In his capacity as Chair
of the African Union, President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed sadness at the
death of 64 migrants who were stowed away in a truck that was discovered by
immigration authorities in Mozambique early yesterday, Tuesday, 24 March 2020.
Police and immigration authorities discovered the 64 bodies
and 14 survivors in the back of a truck in Mozambique. The people are believed
to be migrants from Ethiopia who were hoping to reach South Africa.
President Ramaphosa commended Mozambican authorities on their
vigilance which led to the grim discovery.
The migrants were on a
well-known trafficking route to South Africa.
The immigration services
had stopped the container truck in the town of Moatize, according to Tete Provincial
Director of Health, Carla Mosse.
Amélia Direito,
spokesperson for the National Migration Service in Tete said that the driver did
not want to stop the vehicle when asked.
She explained that her colleagues had heard noises
from the lorry and suspected that migrants might be inside. Some of the 14
survivors were allegedly hitting the container and screaming.
Referring to the
trafficking of migrants she said: “This is a worrying situation. We are continuing
to tighten the control of the border.”
Danilson Goncalves, head
of Public Health in Tete, said that a team of medical examiners will carry out
autopsies to determine the exact cause of death.
Provincial immigration
spokesman, Amelia Direito, told local reporters that all 78 aboard the container
were Ethiopian men and believed to have been headed for South Africa.
Police spokesman Orlando
Mudumane announced: “Two people were detained in connection to the
incident, the driver and a middleman who contracted the driver to ferry these
people.”
Direito said that
the driver told the police that he had been promised roughly $500 to transport
the men. The pair detained were reported to be Mozambican nationals.
Police have
launched a manhunt for “the intermediary who facilitated the illegal entry
of the Ethiopians into the country,” Direito added.
She said that investigations
were ongoing to discover how the occupants died, but said asphyxiation was the
likely cause of death.
Temperatures in the region
are currently hovering around 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit).
Mozambique has gained a reputation as a smuggling point for
hopeful migrants seeking to find better lives in South Africa, the
continent’s most industrialised economy.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said that
the survivors were being treated for severe dehydration and exhaustion. They
are currently at an immigration facility.
President Ramaphosa said:
“Amid the focus of our continent and the global community on the Coronavirus
pandemic, the death of a large number of migrants, reportedly in transit from
Malawi to Mozambique, is a devastating tragedy for our continent.
This incident reminds us
of the continuing toll exacted by the movement of people across our continent
who face grave danger as they undertake these journeys in which illicit
networks play a role.
We must redouble our
efforts to secure peace, stability and development in all parts of our
continent to create opportunities that will allow people to actualise their
human potential wherever they are in Africa.
The desperate movement of
people across our continent or between our continent and other destinations is
a clear call on all of us to create and sustain economic opportunities that
will change the fortunes of all Africans for the better.”
In his capacity as Chair
of the African Union, President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed sadness at the
death of 64 migrants who were stowed away in a truck that was discovered by
immigration authorities in Mozambique early yesterday, Tuesday, 24 March 2020.
Police and immigration authorities discovered the 64 bodies
and 14 survivors in the back of a truck in Mozambique. The people are believed
to be migrants from Ethiopia who were hoping to reach South Africa.
President Ramaphosa commended Mozambican authorities on their
vigilance which led to the grim discovery.
The migrants were on a
well-known trafficking route to South Africa.
The immigration services
had stopped the container truck in the town of Moatize, according to Tete Provincial
Director of Health, Carla Mosse.
Amélia Direito,
spokesperson for the National Migration Service in Tete said that the driver did
not want to stop the vehicle when asked.
She explained that her colleagues had heard noises
from the lorry and suspected that migrants might be inside. Some of the 14
survivors were allegedly hitting the container and screaming.
Referring to the
trafficking of migrants she said: “This is a worrying situation. We are continuing
to tighten the control of the border.”
Danilson Goncalves, head
of Public Health in Tete, said that a team of medical examiners will carry out
autopsies to determine the exact cause of death.
Provincial immigration
spokesman, Amelia Direito, told local reporters that all 78 aboard the container
were Ethiopian men and believed to have been headed for South Africa.
