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Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu says the best way to tackle gender-based violence is to dedicate efforts towards prevention strategies.

The Minister said this when she responded to oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

“The best way to end violence against women and children is to prevent it from happening in the first place.

“Prevention should start early in life, educating young boys and girls, and promoting respectful relationships and gender equality. However, I do want to say that while I speak about this being done in schools for young people, I do note that in the South African context, it is important for us to do more work on this amongst adults.

“We have to do this in homes, in the workplace, churches and in the streets so that we can prevent violence against women and children.”

Zulu said it was unfortunate that the country usually deals with a disaster after it has already happened and it is for that reason that government believes there is a need for “education for prevention, which should start right in this House”.

“It is in the manner in which we [raise] our own children, in how we relate to the boy child at home, and how we relate to the girl child at home.

“I want to thank those parents, especially men, who have stepped up to say no to violence against women and children, and those men who have done so in places where nobody can see them.”

Zulu said, meanwhile, that in partnership with the Department of Social Development and the SA National Aids Council, the Men’s Centre has served to elevate the gravity of gender-based violence, and the central role men and boys can play in mitigating the scourge.

“Our men and boys Championing Change programme serves not to resolve issues of gender-based violence in isolation, but also addresses issues of HIV prevention and abuse of alcohol and drugs.

“By the end of March 2020, we would have held Men’s Parliaments and Boys Assemblies in the nine provinces.

“The sessions that we have held to give a voice to men and boys’ fears and hopes also address various stereotypes and harmful beliefs and practices, which have contributed to the perpetuation of violence against women and children,” said Zulu.

Help resources

South Africa is in the process of establishing more safe homes for survivors of GBV across all its provinces. Funds are being allocated by National Treasury to establish the national council to combat gender-based violence and femicide.

The Social Development Department also operates the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC). The centre operates a national 24/7 call centre facility.

Eskom has announced that Stage 4 load shedding is expected to continue until Friday, due to a trip at the Koeberg Unit 1 and the associated loss of generating capacity.

Eskom says the faulty pump at Koeberg has now been repaired and is running again.

The power utility is in the process of obtaining regulatory approval in order to synchronize the generating units back to service by Sunday.

In the meantime, Eskom expects that load shedding, at various stages, may continue into the weekend.

“We are currently utilising emergency generation reserves to supplement supply.

Eskom said some generation units are expected to return to service this evening, which will help ease the supply constraints and reduce the stage of load shedding.

“As the ageing fleet is currently constrained, unpredictable and vulnerable, we advise South Africans that the stage of load shedding may change at short notice, should there be any unexpected change in the generation system performance. Demand has also incrementally risen since January.”

“It is only through partnership between Eskom and all stakeholders that we may soon emerge from these difficult times.

“We urge every South African to cooperate in managing electricity consumption with care to help us minimise load shedding. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding so far,” Eskom said.

Customers have been requested to continue to use electricity sparingly to assist Eskom to reduce demand, by using the following tips:

• Keep morning showers short to lessen the load during morning peak.
• Take food out of the freezer for dinner and put it in the fridge to thaw. It’ll save having to use the microwave to defrost it later.
• Set air conditioners’ average temperature at 23°C.
• Switch off geysers over peak periods.
• Unplug cell phone chargers before leaving the house.
• Use the cold water tap rather than using the geyser every time.
• Set the swimming pool pump cycle to run twice a day, three hours at a time.
• At the end of the day, turn off computers, copiers, printers and fax machines at the switch.

Customers can get their load shedding schedules on the Eskom website at https://loadshedding.eskom.co.za or local municipal websites, depending on their electricity supplier, to review amendments.

The National Treasury will later this month kick off a consultative process on the taxation of electronic cigarettes from 2021.

This comes after Finance Minister made the announcement in the 2020 Budget.

In a statement, the Treasury said: “Government is concerned about the potential long term health harm related to the use of these products”.

In recent years, new generation products such as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS) have been introduced in the market.

The Treasury said these products, also known as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), are battery-powered devices that do not burn or use tobacco leaves but instead vaporise an e-liquid solution to create an aerosol which the user then inhales.

“The e-liquid contains nicotine/non-nicotine and other chemicals and/or flavouring chemicals that may be toxic to people’s health,” read the statement.

“Globally, there is growth in the marketing and use of ENDS/ENNDS, and in some instances, high consumption of these products are amongst the youth.”

