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With the cancellation of most sports and heritage events, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has redirected R1 billion of its budget towards COVID-19 relief efforts.

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said this when he led a debate on the department’s budget vote to the National Assembly’s virtual sitting on Tuesday.

He said this as government, as a whole, was forced to take drastic measures to mitigate the circumstances brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Addressing Members of Parliament (MPs), Mthethwa said that for the department, this has meant that R1 billion of the department’s original budget of R5.7 billion had to be reprioritised.

“Because this was an unprecedented and unplanned global crisis, it meant that a significant amount of sport, arts and culture’s budget was reprioritised to contribute to the COVID-19 Relief Fund.

“This shift of funds has affected the annual performance plan delivery targets of the department for the 2020/21 financial year,” he said.

This he said was due to budget adjustments, as well as measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is because of the budget adjustments, as well as because of the measures of prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures of restrictions on numbers of people that can gather, the limits on inter-provincial and general travel and the need for social distancing, have led to realistic reduction of planned targets,” he said.

Mthethwa said in setting aside the R1 billion Relief Fund, several budget reprioritisation shifts had to be implemented, including:

• An amount of 10 million has been deducted out of R408 million compensation of employees budget;

• R312.5 million being reprioritised from the community libraries budget of R1.4 billion. In the remaining R1.1 billion, a further R10 million has been reallocated for the decontamination of community libraries and purchasing of personal protective equipment for staff to resume library activities.

• A budget reduction of R224 million out of R596 million participation and sports development programme was implemented. Provinces will utilise an amount of R58 million for cancelled competitions to compensate the sport sector for the loss of earnings due to the restrictions on economic activity.

• An allocation of R95 million will compensate the arts and culture sector for loss of income due to the restrictions on economic activity;

“Circumstances imposed by the outbreak forces us to further tighten our belts in the effort to save lives and create conditions for the sustainability of livelihoods beyond the pandemic. All hands on deck,” Mthethwa said.

Mthethwa said while many athletes have resumed with their training for non-contact sport which has taken place under strict health protocols and procedures.

“For contact sport, we have engaged in a staggered process of first resuming with training. The next phase will be that of engaging in competitive activities. The above outlined find expression in the detailed manner which we have gazetted thus far,”  he said.

The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has welcomed the speedy arrest and court appearance of a suspect in the murder case of Gauteng Member of the Provincial Legislature, Mapiti Matsena.

Monoko Francis Thoka, 29, made a brief appearance at the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing a murder charge.

Matsena was the chairperson of the Provincial Safety and Security Committee. He was allegedly attacked and fatally stabbed at his home in Doornpoorton, Tshwane, on the night of 16 July 2020.

“The speedy arrest is testament to the good capabilities of the police and will hopefully bring justice to the Matsena family. The arrest should further strengthen the credibility in the police in resolving acts of crime expeditiously,” Joemat-Pettersson said.

She urged the police to ensure that investigations are completed quickly and qualitatively to ensure that prosecutions deter criminal acts.

She said the committee hopes that the police will work with the prosecution team to ensure an effective prosecution.

“All criminals must be removed from our streets to ensure that safety and security return to our streets. Furthermore, the community must work hand-in-hand with police in the fight against crime, as crime has social and economic impacts on everyone,” the chairperson said.

The committee has extended its heartfelt condolences to the Matsena family for his senseless and brutal murder.

The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Khehla John Sitole, has applauded the Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Johan Ndlovu and his team for their speedy and positive response to the 72-hour Activation Plan.

The police have appealed to anyone, who may have any information on crime, to contact the SAPS via Crime Stop on 086 00 10111. Information may also be provided to the SAPS via MySAPSApp, an application which can be downloaded on any android or iPhone.

“All information will be treated with the strictest confidence and callers may remain anonymous,” National Commissioner spokesperson, Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, said.

Employment and Labour Minister Thembelani ‘Thulas’ Nxesi who tested positive for COVID-19, has been hospitalised.

According to the Presidency, Nxesi was admitted to hospital on Monday night.

Nxesi received his test results on Friday and had been in self-isolation.

His admission to hospital comes following the advice of his medical doctors.