Police spokesman Orlando
Mudumane announced: “Two people were detained in connection to the
incident, the driver and a middleman who contracted the driver to ferry these
people.”
Direito said that
the driver told the police that he had been promised roughly $500 to transport
the men. The pair detained were reported to be Mozambican nationals.
Police have
launched a manhunt for “the intermediary who facilitated the illegal entry
of the Ethiopians into the country,” Direito added.
She said that investigations
were ongoing to discover how the occupants died, but said asphyxiation was the
likely cause of death.
Temperatures in the region
are currently hovering around 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit).
Mozambique has gained a reputation as a smuggling point for
hopeful migrants seeking to find better lives in South Africa, the
continent’s most industrialised economy.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said that
the survivors were being treated for severe dehydration and exhaustion. They
are currently at an immigration facility.
President Ramaphosa said:
“Amid the focus of our continent and the global community on the Coronavirus
pandemic, the death of a large number of migrants, reportedly in transit from
Malawi to Mozambique, is a devastating tragedy for our continent.
This incident reminds us
of the continuing toll exacted by the movement of people across our continent
who face grave danger as they undertake these journeys in which illicit
networks play a role.
We must redouble our
efforts to secure peace, stability and development in all parts of our
continent to create opportunities that will allow people to actualise their
human potential wherever they are in Africa.
The desperate movement of
people across our continent or between our continent and other destinations is
a clear call on all of us to create and sustain economic opportunities that
will change the fortunes of all Africans for the better.”
The
Secunda Mall management informed The Bulletin that the essential
services will still be open during the Nationwide Lockdown. These services are
the services that were exempted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
LOCK DOWN TRADING HOURS
Secunda Mall will be implementing the following
measures during the 21-day lock down to ensure the overall safety of customers,
tenants and staff:
All access to the Secunda Mall premises will be
limited to Gate 1 at the traffic circle (Oliver Tambo)
All Entrances to the Secunda Mall shopping Centre will remain open.
Our essential services such as security and hygiene will
remain in place.
The following tenants will be trading during the course
of the 21-day lock down.
27 March –
16 April 2020
GROCERS
Checkers Hyper
Pick ‘n Pay
Woolworths
Biltong SA
Food Lover’s Market
Game
PHARMACIES
Dischem
Clicks
Medirite – Checkers
BANKS
ABSA
Nedbank
African Bank
Capitec
NORMAL TRADING HOURS until advised
otherwise.
Centre management offices will be closed
but essential staff members will remain on the premises during the lock down.
Any and all correspondence can be made via the contact information provided.
Centre management: 010 001 0254
The
Secunda Mall management informed The Bulletin that the essential
services will still be open during the Nationwide Lockdown. These services are
the services that were exempted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
LOCK DOWN TRADING HOURS
Secunda Mall will be implementing the following
measures during the 21-day lock down to ensure the overall safety of customers,
tenants and staff:
All access to the Secunda Mall premises will be
limited to Gate 1 at the traffic circle (Oliver Tambo)
All Entrances to the Secunda Mall shopping Centre will remain open.
Our essential services such as security and hygiene will
remain in place.
The following tenants will be trading during the course
of the 21-day lock down.
27 March –
16 April 2020
GROCERS
Checkers Hyper
Pick ‘n Pay
Woolworths
Biltong SA
Food Lover’s Market
Game
PHARMACIES
Dischem
Clicks
Medirite – Checkers
BANKS
ABSA
Nedbank
African Bank
Capitec
NORMAL TRADING HOURS until advised
otherwise.
Centre management offices will be closed
but essential staff members will remain on the premises during the lock down.
Any and all correspondence can be made via the contact information provided.
Centre management: 010 001 0254
During the Nationwide Lockdown key services
will still be available. One of these services will be the Healthcare Sector.
These men and women will work tirelessly to
ensure our wellbeing. SANBS will also be operating during this time as blood is
a precious commodity.
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) has released the following:
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) welcomes the necessary measures announced by the President, His
Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, on Monday evening, to save lives and slow the
spread of the COVID-19 virus.
This should not discourage members of the
public from donating lifesaving blood as we tackle this global health pandemic
as a nation during this difficult period when our country needs you the most.
