Children started going back to classrooms in South Africa at the beginning of the week after the biggest teachers’ union dropped its objections to the gradual re-opening.  The children that turned up yesterday were grades 7 and 12 and they trickled into schools after standing in long queues as they waited in line for their temperatures to be checked.  Many parents are however worried that the safeguards that are in place for social distancing and proper washing of hands are not adequate in many schools.   In the United Kingdom, the government decided yesterday to axe a plan for all primary schools to reopen before their summer after pressure from teachers unions and parents. There are lessons to be learnt from other European countries that have re-opened schools such as Denmark and Germany. The Wall Street Journal’s Bojan Pacevski told Alec Hogg in an interview that the European experience has shown that there had been no cases of children transmitting Covid-19 to each other or their parents. Pacevski said science appears to point to a receptor that enables the virus to enter humans that children under the age of 10 do not have. – Linda van Tilburg

In today's news headlines: * Children in South Africa began returning to classrooms on Monday as part of a gradual loosening of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions even as some parents worried not enough had been done to protect the health of pupils; * Ninety One is raising a recovery fund to invest in South African companies struggling with the economic fallout from the spread of coronavirus; * Shareholder and environmental activists have written to investors of Africa’s biggest bank by assets, Standard Bank, asking that they vote against the re-election of seven non-executive directors with ties to fossil-fuel companies; and * South African hospital operators are expected to benefit from increased demand for health care services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The International Monetary Fund reported in May that incoming data showed many countries will be hit worse than its already pessimistic projections, and that the world will be thrown into the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. GDP output, the fund said is expected to be shrinking by 3% in 2020. This forecast will be revised in early July. The dire predictions do not explain why financial markets are as one analyst put it, “bubbling”. David Shapiro has dug deep into the history of why markets react as they do and was sent a letter written in the 1950s by John Templeton, the billionaire philanthropist who created the Templeton Growth Fund about the unpredictability of markets. Shapiro also discusses the news that Pam Golding is restructuring and tech companies that  ‘vroom’ with Biznews Managing Editor Stuart Lowman. – Linda van Tilburg

In episode 44 of Inside Covid-19 we examine the Western Cape’s infection and mortality rates, compare them with experiences elsewhere; after schools opened today, we take a close look at how this impacted the spread of the coronavirus in other countries; highlights from a fascinating interview with Stellenbosch University epidemiologist Dr Jo Barnes who warns against believing Pollyanna forecasts for SA; we visit Madrid which reopened restaurants and café’s today and take heart from experiences elsewhere in Europe where life is slowly returning to normal.

In today's news headlines: * About 1,000 people (952 as of 6 June) have now died of Covid-19 in South Africa, with nearly all of these in the Western Cape - which has reported nearly 800 deaths, says the government; * As confusion reigns over when pupils can get back to school, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga together with MECs of Education hosted a media briefing on the state of readiness for the reopening of schools. In a nutshell, this week sees the start of the phasing in of learning. Listen to the highlights; * Good news as we head into winter: Game viewing is now allowed in SA, with South Africa National Parks (SANParks) announcing that self-drive excursions for day visitors will be permitted from Monday, 8th June 2020; and * Investors are piling into African assets as if the coronavirus pandemic never happened, reports Bloomberg.

While the equity market gets most of the media attention, the bond market is a much better barometer of the state of the real economy. The South African bond market has been through a tumultuous period. After the Moody’s downgrade in March, SA government bond yields spiked, but they have since fallen back to near-normal levels despite massive growth in borrowing. What signals is the bond market sending and what does it all mean for interest rates, inflation, and ordinary South Africans? In this episode, featuring content from the Bloomberg P&L podcast, we delve into these issues in depth. - Felicity Duncan

They say the political is always personal, here Biznews team member, Chris Bateman, shares his knowledge of South Africa’s healthcare landscape and the Covid-19 coordinated response from his perspective as a 63-year-old highly immune-compromised cancer survivor and veteran healthcare journalist.

The Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu has announced that the government is going to appeal against the court decision that threw its lockdown exit strategy into disarray. It follows after the North Gauteng High Court declared that some of the government’s lockdown regulations were unconstitutional and, therefore, invalid. Justice Norman Davis found that both the level 3 and level 4 regulations were “irrational”. Mthembu also announced that the state of disaster would be extended for another month when the three month period expires on the 15th of June. He did not want to comment on the government's cigarette ban, saying he could not discuss it as it was a matter before the court. - Linda van Tilburg

