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African Union Chairperson, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has called on African leaders to support efforts on the continent to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

Addressing the Conference on Africa’s Leadership Role in COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Access, President Ramaphosa said it is essential that there be significant local vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

“Success in developing and providing access to a safe vaccine for all Africans requires collaboration and cooperation of all member States.

“Through this meeting, which brings together African leaders, experts and other key stakeholders, we should produce a roadmap that involves efforts by Africans to produce the vaccines that are effective, safe and affordable,” President Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.

He said a portion of the GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance) vaccines, including for COVID-19 and the Expanded Programme of Immunisation, should be sourced from African manufacturers.

“The challenges and efforts needed to rapidly develop, evaluate and produce such a vaccine at scale are enormous, as are the resources required to ensure sufficient coverage across a continent as vast and populous as ours. Therefore, we need to act with urgency.”

He encouraged African leaders to work together and negotiate with global donors to raise funds.

“…We need to mobilise resources in each of our countries and within the continent to secure supply of the vaccine upfront. We need to start to plan now and to improve the infrastructure in each of our countries to prepare for the rollout of the vaccine.”

This includes accelerating regulatory approvals, strengthening supply chains and improving Africa’s ability to deliver the vaccine to the population.

“Given the depth of expertise and capability on this continent, we need to support the contribution of African scientists and health care professionals to the vaccine effort,” the President said.

He said while the disease is still in its early stages in Africa, infections are rising as countries ease their lockdowns in the face of mounting social and economic pressures.

“As the African continent, we have acted decisively and we have acted together in developing a strategy to combat the pandemic.

“We have been innovative in addressing our resource constraints through, for example, the establishment of the AU COVID-19 Response Fund, the Africa Medical Supplies Platform and the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing.”

President Ramaphosa said the pandemic has forced African countries to revise their budgets to prioritise spending on health, including infrastructure, logistics and the purchase of pharmaceuticals, medical products, equipment and materials.

“It has also underscored the essential value of maintaining funding for medical research even after the current health crisis has passed, so that we may be ready for the next pandemic. The Coronavirus pandemic is not the last such tragedy that humanity will encounter.”

The President urged leaders to work towards a much more responsive and equitable medical system.

“We need to develop centres of excellence and robust health systems capable of withstanding any threat. We urgently need to introduce universal health coverage to ensure no one is unable to access health care when they need it.

“By working together, by pooling our resources and by investing in innovation, we shall overcome this grave threat to the health and well-being of our people.”

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has confirmed the arrest of a former Merafong Local Municipality senior official for allegedly illegally depositing funds into the collapsed Venda Building Society (VBS) Mutual Bank.

Mattheys Gerhardus Wienekus, 64, a former senior official in Merafong, appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday after being subpoenaed to face charges of contravention of the Municipality Finance Management Act 56 of 2003 in the ongoing investigation linked to the bank.

“The suspect, who was arrested this morning, was employed at Merafong Local Municipality as Manager: Budget and Treasury until his retirement,” said the Hawks in a statement.

Investigations have revealed that over R50 million was invested with VBS Mutual Bank at the time when he was acting as the municipality’s CFO.

Merafong Local Municipality is one of the 20 other municipalities that invested municipal funds with VBS, in contravention of the law.

Wienikus’s case has been postponed to 29 July 2020 for further investigation.

“I have indicated that the investigations into the municipalities are at an advanced stage. This is the beginning and all the other cases are receiving the necessary attention,” said the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Dr Godfrey Lebeya.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced that the 2020 Filing Season will begin on 1 August 2020.

In a statement issued on Thursday, SARS said on the day, a significant number of taxpayers can expect to receive an SMS indicating that SARS has prepared their tax returns on their behalf and that a draft assessment is available on eFiling or Mobiapp to consider.

With this year’s filing season coinciding with the economy-damaging COVID-19 pandemic, SARS has conceded this will detrimentally affect collection rates.

Amid the pandemic, SARS said it continues to play its critical revenue collection role to ensure that government continues to fund health workers, frontline staff and public servants.

“Our country has faced the unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment, medical supplies, food and other financial relief to the poorest and most vulnerable among us, as well as the tax measures meant to provide relief to businesses in distress and save as many jobs as possible,” SARS said.

The revenue collector has also continued to pay refunds to companies and individuals to help them cope with their financial woes.

