Day: October 14, 2021

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SMMEs urged to prioritise non-life insurance products, services

The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) has emphasised the need for Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to prioritise non-life insurance products and services.

In a statement, the Association said the recent Covid-19 lockdown regulations, looting, and civil unrest experienced in South Africa highlighted the fundamental role that non-life insurance products and services play in sustaining SMMEs.

It said according to recent research, approximately 89 percent of businesses impacted by the looting were SMMEs, 62 percent of which did not have business insurance. Only 5 percent of the businesses that closed their doors in recent months had business interruption insurance, leaving an operational funding requirement of over R16 billion needed to recover the sector.

“These drastic figures prove that SMMEs need to better understand business risk and insurance. Whether your business is big or small, non-life insurance is key to ensuring the longevity of your business,” said the Association.

Themba Palagangwe, the Association’s General Manager for Governance and Transformation, in the statement said: “When running a business, unforeseen negative events can occur. An appropriate insurance policy is one of the things that determines between total closure of the company or its survival. Insurance is there to put back the business where it was before an unforeseen event happened.”

In the statement, SAIA highlighted risks that can be insured by small businesses. These include:

Business assets: These can be insured under a commercial policy. The cover can include theft, fire, flooding even accidental damage. Assets such as buildings, vehicles, machinery, stock, office content, electronic equipment etc, can be insured.

Money: If your business takes payment in cash, you can insure the money you receive as it is exposed to theft by employees and outsiders.

Liability cover: To cover liability claims that the company may face. Liability coverage pays for property damage and or injuries to another person caused by an accident in which you’re at fault.

Public liability: A business can insure itself against third party liability such as customer falling and injuring themselves whilst in the store. For example, if a customer enters your flower shop, slips on your wet floor and breaks their leg, your third-party liability insurance can help cover the cost of their medical bills.

Product liability: The products manufactured and sold by the company may cause damage the customer items.

Employers’ liability: Staff members may decide to sue the company for ill-health due to injury at work.

Legal expenses: The company can take legal expenses policy to defend legal matters.

Riot Cover: A business can also insure against losses that occur because of civil unrest, protests and riots. This cover is issued by the South African Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria) and may be taken as an extension to a business’s current commercial policy.

“As a business owner, you need to re-evaluate your business’s risk profile insurance needs frequently, more so if your business has changed over the past year. Start by updating your insurance policy details. Inform your broker and adjust your policy according to your business needs. This will help you tackle any surprises in the event of a claim” said Palagangwe.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Police visibility to increase in Gqeberha after public violence

Police visibility will be significantly increased in Gqeberha in the wake of public violence and the destruction of property that saw several businesses and taxis torched this week.

The announcement was made by Police Minister Bheki Cele during a visit to the city on Thursday.

Cele, who was accompanied by Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale, met with local business and taxi operators during the visit.

On Wednesday, violence broke out on Durban Road in Kirsten after a motor vehicle accident between a taxi and a sedan allegedly belonging to a local businessman.

Initial investigations revealed that the single incident led to the torching of several vehicles and property.

According to police reports, alleged retaliation between the local businessmen and taxi drivers ensued resulting in eight taxis being set alight, two taxis were damaged and a civilian vehicle was also set alight. No injuries were reported,

Addressing the media shortly after inspecting the extent of the damage and meeting affected parties, Cele said beyond the increase in police visibility, investigations would probe why the situation escalated to the point of violence.

“There was crime committed here; property was destroyed, there was arson, there were cars and taxis burned.”

Citing the Firearms Act, the Minister said the investigation would look to bring to book those who discharged their guns.

“Private citizens are not allowed to go around displaying or firing firearms. They [guns[ will be taken in for ballistics and their owners will have to explain why they utilised the firearm in public.

Durban Street, he said, was allegedly notorious in many ways.

“Police will have to clean it,” Cele said.

“Police will have to find everyone that committed crime. Secondly, the police will have to search and find those guns that were fired here. People will come here and clean the streets. Only legal business needs to be conducted here,” he said.

Police, he said, would remain in the area until peace had been restored.

“The one thing that we said and agreed on in the meeting was that when we come back, we will have to come with SARS Customs and the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that everyone who is here has the papers to be in the country and run a business.

“Everyone making business in South Africa pays tax, you can’t go to a country, run a business and not pay taxes. We agreed on that,” he said.

“We are encouraging businesses that are closed to reopen so that livelihoods that were affected can come back and they stick within the law. If they don’t, police have the responsibility to enforce the law.”

Source: South African Government News Agency

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WHO ramps up COVID-19 testing in Africa

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Africa Region has introduced a new community testing initiative, which is expected to ramp up COVID-19 case detection rates on the continent.

The continent has reported at least 8.4 million COVID-19 cases, with some 214 000 people succumbing to complications related to infection.

However, WHO Africa Region Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said as with other countries throughout the world, there are concerns of under-detection of positive cases on the continent.

She said because of limited testing on the continent, many countries are still “flying blind” in case detection due to most tests being carried out on symptomatic but with “much of the transmission is driven by asymptomatic people”.

“Our analysis indicates that as few as one in seven cases is being detected, meaning that the true burden of COVID-19 in Africa could be about 59 million cases. In Africa, with our low vaccination rates, it’s vitally important to have a better grasp of where and how the virus in circulating in our communities.

“Estimates suggest that between 65% and 85% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic. The reported cases we see could therefore just be the tip of the iceberg,” Moeti said.

Moeti said the WHO Africa Region would be going on the offensive against COVID-19 by rolling out a “radically new approach” to testing by working in communities.

“Local authorities in hotspot districts will use antigen detection rapid diagnostic tests which are reliable, affordable, easy to use and provide results in about 15 minutes so that individuals can quickly know their status.”

