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South Africa has recorded 2 894 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the cumulative detected number of cases to 1 635 465.

Meanwhile, the country reported another 30 COVID-19 related deaths on Sunday, which pushes the tally to 55 802.

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said 20 fatalities were reported in Gauteng, five in Free State, three in the Western Cape, one each in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, while the rest of the provinces logged zero deaths.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased patients,” said Mkhize.

The Minister announced that the recovery rate stands at 94.1% after 1 539 395 patients recuperated, the number of active cases has  climbed to 40 268.

The data is based on the 11 354 930 tests of which 29 355 were conducted since the last reporting cycle.

“The total number vaccinated under the Sisonke Programme is 480 665. These vaccinations were with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and are therefore completed vaccinations.”

In addition, 167 318 people have already received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine as part of phase two of the government’s national COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Globally, there have been 166 346 635 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3 449 117 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“As of 21 May 2021, a total of 1 448 242 899 vaccine doses have been administered,” the WHO added.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for equitable vaccine access as poorer countries lag behind in their COVID-19 inoculation drive.

Speaking during the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA), President Ramaphosa said this week’s assembly was taking place in one of the critical periods in recent history as countries grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At this year’s World Health Assembly, we’re urged to end this pandemic, prevent the next one and build a healthier, safer and fairer world,” he said on Monday.

To achieve this year’s agenda, President Ramaphosa has called on world leaders to urgently address the huge divide in the provision of lifesaving jabs.

“Millions of people in wealthier nations have been vaccinated, while billions of people in poorer countries still wait and are still vulnerable to infection, disease and to death.”

He believes that all leaders need to work together to remedy the situation.

“This is not only a moral imperative. Effective and comprehensive global vaccination is vital to ending the pandemic. None of us can hope to be safe unless we’re all safe all over the world.”

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO) attended by all Member States.

Increase vaccine production

President Ramaphosa, who co-chairs the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, has also pleaded with the global leaders to continue to support the initiative to raise US$18.5 billion.

ACT Accelerator is a global collaboration accelerating the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

“We must urgently increase vaccine production across the world, including in low-and middle-income countries.”

He also shone the spotlight on the limited waiver on intellectual property rights as a mechanism to promote rapid, equitable access.

According to the President, this will allow countries to allow the use of intellectual property, share technologies to produce vaccines and therapeutics, lower prices and expedite distribution to everyone across the globe.

“As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic, we need to build more robust pandemic response systems.”

He told delegates that countries must invest in national health systems, as they are crucial to the health of people and the sustainability of economies.

“While the pandemic has exposed some of the weaknesses in our respective health systems, it has also required decisive measures to strengthen them.”

Meanwhile, the President said he believes that building healthier, safer and fairer lives is also about delivering integrated services for HIV, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases and maternal, newborn and child services.

He paid tribute to the contribution of the millions of health workers and other frontline personnel who have demonstrated amazing courage and dedication.

He also thanked the WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, and his staff for the “excellent” job done in managing this pandemic.

Vaccine crisis

Director-General Ghebreyesus also shared President Ramaphosa’s sentiments.

He said the ongoing vaccine crisis is a “scandalous” inequity that is perpetuating the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to Ghebreyesus, over 75% of all vaccines have been administered in just 10 countries.

“There is no diplomatic way to say it: a small group of countries that make and buy the majority of the world’s vaccines control the fate of the rest of the world,” Ghebreyesus added.

In addition, he said the number of vaccine doses administered globally so far would have been enough to cover all healthcare workers and the elderly, had they been distributed equally.

“But right now, there is not enough supply. Countries that vaccinate children and other low-risk groups now do so at the expense of healthcare workers and high-risk groups in other countries.”

Ghebreyesus said since the assembly started on Monday, almost 1 000 people have lost their lives to COVID-19.

“And in the time it takes me to make these remarks, a further 400 will die.”

The 74th World Health Assembly, which kicked off on Monday under the theme “Ending this pandemic, preventing the next: building together a healthier, safer and fairer world,” will conclude on 1 June 2021.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has announced the appointment of Eileen Meyer as Chief Ombud of the first Ombud Council Board.

In a statement, Mboweni said the appointment gives effect to the new financial Ombud system in terms of the Financial Sector Regulation Act No. 9 of 2017 (FSR Act).

Meyer’s appointment to the Ombud Council is a transitional measure, until a full-time Chief Ombud is appointed.

The Ombud Council is established in terms of section 175(1) of the FSR Act.

“The objective of the Ombud Council is to assist in ensuring that financial customers have access to, and are able to use affordable, effective, independent and fair alternative dispute resolution processes for complaints about financial institutions in relation to financial products, financial services and services provided by financial infrastructures,” said the Ministry of Finance in a statement.