As an essential service within South
Africa, the SANBS therefore appeals to donors from all blood groups to continue
donating blood to prevent blood stocks running critically low and placing the
lives of our fellow South African at risk.
All of our donor centres will remain open
with extended operating hours to accommodate social distancing measures.
Our extended operating hours will be
between 08:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 14:00 on weekends. Shopping
mall donor centres remain accessible, and mobile drives will be set up at large
grocery stores to accommodate more donors. Appointments can be made directly
with your nearest donor centre to avoid queuing at the donor centre.
The SANBS has taken precautionary measures
to ensure that the people who utilise our facilities are protected. We are assessing
donors at all entry point to our facilities and mobile sites. We have also
equipped all sites with additional antiseptic sprays and alcohol-based
wipes.
“Our trained healthcare practitioners
operating in the field have been equipped with the necessary information to
identify symptoms that may indicate COVID-19 infection, and should a donor not
be feeling well, or exhibit any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection, they
will not be permitted access our facilities,” said Dr Jackie Thomson, SANBS Medical Director.
While travel to our various donor centres
will be considered essential travel, our regular donor deferral periods will
still apply. Additionally, as precautionary measures and to ensure the safety
of blood and blood products during this time, the following deferrals remain in
effect:
Head Office or Zone 1 Constantia Boulevard
Constantia Kloof Ext 22, 1709
Postal Address: Private Bag X14,
Weltevreden Park, 1715
• people who have travelled to affected
countries outside of South Africa will be deferred for 21 days
• people with confirmed cases of
Coronavirus infection will be deferred for 28 days from the date of complete
clearance of symptoms and
• people who have been in close contact
with confirmed or probable Coronavirus cases will be deferred for 21 days from
the last date of contact.
Importantly, as is normal practice when
donating blood, we encourage donors to delay donation if they are exhibiting
any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection until they are in good health.
During this difficult time let us head the
call of our President: “In the days, weeks and months ahead, our resolve, our
resourcefulness and our unity as a nation will be tested as never before. I
call upon all of us, one and all, to play our part. To be courageous, to be
patient and above all, to show compassion.”
We can all play our part to save a life by
donating blood.
About the SANBS
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) is an independent non-profit organization, and one of the leaders in
the discipline of blood transfusion. SANBS operates in eight out of nine
provinces in South Africa (with the exception of the Western Cape, which is
serviced by the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service). It also provides
crucial support to countries in the SADC region.
SANBS supplies over one million blood
products annually and is rated among the top blood services in the world. This pedigree comes, as a result of
world-class testing and collection protocols which ensure that the blood which
is transfused is always of top quality.
The blood is processed into its constituent
components; red blood cells, plasma and platelets therefore in principle a
single blood donation can save a minimum of three lives.
During the Nationwide Lockdown key services
will still be available. One of these services will be the Healthcare Sector.
These men and women will work tirelessly to
ensure our wellbeing. SANBS will also be operating during this time as blood is
a precious commodity.
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) has released the following:
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) welcomes the necessary measures announced by the President, His
Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, on Monday evening, to save lives and slow the
spread of the COVID-19 virus.
This should not discourage members of the
public from donating lifesaving blood as we tackle this global health pandemic
as a nation during this difficult period when our country needs you the most.
As an essential service within South
Africa, the SANBS therefore appeals to donors from all blood groups to continue
donating blood to prevent blood stocks running critically low and placing the
lives of our fellow South African at risk.
All of our donor centres will remain open
with extended operating hours to accommodate social distancing measures.
Our extended operating hours will be
between 08:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 14:00 on weekends. Shopping
mall donor centres remain accessible, and mobile drives will be set up at large
grocery stores to accommodate more donors. Appointments can be made directly
with your nearest donor centre to avoid queuing at the donor centre.
The SANBS has taken precautionary measures
to ensure that the people who utilise our facilities are protected. We are assessing
donors at all entry point to our facilities and mobile sites. We have also
equipped all sites with additional antiseptic sprays and alcohol-based
wipes.
“Our trained healthcare practitioners
operating in the field have been equipped with the necessary information to
identify symptoms that may indicate COVID-19 infection, and should a donor not
be feeling well, or exhibit any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection, they
will not be permitted access our facilities,” said Dr Jackie Thomson, SANBS Medical Director.