WHO has already provided funds to eight countries in the pilot phase of the programme, with experts deployed to those countries to assist in beginning the operations.

The programme will ramp up testing in those countries by 40%, with at least seven million people expected to be tested.

“Ramping up testing in this way will help to quickly contain flare ups of COVID-19 by breaking chains of transmission. As societies start looking toward a post pandemic future, this community testing strategy is a key component in transitioning towards localised management of COVID-19 outbreaks,” Moeti said.

Vaccination of the African continent

Moeti said the analysis received that millions of COVID-19 cases are going undetected makes the “need to speed up access to vaccines” an urgent one.

“We are… urgently urging wealthy countries, most of whom have vaccinated two thirds of their populations, to share significant doses of their vaccines now rather than next year.”

She said with the festive season approaching and the fourth wave looming, African countries need to immediately begin preparations for the coming wave of infections.

Moeti also encouraged people living on the continent to get the jab and continue observing non-pharmaceutical interventions.

“End-of-year celebrations are fast approaching, and we saw last year, that intense travel and gathering in December led to a surge in COVID-19 cases. So, countries should be preparing now for a fourth wave.

“For all of us to be able to reconnect with family and friends the way we would like after this incredibly difficult year and a half, I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as you have the opportunity to do so and to keep up the preventative measures,” she said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Gauteng Education placement period commences on Friday

The Gauteng Department of Education’s placement period for the 2022 Online Admissions for Grades 1 and 8 will begin on Friday, 15 October and end on 30 November 2021.

In a statement on Thursday, the department said it is important to note that parents and guardians will be sent SMSes, to the numbers they used to apply, with offers of placement.

They will then have to log on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za using their credentials to accept an offer within 7 days.

“However, parents and guardians must also note that in the event an SMS states that your child or children are placed at a certain school, this will be regarded as a successful placement to the mentioned school only. There will be no need for a parent/guardian to access the system to accept an offer in that regard,” the statement read.

The department said SMSes will be sent out on a continual basis until the end of the placement period on 30 November, meaning that not all parents/guardians will receive an SMS on the first day of the placements period, but can receive one at any point during the placement period.

“If parents and guardians have not received an SMS, they are welcome to use their credentials and log on to www.gdeadmissions.gov.za and check whether they have received an offer or not.

“It is paramount to indicate that in the event a parent or guardian may have forgotten or lost their credentials, they must click on “Forgot Password” on the landing page and follow the prompts to regain access to the system. Alternatively, parents and guardians are welcome to interact with our call centre on 0800 000 789 for assistance,” the department said.

The department said it has identified 10 high-pressure schools during the application period, which received an overwhelming number of applications that exceed the capacity of learners that they can afford to accommodate.

The department has therefore appealed to parents that such schools will be unable to accommodate all those that applied.

“However, we request and appeal for patience from parents and guardians during this placement period. We, as the GDE, will ensure that alternative space is appropriately provided for all applicants at schools that have the adequate capacity,” the department said.

Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, has thanked all applicants who have enabled the department to reach the next stage of this year’s Online Admissions.

Lesufi said during the application process, some schools received more applications than what they could accommodate. He gave the example of Parktown Boys High School, where they had to select about 210 learners out of about 1 441 qualifying applicants.

“We would therefore like to caution parents and guardians that not all applicants would be accommodated at their preferred school. Thus, we appeal for calm and patience from all applicants during this placement period.

“Our officials will work tirelessly to ensure that learners are accommodated at alternative schools. The department is committed to assist schools at high pressure areas to build more classrooms to accommodate more learners for future admissions,” Lesufi said.

The MEC said the fact that the school that received the most number of applications is a township school, Inqayizivele Secondary in Tembisa, is an indication that the department has changed the landscape in the improvement of township education.

Following are the schools that received an overwhelming number of applications:

1. Inqayizivele Secondary School

Capacity: 340

Applications Received: 1916

2. Hoërskool Langenhoven

Capacity: 300

Applications Received: 1477

3. Parktown Boys High School

Capacity: 210

Applications Received: 1441

4. Hulwazi Secondary School

Capacity: 320

Applications Received: 1375

5. Jeppe High School For Boys

Capacity: 208

Applications Received: 1276

6. Sir Johan Adamson High School

Capacity: 280

Applications Received: 1248

7. Lesiba Secondary School

Capacity: 350

Applications Received: 1240

8. Hoërskool Jeugland

Capacity: 260

Applications Received: 1154

9. Hoërskool President

Capacity: 450

Applications Received: 1130

10. Eqinisweni Secondary School

Capacity: 370

Applications Received: 1123

Source: South African Government News Agency

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DBE set to launch National Schools Hygiene Programme

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will tomorrow launch the National Schools Hygiene Programme (NSHP) and kick-start the extended Hand Hygiene Programme at Zimasa Primary School in Langa, Cape Town.

The department’s implementation of the National School Hygiene Programme is an initiative supported by Unilever through its brands Lifebuoy, Mentadent P and Domestos.

“This programme involves a 21-day behaviour change intervention in class regarding the washing of hands with soap, brushing of teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste, and proper cleaning of school toilets,” the department said in a statement.

The Deputy Director-General of Care and Support in Schools, Dr Granville Whittle, will deliver the keynote address at the launch.

Global Handwashing Day is globally celebrated on October 15 each year. It is a campaign to motivate and mobilise millions around the world to wash their hands with soap at critical times.

The 2021 Global Handwashing Day is commemorated under the theme, ‘Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together’.

The department said that the Western Cape province will pioneer the implementation of the Extended Hand Hygiene Programme.

“Grade 1 educators and peer educators have received training on NSHP and Extended Hand Hygiene Programme in preparation for the implementation after its launch, which is on Global Hand washing Day,” the department said.

Source: South African Government News Agency