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The nation has been struck by the loss of prominent figures within an already volatile arts and culture industry that has been the hardest hit by the impact of COVID-19, said Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

In the last few days, the country has learned of the passing of legends such as Thoko Ndlozi, Wandi Nzimande, Knowledge Simelane, Welcome “Bhodloza” Nzimande, Kabelo “KB” Molopyane and Dr Sam Phillips.

Dr Sam Phillips was an internationally acclaimed and award-winning screen actor, writer, music composer and director. His incredible lead performance in the film Senzeni Na? The same film earned him an Oscar nomination in 1990 and he was a living legend of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Reminiscing about his numerous achievements, Mthethwa fondly recalls, Dr Phillips set a benchmark of true excellence.

“He was a humble practitioner whose work ethic spoke volumes of his commitment to his craft. In his 40-year career, he played a key role in driving transformation within the acting space.

“He was an icon with many achievements and titles but to his family, who are in our thoughts today, he was a loving father, grandfather, husband and friend,” he said.

The nation has also been plunged into mourning by the loss of the talented songstress Thoko Ndlozi, who was the only surviving member of the female vocal group Joy that made history with their chart-topping hit Paradise Road.

“To South Africans, Ms Thoko Ndlozi’s music brought hope. It is this hope, which she expressed when she described how the song Joy was recorded to express the struggle and apartheid era dynamics, we have indeed been left bereft by Ms Nldozi’s passing,” Minister Mthethwa said.

The nation has been saddened by the passing of Knowledge Simelane who committed four decades to a craft he was extremely passionate about, travelling long distances across KZN in search for riveting stories for his readers.

The passing of a man dedicated to the preservation of indigenous languages has left a void in the newspaper-publishing world.

Simelane was an institution of knowledge – a walking library due to his in-depth knowledge of the newspaper industry. As an arts writer at Ilanga newspaper, he contributed immensely to the promotion of South Africa’s arts landscape. Even more endearing was his mentorship of young journalists.

“As a custodian of the preservation of indigenous languages, Mr Simelane’s passing comes as an immeasurable loss to our country. He was well known for his commitment to promoting the isiZulu language and ensuring that it continues to resonate with the youth of today.

“South Africa has lost an ambassador of cultural and heritage preservation,” he said.

The nation is also mourning the passing of veteran broadcaster Welcome “Bhodloza” Nzimande. His love for Maskandi music brought many South African indigenous musicians to the light.

“Mr Nzimande’s investment in the preservation of the heritage of our indigenous music is the best gift that he bestowed upon our nation. He and Prof Joseph Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, established a platform for this in 1987, taking isicathamiya music to the world stage,” Minister Mthethwa said.

“As we continue to mourn, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture equally shares the pain of losing another talented narrator of our African identity and curator of formidable brands – Mr Mzwandile Wandi Nzimande, or DJ1D, as he became popularly known.”

Co-Founder of the South African street wear label Loxion Kulca, Wandi Nzimande gave South Africa a blueprint of Mzansi street wear, whilst giving hope to the dreams of many young South Africans.

“Wandi’s love for the industry will continue to set him apart for generations to come. His zeal for wanting to make a difference by opening doors for young talent, bears testimony to his investment in seeing many participants contribute to the growth of our culture. Many established South African brands of today have him to thank.”

Furthermore, the nation mourns the passing of renowned Broadcaster, Kabelo “KB” Molopyane, whose illustrious career dates back to 1996 and became most prominent when he joined Motsweding FM.

His meaningful contribution to the arts will continue to impact many personally and professionally.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has expressed shock at the passing away of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC, Bheki Ntuli.

“We are deeply shocked and extremely hurt by these developments,” he said.

The MEC, who was 64-years-old, passed away on Saturday at a Durban hospital due to COVID-19 related complications.

Affectionately known by his clan name “Mphemba”, Zikalala appointed Ntuli as the MEC in 2019.

He described him as a humble, loyal, dedicated, hard-working and exemplary servant of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.

