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South Africa has recorded 12 513 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 2 075 409.

“This increase represents a 31.6% positivity rate, which is higher than yesterday (30.2%),” the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Monday.

The majority of new cases are from Gauteng (60%), followed by the Western Cape (10%). Limpopo accounted for 7%, KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 6%, the North West and Mpumalanga each accounted for 5%, the Eastern Cape accounted for 3%, the Free State accounted for 2% and Northern Cape accounted for 1% of the new cases.

“As per the National Department of Health, a further 331 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 62 171 to date,” the NICD said.

A total of 13 489 570 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

Meanwhile, an increase of 566 hospital admissions have been reported in the past 24 hours.

Four suspects are expected to appear before the Bethlehem Magistrate Court on Tuesday on charges of drug dealing.

The suspects, aged between 24 and 31 years, were arrested on Monday after the Welkom Public Order Police Reaction Team deployed Bethlehem received information about suspicious people allegedly dealing in drugs at a house in Bohlokong.

Police visited the house and found three men inside a stationary vehicle in the yard at Giyani location in Bohlokong.

“The men were searched and arrested after they were found in possession of drugs. The suspects are aged 24, 31 and 33. We found that they were in possession of crystal meth and kat.

“The team proceeded to the back room, where they found and arrested a 33-year-old man for possession of crystal meth,” the South African Police Service said.

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has announced that the price of both grades of petrol will increase on Wednesday.

The price of petrol 93 (ULP and LRP) will increase by 29 cents per litre and the price of 95 (ULP and LRP) will increase by 26 cents per litre, while the price of diesel (0.05% sulphur) will increase by 42 cents per litre and the price of diesel  (0.005% sulphur) will increase by 41 cents per litre.

The price of illuminating paraffin (wholesale) will increase by 36 cents per litre, while the Single Maximum National Retail Price (SMNRP) for illuminating paraffin will increase by 48 cents per litre.

The Maximum Retail Price for LPGas will increase by 63 cents per litre.

“South Africa’s fuel prices are adjusted on a monthly basis, informed by international and local factors. International factors include the fact that South Africa imports both crude oil and finished products at a price set at the international level, including importation costs, such as shipping costs,” the Minister said.

The main reasons for the fuel price adjustments are due to crude oil prices, international petroleum product prices and the Rand/US Dollar exchange rate.

“The average Brent Crude oil price increased from 66.00USD to 73.00USD per barrel during the period under review. The higher oil prices are mainly due to inventory decline, as reported by the International Energy Agency and concerns about the spread of the latest Coronavirus variant globally. However, the market is optimistic that OPEC [Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries] may decide to ease oil production cuts during its next meeting,” Mantashe said.

The movement in international refined petroleum product prices followed the increasing trend in crude oil prices.

This led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Price of petrol by 36.74 c/l and 39.81 c/l, diesel by 52.33 c/l and 51.63 c/l and illuminating paraffin by 45.76 c/l.

“The Rand appreciated slightly, on average, against the US Dollar (from 14.11 to 13.92 Rand per USD) during the period under review when compared to the previous one. This led to lower contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin by about 10.00 cents per litre,” the Minister said.

Government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme reached a milestone on Monday, with government rolling out the inoculation of the security sector.

Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police General Khehla Sitole were the first to receive their jabs at the launch of the programme at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, on Monday.

The sector is the latest to join government’s phased vaccination programme that started early this year.

Healthcare workers were the first in March in the Johnson & Johnson Sisonke programme. A month later, government began administering jabs on the over 60 population.

Two weeks ago, over 500 000 basic education workers began receiving their doses. Last week, the programme began focusing on those aged 50 and above.

The launch of the security sector vaccination programme was part of government’s tiered approach in an attempt to drive the country towards reaching herd immunity.

In the past four months, over 3.1 million vaccinations had been administered.

Speaking at the launch, at which 900 SAPS personnel were to receive doses, an elated Cele expressed delight.

“It has been a long walk [to reach this point] for us as the family of the SAPS. The sad part is that we reach this point when we have already lost about 672 of our members.

“We wish it could have been earlier so that we don’t lose those members and those 32 500 of them who have been infected – we thank God that 30 000 of them have recovered,” he said.

The Minister said the jabs would assist the SAPS to work in a protected way.

“We have 180 000 plus members and we hope everyone will get the vaccine. It will start here with the rollout. The proper day of the rollout will be the 8th. We hope it will be finalised as soon as possible and we believe we will be much safer after that.

“I want to see things happen. It’s a beautiful Monday – it’s not every Monday that I am happy,” he said.