While travel to our various donor centres
will be considered essential travel, our regular donor deferral periods will
still apply. Additionally, as precautionary measures and to ensure the safety
of blood and blood products during this time, the following deferrals remain in
effect:
Head Office or Zone 1 Constantia Boulevard
Constantia Kloof Ext 22, 1709
Postal Address: Private Bag X14,
Weltevreden Park, 1715
• people who have travelled to affected
countries outside of South Africa will be deferred for 21 days
• people with confirmed cases of
Coronavirus infection will be deferred for 28 days from the date of complete
clearance of symptoms and
• people who have been in close contact
with confirmed or probable Coronavirus cases will be deferred for 21 days from
the last date of contact.
Importantly, as is normal practice when
donating blood, we encourage donors to delay donation if they are exhibiting
any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection until they are in good health.
During this difficult time let us head the
call of our President: “In the days, weeks and months ahead, our resolve, our
resourcefulness and our unity as a nation will be tested as never before. I
call upon all of us, one and all, to play our part. To be courageous, to be
patient and above all, to show compassion.”
We can all play our part to save a life by
donating blood.
About the SANBS
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) is an independent non-profit organization, and one of the leaders in
the discipline of blood transfusion. SANBS operates in eight out of nine
provinces in South Africa (with the exception of the Western Cape, which is
serviced by the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service). It also provides
crucial support to countries in the SADC region.
SANBS supplies over one million blood
products annually and is rated among the top blood services in the world. This pedigree comes, as a result of
world-class testing and collection protocols which ensure that the blood which
is transfused is always of top quality.
The blood is processed into its constituent
components; red blood cells, plasma and platelets therefore in principle a
single blood donation can save a minimum of three lives.
President Ramaphosa announced last night
that there will be a Nationwide Lockdown from 26 March at 00:00 to 16 April
00:00.
“Those countries that have acted swiftly
and dramatically have been far more effective in controlling the spread of the
disease,” said President Ramaphosa.
The President continued: “This is a
decisive measure to save millions of South Africans from infection and save the
lives of hundreds of thousands of people. While this measure will have a
considerable impact on people’s livelihoods, on the life of our society and on
our economy, the human cost of delaying this action would be far, far greater.”
With the announcement last night, the government has released the following to explain more what a Nationwide Lockdown is and what services will be available:
President Ramaphosa announced last night
that there will be a Nationwide Lockdown from 26 March at 00:00 to 16 April
00:00.
“Those countries that have acted swiftly
and dramatically have been far more effective in controlling the spread of the
disease,” said President Ramaphosa.
The President continued: “This is a
decisive measure to save millions of South Africans from infection and save the
lives of hundreds of thousands of people. While this measure will have a
considerable impact on people’s livelihoods, on the life of our society and on
our economy, the human cost of delaying this action would be far, far greater.”
With the announcement last night, the government has released the following to explain more what a Nationwide Lockdown is and what services will be available:
Hy stap die herfsmiddag, soos wat hy dikwels doen, eers biblioteek toe, voordat hy SPAR toe gaan. Ingedagte pluk hy aan die toe staalhek voor die biblioteek, verbaas omdat die deur altyd oop is. Hy sien die kennisgewing teen die deur, en moet eers twee keer lees voordat dit by hom insink: “Gesluit vir onbepaalde tyd.”
Kopskuddend loop hy SPAR toe, en vind dit vreemd dat dit so besig is
halfdrie op ‘n Maandagmiddag. Dit tref hom hoeveel mense se trollies gelaai is
met veral grootmaat toiletpapier, en houers vol handeseep. Die kassiere het almal rooi maskers aan wat
hulle monde en neuse bedek. Teen al die rakke is daar kennisgewings wat aandui
dat alle items beperk word tot twee per klant.
Daar is geen hoender of maalvleis in die yskaste nie, en die bevrore
groente en blikkieskosrakke is ook yl besaai met voorraad. Nadat elke klant se
kruideniersware betaal is, word die toonbank eers deeglik ontsmet met alkohol-skoonmaakmiddel
en ‘n lap voordat die volgende een gehelp word.