“MEC Ntuli has been on the frontline, working day in and out in all government efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on citizens,” he said. “He is a soldier who died with his boots on.”

The Premier said he was a team player, who always led from the front, including when it came to fighting the pandemic in the province.

“He was often at the coalface of this epic battle from the time the first case was confirmed in March 2020. He led many campaigns against the virus as the Chair of the Justice, Crime Prevention Cluster with the Provincial Command Council.”

“He always tackled his tasks and responsibilities with aplomb – despite their complex and sensitive nature,” Zikalala added.

According to the province, Ntuli implemented several programmes aimed at reversing the tide of gender-based violence, taxi violence and reducing the carnage on the province’s roads.

“He has consistently displayed exceptional leadership and wisdom. His charm and charisma enabled him to tackle the most challenging aspect of his portfolio. He crisscrossed the province ensuring that people adhere to the COVID-19 protocols.”

Zikalala said his loss is a major blow to the province’s efforts to improve the lived experience of the people of KwaZulu-Natal in various spheres of life.

He cut his political teeth working in the ANC underground structures and was a liberation fighter, who was involved in uMkhonto WeSizwe underground operations. He previously served as a shop steward of the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) and was involved in the formation of ANC structures in the then Northern Natal region.

He has also served as a Member of Council, and the Chairperson of the Council of the University of Zululand.

He had many tertiary qualifications, including a teaching certificate, a degree in management from UCT Graduate School of Business; a certificate in leadership from Wits University and a postgraduate diploma in research, strategic diplomacy and transitional justice from the University of Johannesburg.

“We are very saddened by his demise, and wish to convey our sincerest condolences to his family and the rest of the Provincial Executive.”

Operations at the Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp, North West province are back to normal after flooding caused the temporary closure of some parts of the hospital.

Last Thursday parts of the hospital were shut down after the facility was flooded during a heavy downpour.

North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha undertook a visit to the hospital on Sunday to assess the impact of the flooding of the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU), the Out Patient Department (OPD), pharmacy, cleaning department, admission ward 14 and maintenance office

“I am pleased with how swift the facility was brought back to normal operations. I commend the work done by the municipality’s fire department to drain the water from all the affected areas. Equally our workers have done a tremendous job, cleaning the facility overnight,” the MEC said.

Sambatha said no patients were affected by the flooding. All the patients that were in the casualty were quickly seen to and moved to wards.

“At the height of the flooding intervention, the ambulances and any emergencies were diverted to Klerksdorp hospital to allow draining and sweeping the water out of the affected areas.

“The staff and management of Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital, Matlosana EMRS started sweeping water out of the affected areas and the fire department from Matlosana Municipality drained the water from outside and assisted by unblocking the drainage system which was blocked by debris swept from Jouberton into the hospital,” said the North West Department of Health.

Gauteng police have confirmed the arrest of three managers of popular restaurants in Sandton and Silverton for selling liquor to patrons, in contravention to the Disaster Management Act and COVID-19 level three lockdown regulations.

In a statement, Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said police received information through crime intelligence about a popular restaurant in Sandton, in West Street that was selling alcohol to patrons.

“During O Kae Molao Operations on Saturday police pounced on the restaurant and found the place full to capacity and alcohol served openly on the tables and health protocols not adhered to. Two of the managers were arrested and charged with the contravention of the Disaster Management Act. Police also confiscated liquor to the value of approximately R600 000,” said Masondo.

Meanwhile, in Silverton in Tshwane police were conducting routine patrols on Friday after the 9pm curfew when they noticed cars parked at a popular franchise restaurant.

On enquiring, police found the restaurant operating and about eleven people drinking alcohol onsite. In the storeroom, police discovered alcohol in ice buckets ready to be served. The manager was arrested and charged with contravention of the Disaster Management Act.

Furthermore, police in Gauteng arrested 162 people over the weekend for failure to confine to place of residence during the curfew; and 34 were arrested for failure to wear masks when ordered to do so.