The first phase of Filing Season 2020 was allocated to employers and other third-party data providers like medical schemes, retirement annuity funds and banks.

During this phase, these third-party data providers had to file their data to SARS on or before 31 May 2020. The majority did so successfully, but there are those who failed in their duty, making it difficult for SARS to assess their employees and other taxpayers affected by this non-compliance.

The next phase has now commenced, during which SARS will be validating third-party data, and following up on employers and others who failed in their duty to file their data to SARS on time.

“For those that accept the draft assessment, there will be no need to complete and file a tax return, and if a refund is due, the refund will follow within the first week of August.  We refer to this as the ‘auto-assessment’ process,” said the revenue collector.

A taxpayer will be eligible for auto-assessment if their respective third-party data providers have filed all third-party data in respect of that taxpayer.

Taxpayers who, for example, have not yet received their IPR5 certificates, are advised to immediately approach their employers and insist that the IPR5s are issued to them.

During August, taxpayers, who have not yet been auto-assessed but in respect of whom a complete set of third-party data has subsequently become available, will be invited by SARS to file early.

The next phase of the filing season 2020 starts on 1 September 2020.  In this stage, taxpayers who have not been auto-assessed, or who have not accepted an auto-assessment, can then start to file via eFiling or MobiApp.

SARS said taxpayers who cannot file through any of its digital platforms will be permitted to visit a SARS branch by appointment only.

SARS encouraged taxpayers to continue to use the ever-evolving digital channels in order to transact with SARS.

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said: “During the time when our country is still battling the scourge of COVID-19, we hope taxpayers will take advantage of these innovations aimed at making it easier and faster for taxpayers to comply with their tax obligations.”

Government is carefully examining the criminal justice system in relation to incarceration for low-risk crimes, so that it does not become the only option for such crimes.

“The high number of those imprisoned for economic crimes has prompted us to ask ourselves whether incarceration should be the only option at our disposal,” the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, said.

Addressing the Portfolio Committee of Justice on Correctional Services on Wednesday, Lamola said short-term incarceration for low risk crimes does not give enough time for the correctional services system to reform and rehabilitate offenders.

“We will be reviewing some of our policies and we are looking forward to thoughtful contributions, which will emanate from public debates through the legislative process so that together, we can address overcrowding in correctional centres,” the Minister said.

He said the rate of imprisonment for awaiting trial offenders is increasing at a rate which requires South Africa to urgently interrogate the linkages in the criminal justice system.

An analysis of the inmate population to date reveals that the bed space in correctional services currently sits at 118 572, whereas there is a total of 149 330 inmates, with 96 272 sentenced inmates and 53 058 remand detainees.

This means that 55.1% of the inmate population have yet to have their day in court.

“These numbers cannot be viewed outside of the country’s socio-economic conditions. Our prison population is largely constituted by those from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly young black males.

“Some are in our centres for economic crimes such as shoplifting, stealing and robbery. There are also those who have committed heinous crimes,” Lamola said.

Efforts to address overcrowding

In the next five years, South Africa will create additional 3 000 bed space through upgrades and construction of new facilities.

“However, as I have said, experience has taught us that it is not possible for our infrastructure projects to outpace the rate of conviction due to our high crime rate in the country. This means the level of crime must significantly be reduced for us to avoid overcrowding,” the Minister said.

Government will continue to manage overcrowding through effective and appropriate use of conversion of sentence to community correctional supervision, release on parole for inmates and transfers between centres.

“We have the National Overcrowding Task Team, which works with regions and management areas to manage overcrowding through a multi-prolonged strategy.

“Overcrowding is a multi-dimensional challenge caused by various societal factors such as rampant criminality, unemployment, substance abuse and poverty, amongst others,” Lamola said.

Rehabilitation programmes

The Minister has called on communities not to discriminate against released inmates, who have acquired skills to make an honest living.

“I want to emphasise that behind the walls of correctional facilities, we run rehabilitation programmes, which inmates are exposed to. We also transfer skills to inmates to enable them to contribute back to society positively and increase their prospects of being gainfully employed upon their release,” the Minister said.

In the last financial year, production workshops in Correctional Services in which inmates operate, produced the following:

• 3.7 million loaves of bread, 6.3 million litres of milk;
• 415 000 kg of fruits;
• 471 000 kg of red meat;
• 1.7 million kg of pork and
• 539 000 kg of poultry, and 1.4 million dozens of eggs.

