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Qatar Airways is expanding its network in South Africa by increasing its flight frequencies in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

“Cape Town will increase to seven weekly flights, Durban increases to three weekly flights, while Johannesburg increased to 18 weekly flights, offering passengers more flexible and reliable travel options,” Qatar Airways said on Wednesday.

By March 2021, Qatar Airways will operate 28 weekly flights from South Africa. The airline has applied its unrivalled knowledge of global passenger flows and booking trends to rebuild its South Africa network to 28 weekly flights across Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

“We are proud to be the leading international carrier connecting South Africa with Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, offering more flexible travel options and a global network of flights that passengers, trade and business partners can rely on.

“South Africa has always been a very important market to us and we continue to demonstrate our commitment to the region by adding new routes and steadily increasing frequencies across the continent.

“As global travel recovers in 2021, we look forward to further expanding our network and offering more connections to and from Africa via the Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport, to our global network of over 120 destinations,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said.

South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, welcomed the move by the airline.

“This certainly demonstrates to the world that South Africa has put the necessary measures in place to ensure that it is safe for travel in the Covid-19 environment.

“Air Access is important for South Africa, as we to look to recover post COVID and Qatar Airways has an extensive global network that links travellers via Doha from our source markets. As we embark on our tourism recovery strategy, having airlines such as Qatar Airways play a supporting role by increasing its capacity will go a long way in assisting us regain the international arrival numbers,” Ntshona said.

In line with the airline’s steady rebuild of its South Africa network, Qatar Airways has increased frequencies to the following destinations:

• Cape Town (increasing to seven weekly flights from 1 March)
• Durban (increased to three weekly flights from 14 February)
• Johannesburg (increased to 18 weekly flights from 26 January)

A high-powered executive management team from the Department of Employment and Labour has been dispatched to meet with unions, following disturbances and incidents of unprotected industrial action in Mpumalanga.

In a statement, the department said the industrial action had seriously impacted the rendering of services by the department and its entities.

“A meeting has been set for Friday between the department and National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union and Public Service Association in Mbombela,” reads the statement.

The meeting is a sequel to disturbances at the provincial office following allegations made by the unions against the department’s provincial head.

Department Director-General Thobile Lamati condemned the strike action, which has seen citizens denied much-needed services. He said while the right to strike or protest is available to everyone who is aggrieved, there is never justification for the exercise of that right to impede citizens from receiving services they deserve.

“The right to strike or protest should be conducted within the ambit of the existing laws, prescripts and policies. It cannot be that in the process, this right is exercised at the expense of clients. It is also not acceptable to threaten staff members because there is a disagreement,” said Lamati.

He committed to a have all the allegations that have been levelled at the regional office investigated and follow the recommendations thereof.

“Allegations need to be tested and wherever the investigations lead, the department will act accordingly,” the DG said.

Free State Health MEC Montseng Tsiu on Wednesday received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

The buoyant Tsiu, who is a professional nurse, took the vaccine alongside Dr David Motau, who is the Head of the Department of Health in the Free State.

“MEC Tsiu and HOD, Dr Motau, felt the need to take the vaccine first to give health care workers reasons to believe that there is nothing sinister about this vaccine because it has passed both the test of safety and efficacy,” the Free State Department of Health said in a statement.

The two leaders of Health in the Free State encouraged healthcare workers to voluntarily enlist to be vaccinated as part of the national drive to build herd immunity.

Building a herd immunity in the Free State means that 67% of the population which is 1.9 million of the 2.9 million in the Free State will be vaccinated to ensure that they are safe from getting the COVID-19 virus.

The vaccination campaign, which started on Wednesday with health care workers, will then be rolled out to all other sections of the population in line with the National rollout plan.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, on Wednesday were among the first together with health workers to be vaccinated in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape when the rollout campaign started.

“At first I was a bit terrified of this long needle that was going to be embedded into my arm. But it happened so quickly, so easily. It was just a prick on my flesh and I really did not feel much pain,” President Ramaphosa said after taking the vaccine.

Before being vaccinated, Mkhize witnessed the first healthcare workers receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The first health worker to be vaccinated was Zoliswa Gidi-Dyosi.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been approved by the South African Health Products Authority, arrived at the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng, on Tuesday night.

The first batch of 80 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being prepared for distribution across South Africa with immediate effect.

About 500 000 vials of vaccines will follow in the next four weeks.

As the country witnessed the first vaccinations being administered on Wednesday, the country’s COVID-19 figures increased by 2 320 new cases.

According to the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections now stand at 1 496 439.

The latest statistics reveal that 165 more people died due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, which brings the death toll to 48 478 deaths.

Of the most recent fatalities, 76 are from Gauteng, 25 from the Western Cape, 22 from Free State, 15 from the Eastern Cape, 14 from KwaZulu-Natal, nine from the Northern Cape and four from Mpumalanga.

There are 48 132 people in the country who are currently infected, with KwaZulu-Natal having the most number of active cases sitting at 16 256.

The province is followed by the Western Cape with 7 565 active cases, while 7 050 are in Free State.

