering service and products of the highest standard to our diverse markets, including our loyal Afrikaans readers.’
Pictured: Sylvia de Wet (MD of LAPA) and Steve Connolly (MD of Penguin Random House) at the LAPA Authors Party on 26 February.