“It is critical to note that some of the inmates, who will be placed on parole, possess skills to produce these items and many more. We appeal to the community to guard against discriminating and stigmatising the released inmates but rather allow them to use their newly gained skills to make an honest living,” the Minister said.

COVID-19

To date, Correctional Services centres have recorded 1 485 recoveries and it is attending to 497 COVID-19 active cases.

“Our sincerest condolences go to the families of 16 citizens in our centres, who have since passed on as result of COVID-19.

“In respect of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, we are still experiencing lower numbers, with 93 reported active cases and a total of three – two magistrates and a court clerk – have succumbed to COVID-19. We extend our sincere condolences to the families of these citizens as well,” the Minister said.

The North West Education Department has confirmed 30 new COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, bringing the total to 62 cases.

These cases comprise of 22 teachers, six learners, a Deputy Principal and a non-teaching staff.

Provincial Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said the Education and Health Departments continue to work together to render clinical support to schools.

“We can confirm that there is a total of 62 COVID-19 related cases registered by the department. This means our confirmed cases have increased by 30.

“All our schools are attached to local clinics. Our principals have been trained to isolate individuals displaying malady to a sick bay and nurses are called to attend to the individuals. Again as a department we extend well wishes to all people infected and affected by the virus,” said Matsemela.

To date, 14 schools have been shut down in the province and will reopen after they have been disinfected and decontaminated in accordance to the Department of Health’s recommendations.

The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) has welcomed the judgment to strike off the roll an urgent court application by SA Airlink.

The airline this week approached the Johannesburg High Court seeking to interdict South African Airways (SAA) Business Rescue Practitioners from convening a creditors’ meeting to vote on a business rescue plan, scheduled for today.

“Judge Leicester Adams of the Gauteng High Court struck the application off the roll, saying it was not urgent. This means the creditors’ meeting scheduled for Thursday, to vote on the business rescue plan, will go ahead as planned,” said DPE in a statement.

In welcoming the judgment, DPE said it hopes there will be no further delays to vote on the plan, which could result in the formation of a viable, sustainable and competitive airline that provides integrated domestic, regional and international flight services.

DPE believes a positive vote to finalise the business rescue process would be the most expeditious option for the national carrier to restructure its affairs, its business, debts and other liabilities.

The department said government is committed to engaging constructively towards the national interest objective of such an airline in a constrained fiscal environment, taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this situation.

On Wednesday, the DPE said it believes the approval of the business rescue plan would help creditors and employees to be “co-creators” of a new airline and ensure a strong base is maintained for the growth of the local aviation industry.

The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths is increasing exponentially since the relaxation of stringent regulations, as the economy opens for more industries to operate.

South Africa recorded 103 more deaths and 5 688 new positive cases on Wednesday – the country’s single biggest jump since the Coronavirus outbreak.

Of the additional deaths, 63 are from the Western Cape, 25 from Gauteng and 15 from the Eastern Cape, bringing the death toll to 2 205.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country is now sitting at 111 796.

The hardest-hit provinces include the Western Cape with 55 162 cases, followed by Gauteng with 26 156, Eastern Cape 19 214 and KwaZulu-Natal 6 075.

The North West has 2 618 cases, Free State 889, Mpumalanga 713, Limpopo 670 and Northern Cape 299.

In addition, 1 416 894 tests have been completed, of 34 122 of which have been done in the last 24 hours.

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

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 9 129 146 cases and 473 797 deaths globally.

Deputy President David Mabuza will today brief Parliament on the work of the Political Task Team on Eskom and government’s plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of the power utility, during an Oral Reply Session in the National Assembly.

Parliament will conduct the session in a hybrid manner, with a small number of Members of Parliament present in the National Assembly and the rest on a virtual platform.

According to the Presidency, Deputy President Mabuza, as chairperson of the Eskom Task Team, will update the nation through Parliament on Eskom’s comprehensive turnaround programme, which will ensure that the utility develops and enhances its requisite institutional capabilities to meet the country’s energy needs.

Also, as chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Land Reform and Agriculture, the Deputy President will speak on government’s efforts to alleviate the negative impact posed by drought on farmers and the sustainability of the agricultural sector nationwide.

The IMC is tasked with the responsibility to resolve blockages in the acceleration of land reform, as well as ensuring the effective coordination of integrated farmer support interventions to this sector.