Acting Provincial Commissioner of the police in Gauteng Major General Tommy Mthombeni led the multi-disciplinary O Kae Molao Operations in Alexandra, Johannesburg, where more than 150 suspects were arrested for various crimes. These suspects were arrested during the roadblocks, tracing of wanted suspects as well as stop-and-search activations.

Over 540 suspects were nabbed in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni by the integrated law enforcement agencies made up of SAPS, Metro Police Departments and Gauteng Traffic Police.

Joint intelligence-driven operations were held in Sedibeng and the West Rand where more 290 suspects were arrested for crime and offences such as contravention of National Disaster Management Act, robbery, possession of suspected stolen property, rape, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearm and possession of drugs.

Police management in the province are concerned about people who undermine the lockdown regulations and continue to contravene the National Disaster Management Act.

“Operations to enforce the regulations will be intensified in the province as long as the people fail to adhere” said Major General Mthombeni.

The arrested suspects will appear in various Magistrate Courts from Monday while others are out on warnings and fines.

Eskom is currently implementing Stage 2 loadshedding as the country’s power system remains constrained and vulnerable.

“Regrettably, as the return to service of some generation units has been delayed, as well as the need to manage the emergency generation reserves and identified risks to the power system, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented from 5am on Monday morning.

“The return to service of two generation units at Kusile power station that were not available last week has been delayed due to difficulties in restarting the units, which are now expected to return to service starting on Monday,” Eskom said in a statement on Sunday.

Over the past 24 hours Eskom teams successfully returned a generation unit each at the Kriel, Grootvlei and Duvha power stations to service.

“Despite Eskom’s stringent measures to manage the impact of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations, we are experiencing some impact on operations, including our suppliers,” Eskom said.

The Medupi power station has had 48 COVID-19 positive cases out of a pool of 75 contractors. This has negatively affected Eskom’s ability to executive work as planned.

“We currently have 6 384MW on planned maintenance, while another 13 181MW of capacity is unavailable due to unplanned maintenance, breakdowns and the outage delays. Eskom personnel are working hard to return as much of this capacity to service as soon as possible,” Eskom said.

It urged the public to reduce electricity consumption in order to help minimise loadshedding.

A further update on the power situation is expected on Monday afternoon.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has rallied the Kingdom of the Bapedi to heed the vision of prosperity of their late Kgoshi Thulare Victor Thulare III.

The President made the clarion call while delivering the eulogy at the King’s funeral on Sunday in Sekhukhune.

The monarch, who succumbed to COVID-19 related complications, was accorded a Special Official Funeral Category 1.

In his address, President Ramaphosa hailed the King as a patriot of economic growth.

Kgoshikgolo Thulare, he said, would have been part of this effort, working in partnership with government, business and unions to bring investment and infrastructure to this area.

“He would have supported the mass employment programmes that are now rolling out in many parts of the country, providing valuable services to our people. Kgoshi Thulare set out to lead his people on a path to economic prosperity. He brought experts together to chart a new economic path for Ga-Sekhukhune, with a strong focus on youth empowerment,” he said.

With minerals and other natural resources abundant in the area, the King wanted to work with the mining companies to grow the local economy and stem the tide of youth leaving for the cities.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have placed many businesses under stress – including mines in the area – resulting in job losses and hurting local businesses. The President urged communities rise on the back of their local resources, on their ingenuity and on their hard work, and so must it be for the Bapedi people.

Through the King Thulare lll Foundation, the King sought to form strong partnerships to develop the skills among the youth, and to restore the land rights, culture, traditions and heritage of his people.

“He wanted people to have clean water and other basic services. He wanted his people to live lives free of crime, gender-based violence and corruption. His desire was to be a firm partner to government and an unwavering champion of the needs of his people,” he said.

The nation, he said, had lost a “measured voice of reason” and a “shining example of traditional leadership”.

When he was officially recognised, Kgoshi Thulare shared his aspiration for the peace and unity of his Kingdom, so that they could collectively chart a new path of reconciliation, development and prosperity for the people.