Terwyl hy wag, speel Hasie, hoekom is jou stert so kort? van Al Debbo
oor die luidsprekers. Hy verkneukel hom
daarin. Dis so tipies platteland.
Tydens die rit huistoe, luister hy na die nuus op RSG. “Nog 38 Suid
Afrikaanse burgers gestrand op skip onder kwarantyn in Italië”, sê Mariëtta
Kruger oor die nuus. Die getal geinfekteerdes in Suid Afrika styg met 47% in
een dag. Later sê sy dat die
staatspresident teen verwagting om sewe-uur vanaand verdere maatreëls gaan
aankondig wat ‘n reuse impak op mense se lewens en beweging kan hê.
Skole is alreeds gesluit tot na die paasnaweek, baie mense werk van die
huis af, terwyl baie ander vrees dat hulle hul werk gaan verloor. Die restaurante in Langebaan wat gewoonlik
saans wemel van vakansiegangers, is almal toe.
Geen drank mag na sesuur verkoop of gebruik word nie.
Baie internasionale vlugte is gestaak, en almal hou asem op of daar nie
dalk ‘n totale verbod gaan kom op beweging van mense buite hulle huise, soos in
China, Italië en baie ander lande nie.
Dalk is dit nie net ‘n slegte ding nie, terwyl hy dink aan dominee
Beukes en sy vrou wat erg vermink en vermoor is in Bethal. Dieselfde gebeur daagliks op plase regoor die
land.
Die hele saak prikkel sy denke. Dit voel of al hierdie dinge nie gebeur
nie, al is dit oral in die sosiale media en in die pers. Waar het hy al van hierdie goed gehoor? Dis
nuut, maar tog terselftertyd so bekend.
Die dametjie op sakenuus rammel die verlies op die JSE op die radio
af. Ook dit wil-wil bekend klink.
Hy gaan staan voor sy boekrak, en skandeer deur die titels van sy
versameling. Skielik besef hy: daardie
tyd toe diè boeke verskyn het, was dit distopiese romans wat afspeel in ‘n
post-apokaliptiese tyd, ‘n wetenskapsfiksie wat daarop gerig was om lesers se
denke op ‘n fantasievlug te vat na ‘n wêreld wat totaal fiktief, en so blyk
dit, ook onmoontlik was. Hy trek die eerste boek uit die rak, Na die geliefde
land, geskryf in 1972 deur Karel Schoeman.
Die boek vertel van ‘n onvolkte platteland, van angsbevange mense wat
hulle saans toesluit in hulle plaashuise, en nêrens heen gaan nie. Die meeste
van hulle kinders en kleinkinders het oorsee gaan woon. Baie van hulle het nog nooit eens hulle
kleinkinders gesien nie. Hulle leef in
vrees vir misdadige bendes wat snags van plaas tot plaas swerf om te plunder,
steel en moor.
Die hoofkarakter het ‘n familieplaas ge-erf, en hy is nie eens seker
waar die plaas is nie. Hy kom van oorsee
af om die dokumentasie te kom afhandel, en is selfs bereid om die plaas net so
te los. Daar is nie kopers nie, want die
meeste plase is eenvoudig onteien, en lê verlate en onbewerk.
Skielik word die distopiese verhale meer aktueel. Hy trek die boek van Koos A Kombuis uit die
rak: Hotel Atlantis. Die boek is in 2002 geskryf, en speel af, vir daardie tyd,
in die verre toekoms, 2012. Die land is
‘n donker, gevaarlike plek. Die stede
het leegeloop. In al die plekke op die weskus is daar vrees vir die virus wat
duisende mense laat sterf het. Mense
leef primitief, soos roofdiere wat mekaar verslind. Koeberg-kragsentrale het ontplof na ‘n
operateursfout, en die hele land is in donkerte gehul.
