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The core purpose of this post is to teach and conduct research in Sociology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in Nelson Mandela University. |
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The streets are desolate, the authorities are in full force, and the government once again reiterated its stance that the lockdown is a crucial measure to save lives.
The number of positive cases jumped to 1 187, with 13 medical staff members testing positive.
The Department of Health also conceded that its supply of flu vaccines is not enough, and health staff will therefore be given priority.
The army, meanwhile, called on reservist soldiers and medics to join the already deployed SANDF members to aid their fight against Covid-19.
Here are our top stories from Saturday, as the country observed the second day of the historic national lockdown.
A 70-year-old Free State doctor is fighting for his life in ICU with the coronavirus. The Department of Health was concerned that the doctor is one of 13 medical staff members across the country to get the virus.
A Cape Town man has been arrested for circulating fake information which said there is no coronavirus outbreak in South Africa, Police Minister Bheki Cele has said.
Police arrested a man who tested positive for the coronavirus but ignored a government directive that he self-isolate, and instead travelled from Gauteng to Limpopo and interacted with others.
SAPS also tracked down and arrested a Pretoria man who videoed himself at a large gathering, where he and others were drinking in public. Public drinking and gatherings more than 100 people are outlawed during the lockdown.
The Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, has clarified the government’s stance on moving children between parents during the lockdown, saying it is forbidden. There has been a lot of confusion regarding co-parenting during the lockdown, but Zulu says a child will have to stay put for the 21 days.
A court ruled against a Mbombela man who sought an order which would allow him to travel to the Eastern Cape to attend his grandfather’s funeral. Karel Willem van Heerden’s grandfather had died in a fire in Hofmeyr in the Eastern Cape and that the funeral will be held some time next week.
South Africans stuck abroad will likely not be back anytime soon, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has warned. This as South Africa and other countries ground flights to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The Department of Basic Education has given its assurance that the school year will not go down the drain because of the interruptions brought on by the coronavirus.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander is impressed by the strides made on the transformation front in the local game.
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“We’re starting to reap the rewards of the of the programmes we’ve implemented. You can see that the players are now coming through the system naturally,” Alexander told Netwerk24.
The Sharks and Stormers have been the most transformed teams in Super Rugby this year, with the Afrikaans publication reporting that the Cape side averaged 10.7 players of colour in their 23-man squads and the Sharks 9.7.
The Sharks’ average in their starting team is 7.7 and the Stormers 7.5.
The Bulls and Lions’ average in their 23-man squads is 7.3, but 5.8 and 4.8 respectively in their starting XVs.
Alexander added that SA Rugby was on the right path in transforming the game and said the successes at last year’s World Cup – where a black captain in Siya Kolisi lifted the trophy – would continue to provide a boost.
“You just needed to look at the interaction between the players at the World Cup, it was unbelievable. We reached maturity as a nation and we’ve reached a point where these things are happening naturally.
“Rassie (Erasmus, Springbok coach at the World Cup) did magnificent work and understood his mandate.”
With Super Rugby now suspended due to the coronavirus, it leaves the Sharks atop the overall standings with six wins from seven matches.
The Stormers (four out of six) are sixth, while the Bulls and Lions lie 12th and 13th respectively with only one win from six outings.
It remains unclear whether the tournament will resume but if that proves to be the case, it will likely be a reduced format.
– Compiled by Sport24 staff
A 70-year-old doctor in the Free State is in the intensive care unit after contracting the coronavirus, health minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed on Saturday.
He is one of 12 doctors who have been confirmed to have tested positive for Covid-19.
“It must be emphasised that none of these health workers were infected by patients that they were treating,” Mkhize said.
“They came into contact with their family members, friends and other colleagues who had tested positive for Covid-19. All individuals who were identified as contacts of these health workers have been put in quarantine and are being monitored.”
READ | Coronavirus in SA: All the confirmed cases
In Limpopo and Mpumalanga, one medical doctor from each province had tested positive after travelling abroad on holiday.