Speaking at the event, acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi described the milestone as important.

She said dates for correctional services and metro police staff would be communicated in due course.

“This is a milestone as we move towards herd immunity.”

The country, she said, had in recent days made inroads in its vaccination programme. The programme was expected to shift a gear higher with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) at the weekend announcing it had granted conditional use approval of the Sinovac vaccine.

“[This] boosts our moral and boosts positively towards our vaccination programme. It now means we have multiple vaccines that are available to us,” she said.

Behind the scenes, she said scientists continue to analyse developments around the use of the AstraZeneca vaccines in the country. South Africa in February temporarily suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after studies showed that it was less effective against the mutated SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 variant (Beta), which was at the time common in South Africa.

“Currently we are still cautioned against AstraZeneca though we are seeing the Delta variant dominating or growing; we still have the Beta variant, which makes it difficult for us to move.

Police are being vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in an attempt to ensure that the vaccination programme gained momentum.

“This is very critical,” she said.

Kubayi said the vaccination of the SAPS was important as police were critically assisting the Department of Health manage the pandemic.

“We are doing our best in terms of hospitalisation, in terms of recommending restrictions and all of that. It needs law enforcement in the forefront to ensure that what the NCCC has pronounced together with the President is implemented. So it is important for them to get this vaccine,” she said.

Police urged to get jabs

Sitole urged police officers to get their jabs, saying it was important for the SAPS to fight crime with a healthy workforce.

“Today is a demonstration of this deliverable. It is important for us to show members of the SAPS force that we invest in their health and we want to make sure that, as they go out, they are safe.

“This is part of the safety strategy. As you see them here today, they are the ones in the frontline. They’ve been deployed to support the department of health in their endeavour to, firstly, ensure that we control the virus but also further make that we secure the vaccine.

Illicit vaccines

He said police had noted a new modus operandi pertaining to the virus.

“We have done take downs where vaccines were [illicitly] being brought into the country in other ways. There has been other ways to try and disrupt the vaccine programme,” he said.

He urged members to continue to rendering a “patriotic” and “selfless” service.

South Africa has recorded 16 585 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 062 896.

“This increase represents a 30.2% positivity rate. As per the National Department of Health, a further 333 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 61 840 to date,” the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Sunday.

A total of 13 450 014 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

The Gauteng province accounts for the majority of new cases (57%), followed by the Western Cape (11%), and the KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo (7% each) provinces.

“An increase of 384 hospital admissions have been reported in the past 24 hours,” the institute said.

Meanwhile, South Africa recorded new record high infections for COVID-19 on Friday and Saturday.

Saturday’s report identified 26 485 new cases with the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases at 2 046 311.

This increase represented a 27.3% positivity rate. A further 175 COVID-19 related deaths were reported, bringing total fatalities to 61 507.

On Friday, the NICD reported 24 270 new COVID-19 cases, with the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases at 2 019 826.

This increase represented a 27.4% positivity rate. A further 303 COVID-19 related deaths were reported, bringing total fatalities to 61 332 to date.

A 35-year-old man from Gusi Administrative area, outside Elliotdale, has been arrested in connection with a woman who was reported missing at the beginning of June 2021.

It is alleged that the woman went missing while she visited her boyfriend in Elliotdale and never returned home.

A thorough investigation by detectives led to the arrest of her boyfriend for murdering her in June 2021.

The suspect pointed out the scene of the crime where the deceased’s remains were found. He was immediately arrested and charged for murder.

Captain Siphokazi Mawiza confirmed the suspect will appear in court tomorrow.

“The details of the case are quite sensitive, the names of the perpetrator and victim can only be released after the suspect stands in front of a magistrate tomorrow,” Mawiza said.

District Commissioner Brigadier Ngangema XXakavu said the police will continue to fight the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide.

“We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that perpetrators are behind bars and face the full might of law.”

A total of 100 water tanks and 10 tankers have been procured and delivered to Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality to ease water supply challenges due to the ongoing drought effects in the area.

The procurement and the delivery of water tanks and tankers by Rand Water comes after Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu visited the area in April, where she made a commitment that the services of the entity will be enlisted to supplement the existing efforts to deal with drought effects in the area.

“Nelson Mandela Bay is facing serious drought phenomenon, causing the Algoa Water Supply System with six dams supplying water to the area to decline to paltry 10.9% levels in the past week. One of the major dams in the [Algoa Water Supply System], Kouga Dam is almost empty at 4.2%.