Skielik is die gedagte nie meer so absurd nie. Hy trek ook Deon Meyer se Koors uit die rak,
geskryf in 2016. Die verhaal oor ‘n
virus wat in ‘n laborotorium ontwikkel is, en duisende slagoffers regoor die
wêreld laat sterf het. Die verhaal van mense
wat by die huis moet bly in afsondering, en gewetenlose en roekelose
rondtrekkende bendes wat plunder en moor, van wetteloosheid en vrees wat heers
in die land, van simptome van ‘n geheimsinnige mense skielik laat siek word en
sterf, van die sosiale media wat totaal onbetroubaar word, en deurtrek is met
fopnuus en vals gerugte.
Die boek vertel van ‘n ekonomie wat totaal ineengestort het as gevolg
van die geheimsinnige virus, van kosskaarstes en boere wat nie meer kan
produseer nie. Dit vertel van
kerkdienste wat opgeskort is, en dapper mense wat nog probeer op Sondae om ‘n
paar gelowiges bymekaar te kry en die Woord te verkondig.
Skielik is hy onseker. Is die
boeke lank terug geskryf, of dink hy nou aan vandag se koerant? Hy moet weer kyk na die datums van publikasie
net om seker te maak dat dit lank terug geskryf is.
Eensklaps voel dit vir hom of hy ‘n karakter in ‘n distopiese roman
geword het.
SA will go into a 21-day national lockdown starting at midnight on Thursday, 26 March, to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced.
“Over the past week, as we have been implementing
these measures, the global crisis has deepened. When I addressed the nation
last Sunday there were over 160,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide.
Today, there are over 340,000 confirmed cases across
the world.
In South Africa, the number of confirmed cases has
increased six-fold in just eight days from 61 cases to 402 cases. This number
will continue to rise,” said President Ramaphosa.
The President made it clear that the government’s
fundamental task is to contain the spread of the disease.
President Ramaphosa continued: “It is essential that
every person in this country adheres strictly – and without exception – to the
regulations that have already been put in place and to the measures that I am
going to announce this evening.”
Following the announce of the Nationwide Lockdown,
President Ramaphosa said that the will be enacted in terms of the Disaster
Management Act and will entail the following:
– From midnight on Thursday 26 March until midnight on
Thursday 16 April, all South Africans will have to stay at home.
– The categories of people who will be exempted from this lockdown are
the following: health workers in the public and private sectors, emergency
personnel, those in security services – such as the police, traffic officers,
military medical personnel, soldiers – and other persons necessary for our
response to the pandemic.
– It will also include those involved in the production, distribution
and supply of food and basic goods, essential banking services, the maintenance
of power, water and telecommunications services, laboratory services and the
provision of medical and hygiene products. A full list of essential personnel
will be published.
– Individuals will not be
allowed to leave their homes except under strictly controlled circumstances,
such as to seek medical care, buy food, medicine and other supplies or collect
a social grant.
– Temporary shelters that meet
the necessary hygiene standards will be identified for homeless people. Sites
are also being identified for quarantine and self-isolation for people who
cannot self-isolate at home.
– All shops and businesses
will be closed, except for pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial
and payment services, including the JSE, supermarkets, petrol stations and
health care providers.
– Companies that are
essential to the production and transportation of food, basic goods and medical
supplies will remain open.
We will publish a full list of the categories
of businesses that should remain open.
– Companies whose operations
require continuous processes such as furnaces, underground mine operations will
be required to make arrangements for care and maintenance to avoid damage to
their continuous operations.
– Firms that are able to continue their
operations remotely should do so.
– Provision will be made for essential
transport services to continue, including transport for essential staff and for
patients who need to be managed elsewhere.
President Ramaphosa has also
directed that the South African National Defence Force be deployed. This is to
support the South African Police Service. By doing this, the President is
ensuring that the measures that were announced are being implemented
accordingly.
The nationwide lockdown will
be complemented by a public health management programme which will
significantly increase screening, testing, contact tracing and medical
management. There will be community health teams that will focus on screening
and testing people. These teams will be focusing on high density and high-risk
areas.
Hospitals might become overcrowded
with patient flow but a system will be put into place for ‘centralised patient
management’ for severe cases and ‘decentralised primary care’ for mild cases.
Further measures that were
put into place:
Emergency water supplies – using water storage tanks, water tankers,
boreholes and communal standpipes – are being provided to informal settlements
and rural areas
-South African citizens and residents arriving from high-risk countries
will automatically be placed under quarantine for 14 days.