The Ombud Council will have oversight powers over both the statutory and industry Ombuds.

These include the Pension Fund Adjudicator; Ombud for Financial Services Providers (FAIS Ombud); Credit Ombud; Ombudsman for Long – Term Insurance; Ombudsman for Short – Term Insurance; Ombudsman for Banking Services; and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Ombud.

The Ombud Council will recognise industry schemes, set enhanced governance and accountability requirements, and harmonise and strengthen standards of practice for each ombud scheme through rule making and enforcement powers, to develop a uniform and consistent framework for external dispute resolution mechanisms across the financial services sector.

“Ms Eileen Meyer has been appointed as a Chief Ombud for the Ombud Council in terms of section 188 (1) of the FSR Act, which follows the appointment of the first Board of Directors (BoD), effective for a three-year term commencing 1 November 2020, in terms of section 180 of the FSR Act,” the Ministry said on Monday.

The BoD, is now quorate and properly constituted following the appointment of the Chief Ombud, the Ombud Council will now be able to commence its work and fulfil its statutory mandate.

The appointment of the Chief Ombud for a short period is a transitional measure, to enable the Ombud Council to commence operations and enables the Board to commence the process to appoint a full-time Chief Ombud.

The Council is made up of Deanne Wood (chairperson), Advocate Dikeledi Chabedi (vice chairperson), Emmanuel Lekgau, Silindile Kubheka, Adam Horowitz, Charmaine Soobramoney, and Katherine Gibson (acting Financial Sector Conduct Authority Commissioner).

The current acting Financial Sector Conduct AuthorityCommissioner will serve on the BoD until Unathi Kamlana assumes office as the recently appointed full-time Commissioner.

A newly established forum to monitor infrastructure projects more effectively and put systems in place to detect and prevent corruption has been launched in Cape Town.

Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) Minister, Patricia de Lille, and Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Advocate Andy Mothibi, launched the Infrastructure Built Anti-Corruption Forum (IBACF) on Monday, an initiative by the Anti-Corruption Task Team, government and civil society, together with the built environment sector.

De Lille said the initiative comes at a time when South Africa has embarked on the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment Plan, approved by Cabinet in May 2020. The plan forms an integral part of the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP).

“Cabinet has also approved the establishment of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) as the administrative arm responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment Plan which is made up of projects from all three spheres of government, state-owned enterprises and the private sector.

“It is against this background, that the Infrastructure Built Anti-Corruption Forum has been initiated as a strategy to detect and prevent corruption in the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment Plan because this plan cannot be derailed or affected by corruption in any way,” said de Lille.

The establishment of this forum is also in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), approved by Cabinet in November 2020, to help step up the fight against corruption and fraud in the country.

“The NACS pillar 6 puts emphasis on protection of vulnerable sectors, which direct that strategic interventions should be implemented in those sectors that are more prone and vulnerable to the incidents of fraud and corruption.

“[The] infrastructure and/or construction sector is one of the sectors that have been prioritised. The forum also aligns with one of the seven key priorities of the 6th administration, which is to build a capable, ethical and developmental state,” the Minister said.

She said corruption within the built environment has run rampant for too long.

While the state has structures in place, government cannot do this work alone, de Lille said. That is why the private sector, public entities and civil society have been brought together in a forum to work together in more effective ways to detect, prevent and act against corruption.

“Our people need better roads, hospitals, schools and generally better infrastructure for better services. We need better and more government buildings. We cannot allow the crooks to continue to steal billions meant for infrastructure.

“People, no matter who they are, cannot be allowed to continue to steal and stifle progress at the expense of the most vulnerable in our country. Anyone involved in corrupt activities and found guilty of such must face consequences; they must face the full might of the law.

“We must work together to put an end to this scourge because corruption steals from the poor. We also need a clear path to delivering quality infrastructure to create the crowding in effect of more investment by the private sector,” De Lille said.

Construction sector vulnerable to price fixing

Advocate Mothibi said that based on the SIU investigations under various proclamations over the years totalling over R10 billion to date, the construction sector is vulnerable to price fixing, high Construction Industry Development Board grading issued to non-deserving contractors, and issuing of illegal environmental permits for large developers to develop in sensitive environmental areas.

There is also an issue of defrauding the state through the usage of sub-standard construction material to make more profit and facilitation fees, bribery and kickbacks, amongst others.

“The Infrastructure Build Anti-Corruption Forum will galvanise all stakeholders into action and ensure that Infrastructure Built Projects are monitored more effectively and put measures and systems in place to fight against fraud and corruption, identify areas of co-operation to enhance prevention, detection, civil litigation and prosecution of fraud and corruption in the Infrastructure Build Sector,” Mothibi said

Head of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said that ISA has in the last year, upon request, worked with the SIU on some cases, and has a well-established and good working relationship with the SIU.

