The Bulletin News – Page 219

President to address the nation on COVID-19

Encee van Huyssteen

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March 15, 2020

The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, will address the country at 18H00 on the COVID-19 outbreak.

Some people feel that this should have been done long ago as the South African positive count rises above the 50 mark. “The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has tested 1476 for SARS-CoV-2 – the causative pathogen for COVID-19. As of 15 March 2020, there have been 13 newly imported COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of positive COVID-19 cases to 51.” States the NCID on their website.

The NCID also plays down the possibility that the virus is circulating in the general public. “While we continue to see an increase in COVID-19 positive cases in South Africa, there is currently no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 is circulating in South Africa’s population; however, the status of COVID-19 transmission is increasingly likely to shift based on trends found in other parts of the world. We call on all South Africans to continue to follow COVID-19 preventive measures such as meticulous hand hygiene and cough etiquette.”

This is despite the fact that the infected people could have been in contact with a number of people before being diagnosed with the disease.

This should however not spark widespread panic as people are constantly reminded of the preventative measures that can be taken to minimise the risk of infection.

On the 13^th of March, NCID wrote “There has been an increase in the number of imported COVID-19 cases in South Africa since the first confirmed case. The identification of additional imported cases of COVID-19 is not unexpected and is likely related to increasing numbers of cases in other parts of the world, leading to increased importation risks.”

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) continues to receive samples of COVID-19 suspected cases and has been following up on all possible leads to track down COVID-19 cases reported in the country.

Onderwysers van Hoërskool Secunda leer meer oor toneelspel

Ane Prinsloo

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March 14, 2020

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VLNR: Stacha Pretorius, Chrizanè Venter, Giani Smith, Andr- San Venter

Mev. Stacha Pretorius, Me. Chrizanè Venter, Mev. Giani Smith en Andri -San Venter van Hoërskool Secunda het onlangs die Toneelspel en Teater werkswinkel aaangebied deur The Speech and Drama College (SA) te Sandton Primary School, bygewoon.

SANBS encourages blood donation amidst Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns

Encee van Huyssteen

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March 14, 2020

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The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) would like to appeal to all their healthy donors to continue to donate blood. “The SANBS would like to assure donors that donating blood is safe. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) cannot be transmitted through blood transfusion as respiratory viruses are generally not known to be transmittable by donation or transfusion. Blood donor screening, which includes travel self-deferrals, are already in place to prevent individuals who may be at risk of clinical respiratory infections from donating blood.” As per a statement released today.

The SANBS would also like to urge healthy donors who belong to all blood groups to continue to donate blood to ensure that the blood stock levels are adequate at all times in the country. “We anticipate added pressure on the blood supply during Easter, Ramadan and the winter months and the added effects of the COVID-19 could see the number of eligible donors decrease in the following few months,” says Silungile Mlambo, spokesperson for the SANBS.

the number of infected persons has now risen to 24

There had been an influx of visitors to the donor centres after the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

SANBS released the following statement in this regard:

“We have noted an influx of visits to our donor centres and several claims on social media about the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) providing testing for the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

We wish to state unequivocally that the SANBS does not conduct testing for Coronavirus at our donor centres.

“Diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are not done on blood, but on throat swabs and sputum samples,” asserted Dr Jackie Thomson, Medical Director of SANBS.

Testing is currently available at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) for free. You can also get tested at Lancet Laboratories and at some National Health Laboratories Services (NHLS).

The SANBS urges donors to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their fellow citizens. If you are feeling unwell or exhibiting any clinical symptoms of infection (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat and shortness of breath), you are encouraged to delay donation until you are in good health.

If you feel you are at risk, have come into contact with someone who has been infected or fear that you may have been infected with COVID-19, speak to your physician for advice. Alternatively, contact the toll-free NICD hotline on 0800 029 999.”

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, as from 13 March 2020, can confirm eight (8) additional new imported COVID-19 cases that have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 – the causative pathogen for COVID-19. This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases to 24 in four provinces across the country, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Western Cape and Mpumalanga.

Laerskool Kruinpark landsdiens se #spekboomchallenge

Ane Prinsloo

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March 12, 2020

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Gister middag, 11 Maart, het Laerskool Kruinpark se senior Landsdiens leerlinge ‘n verrassing ontvang. Hulle het meer geleer oor Spekbome.

Laerskool Kruinpark het laas jaar hulle #spekboomchallenge begin. Die skool het 600 Spekbome verkoop. Juffrou Yolinda, hoof van die Landsdiens, het besluit dat die #spekboomchallenge weer aangepak moet word.

Landsdiens is ’n omgewingsgerigte jeugbeweging. Dit streef daarna om die jeug vaardig te maak in die hantering en bewaring van die omgewing in sy totaliteit. Om dié doel te bereik word van opvoedkundige omgewingsgerigte aktiwiteite en tegnieke gebruik gemaak.