In South Africa, the marketing and distribution of ENDS/ENNDS is still unregulated and there are signs that the use of these products is growing.

To begin the consultation process on the treatment of electronic cigarettes, the National Treasury has invited the public to attend a consultation workshop hosted jointly with the National Department of Health.

The workshop will be held at Development Bank of Southern Africa, in Midrand, on March 25, between 9am and 11am.

The Health Department has confirmed six new Coronavirus cases – bringing the total confirmed cases to 13, with the Western Cape confirming its first case.

“All the patients have now been advised. Those who are symptomatic have started receiving treatment.

“Some of these patients are already in hospital while some, specifically those who are asymptomatic are in self quarantine,” said the Health Department on Wednesday.

The new confirmed cases exclude the outstanding results for the two patients who formed part of the group of 10 that travelled to Italy.

Gauteng

In Gauteng, four cases were reported. Among them a 33 year-old female who had travelled to Italy and returned on 1 March 2020.

Another is a couple – a 34-year-old male and a 33-year-old female – who had travelled to Germany. They returned to South Africa on 9 March 2020.

The fourth case in Gauteng is a 57-year-old male who had travelled to Austria and Italy. He returned to South Africa on 9 March 2020.

KwaZulu-Natal

In KwaZulu-Natal, one case of a 40-year-old male – who had travelled to Portugal was reported. He returned on 7 March 2020.

Western Cape

The Western Cape also recorded one case of a 36-year-old male, who had travelled to multiple countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey. He returned to South Africa on 9 March 2020.

“Contact tracing has also started for all these cases,” said the department.

Over 600 tests conducted

To date, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases has conducted 645 tests.

“More information relating to these cases will be communicated. We also request that the privacy of the patients and the families continues to be observed by the media and members of the public,” said the department.

Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo has called for more vigilance on the roads following a fatal road crash that has left 10 people dead and several others injured on the R553 Golden Highway on Wednesday.

Three children were among the ten people who lost their lives when a light motor vehicle and a minibus taxi collided in the south of Johannesburg.

The MEC has expressed his concern over the continuing carnage on Gauteng roads.

“We are renewing our call to road users to revisit their attitudes towards road safety. Majority of these crashes are as a result of poor road sharing and a total lack of regard for the rules of the road,” the MEC said.

He said that while investigations into the causes of the fatal crash are still ongoing, empirical evidence shows that a majority of incidents are a result of human behavior.

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who died in this horrific accident. I would also like to wish those in hospital a speedy recovery,” Mamabolo said.

The Department of Roads and Transport will step up its road safety awareness campaign to educate road users on basic principles of being safe on the roads.

The department has partnered with the taxi industry, motorcyclists and the biking community in its efforts to spread the message of road safety.

Mamabolo, who is also the acting MEC of Education, said that the provincial government will be visiting hospitals, Robertsham Primary School where the learners attended and also the bereaved families from this afternoon.

The Department of Employment and Labour has announced that its online services will be interrupted between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening, as the department refreshes its information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.

In a brief statement, the department apologised for the inconvenience, saying the refreshing was necessary.

“[The department] wishes to notify all its clients, especially those utilising its online services, that the department will be doing an ICT infrastructure refresh between 4pm on Friday, 13 March 2020 to 8pm on Sunday, 15 March 2020,” said the Minister.

During this period of ICT maintenance, there will be no access to any departmental systems.

“The organisation is embarking on ICT maintenance to ensure a secure and reliable information technology infrastructure, offering its staff and clients access to the right resources, quickly and easily,” the department said.

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidance to help protect children and schools from the transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The guidance provides practical checklists to keep schools safe. It also advises national and local authorities on how to adapt and implement emergency plans for educational facilities.

“In the event of school closures, the guidance includes recommendations to mitigate against the possible negative impacts on children’s learning and wellbeing.

“This means having solid plans in place to ensure the continuity of learning, including remote learning options such as online education strategies and radio broadcasts of academic content, and access to essential services for all children. These plans should also include necessary steps for the eventual safe reopening of schools,” the organisations said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Where schools remain open, and to make sure that children and their families remain protected and informed, the guidance calls for:

• Providing children with information about how to protect themselves;
• Promoting best handwashing and hygiene practices and providing hygiene supplies;
• Cleaning and disinfecting school buildings, especially water and sanitation facilities; and
• Increasing airflow and ventilation.

The guidance, while specific to countries that have already confirmed the transmission of COVID-19, is still relevant in all other contexts.