“The official launch of this forum can only cement our working relations further to ensure greater transparency and accountability as we implement the country’s infrastructure build programme,” Ramokgopa said.

The South African Revenue Services has welcomed a two-year sentence the Bloemfontein Regional Court has handed to a tax practitioner charged with 24 non-compliance offences.

In a statement, the revenue collector said the suspect, Ritondeni Luvhengo, had tried to dodge his first court appearance but was later arrested. The sentence is suspended

Luvhungeo, who was arrested in September after failing to appear before court in July, faced 48 VAT offences. He also faced 24 charges for failing to disclose relevant material facts on the VAT 201 returns submitted to the SARS.

“The non-compliance offences were committed while Tax Practitioner Ritondeni Luvhengo was in charge of the tax affairs of a construction company,” SARS said in a statement.

The suspect was found to have submitted 24 nil VAT 201 returns to SARS without the consent of the client in order to obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate.

As a result, the accused was also charged with 24 counts for acting without the client’s consent and authority.

In the statement, SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said the revenue collector would not tolerate non-compliance by taxpayers and tax practitioners.

“In fact we hold practitioners to a higher standard, as important intermediaries in our quest towards voluntary compliance.

“Non-compliance not only reduces the revenue that SARS is able to collect, but further erodes the culture of compliance. The reduced revenue collection means that basic services to the poor and vulnerable cannot be delivered, especially at a time of great need when COVID-19 still wreaks havoc on the economy,” he said.

“SARS continues to make it easy for taxpayers and practitioners to comply with their tax obligations and will continue to make it difficult and costly for those who wilfully do not comply.”

He added that tax practitioners held the trust of taxpayers when acting on their behalf and that this trust should never be broken. While the majority of tax practitioners act ethically and in the best interests of their clients, there are those practitioners who serve their own selfish ends.

The Commissioner said taxpayers should be extremely careful about whom they appoint as tax practitioners and should check the registration status of a practitioner on the SARS website www.sars.gov.za.

Police Minister Bheki Cele has ordered a thorough investigation into the police’s response to the Zandspruit vigilantism incident, that claimed that lives of eight alleged gang members.

The Minister made the call during a visit to the area on Saturday in the wake of the gruesome Gauteng incident.

Another person was severely injured in the incident which took place in the early hours of Wednesday.

During his community engagement at the weekend, Cele assured Zandspruit residents that their claims of the local police station not responding to their distress calls would be urgently investigated.

Accompanied Gauteng Community Safety MEC, Faith Mazibuko, Cele met with the provincial police management to get a full briefing about the killings and what progress has been made on the case.

In a statement, the Ministry said it also had an engagement with community leadership structures, to find out what could have led the community to take the law into their hands.

“This meeting saw representatives of the local CPF and other recognised community safety structures, expressing the residents policing and safety concerns. They also reported to the police Minister and the provincial police team that the Honeydew police station, which also serves the Zandspruit area, provides poor service to the community.

“They claim the local police are not only corrupt but at times ignore their policing needs. Some in the meeting believe the death of the eight youngsters who were severely assaulted and burnt, could have been avoided if police responded on time,” said the Ministry.

In his address to the community gathered at the local sports grounds, where the murders took place, Cele told residents that he is convinced the community of Zandspruit deserve improved service delivery.

He ordered an urgent probe into why the police response time was slow on the morning of the attacks and has called for heads to roll.

“There is no doubt police in this area have many challenges due to the ever increasing population size and poor living conditions that impede on crime fighting efforts.

“However, some of the problems faced by the police are self-made. It’s really disheartening to hear that calls were made to the police while the youngsters were still alive but yet police vans took hours to respond, so that’s why I have tasked the provincial Commissioner to get to the bottom of these claims and I expect answers in the coming days,” said the Minister.

A police task team has been put together to look at other identified problems within the station as well as relook at all cold cases that have been dragging on with little, to no conclusion.

Cele has committed to return to the area in less than a month’s time, to provide feedback to the residents on what has been done to improve the station’s performance and service delivery.

Gauteng police arrested more than 1070 suspects at the weekend during various operations, with 150 of them allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The suspects were arrested during O Kae Molao Operations, tracing of wanted suspects and routine police stop and search in various parts of the province between Friday and Sunday.

Among the serious crimes committed were violent crimes such as rape, sexual assault, murder, car hijacking, attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, robbery, theft, fraud, possession of drugs, possession of suspected stolen property and possession of an unlicensed firearm.

In addition, police arrested over 70 people for contravention of the National Disaster Management Act.

Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela led the integrated law enforcement agencies in Kagiso, in the West Rand, joined by MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko.