By gister se landsdiensbyeenkoms het Ina Klopper, van Garden Terrace Kwekery, kom praat met die kinders oor die voordele van die Spekboom.

Sy het begin deur die kinders te vertel van die wonderplant se voordele. Die kinders se hande het opgeskiet en hulle kon self dié tannie vertel hoekom die spekboom ‘n wonderplant is. “Tannie die Spekboom haal die koolstof uit die lug uit sodat ons skoon suurstof kan in asem,” het een seun geantwoord.

Tannie Ina het verder die verskillende name van die Spekboom genoem vir die kinders en ook watter voordele die plant inhou vir diere in die natuur. Die kinders het aandagtig geluister en relevante vrae gevra.

Die dag was volmaak met nog ‘n verrassing… Oom Douw, van die GMM Brandweer en sy span het kom kuier!

Die kinders het aan oom Douw se lippe gehang toe hy verduidelik hoekom die brandweer kom kuier het by hulle. Die kuier van die brandweer was ook met ‘n doel beplan. Die Gr 7 leerders het sopas geleer oor die Kake van die Lewe (Jaws of life) in Tegnologie.

“Hallo maats! Vandag gaan ons julle wys en meer leer oor die Jaws of Life, Kake van die Lewe in Afrikaans. Die Jaws of Life bestaan uit ‘n hidroliese pomp met ‘n kabel en dan ons toerusting stukke wat ons gebruik. Wanneer ons by ‘n ongelukstoneel kom en daar sit mense vas, haal ons die pomp van die voertuig af, konnekteer die kabel en ons konnekteer die “jaws” sodat ons die mense kan uit sny uit die voertuig uit,” het oom Douw verduidelik.

Die kinders was gewys hoe die Kake van die Lewe werk op ‘n ou motor deur. Die ooooooeeeeee’s en aaaaa’s het deur die pawiljoen ge-eggo.

Die kinders het ook ‘n kans gehad om al die veiligheidskleding van ‘n brandweerman/vrou aan te pas en om te voel hoe ‘n regte brandslang water spuit!

Die dag was geniet deur almal en baie dankie aan die Laerskool Kruinpark Landsdiens onderwysers wat die dag moontlik gemaak het.

Daar was 550 Spekbome onder die hele Landsdiensgroep van Laerskool Kruinpark uitgedeel. Die doel van dié #spekboomchallenge is die graad groep wat meer as 100 Spekbome verkoop kry ‘n dag by Aqua Zone geborg deur Mnr Johan Rosslee.

Daar is ‘n Laerskool Kruinpark Landsdiens boek by Garden Terrace om boek te kan hou van die #spekboomchallenge. Gaan maak gerus ‘n draai, koop jou Spekboom vir R20 en merk die graad groep af vir wie jy ondersteun!

Juffrou Nicole en Franzelle Nortje met hulle Spekbome

Bleak future for Sasol as shares plunges

Encee van Huyssteen

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March 11, 2020

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Bleak future for Sasol.

The 5^th of March may be a Rubicon for Sasol investors as Moody downgraded Sasol to junk status.

The press release from Moody’s states that Moody’s “has today downgraded Sasol Limited’s (Sasol) long-term rating to Ba1 from Baa3 and its short-term rating to Not Prime from P-3. The long-term national scale rating has been downgraded to Aa2.za from Aa1.za while the short-term national scale rating has been affirmed at P-1.za. The rating outlook has been changed to stable from negative.” As well as “Moody’s has withdrawn the Baa3 issuer rating and assigned a Ba1 corporate family rating (CFR) to Sasol, in line with the rating agency’s policy for non-financial corporates with non-investment grade ratings downgraded from investment-grade ratings.”

However, the rating outlook has improved from negative to stable.

The root cause of Sasol’s problems is the overruns on the budget for its Lake Charles Chemical Project (LCCP) which is expected to cost $12.8bn compared to an original budget of $8.9bn.

Governance failures and inadequate project oversight led to escalated costs not being identified and reported in a timely manner on LCCP. The cost overruns at LCCP has burdened Sasol with high financial leverage and has weighed on the company’s credit profile over the years.

Moody’s further said in their statement that, “The decision to downgrade the ratings to Ba1 reflects Moody’s view that Sasol’s financial leverage will remain elevated over the next two years and that the pace of deleveraging is vulnerable to event risks and challenging market conditions globally and domestically, as demonstrated over time by the company’s downward revisions of EBITDA forecast on the Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP). The rating agency estimates that free cash flows over the same period will not materially reduce the ZAR138 billion debt stock, majority of which was accumulated as a result of the LCCP.”