“In fact even before ascending to the throne, he preached unity, which he said was a fitting gift to the ancestors who bequeathed this generation this vast land,” said the President. “Let his dreams not die with him. Let us not bury the vision that he had with him. Let the unity that he championed live well beyond his brief but promising reign. May all his economic initiatives be sustained.”

President Ramaphosa said even as the dark clouds have descended on the Kingdom, as it bear the pain of the great loss, it should not despair or lose hope.

“As the sun has always risen on the Bapedi, so shall it rise again.”

A harmful algal bloom – also known as a red tide – has been building up at Elands Bay on the west coast of South Africa resulting in several marine species washing up on the beach.

These include rock lobsters, octopus, white mussels and some fish species.

“Red tides are a natural phenomenon in coastal waters caused by a dense accumulation of microscopic algae. Some of the algal species are harmful because they contain toxins, which are poisonous to humans,” the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries said on Sunday.

Other red tides cause harm through the depletion of oxygen (anoxia), which affects all marine creatures and can lead to mass mortalities of the entire marine communities or mass walkouts of rock lobsters that try to escape the anoxic conditions.

The department said weather conditions are not favourable at the moment as a north westerly (NW) wind is currently blowing and keeping the algal bloom concentrated in the bay.

“Notwithstanding the red tides, west coast rock lobster catches are still good and this indicates that oxygen levels are still high. The new moon spring tide occurred two days ago, thus limiting the possibility of a mass stranding within the next 10 days,” the department said.

The department has immediately activated the West Coast Rock Lobster Contingency Plan and issued a Situation Yellow Alert, placing all government roleplayers on standby.

In terms of the contingency plan, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries is the lead department, supported by West Coast District Municipality, Cederberg Municipality, South African Police Services, SANDF and Western Cape Province.

These roleplayers are currently preparing for a Situation Red because beaching has taken place and there is a possibility that there may be beaching in excess of 10 tons at a single or multiple localities in the area

“As is often the case in summer and late summer, there has been a build-up of large Red Tides in the greater St. Helena Bay region over the past few weeks. These blooms of phytoplankton presently extend 50-60 kilometres in the vicinity of Elands Bay, Lambert’s Bay and Doring Bay,” the department said.

The African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) has confirmed the acquisition of provisional 270 million vaccine doses for African countries, with at least 50 million being available for the crucial period of April to June 2021.

The 10-member AVATT, which was established by African Union Chair, President Cyril Ramaphosa in August, on Thursday confirmed this during a special meeting of the AU Bureau of the Assembly. The AVATT was established to ensure that the continent would be able to secure sufficient vaccine doses to achieve herd immunity.

In a statement, the Presidency said the vaccines will be supplied by Pfizer, AstraZeneca (through an independent licensee, Serum Institute of India) and Johnson & Johnson.

“These efforts complement the COVAX facility, a World Health Organisation and Gavi Vaccine Alliance initiative to help low- and middle-income countries secure access to vaccines on a fair and equitable basis,” reads the statement.

President Ramaphosa said: “From the onset of this pandemic, our focus as a continent has been on collaboration and collective effort. We have held steadfastly to the principle that no country should be left behind.

“With this in mind, we have not only campaigned vigorously for changes through all the available international forums, but we have taken the additional step to independently secure vaccines using our own limited resources as member states.

“As a result of our own efforts we have so far secured a commitment of a provisional amount of 270 million vaccines from three major suppliers: Pfizer, AstraZeneca (through Serum Institute of India) and Johnson & Johnson.”

Arrangements have been made with Afreximbank to support member states who want to access these vaccines based on a whole-of-Africa approach. Afreximbank will, upon receipt of firm orders from member states, provide advance procurement commitment guarantees of up to US$2 billion to the manufacturers on behalf of member states.

Upon delivery of the vaccines, member states may pay using their internal resources or access an instalment payment facility of up to five years offered by Afreximbank.