In the Free State, three doctors, one nurse and one neurophysicist tested positive for Covid-19.
Six doctors have been affected in Gauteng, Mkhize said.
“[Excluding the Free State doctor] all these health workers are in a good medical condition with most of them having mild or no symptoms,” Mkhize said.
“All individuals who were identified as contacts of these health workers have been put in quarantine and are being monitored.”
Mkhize said he was concerned by the number of health workers confirmed to have been infected in both private and public hospitals.
“This includes doctors and nurses. We mention this because health workers are in the frontline of this battle. They are exposed not only to their families but to the patients who they are meant to treat,” he said.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday increased to 1187 from Friday’s 1170.
Mkhize, however, said that these numbers – which show only 17 new cases – should not be seen as a decrease in the number of infections.
WATCH | Zulu gives clarity on co-parenting: You are not allowed to move your children
“It is merely a reflection of positive results that were received, verified and ready for today’s reporting,” he pointed out.
Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal had the most infections at 533, 271 and 156 respectively.
The Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo had the least at 5, 10 and 11 cases.
A total of 117 was listed as unallocated.
A lengthy WhatsApp voicenote making some outrageous claims about the coronavirus crisis is spreading like wildfire in South Africa.
In an attempt to give the voicenote credibility, an accompanying message claims the voice is that of a Groote Schuur Hospital expert.
But the voicenote was definitely not recorded by the expert, Health24 has established.
The origin of the clip is unknown and the person speaking is yet to be identified.
The accompanying text message claims: “This is a voice note from Diana Hardie the Head of Virology, Grooteschuur Hospital, Cape Town. It’s her latest data on the Corona Virus and what she is preparing for… it’s doesn’t predict a pretty short term future… (sic)”
Not her
But Dr Hardie told Health24 that the voice in the clip was not hers.
In an emailed reply, she said: “I would like to put on record that this voicenote was not from me or any other virologist at Groote Schuur Hospital.
“The CEO of Groote Schuur has issued a statement distancing themselves from it.”
The statement, circulated by the Western Cape government’s (WCG) health department, reads: “We are aware of the WhatsApp messages doing the rounds of the Head of Virology speaking about the Covid-19 scenario.
“We wish to stress that this message did not emanate from our virology department and add that this message does not represent the views or policies of the WCG: Health.
“Management regrets the confusion caused by this. We should all adhere to being responsible and heed the call to stay home.”
Health24 asked the hospital for comment but Groote Schuur Hospital communication officer Alaric Jacobs referred us to the provincial health department’s statement and said Dr Hardie would not be available for comment.
When Health24 asked if the relevant departments would attempt to establish the origin voicenote, Jacobs said the department was unclear of the source of the message, but stressed that it informed the public that the content was not the health department’s view.
Don’t give it more air time
In the voicenote, which is nearly 16 minutes long, someone claims that “a lot of things have happened within the last two weeks and I’ve kind of just been told to keep a bit quiet so we could just see exactly where things are going.
“And obviously with the president’s Station of the Nation thing, we were allowed to then, all of a sudden, you know, institute a few things and talk about the disease process because I mean, you don’t want to drive havoc and fear into everybody.”
A little bit further along, it escalates dramatically and serious allegations are made: “And the big thing that everybody needs to know is that, like, we’re probably in this pandemic and crisis because of the fact that, though China delivers a lot of stats, they’ve kept this virus under cover, you know, not wanting the economy to be affected for a long time.
“I mean the first cases are already described by them, like in June of last year, and they only let the World Health Organisation know about the virus, probably about November/December where it kind of got to a point where medical staff were insisting upon having the rest of the world know about this.”
Health24 has listened to the entire voicenote but to avoid giving it anymore air time, will not publish it or any further quotes from it.
The government has warned of repercussions for people who create and spread fake news.
On the government’s website, it clearly says: “Anyone that creates or spreads fake news about the coronavirus Covid-19 is liable for prosecution. Verify the information before you share information.”