Mkhize said there are 1 399 829 people who beat COVID-19, representing a recovery rate of 93.5%.

The cumulative total of tests conducted to date is 8 772 743 with 35 413 recorded since the last report.

Global view

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said there are 109 217 366 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2 413 912 deaths, reported to date.

According to the WHO weekly epidemiological report, the number of global new cases reported has continued to fall, with 2.7 million new cases last week.

The world saw a 16% decline of over 500 000 fewer new cases compared to the previous week.

Meanwhile, the number of new deaths also saw a dip, with 81 000 new deaths reported last week, a 10% decline as compared to the previous week.

According to the agency, five out of six WHO regions reported a double-digit percentage decline in new cases, with only the Eastern Mediterranean region showing a 7% rise.

“Europe and the Americas continue to see the greatest drops in absolute numbers of cases. Meanwhile, the number of new deaths declined in all regions.”

In the past week, the five countries reporting the highest number of new cases continue to be the United States (673 630 cases, a 23% decrease), Brazil (318 290 cases, a 3% decrease), France (127 565 cases, a 6% decrease), Russia (104 602 cases, an 11% decrease), and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (97 271 cases, a 27% decrease).

The WHO said the 501Y.V2 variant, first discovered in South Africa, has now spread to 46 countries across all six WHO regions.

Nedlac on Wednesday endorsed the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) proposals on how the COVID-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme will be extended to sectors still affected by lockdown regulations.

The proposals also deal with response plans for the employees with comorbidities and those over 60 who cannot be reasonably accommodated at work. To date, the Fund has disbursed R58 billion to millions of workers.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the UIF said good progress was being made with regards to working out the details of the extension of the benefits.

The Fund also made proposals on how employees who have had to self-isolate or quarantine can claim income replacement – which proposals were welcomed by the social partners.

“These also include identification of which sectors would benefit as well as how many payment iterations or tranches there will be. The UIF confirmed that sectors ranging from tourism to hospitality and sectors involved in the manufacturing, sale, dispensing, distribution and transportation of liquor would be covered,” said the Fund.

“The social partners, working with the UIF, will ensure that sub-sectors and other business activities in certain value chains will be included in the list.”

Acting UIF Commissioner Marsha Bronkhorst in the statement said the business constituency has been tasked to review the proposed sectors to ensure that all business or establishments who are affected in one way or another are covered in this extension.

The Nedlac social partners agreed to two payment iterations in the new extension, the first will be for the period between 16 October to 31 December 2020 and the second from 1 January to 15 March 2021.

UIF has already started with systems configuration to accommodate the processing and payments for the first payment iteration.

“We aim to open the system for processing of applications for the first period (16 October to 31 December 2020) by the first week of March 2021,” reads the statement.

The UIF will announce once the system is open for applications and will also provide easy aid guides and frequently asked questions to assist applicants with application processes.

UIF urges employees to report employers withholding COVID-TERS payments or any suspected fraudulent activity via the following fraud hotline contacts:  0800 212 799, uif@thehotline.co.za, or SMS line 30916.

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has commended the speedy arrest of Dimakatso Ratselane’s husband in connection with the brutal attack on the Lesedi FM presenter.

Ratselane was allegedly attacked, stabbed multiple times and left for dead by her husband on 11 February in the Free State. Preliminary investigations showed that Ratselane’s husband was the last person with her before she sustained these stab wounds.

Her husband was arrested at a house in Ennerdale, Gauteng, within 24 hours after the warrant for his arrest was issued.

The CGE urged all South Africans to join hands in fighting violence, particular gender-based violence.

“We need consented efforts in addressing masculinity and patriarchy in order to eradicate the scourge of violence, gender-based crimes and intimate partner violence.

“We hope that the State, in preparing for this case, will up its game to ensure that people’s confidence in the justice system is enhanced, especially for victims and the survivors of violence, gender-based crime and intimate partner violence,” said CGE chairperson, Tamara Mathebula.

The first delivery of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in South Africa.

The vaccine, which has been approved by the South African Health Products Authority, arrived at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Gauteng on Tuesday night.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said the consignment would be moved to a secure facility in Gauteng before being distributed to the various vaccine centres in all provinces.

“Government remains committed to saving lives and protecting livelihoods. All citizens are reminded that adhering to health protocols together with the vaccine remains our best defence against the virus,” said the GCIS.

In his hybrid State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country has secured nine million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, of which 80 000 doses would arrive in the first batch.

About 500 000 vials of vaccines will follow in the next four weeks.  This as the Johnson & Johnson shot has shown to be effective against the 501Y.V2 variant.

Meanwhile, the latest COVID-19 stats show that the country has a cumulative number of 1 494 119 COVID-19 cases, with 1 210 new cases recorded.

The cumulative total of tests conducted to date is 8 737 330 with 24 486 new tests recorded since the last report.

“Regrettably, 219 deaths have been reported: Eastern Cape 20, Free State 9, Gauteng 56, Kwa-Zulu Natal 43, Limpopo 29, Mpumalanga 10, Northern Cape 14 and Western Cape 38 which brings the total to 48 313 deaths

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased patients,” Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said.