The Presidency said there is also close collaboration between the AU team and the World Bank to ensure that member states are able to access about US$5 billion either to buy more vaccines or pay for delivery of vaccines committed on their behalf by Afreximbank.

“These endeavours aim to supplement the COVAX efforts, and to ensure that as many dosages of vaccine as possible become available throughout Africa as soon as possible,” adds the statement.

It is hoped that donors will step up further and ensure that more vaccines are provided through COVAX, as any new debt burden on member states is difficult in the long term.

While the COVAX initiative is vital to Africa’s response, the African Union is concerned that the COVAX volumes to be released between February and June may not extend beyond the needs of frontline health care workers, and may thus not be enough to contain the ever-increasing toll of the pandemic in Africa.

Another challenge is that the target of 600 million doses from COVAX will cover only about 300 million people across the African continent, which is only about 20% of the population.

Scientists at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have advised that countries need to reach at least 60% of the population to substantially slow the spread of the disease.

The AVATT team continues to engage other suppliers to secure more vaccines.
Given the virulent nature of the COVID pandemic, it is clear that a threat to one nation and continent is a threat to all.

To successfully eradicate the global threat of the disease, it is critical that a majority of citizens of all nations get urgent and equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible.

President Ramaphosa said: “I wish to commend the members of the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, Afreximbank, Africa CDC and all those who have been working tirelessly to secure these vaccines for the people of Africa. There is a long road ahead, but as Africa we are now seeing progress in our shared effort to defeat this disease”.

COVID-19 is showing no signs of slowing down in South Africa, with the death toll now exceeding 35 000.

The Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, reported a new record for most COVID-19 deaths in a single day since the outbreak.

This after 806 people lost their lives to the respiratory disease on Wednesday.

According to the latest data, 235 fatalities occurred in KwaZulu-Natal, 211 in Gauteng, 151 in the Western Cape and 150 in the Eastern Cape.

Twenty-four people died in Free State, 14 each in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, while seven were recorded in the Northern Cape.

The latest figure pushes the death toll to 35 140 since the first case was recorded in March last year.

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

Also, 18 558 patients were confirmed to have contracted the virus since the last 24 hours, which brings the growing number of COVID-19 cases to 1 278 303.

Meanwhile, the active cases stand at 212 233, of which 69 599 patients are based in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Gauteng with 47 919, while 42 473 are found in the Western Cape.

The North West currently has 12 090 active cases, Limpopo 11 620, Free State 9 045, Mpumalanga 8 621, Eastern Cape 7 050 and Northern Cape 3 816.

Mkhize said the total number of tests conducted to date is 7 358 741, with 71 681 performed since the last reporting cycle.

“Our recoveries now stand at 1 030 930, representing a recovery rate of 80.6%,” he added.

According to the World Health Organisation, there have been 90 335 008 confirmed global cases of COVID-19, with 1 954 336 deaths, to date.

Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has congratulated the newly appointed CEO of Thebe Tourism Group (TTG), Jerry Mabena and wished him success in their new venture.

Mabena and his team successfully concluded a deal in which they acquired TTG assets in partnership with Future Growth Asset Management.

TTG has a significant portfolio in tourism and related industries ranging from destination attractions, inbound and outbound tour operations, car rental, business tourism and foreign exchange.

“This is an exciting development which must be commended particularly in the current difficult COVID-19 period when our sector is undergoing difficulties. This acquisition bodes well for the transformation of the tourism sector at an ownership level and for the creation of a growing inclusive economy,” the Minister said.

She wished them the best and expressed  support for their endeavour to propel the industry to greater heights as the industry embarks on the rocky road to tourism recovery and ultimately growth.

As the oldest black-empowered tourism group, the department said, TTG continues to demonstrate its commitment to the transformation of our sector and the economy in general.

TTG is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Thebe Investment Corporation, one of South Africa’s leading investment with stakes in tourism, mining resources, infrastructure, renewable energy, petrochemicals, telecommunications, financial services, and healthcare.

Formed in 2001, TTG is the oldest black-empowered South African tourism group and has a significant portfolio in tourism.