During this operation, police arrested more than 40 drunk drivers at a road block, 138 other suspects were arrested in the West Rand for crimes including possession of drugs, armed robbery, murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Crime combatting operations were also conducted in Soweto where more than 165 suspects were arrested for crime ranging from rape, murder, assault, theft, intimidation, pointing of firearm and robbery.

In the Tshwane district over 310 suspects were nabbed by integrated law enforcement agencies made up of South African Police Service, Metro Police Department and Gauteng Traffic Police.

These suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from assault, possession of suspected stolen property, reckless and negligent driving and dealing in drugs.

Furthermore, Joint intelligence-driven operations were also effective and yielded positive results in the Ekurhuleni District where 363 suspects were arrested for crimes that include assault, robbery, and possession of suspected stolen property, rape, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearm and possession of drugs.

In Sedibeng, police arrested 58 suspects for committing offences that include murder, burglary at residential premises, theft, robbery and selling liquor without licence.

The arrested suspects will appear in various Magistrate’s Courts in Gauteng in due course.

The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) is today officially opening the 2021/22 call for Grant Funding Applications.

Applications for grant funding open on Monday 24 May, and will continue for a six-week period.

The agency is inviting community media projects in radio, TV, print and digital publications, as well as small commercial print to apply for funding.

“These Grant Funding Applications aim to encourage media ownership, access and control particularly by historically disadvantaged communities and diminished indigenous language and cultural groups,” MDDA CEO, Zukiswa Potye said.

In a statement on Friday, the agency said funding is one of the central factors towards ensuring successful empowerment, sustainability, and transformation in the community media sector.

“To this end, the application process will be effected through compliant, cost-effective and transparent selection procedures, in-line with corporate governance principles and compliance with the agency’s legislative framework,” MDDA said.

The qualifying criteria and online application system are obtainable on the MDDA website, www.mdda.org.za .

“Further, and in an effort to secure equitable and fair geographic distribution of participating projects, the MDDA will also conduct a national outreach programme to raise awareness on media development and diversity; and assist interested parties with the completion of application forms,” the agency said.

The outreach programme will take place from 31 May 2021 in Tshwane, Gauteng.

Applications may be submitted through the MDDA website, via e-mail or a hard-copy delivery at the MDDA offices.

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education Chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, has expressed concern at a bullying incident, where a Grade 8 learner at a Cape Town school was caught on camera setting alight the hair of a fellow learner.

The incident took place at Belgravia High School in Athlone, Cape Town.

The video, which circulated on social media, showed a girl sitting in class and taunted by a boy who poured a liquid on her head and set her hair alight while laughing can be heard in the background. In the video, the teacher appears to have stepped out of the class.

Mbinqo-Gigaba said all learners should be familiar with the anti-bullying policies and the consequences thereof if they do not adhere to them.

“The bullying behaviour of this boy has also put the life of this learner, as well as that of other learners in danger by setting the girl’s hair alight.

“Furthermore, we have last month experienced the horrific effects of bullying when a Limpopo learner committed suicide after videos of her being smacked around by fellow Grade 10 girls were shared on social media. Policies should be enforced. If there are still schools operating without a code of conduct or an anti-bullying policy, they should urgently address this matter,” the chairperson said in a statement on Friday.

Mbinqo-Gigaba, the Western Cape Education Department has confirmed that the learner was suspended after the video became public.

She also urged education authorities across the country to ensure that those involved in bullying are made to face the consequences of their actions.

“Education is a societal issue [and] therefore, the responsibility for the safety of learners does not just lie with the education authorities, but with everyone. I want to urge parents and caregivers to also take up this responsibility to make learners aware of bullying and its devastating consequences,” Mbinqo-Gigaba.

She said the committee is planning an oversight visit to schools in the province in the near future.

South Africa will provide tons of maize meal to the people of Zimbabwe who were affected by severe flooding caused by the tropical cyclone Idai weather system in 2019.

According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Minister Naledi Pandor will travel to Zimbabwe on Africa Day, 25 May 2021, to officially hand over the first shipment.

“His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa will receive the consignment on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe at the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe,” the department said.

The department said South Africa responded to an appeal from the Zimbabwean government in 2019 for humanitarian assistance.

DIRCO said this was in response to infrastructure destruction and loss of human life caused by severe flooding.

According to ReliefWeb, the largest humanitarian information portal in the world, at least 82 deaths and over 200 injuries were reported, mainly in Chimanimani, while 217 people went missing.

Through the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund (ARF), the department said South Africa pledged R50 million in humanitarian support to assist those affected by the cyclone in Zimbabwe.

The assistance consists 450 000 bags of 12.5 kg maize meal to be distributed to the affected families.

“The outbreak of the COVID-19 delayed the implementation of the project, which will now be completed by September 2021.”