“Sasol’s liquidity is adequate with available group cash balance of ZAR10.4 billion as at 31 December 2019 along with forecasted FFO generation of ZAR32 billion in calendar year 2020 being sufficient to fund working capital needs and sustaining capex of approximately ZAR24 billion,” Moody’s statement continued, “ An additional ZAR4 billion is needed to complete LCCP while of the ZAR18.4 billion of short term debt, ZAR14 billion is related to the unsecured syndicated loan facility which has a final maturity in April 2021.”

Fin24 reported on the drop in Sasol share prices. “Sasol’s share price reached R68 earlier on Tuesday, after trading at around R480 as recently as in April last year. After falling 47% on Monday in reaction to an oil price crash, its share price was down another 8% by late Tuesday afternoon. It was last trading at around R53.85. Less than a year ago it was trading above R470.The market now values Sasol at around R47 billion. The company has a debt burden of more than R120 billion, and investors are worried that it may be forced to issue more shares to raise cash.”

Sasol has now lost more than 65% since the week started, the most among the 1,401 members of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which is down 5.6%. The latest slump has dragged the stock to levels last seen in early 2001.

Source: sashares.co.za 08H00 11/3/2020

Brent crude oil prices crashed 31 percent to $36.30 a barrel this week, the lowest level since 1991, amid an oil bloodbath prompted by Saudi Arabia’s decision to slash its oil prices over the weekend by about 10 percent after Russia walked away from the negotiating table.

Russia on Friday refused to join Opec’s production cut as the coronavirus continues to ravage the global economy and, with it, demand for oil, pitting Russia against Saudi Arabia.

“This further compounds Sasol’s problem as Sasol assumed that oil prices will be staying a $50 to $70 a barrel. This was used to calculate their outlook projections, Brent, unfortunately, dropped to as low as $31.02 on Monday,” Reported Bloomberg.

This does not spell anything good for Sasol nor does it for investors. The Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP) will haunt the company for a very long time still. Or so it appears.

It has been a week of steep drops for some emerging-market stocks, but Sasol has out-plunged its peers, battered by the crash in oil prices and concern among investors of a potential looming rights offer as it grapples with a debt burden of about $8 billion.

After a 47% crash on Monday, Sasol lost more on Tuesday and then fell another 25% on Wednesday afternoon. It was last trading at R53.85 – less than a year ago it was above R470.

Sasol has now lost more than 65% since the week started, the most among the 1,401 members of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which is down 5.6%. The latest slump has dragged the stock to levels last seen in early 2001.

PwC Kosmos 3in1 a Huge Success

Encee van Huyssteen

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March 10, 2020

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Saturday morning (7 March 2020) started with a chill in the air. Typical for the PwC Kosmos 3in1. The area around the Makoro at Lake Umuzi was abuzz with activity. When the final countdown started it became clear that this race has become one of the most popular races in Mpumalanga.

This popular race runs through the streets of Secunda and this was the 28th time that it was run. Runners from all over the country swarmed the Lake Umuzi area in March every year to run the race. Over 9000 entries were received for the day’s races. The 42km had 3075 entries the 21 km race had 3045 and the 10 km race received 3365 entries. It is a gruelling race with a full marathon being run in the morning (06H00), a half marathon at noon (13H00) and finally a 10km race at 17H00.

Every year Mediclinic Highveld erects a huge tent to help runners with cramps and other muscle problems. This also proves very popular.

The day heated up and so did the competition. The runners braced the heat of the midday race and continued with relatively fast times. The last race was run in slightly cooler conditions.

The runners praised the organisation of the PwC Kosmos 3in1 for organising such an event. Even when the Friday night entries swelled to near uncontrollable numbers, the organisers stayed calm and just continued to work through the numbers.

Koketjo Gumbo was the winner of the men’s race with a time of 04:33:28 and Dineo Manamelo (women’s race) with a time of 05:51:12

What is remarkable is that in the top three of the men’s race the second-place winner, Clement Modisha was 38 and the third-place winner, Kori Seshoene is 39 and a few days away from his 40th birthday.

The women’s race winner, Dinea is 34 years old and the second-place winner, Anja Heenop is 27 years old with third place winner Bheku Sithole only 30 years old.

The waterpoints bring huge excitement every year when they compete for the coveted winners’ position. Waterpoints are usually a bus of activity with music blaring and excited supporters enticing runners to take water from them. The winner for the day was AES Seals. Congratulations on winning. The success of the PwC Kosmos 3in1 also stems from the contribution that the waterpoint has made.

The PwC Kosmos 3in1 was a clear success for all and everyone is looking forward to next year’s races with some of the accommodation already booked for next year. The accommodation at Umuzi Lodge and The Merchant hotel are already fully booked while Inn Green has only 8 rooms left.