in today's news headlines: * Listen to the people, President Cyril Ramaphosa. That was the message from former public protector Thuli Madonsela in a hard-hitting Open Letter to the president, published in the Financial Mail, in which she sharply criticised South Africa’s strict lockdown rules; * Also this week: As BizNews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg reports, in a scathing judgment, Mr Justice Norman Davis has said many of minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s lockdown regulations were “irrational, distressing, unconstitutional and paternalistic.” * The average income of customers at South Africa’s First National Bank plummeted by about 20% during the nation’s lockdown as people took pay cuts or had less work to do; * Managing director of EE Business Intelligence, and energy expert, Chris Yelland has warned that consumers can brace themselves for a hike in electricity tariffs. This follows news that Eskom will miss the government target to split into three separate units by 2022 because it is being held up by legal processes; and * Sasol - one of the most closely watched stocks in South Africa - continues to power up returns for its shareholders. It was among the top 5 performers on the Johannesburg stock exchange at the close of the trading session on Thursday, gaining about 3.5%.

Stellenbosch University's Dr Jo Barnes shares the forthright character trait required for epidemiologists - scientists who serve society by identifying threats of contagious diseases and deliver fact-based ways to prevent them causing havoc. In this frank podcast she explains why those under-estimating the impact of the coronavirus do so at their peril; and offers her opinions on some confused, contradictory and un-coordinated responses to the pandemic from the SA Government. - Alec Hogg

In this third podcast about his cancer journey, one of our team, Chris Bateman, shares the insights and awakenings his recent diagnosis and treatment have evoked in him after nearly 20 years as a healthcare journalist.

The urgent application against SA's lockdown brought by Reyno de Beer and his Liberty Fighter's Network, was originally set down to be heard on May 19th. But after the defendant Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma twice failed to file answering affidavits, the Judge gave her a last chance and the case was duly heard on May 28. In this podcast, constitutional lawyer and Free Market Foundation CEO Leon Louw unpacks the judgement. - Alec Hogg

In today's news headlines: * South Africa has reported 50 more Covid-19 related deaths. This brings the total reported number of deaths from Covid-19 to 755, with 567 of these in the Western Cape, says the government; * South Africa’s long-suffering taxpayers will fund Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini’s lifestyle to the tune of more than R72m; * The Vaal Dam has plunged to a record low, sparking warnings to residents who rely on the water source to take steps to save water; * Mediclinic shrugged off a nearly R7bn loss on Wednesday, with analysts telling BizNews that long-term demand for private healthcare looks promising; and * South Africa’s rand strengthened on Wednesday, trading at its strongest in 11 weeks against the US dollar. Less than R17 was trading for one greenback by late on Wednesday.

In episode 43 of Inside Covid-19, some practical do’s and don’ts for families whose children are returning to school next week; the High Court judgement forcing Government to recant on many lockdown regulations; we eavesdrop on SA Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago talking to a foreign audience; the Cape’s Tygerberg hospital is bracing for a fresh spike; and part two of our Biznews colleague Chris Bateman’s tale of living with cancer during the age of Covid-19. The pic is from Sweden where the no-lockdown approach continues, but with rising concerns that it might not have been the right way. - Alec Hogg

The Western Cape is starting to limit testing for the coronavirus to people over the age of 55 and for those with risk factors. It was adopted due to a backlog and shortage in test kits. The province has nearly two-thirds of the coronavirus cases in the country. The assistant manager and clinical pharmacist at Tygerberg hospital George Muntingh told Biznews that they have seen an increase in admissions and people arriving for tests since the easing of the lockdown. But Mr Muntingh said due to the measures they put in place at the beginning of the outbreak; they are coping with the increase. He said the Western Cape appeared to be three weeks ahead of the rest of the country. - Linda van Tilburg

Kokkie Kooyman has unparalleled expertise on the world's bank stocks. The Denker Capital financial services fund manager, who follows about 300 banks around the world, has seen his own fund's recent performance dip as Covid-19 sends shock waves across the global economy. But, as he notes in his 30 April fund fact sheet, global equity markets had one of the worst quarters in stock market history, as the impact and spread of Covid-19 dominated headlines. The fall-out from Covid-19 containment measures reflected in stock market indices, with the S&P 500 Index losing 19.6%, the MSCI World Index 21.1% and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index 23.6% on a total US dollar return basis. Kooyman, who is looking ahead at least two years, sees this as a buying opportunity with his fund's mandate to invest where the crowd is not invested. "In times of uncertainty, the companies we invest in are often sold down more than the market," he tells investors in his fund. In this fascinating discussion with BizNews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg, Kooyman unpacks how banks listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange and elsewhere are really coping with the Covid-19 crisis. - Jackie Cameron