Minister Nxesi is the second member of Cabinet to be admitted to hospital after Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.

“We wish both Minister Nxesi and Minister Mantashe well and a speedy recovery,” said Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu.

Parliament’s House Chairperson Cedric Frolick has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement on Monday, Parliament’s Presiding Officers wished Frolick, who is the House Chairperson responsible for Committees, Oversight and ICT a speedy recovery.

Frolick, who has gone into isolation, will be working from home during this period.

“The Presiding Officers are encouraged that Mr Frolick remains in high spirits and they are confident that he will beat the virus and recover soon.”

The Presiding Officers, National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo, have also wished Mineral Resources and Energy Minister and Member of the National Assembly Gwede Mantashe and his wife Nolwandle a speedy recovery.

This comes as the Minister was hospitalised for COVID-19.

Modise and Masondo have encouraged South Africans to continue keeping everyone infected with and affected by this virus in their prayers and thoughts.

“As the country expects its Coronavirus infections to peak, South Africans are urged not to lower their guard but to remain vigilant, by complying with all lockdown regulations and hygiene protocols,” they said.

Eskom has withdrawn its operations in parts of the Western Cape following violent incidents.

“Eskom fears for the safety of staff after two violent incidents occurred involving Eskom vehicles,” said the power utility in a statement on Monday.

In the first incident, an Eskom vehicle was stoned and set alight by protestors in Khayelitsha. However, the driver managed to escape unharmed.

In the second incident, another Eskom vehicle was stoned in the Bardale area in Mfuleni.

Employees managed to escape both incidents unharmed and evacuated the area safely.

The current violent protests around Cape Town are allegedly due to the recent spike in land invasions.

“Eskom strongly condemns the harassment of its employees who are simply carrying out their duties. We have taken the decision to withdraw all Eskom services to parts of Khayelitsha and the entire Bardale area in Mfuleni.

“Unfortunately customer faults will not be attended to until these areas are declared safe for Eskom to return,” said the utility’s General Manager for Distribution, Western Cape, Alwie Lester.

The parts of Khayelitsha where services have been withdrawn are:

• Sections A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; RR, DD, DT and BM
• Thembani;
• Khwezi;
• Bongweni;
• Site B; and
• Site C.

Eskom is working closely with the local South African Police Service and Eskom Security Services to ensure the safety of staff, while working in these areas.

“We emphasise our call to the community to support Eskom and report incidents,” said Eskom.

The public can contact the Eskom Toll-Free Crime Hotline on 0800 11 27 22 or SMS Crime Line on 32211. Callers may remain anonymous.

Pretoria Central Police Station and SAPS Tshwane District Offices will be temporarily closed for decontamination after one of its members tested positive for COVID-19.

“The Community Service Centre will be operating at the same building Auditorium Pretoria Central SAPS, entrance at Bosman Street. However, telephone lines at Pretoria Central SAPS Community Service Centre will not be accessible during closure,” the police said.

Meanwhile, Devon Police Station has been reopened following its closure.

The community is once again requested to access the Police Community Service Centre as the station is fully operational.

The Pretoria Central SAPS management apologised for any inconvenience caused by the shutdown.

South Africa recorded 9 300 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases, since the outbreak in the country, to 373 628.

The daily infection rate has dropped, with less than 10 000 new cases, for the first time in two weeks.

Meanwhile, 140 more people succumbed to the disease, pushing the death toll to 5 173.

According to the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, 194 865 people have recuperated, which translates to a recovery rate of 52%.

The majority of new cases were recorded in Gauteng, which has a total of 136 879 cases, followed by the Western Cape with 85 772, Eastern Cape 65 316 and KwaZulu-Natal 45 614.

The North West has 14 337 cases, Free State 10 727, Mpumalanga 7 424, Limpopo 5 156  and Northern Cape 2 351.

The total number of tests conducted to date is 2 505 646, with 33 899 having been conducted since the last report.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 14 348 858 cases and 603 691 deaths worldwide.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as African Union Chairperson, will today chair a virtual meeting of the AU Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

The meeting is a follow-up to the Bureau’s meeting on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which was held on 26 June 2020.