The country’s recovery figure now stands at 1 396 951, representing a recovery rate of 93.5%.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit South Africa and most economic sectors were shut down, South Africans turned to e-commerce to access basic needs like food and supplies, while schools turned to e-learning.

Participating in a debate on the State of the Nation Address during a hybrid sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, Small Business Development and Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the pandemic has showed everyone that the 4th Industrial Revolution is not still coming – it is here.

She said the economy has already gone digital and government is currently revising its guidelines and approach to connectivity.

“Our connectivity programme has to be revised from connecting health and schools to connecting homes, therefore the Department of Communications and Digital Technology is already revising the guidelines and our approach for connectivity.”

Access to affordable fast speed broadband is no longer optional – it has become a basic service like water and electricity.

Key sectors showing signs of turning around

The Minister said, meanwhile, that despite several challenges, the economy is showing some bold green shoots.

The agricultural and mining sectors continue to register quarter-on-quarter growth and this is not by accident but the deliberate actions of government.

“Early on in the management of the pandemic, we ensured that the agricultural sector continued to operate and provide food security.”

She said that when the necessary safety protocols were put in place, the mining sector was brought back to full production capacity.

“I bring this point forward because the resilience of these two sectors have emboldened the implementation of the SMME-focused localisation policy framework.

“To date, the Department of Small Business Development has introduced over 385 SMMEs and cooperatives to the value chains of large retailers and wholesalers and the majority of the products are agro-processed goods.

“In the meantime, the mining sector continues to provide business opportunities for SMMEs in the services sector and we are working with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to support the participation of SMMEs in the mining value chains including primary mining activities.”

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu says government’s extension of the R350 COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant is a show of commitment to providing a social security network to the nation’s most vulnerable.

Zulu on Tuesday participated in the debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament.

The Minister said throughout the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown, government has continued to provide support to citizens in the form of social protection measures including social grants, Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and tax relief, amongst others.

These measures, the Minister said, have protected many livelihoods during the national disaster, especially for vulnerable individuals and households.

At the SONA on 11 February, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the extension of the Social Relief of Distress Grant by a further three months. The grant, which was set to expire this month, was introduced to provide relief to millions of unemployed South Africans during the pandemic.

Zulu said between May 2020 and January 2021, a total of R183 billion was paid out to all grants for over 18 million beneficiaries.

“This figure is inclusive of the top-ups on these grants. While R17 billion was disbursed to over six million incomeless beneficiaries through the special Social Relief of Distress Grant, this grant will be extended until the end of this financial year,” she said.

Food security

The Social Development Department has provided food parcels to 7.2 million people. This was done by working with a variety of partners, including the Solidarity Fund.

“Government is going to intensify the sourcing of food and nutritional packages from small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and cooperative and community-owned enterprises,” Zulu said.

The South African Revenue Service, Zulu said, has allocated over R70 billion in tax relief to businesses in distress through the various measures, which it designed in response to the hardships that have been presented by the pandemic.

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, says government has offered the African Union the AstraZeneca vaccine doses that South Africa procured from the Serum Institute in India.

This comes amid reports that South Africa had asked the Serum Institute to take back the one million doses that arrived earlier this month after a study found that the vaccines had limited efficacy against mild to moderate patients infected with the second variant of COVID-19.

“We would also like to categorically refute the speculation in media that we have returned the stock to India – we have not.

“The Astra Zeneca doses we purchased have been offered to the African Union platform, of which we are part of, and the AU will distribute to those countries who have already expressed interest in acquiring the stock,” he said.

The Minister used the debate on  the State of the Nation Address on Tuesday to rebut reports that the vaccines had expired.

“I also wish to once again put it on record that the vaccines have not expired and that the expiry date of April 31 was established through our quality control processes. A wrong impression was created that the vaccines have expired [and] this is simply not true,” he said.

Mkhize said there will be no wasteful and fruitless expenditure.

“In regard to the future role of AstraZeneca – and all vaccines for that matter- we continue to be guided by the Ministerial Advisory Committee and experts and remain committed to an approach that is led by science and is rational in its implementation.”

Mkhize said, as announced by the President, government has managed to successfully secure nine million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine with vaccinations due to begin this week.

In a statement late last night, government announced that the first delivery of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be landing at OR Tambo International.

An additional 500 000 doses are expected to arrive over the next four weeks, supplemented by another 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine that is expected to be received at the end of March 2021.

“I can also say that we have actually secured enough doses to vaccinate all the people who will need to be vaccinated in South Africa.

“I would like to take the opportunity to settle the matter of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine rollout because it must be understood that our sole purpose is to save lives and protect our healthcare workers.”

Mkhize said it is without dispute that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a 57% efficacy against the 501Y.V2 variant and is fully protective against serious illness or death.

“On this basis, Johnson & Johnson is applying for Emergency Use Authorisation and it is expected that it will be granted.

“With this evidence in hand, we will begin by vaccinating our health care workers with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.”