Non-South Africans arriving on flights from high-risk countries we
prohibited a week ago will be turned back.
International flights to Lanseria Airport will be temporarily suspended.
International travellers who arrived in South Africa after 9 March 2020
from high-risk countries will be confined to their hotels until they have
completed a 14-day period of quarantine.
The President also spoke about
interventions that will be put into place and said that these interventions
will be quick and targeted.
“Firstly, we are supporting
the vulnerable.”
– Following consultation
with social partners, we have set up a Solidarity Fund, which South African
businesses, organisations and individuals, and members of the international
community, can contribute to.
– The Fund will focus
efforts to combat the spread of the virus, help us to track the spread, care
for those who are ill and support those whose lives are disrupted.
– The Fund will complement
what we are doing in the public sector.
I am pleased to announce
that this Fund will be chaired by Ms Gloria Serobe and the deputy Chairperson
is Mr Adrian Enthoven.
The Fund has a website –
www.solidarityfund.co.za – and you can begin to deposit monies into the account
tonight
The government has seeded R
150 million into the fund and the private sector has also pledged to assist. The
Rupert and Oppenheimer families have each made a commitment of R1 billion each
to assist small businesses and their employees affected by the coronavirus
pandemic.
The President continued:
– We are concerned that
there are a number of businesses that are selling certain goods at excessively
high prices. This cannot be allowed.
– Regulations have been put
in place to prohibit unjustified price hikes, to ensure shops maintain adequate
stocks of basic goods and to prevent people from ‘panic buying’.
– A safety net is being
developed to support persons in the informal sector, where most businesses will
suffer as a result of this shutdown. More details will be announced as soon as
we have completed the work of assistance measures that will be put in place.
– To alleviate congestion at
payment points, old age pensions and disability grants will be available for
collection from 30 and 31 March 2020, while other categories of grants will be
available for collection from 01 April 2020.
– All channels for access will remain open,
including ATMs, retail point of sale devices, Post Offices and cash pay points.
Secondly, we are going to
support people whose livelihoods will be affected.
– We are in consultation on
a proposal for a special dispensation for companies that are in distress
because of COVID-19. Through this proposal employees will receive wage payment
through the Temporary Employee Relief Scheme, which will enable companies to
pay employees directly during this period and avoid retrenchment.
– Any employee who falls ill through exposure
at their workplace will be paid through the Compensation Fund.
– Commercial banks have been exempted from
provisions of the Competition Act to enable them to develop common approaches to
debt relief and other necessary measures.
Thirdly, we are assisting
businesses that may be in distress.
– Using the tax system, we will provide a tax
subsidy of up to R500 per month for the next four months for those private
sector employees earning below R6,500 under the Employment Tax Incentive. This
will help over 4 million workers.
– The South African Revenue Service will also
work towards accelerating 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
less than R50 million will be allowed to delay 20% of their pay-as-you-earn
liabilities over the next four months and a portion of their provisional
corporate income tax payments without penalties or interest over the next six
months. This intervention is expected to assist over 75 000 small and
medium-term enterprises.
– We are exploring the temporary reduction of
employer and employee contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund and
employer contributions to the Skill Development Fund.
– The Department of Small Business Development
has made over R500 million available immediately to assist small and medium
enterprises that are in distress through a simplified application process.
– The Industrial Development
Corporation has put a package together with the Department of Trade, Industry
and Competition of more than R3 billion for industrial funding to address the
situation of vulnerable firms and to fast-track financing for companies
critical to our efforts to fight the virus and its economic impact.
– The Department of Tourism has made an
additional R200 million available to assist SMEs in the tourism and hospitality
sector who are under particular stress due to the new travel restrictions.
The President urged South
Africans to act in the interest of other South Africans and “not in their own
selfish interests.”
“We will prioritise the
lives and livelihoods of our people above all else and will use all of the
measures that are within our power to protect them from the economic
consequences of this pandemic. I call on all of us, one and all, to play our
part. To be courageous, to be patient and above all, to show compassion. Let us
never despair. For we are a nation at one, and we will surely prevail,” President
Ramaphosa said.
The Bulletin will keep you
updated on the Nationwide Lockdown.
