Category Archives: South African News

Statement by the International Monetary and Financial Committee on the Coronavirus

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Publish Date: 2020-03-04
Category: Media Releases

The Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), Governor Lesetja Kganyago, and the Managing Director of the IMF, Ms Kristalina Georgieva, convened a special meeting of the IMFC to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy. See attached a press release for your attention.

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Attachments:

News24.com | JUST IN | All Fort Hare campuses to be evacuated amid ‘intimidation and violence’

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Students at the University of Fort Hare (UFH) were told to evacuate all its campuses by 18:00 on Thursday.

In a letter sent to staff and students at 06:00 on Thursday, UFH vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu wrote the university has been experiencing “ongoing intimidation of and violence against staff, students and members of the public” as well as “looting and damage to property” since 24 February. 

READ | Fort Hare students struggle to cope after 13 deaths recorded at the university in 2019

On 25 February, UFH management was forced to suspend academic activity and release staff at its Alice campus due to violent student protests which included chasing staff out of offices, leading to a complete disruption of campus operations, UFH wrote on its website.

To restore calm and stability, the registrar invoked an existing court interdict which prevents students from disrupting campus operations. 

Despite this, Buhlungu wrote that teaching and registration have been impeded. 

“Management has taken the difficult decision to suspend the teaching programme on all campuses until further notice. All students are hereby instructed to leave campus and vacate their rooms in all university-owned and leased residences with all their belongings and return home.”

Buhlungu said the deadline for vacating the campuses was 18:00 on Thursday. 

UFH spokesperson Tandi Mapukata could not be reached for comment, but a senior staff member at the university confirmed the authenticity of the letter to News24. 

Irate students took to Twitter to vent their anger.

Read the letter here:

News24.com | JUST IN | City of Tshwane to be placed under administration

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Gauteng premier David Makhura has announced that the City of Tshwane will be placed under administration. 

Makhura said this during a media briefing on Thursday at the offices of the Gauteng legislature.

“The Gauteng executive council met yesterday (Wednesday) to assess development on the City of Tshwane and decided to invoke Section 139(1)(c) of the Constitution,” he said. 

Makhura added this meant that the City would be dissolved and placed under administration. By-elections are expected to take place within 90 days. 

The DA said that its leadership is deliberating on the announcement and will release a statement later on Thursday. 

More to follow.

Informal Consultation – Draft Financial Conglomerate Prudential Standards

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Publish Date: 2020-03-05
Category: PA Financial Sector Regulations Prudential Standards

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Attachments:

News24.com | Eastern Cape bus crash death toll rises to 29

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The death toll in the Eastern Cape bus crash has risen to 29, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced.

Mbalula, who was in the province on Tuesday, went to the crash scene in Centane and later visited survivors at various hospitals.

It was earlier reported that the overloaded bus was transporting pensioners and young children when it veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Centane on Monday, killing 25 people and injuring more than 60.

Mbalula told relatives of both the survivors and dead that the death toll had increased from 25 to 29.

“The crash has scared us a lot and yesterday we were told that the number of the deceased passengers was at 25. Today, we have been told by government officials that the number has risen to 29. This shows that South Africa must stand up and prevent such accidents from happening.”

He said while investigations would be continuing, the department would not be resting on its laurels and would launch a massive safety compliance drive targeting public transport operations.

“No public transport vehicle should be on our roads unless it meets all safety requirements. Those who undermine the system and cut corners to fraudulently issue roadworthiness certificates when the vehicle should not be on the road, will face the full might of the law.

“Bus operators who overload and place people’s lives at risk will be severely punished,” Mbalula added.

He vowed the department would not hesitate to withdraw the operating licences of those who drive recklessly and put people’s lives at risk.

Mbalula said department officials would lay criminal charges where there was evidence of criminal conduct.

News24.com | SA army’s plans to bring back South Africans from Wuhan in full swing

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The Department of Defence says preparations to bring back South Africans from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China are at an advanced stage.

On Tuesday, department spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and the departments of health and international relations would assist in repatriating those who wanted to come home.

“There are approximately 151 citizens who are set to be repatriated,” Dlamini said. “Once all the logistics have been confirmed by the planners, the repatriation process will then commence,” he added.

The process is expected to take between seven and 10 days to complete and will be undertaken using World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

It will be implemented in three phases – evacuation, quarantine and reunification.

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Tuesday said there were still no cases of coronavirus in the country, but expressed concern over the disease’s spread in Africa.

READ | Coronavirus: SA man describes life in quarantine

On Monday, AFP reported that Senegal confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus. This is the second confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria, where an Italian national reportedly returned with the virus.

“We have noted the increase of COVID-19 cases in the African region and the route of transmissions. An additional country – Senegal – has confirmed its first case from a French national in the past 24 hours,” NICD spokesperson Sinenhlanhla Jimoh said.

The NICD added that, as of Tuesday, 164 tests have been conducted for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), of which 118 had met the definition of the disease. All tests, however, came back negative.

News24.com | Senegal confirms first coronavirus case

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Senegal on Monday confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus, a French citizen who visited France last month before returning to the West African country and being quarantined in the capital Dakar.

“The results of the tests carried out by the Pasteur Institute in Dakar came back positive,” Senegal’s Health Minister Diouf Sarr told journalists.

“So far the patient’s condition has not raised any major concerns,” he added.

It is the second confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria, where an Italian national returned with the virus.

Italy has emerged as the European hotspot for the deadly virus with nearly 1 700 cases, while France has reported the third most in Europe, with at least 130.

News24.com | Horror bus crash a wake-up call for all road users – Ramaphosa

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has lamented a horror bus crash that claimed at least 25 lives, mostly pensioners and pupils, near Centane Road in the Eastern Cape.

The bus was travelling on a gravel road near the Tafalofefe Hospital on Monday around 08:00 when it overturned, said Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Simon Zwane, earlier on Monday.

While the exact cause of the crash was not known, Zwane said the driver reportedly lost control of the bus.

Ramaphosa has directed Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula and the Eastern Cape provincial government to reach out to affected families and provide the necessary assistance as well as to establish what led to the incident.

READ | 25 killed, 61 injured in horror Eastern Cape bus crash

The president offered condolences to the families of the dead and wished the 61 survivors a speedy recovery.

“This is a sad day for the people of the Eastern Cape and our nation at large. This tragedy leaves our country deeply saddened and forces us to focus yet again on the need for transport providers and other road users to exercise care and consideration on our roads.

“We must take care of one another as compatriots and, from this incident we see the need for us to be especially considerate towards elderly persons and children who depend on others to be conveyed around communities and the country.

“Safer roads begin with safer attitudes and behaviour. This tragedy is, sadly, yet another wake-up call to all of us to ensure that we arrive alive and those who are entrusted to our care arrive alive,” Ramaphosa said.