“Municipalities that are set to benefit from this intervention include Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Ndlambe and Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipalities,” department spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau said.

The department has reiterated its call and urged members of the public to use water with utmost care and avoid any drop of water going to waste.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) efforts to repatriate corrupt-Gupta family members have received a major shot in the arm after Interpol issued red notices against two implicated brothers, their wives and other associates.

The brothers – Atul and Rajesh Gupta– and their respective wives, Chetali and Arti are among those accused of fleecing the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of R25 million for a supposed feasibility study.

They are accused alongside Ankit Jain, former Nulane Investment Bank of Baroda account signatory; Ravindra Nath, director of Wone Management (Pty) Ltd; Ramesh Bhat and Jagdish Parekh, the directors of Pragat Investments (Pty) Ltd.

On Monday, the Bloemfontein Regional Court postponed the criminal case relating to the R25 million Nulane Investment case. The matter will be transferred to the Bloemfontein High Court on 6 September 2021 for trial.

In a statement, the NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID) said the matter was postponed in the absence of the accused, as agreed between itself and the defense. This was in the wake of the COVID-19 Adjusted Alert Level 4 lockdown regulations.

“Warrants against the accused out on bail will be issued yet stayed until the next appearance. Iqbal Sharma on the other hand will continue to be incarcerated as he was not granted bail last month,” ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said.

Former Transnet Board member Iqbal Sharma, Nulane Investment employee Dinesh Patel, former Free State head of Department for Rural Development (FSDoRD), Peter Thabethe; former head of FSDoA, Limakatso Moorosi; and former FSDoA Chief Financial Officer, Seipati Dhlamini face charges of fraud and money laundering. The former government officials are also charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.

The case relates to procurement fraud involving R24.9 million, paid between November 2011 and April 2012 by the FSDoA to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD, a company owned and controlled by Sharma.

“From there the funds were diverted to Islandsite Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd (Islandsite), a company owned and controlled by the Gupta family. The R24.9m was purportedly paid to Nulane to conduct a feasibility study for the Free State Province’s flagship Mohoma Mobung project, on the basis that Nulane had unique skills to perform the work. The group is charged together with three companies, Nulane Investment 204 (Pty) Ltd, Wone Management (PTY) LTD, Pragat Investment (Pty) LTD, Islandsite Investments Pty Ltd,” reads the statement.

ID head, Advocate Hermione Cronje, in the statement confirmed efforts to bring the Guptas back had intensified.

The docket has been disclosed to the six accused to aid them in preparation for trial.

In an effort to ramp up the province’s vaccination programme, the Gauteng Provincial Government and civil society partners will this week launch COVID-19 mobile vaccination drives in Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg.

In a statement, Gauteng Provincial Government spokesperson Thabo Masebe said the drive is aimed at assisting all eligible persons for vaccination to get jabs near their places of residence or work.

Masebe said mobile clinics and additional vaccination sites will be used.

Transport will also be provided for those in need. “Pick-up points in different areas have been published. All eligible persons are urged to make use of the opportunities created to get vaccinated,” Masebe said.

The provincial government urged people who are 50 years and older to register for their vaccination.

He also assured that all public vaccination sites in Gauteng accept walk-ins of all eligible groups.

“COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective in preventing severe diseases, hospitalisation and death even in the event of a delta variant infection. The Gauteng government would like to remind residents that each vaccination brings us one step closer to a better future and to the things we miss.

“Let us minimise the spread of the disease and flatten the curve through compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions. We call on all Gauteng residents to get vaccinated when their turn comes,” Masebe said.

The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS) on Sunday enhanced operational capacity in KwaZulu-Natal amid “flagrant disregard” for COVID-19 Adjusted Alert Level 4 regulations.

“This is in response to incidents in which people are seen to be undermining the authority of the State, including the flouting of the Disaster Management Act Regulations,” NatJOINTS spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo said in a statement.

During the deployment, SAPS commanders and members on the ground are provided clear and concise directives that responds to any and all situations and must be informed by proper analysis.

“To this end, every situation will be assessed and dealt with on its own merit,” reads the statement.

In situations where any operational response by the security forces may potentially result in injury and/or loss of life, a criminal case or cases will be opened against those that have created such situations and criminal action will be instituted against such persons.

The NatJOINTS reminded the public that the country is still under adjusted Alert Level 4 lockdown.

“If we are to see a slowdown in the spread of the virus, all citizens of the country are urged to strictly adhere to the Disaster Management Act Regulations and failure to do so, including any person organising or being part of gatherings, will also result in people being fined or jailed or both.”