In his capacity as Chair of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), Mabuza will also update Parliament on the ‘She Conquers’ campaign for adolescent girls and young Women,’ which was born out of the vulnerabilities of adolescent girls and young women, experiencing violence and being at risk of contracting HIV.

The interventions the Deputy President will elaborate on addresses the biomedical, socio-behavioural and structural factors that contribute to gender-based violence in South Africa.

The oral reply session is scheduled to begin at 2pm.

All eyes will be on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni this afternoon when he delivers the Supplementary Budget Speech to Parliament.

The budget has been necessitated by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that government would spend R500 billion to support the economy’s resuscitation following the outbreak of Coronavirus. Mboweni will virtually deliver the budget as the country continues to observe lockdown regulations aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.

The global pandemic has seen government’s revenue plummet, with economy activity halting during the initial phases of the lockdown. During this period, government expenditure was also redirected in an effort to limit crippling ramifications on the country’s economy.

In March, the Minister announced exceptional tax measures as part of the fiscal package. These include a tax subsidy of up to R500 per month to employers for private sector employees earning below R6 500 under the Employment Tax Incentive. This benefitted over four million workers.

In April, the central bank warned that the country’s economy faced the bleak prospect of contracting by between 2% and 4%.

During this period, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) accelerated the payment of employment tax incentive reimbursements from twice a year to monthly to get cash into the hands of compliant employers as soon as possible.

Tax compliant businesses, with a turnover of R50 million or less, were allowed to delay 20% of their employees’ tax liabilities over four months, while a portion of their provisional corporate income tax payments was without penalties or interest over six months. The intervention was expected to assist 75 000 small and medium term enterprises.

Several relief funds for various sectors, amounting to billions of rands, were availed in an effort to soften the blow on every affected South African.

During this period, government also diverted funds from other government programmes in an effort to tackle the pandemic, as the State had to purchase and avail personal protective equipment, quarantine sites, medical equipment and other essentials.

Meanwhile, National Treasury has revealed that it has received a $1 billion emergency assistance programme loan from the New Development Bank.

In a statement on Tuesday, the NDB said the funding is aimed at supporting the government of South Africa in its efforts to contain the spread of Coronavirus and reduce human, social and economic losses caused by the outbreak.

“The programme will contribute to providing critical healthcare resources and strengthening the social safety net in South Africa. The positive impacts will include improving the resilience of public health sector and health emergency response systems, and facilitating socio-economic recovery,” said the NDB board of governors in the statement.

National Treasury said the two institutions are working on final technical and administrative requirements.

Final details on the loan will be published once all processes have been concluded.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has once again put a spotlight on safety in schools as the other grades prepare to go back to class on 6 July.

Schools have been closed since the lockdown was instituted in March to curb the spread of Coronavirus. Schools partially reopened on 8 June for grades 7 and 12.

However, DBE has since issued a set of directions, signed by Minister Angie Motshekga, to provide clarity and guidance on a variety of matters affecting the sector.

The guidelines also confirm 6 July 2020 as the date for reopening for pre-Grade R, Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 6, Grade 10 and Grade 11 learners.

Schools of skills’ years 2 and 3 will also resume classes. Schools for learners with severe intellectual disabilities (SID) will also resume.

Schools for learners with severe and profound intellectual disabilities (LSPID), year 1 to 3, and autistic learners junior group (below 13 years) and final year (18 years and above) will also resume.

According to the department, the institutes of learning may be permitted to deviate from the phased return to school in respect of specific grades or dates, provided that they comply with the minimum health, safety and social distancing measures and requirements on COVID-19.

The department said they would continue to monitor the return of learners to school, with a sharp focus on safety for all.

“We will continue to work hard in schools to make sure that we protect our learners, teachers and employees within schools. It is important to work together to ensure that we beat the virus,” Motshekga said.

The Minister said the department is doing everything in its power to ensure all schools are COVID-19 compliant before they receive learners.

“What is also important is to ensure that even during schools hours and beyond, we stick to the basic requirements of wearing a mask, sanitising, washing hands and physical distancing,” the Minister stressed.

She urged members of the community to desist from visiting schools, as this also increases the risk for more infections.

The department is providing support for 204 learners and hostel assistants, who have contracted Coronavirus at Makaula Senior Secondary School in KwaBhaca, Eastern Cape.