The meeting will consider progress made in the trilateral negotiations between the GERD parties, namely, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.

The meeting will take place within the context of the AU’s efforts to strengthen the negotiations and to infuse new momentum towards the resolution of all the outstanding legal and technical matters, including (but not limited to) the issue of the future development on the Blue Nile upstream, as well as a future dispute resolution mechanism.

The Minerals Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, has been hospitalised a week after testing positive for Coronavirus, the Presidency announced on Monday.

Mantashe and his wife, Nolwandle Mantashe, received their results on 14 July, confirming they had contracted the disease and immediately went under self-quarantine.

“[On Monday], Minister Mantashe was admitted to hospital on the advice of their family doctor for better medical attention and monitoring, whilst Mrs Mantashe will continue to self-quarantine at home,” the Presidency said.

Government said it would continue to give the Mantashe family all the support they need during this time.

“We wish both Minister and Mrs Mantashe a speedy recovery from this invisible enemy and we are quite confident that they will emerge victorious against Coronavirus,” the Presidency said.

While the number of new COVID-19 cases is stabilising in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal is expected to join Gauteng as the country’s epicentre, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has warned.

“In the country, Gauteng is still at the top of the rate of infections. KwaZulu-Natal is taking over now,” Mkhize said.

As of Sunday, South Africa has 364 328 confirmed COVID-19 cases, while the death toll is sitting at 5 033.

Gauteng remains the hardest-hit province with 133 617 confirmed cases, while KwaZulu-Natal has 43 215 infections.

Mkhize said his department is in discussions with the coastal province on how to move ahead, as infections are expected to peak in the next few weeks.  He said the goal now is to avert a shortage of beds and oxygen.

Mkhize was speaking during his visit to the Nasrec Field Hospital in Johannesburg to assess Gauteng’s readiness for the COVID-19 surge.

He has applauded the clinicians for a job well done in the battle to save lives and he once again affirmed his support.

“There’s no formula or textbook for this. Whenever as you clinicians feel the pressure, you need to make sure that everybody feels it, so that we must respond.

“My phone is on. Do not feel shy to call. This is an emergency, a crisis, so there is no protocol here. There is work.”

He has also addressed reports that Gauteng hospital beds are full, which he believes is created by the delays in getting test results, causing patients to be kept under investigation for longer in hospital.

“Secondly, [we believe if] the availability of oxygen [is not an issue] — if we can make sure we do not have that pressure — then I think we could be fine.”

Mkhize said the department is working around the clock to create more bed capacity so no one is turned away at hospital gates.

“There are those who may not be admitted because of the doctor’s decision, that’s it (sic). It will not be because of space, but because of the clinical judgement that you are going to be treated somewhere else and not in the hospital,” explained the Minister.

He said the drop in trauma patient numbers gave them a huge advantage and will assist clinicians with dealing with COVID-19 patients in the next few weeks.

“Until the surge hits you, you don’t know how to behave. You will only know when you are in the heat of it,” said Mkhize.

He has also assured the province that it will never run out of beds.

“We have a standing agreement that we’ll shift any patient to the private sector, especially for high care and intensive care,” he said, adding that public sector doctors will be doing the referrals.

The department is also working on getting more volunteers, which Mkhize said should be paid timeously. He has called for a 24-hour turnaround time in employing staff.

The Minister expressed faith in medical personnel, saying “our clinicians are on top of the game and have good enough experience”.

Eastern Cape visit

Mkhize said he would visit the Eastern Cape this week.

While cases continue to climb, the Minister has stressed the importance of wearing masks, using sanitisers, washing of hands, as well as social distancing.

According to the Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Bandile Masuku, the Nasrec Field Hospital has had at least 21 admissions since last week.

“We’re starting small and once it gets well organised, we are going to upscale it. By the time we get to the peak, which will be in a month’s time, this place will be up and running like a well-oiled machine,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude for the work done by healthcare professionals and those who have sponsored oxygen concentrators, while his department also procures devices.

“This is one of the things we want to do to make sure that Nasrec is fully functional and is able to alleviate the pressure from the facilities south of Gauteng, and it might extend even to the side of the West Rand and Sedibeng, depending on our capacity,” Masuku said.