Social media giants to play their part
Business Insider South Africa reported on Friday that spreading fake news about Covid-19, or the government’s efforts to stop its spread, is already a crime in terms of South Africa’s disaster regulations.
A six-month jail term can be imposed if it is done with the deliberate attempt to deceive.
WhatsApp, the instant messaging giant which Facebook owns, is also expected to play its part.
Under new regulations which Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams gazetted on Thursday, a broad range of telecommunications players have “the responsibility to remove fake news related to Covid-19 from their platforms immediately after identified as such”.
Earlier this week, News24 reported that three people would be charged in connection with fake news.
The three people were the alleged source of two fake news articles which went viral on social media.
The articles were about Chinese people inside a building at the Lebombo border post, who were supposedly using corrupt means to enter South Africa after they were refused entry at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The post labelled South Africa a “banana republic”.
The other fake news article was about Japanese nationals who flew to Mozambique and tried to buy their way into South Africa, the minister said.
“Fake news tends to be more dangerous than the virus itself because it worries people.
“Because of this, and because we are in possession of the original source of the picture, I’ve instructed my officials to lay a charge with the police.
“This is the first test case of whether people posting fake news can be charged or not,” Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said.
NOW READ | Coronavirus in SA: All the confirmed cases
READ | Coronavirus: What are the criteria for a suspected case?
READ | Coronavirus: Basic protective measures
Pretoria, Thursday 26 March 2020 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is fully aligned and supportive to the overall Containment Strategy of Government, in response the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS is also sensitive to the economic distress and anxiety that is likely to result during this unchartered and unprecedented phenomenon.
As part of the containment strategy, the stringent 21-day lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa is a severe but necessary move to curb the spread of the virus, and flatten the curve of new infections.
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said: “We express our social solidarity with all infected and affected individuals, including taxpayers, businesses traders, who have been, and continue to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We wish to reassure them that SARS remains committed to providing the necessary services necessary for government to continue receiving the necessary tax revenues that fund the provision of public goods and services, whilst ensuring that the much needed refunds flow to taxpayers already experiencing hardship. Even during this trying time, as part of our strategic objective, we will continue to provide certainty and make it easy for taxpayers and traders to interact with SARS,” the Commissioner said. “I am sure that honest taxpayers would also like the assurance that during this time, our tax and customs laws remain in force to prevent fraudulent and criminal abuse of the tax system” he added.
“SARS remains critical for our country’s current and future economic and social development. In terms of the regulations governing the lockdown, SARS has been declared an essential service, which is vital to ensure” that the short-term and long-term economic effects of the COVID pandemic are mitigated as far as possible,” Commissioner Kieswetter further stated.
Taking into account the devastating economic impact of this pandemic, the President also announced a number of measures to help tax compliant companies in distress and their affected employees, especially Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) which SARS will have to administer over the short term.
The SARS Commissioner concluded by saying that: “However, as a responsible and caring employer, SARS also wants to ensure the wellbeing and protection of its employees and their families, while giving effect to the measures announced by the President. Therefore, in order to protect our employees and their families, SARS will minimize face-to-face contact and exposure by putting in place a range of service options that taxpayers and traders can use to engage with SARS during the lockdown.”
Taxpayers and traders are required to use online services such as eFiling, the SARS MobiApp and e@syFile. Some of the services available on eFiling include debt queries, payments to SARS, enquiries regarding outstanding returns, tax compliance status (applications for TCS), notice of registration (IT150), filing returns, and username retrieval and password reset.
In addition, taxpayers may also call the SARS Contact Centre (0800 00 7277). As an absolute exception, taxpayers who have exhausted our online services and Contact Centre may book an appointment at a SARS branch. Until further notice, SARS will only serve taxpayers at our offices by appointment. Taxpayers who have a confirmed appointment will be issued with a confirmation notice, which together with their personal identity, they will be able to use in terms of travel restriction provisions in order to obtain this essential service.
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2020-03-27 05:00
Stay up to date with the latest news, views and analysis as the number of coronavirus cases in SA increases.
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