“Education can encourage students to become advocates for disease prevention and control at home, in school, and in their community by talking to others about how to prevent the spread of viruses.

“Maintaining safe school operations or reopening schools after a closure, requires many considerations, but if done well, can promote public health,” read the statement.

Safe school guidelines implemented in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease from 2014 to 2016, helped prevent school-based transmissions of the virus.

UNICEF urged schools whether open or helping students through remote learning to provide students with holistic support.

“Schools should provide children with vital information on handwashing and other measures to protect themselves and their families; facilitate mental health support; and help to prevent stigma and discrimination by encouraging students to be kind to each other and avoid stereotypes when talking about the virus,” it said.

The new guidance also offers helpful tips and checklists for parents and caregivers, as well as children and students themselves.

These actions include:

• Monitoring children’s health and keeping them home from school if they are ill;
• Encouraging children to ask questions and express their concerns; and
• Coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth and nose.

A 26-year-old North West woman, who was suspected to have contracted Coronavirus (COVID-19), has been cleared after she tested negative for the second time.

The woman was transferred from Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital (JMMH) in Vryburg, to Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp.

“A patient, who was admitted for observation at Klerksdorp Hospital, has been released to go home following the results of the Coronavirus test, which once again came out negative,” said the North West provincial government.

On Monday, the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced that the suspected case of Coronavirus in the North West province tested negative but indicated that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases would conduct further tests on the patient.

With widespread fear since early Monday, the North West Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha, said the latest results now allay fears of Coronavirus in that province.

“The people of the North West can rest assured we do not have any confirmed case of Coronavirus in the province. People must not depend on hearsay or fake news for information on Coronavirus.

“All tests of suspected Coronavirus cases are conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the Minister announces the results, whether positive or negative.

“I urge our people to always wait for official communication from the Department [of Health] before causing unnecessary public panic,” said Sambatha.

The MEC also warned government officials to respect established communication and media protocols by refraining from making premature public statements before an official departmental position on matters of this nature.

While it is confirmed that there is no Coronavirus in the North West, the public is urged to continue to apply precautionary measures such as:

• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
• Maintain at least a 1 meter distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
• Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Eskom has announced that Stage 4 load shedding will resume this morning.

The load shedding is due to a shortage of generation capacity resulting from unplanned breakdowns, including Koeberg unit 1.

“The unit has been disconnected from the grid due to a fault on the turbine side. However, the nuclear reactor remains safe. The Seawater Circulating Water Pump was damaged, and it is expected that repairs will take a number of days before the unit can be brought back into operation,” Eskom said in its statement.

The loss of the approximately 930MW unit puts further strain on the generation fleet, necessitating an increase in the stage of load shedding.

“As the ageing fleet is currently constrained, unpredictable and vulnerable, we advise South Africans that the stage of load shedding may change at short notice, should there be any unexpected change in the generation system performance. Demand has also incrementally risen since January.

“It is only through partnership between Eskom and all stakeholders that we may soon emerge from these difficult times.

“We urge every South African to cooperate in managing electricity consumption with care to help us minimise load shedding. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding so far,” Eskom said.

Customers have been requested to continue to use electricity sparingly to assist Eskom to reduce demand, by using the following tips:

– Keep morning showers short to lessen the load during morning peak.

– Take food out of the freezer for dinner and put it in the fridge to thaw. It’ll save having to use the microwave to defrost it later.

– Set air conditioners’ average temperature at 23°C.

– Switch off geysers over peak periods.

– Unplug cellphone chargers before leaving the house.

– Use the cold water tap rather than using the geyser every time.

– Set the swimming pool pump cycle to run twice a day, three hours at a time.

– At the end of the day, turn off computers, copiers, printers and fax machines at the switch.

Customers can get their load shedding schedules on the Eskom website at https://loadshedding.eskom.co.za or local municipal websites, depending on their electricity supplier, to review amendments.

The South African Post Office has advised its clients that it cannot accept mail destined to China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and South Korea.

Other countries that are affected by the delay include Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Kuala Lumpur and will thus also not be accepted.

“The airline currently used by the SA Post Office for transport to and from these countries are unable to uplift mail due to challenges caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. As a result, mail from these counties meant for South Africa will also be delayed,” the post office said.

The Post Office will resume services once suitable arrangements have been made with different airlines. Mail to Hong Kong is not affected.

The Post Office has apologised for the inconvenience.