No man is an island, and realizing this when facing the challenges life throws at us is an essential survival skill. Here Chris Bateman, Biznews contributor and news curator, talks about his experience of Ubuntu in dealing with his esophageal cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The Governor of the South African Reserve Bank Lesetja Kganyago has commented on pressure from within the country that the Reserve Bank should do more to bring relief during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said emerging markets like South Africa have limited ability for quantitive easing. Speaking to an online event of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the UK, Kganyago said massive QE is possible for countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan or the European Union because interest rates and inflation were low in these richer countries. He said what he had learnt from the pandemic and its effect on economies, was the importance of buffers, and to build redundancy in both the public and private sectors. The Governor also commented on the sectors most hurt by the pandemic and the measures that the central bank took to provide relief to the economy, which he said would only be felt as the economy reopened. Yesterday, Finance Minister Tito Mbowenii also rebuffed suggestions that the central bank could help plug the deficit hole. Mr Mboweni wrote on Twitter that he was against printing money and wants the South African Reserve Bank to remain independent. - Linda van Tilburg

In today's news headlines: * A South African court has ruled that lockdown regulations implemented by the government are invalid. This was announced late on Tuesday by Phumla Williams, a spokeswoman for the cabinet; * Nedbank Group, FirstRand’s Rand Merchant Bank and Standard Bank Group’s Standard Americas have been added to the expanded scope of prosecution in a currency trading scandal; * The Reserve Bank will not buy debt directly from the government, because it does not want to discourage the government from carefully managing its costs; * Mediclinic reports losses linked Covid-19 containment; and * Hammerson, Sasol, Telkom leap on the JSE.

In episode 42 of Inside Covid-19, with schools set to re-open on Monday, there’s professional advice on how families can minimize virus-related risks this will introduce; actuarial body PANDA wants Government’s official coronavirus mortality modellers to share their assumptions after their projections have proved consistently inflated; we share the intensely personal experience of living with cancer during Covid-19 with our Biznews colleague Chris Bateman; and hear from New York University professor Scott Galloway who is proposing a Corona Corps of young Americans wanting to help fight the virus in Africa. - Alec Hogg

Official modelling of South Africa's projected mortalities from Covid-19, which started at 375 000, was last week dropped to 40 000. But even that is a huge exaggeration says Nick Hudson co-ordinator of the group of actuaries who collaborate under the PANDA umbrella. In this fascinating podcast Hudson explains why the official modellers have a lot to answer for, and calls on them to become transparent and share their assumptions - which he says are way off beam.

Dudu Myeni is a household name in South Africa for playing a conspicuously corrupt and instrumental role in damaging South African Airways’ (SAA) prospects of being a profitable entity. Her actions have cost South African taxpayers billions of rands in bail-outs over the past decade, with another R2bn scheduled to cover staff redundancies, if business rescue practitioners get their way. Explosive evidence set out in a court case instigated by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) and the SA Pilots’ Association has provided irrefutable evidence that should put Myeni behind bars if the National Prosecuting Authority picks up on it. A former primary school teacher with zero business acumen, Myeni - longstanding executive chair of the Jacob G Zuma Foundation - was appointed to the position of chair of the national carrier on the basis of her extremely close relationship with former president Jacob Zuma. In this podcast, BizNews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg picks up on the latest developments with Jimmy Conroy of the SAA Pilots' Association, who has been working with OUTA to hold Myeni to account for her deeds. The first victory was achieved last week. Ms Justice Ronel Tolmay’s 114 page judgment ensures that Myeni will never again participate as a director in a boardroom, either in the private or public sector. - Jackie Cameron

In this first of four podcasts, Biznews writer and news curator, healthcare journalist Chris Bateman, shares his recently-begun cancer survivor’s journey as his contribution to destigmatizing the disease, giving us an intimate insight into the challenges and gifts it offers. The series was first published by HASA.

Stock market indices do not necessarily reflect the present state of the finances of businesses in the economies underlying stock exchange baskets. Company share prices can be forward-looking, or they can be unfairly valued. In this podcast, BizNews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg and stock-market analyst David Shapiro bring home the message that, although Covid-19 containment has depressed economies and pushed many businesses to the brink of collapse or even extinction, performance on the Johannesburg stock exchange and on US markets has been surprisingly good. As Shapiro points out, the US market is down about 6% and the South African market is down 12% in rands - which is not bad considering Covid-19 shutdowns have turned off economic activity and hammered business profits this year. - Jackie Cameron

In episode 41 of Inside Covid-19, we take a look at why South Africa’s testing regime is changing to take account of recent learnings; we hear the voices of 30 Gauteng doctors sending an unusual message of hope to South Africa; there’s an analysis of why people in sunnier climates fight off Covid-19 better; the IMF’s number two tells us why the global lender of last resort is well positioned to help countries like SA overcome the financial cost of fighting the pandemic; and we pop into the education minister’s discussion with the media on why schools didn’t open today as planned.