Monday 20 April 2020, Day 25 of SA Lockdown, Day 36 of SA Corona Virus đˇ
Corona Gratitude đ
#Grateful for the gorgeous soft rain falling all day, the grey day not getting me down at all; for feeling energetic in cleaning today, taking the apartment block garbage bin out, dancing with the vacuum, tackling another shelf of my kitchen/lounge to tidy up, and finding a box with 6 wines… ; for clearing out Apps I never use and finding one in which I can store all my store loyalty cards; for attending to some email admin; for Woolies once again being amazing in organizing some Essentials for me, which Iâll fetch tomorrow when the rain clears; for the happy dancing music on Kfm this afternoon; for a little afternoon rainy-day lie in; and for being happy and healthy. đđ Continue reading →
The South African Government is facing legal action regarding the State of Disaster regulations on a number of fronts, including the ârace-relatedâ allocation of funds to tourism businesses from the Tourism Relief Fund, a case brought by AfriForum, and to be heard this coming week.  Now the unknown Sakeliga is threatening court action if the Government does not withdraw its new ruling that hot and prepared foods sold on a Take-Away basis by supermarkets, announced last week as Phase 1 of the Lockdown period expired. Woolworths and the DA opposition party are making their voices heard in the matter too. Prohibiting cooked and frozen foods has provoked the strongest reaction by the public to any of the Corona Virus Lockdown regulations, stronger than the ban on the sale of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, and the walking of dogs. 
Earlier today the Government announced some relaxations to the countryâs Lockdown regulations, highlights being an eased regulation regarding co-parenting, emergency repairs to homes and vehicles, opening of call centres related to essential services, and the reopening of warehouses related to essential services products, it was announced by Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. She was emphatic that the selling of cigarettes,  alcohol and take-away foods remains prohibited.
In following a number of topics related to the Tourism industry, and being a member of the industry as a recently qualified Tourist Guide whose income has ground to a halt, the Tourism Relief Fund offered to the Tourism and Hospitality industry as financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic is of special interest to me. Earlier this week the Department of Tourism was sent court papers by civil rights organisation AfriForum, for its alleged discrimination based on race in its funding criteria. Industry talk also is that the Fund benefits larger formal tourist companies, and does not provide relief for hundreds of informal freelance operators such as Tourist Guides, the unofficial face of South Africa, in showing international travelers the highlights of our country.