South Africa Vision

South Africa’s COVID-19 death toll has crossed the 80 000 mark, after 516 more people succumbed to the respiratory disease on Wednesday.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), this means COVID-19 has claimed 80 469 lives to date.

Meanwhile, there are 13 251 more people who were confirmed to have contracted the virus in the last 24 hours, pushing the laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 722 202.

According to the public health institute, KwaZulu-Natal recorded most infections after 3 627 people tested positive.

The province is followed by the Western Cape, which accounted for 3 338 new infections, 1 783 in the Eastern Cape, and 1 317 in Gauteng.

The NICD said the latest daily increase represents a 20% positivity rate even though the seven-day moving average daily number of cases has decreased.

Meanwhile, there has been an increase of 606 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

The information is based on 16 162 825 tests, of which 66 244 were performed since the last reporting cycle.

In addition, 268 712 COVID-19 doses were administered on Wednesday, pushing the tally to 11 363 810.

The latest data show that Gauteng, Western Cape, and Limpopo distributed the most jabs.

According to the Department of Health, 143 313 people were fully vaccinated in the past 24 hours.

As of 25 August, there have been 213 050 725 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 4 448 352 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Global view

With over 4.5 million new cases reported between 16 and 22 August, the WHO said the number of new cases reported globally seems to be stable after increasing for nearly two months since mid-June.

Meanwhile, the regions of Western Pacific and Americas continue to report increases in new infections, with increases of 20% and 8% respectively as compared to last week.

“The South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions reported decreases in weekly incidence of 16% and 10% respectively,” the organisation said, adding that the European and African regions reported case incidence rates similar to those reported last week.

In addition, the number of deaths reported globally this week remains similar to last week, with over 68 000 new fatalities reported.

Two regions including Europe and the Americas reported a peak in new deaths of 11% and 10% respectively, while there was a decrease in the African and South-East Asia regions.

“The cumulative number of cases reported globally is now over 211 million and the cumulative number of deaths is just over 4.4 million.”

The highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United States (1 020 072 new cases, 15% increase), Iran (251 610 new cases, 7% decrease), India (231 658 new cases, 10% decrease), the United Kingdom (219 919 new cases, 11% increase), and Brazil (209 099 new cases, 1% decrease).

Globally, cases of the Alpha variant have been reported in 192 countries, 141 countries have cases of the Beta variant, 86 have reported the Gamma variant, while 163 have the Delta variant.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services has invited stakeholders and interested parties to give written submissions on the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and the Hate Speech Bill.

Committee chairperson Bulelani Magwanishe said the purpose of the Bill is, among others, to give effect to South Africa’s obligations in terms of the Constitution and international human rights instruments concerning racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in accordance with international law obligations.

The Bill aims to provide for the offence of hate crime and the offence of hate speech, and the prosecution of persons who commit those offences. It aims to provide for appropriate sentences that may be imposed on persons who commit hate crime and hate speech offences.

“[It] also provides for the prevention of hate crimes and hate speech, provides for reporting on the implementation, application and administration of this Act, and effect consequential amendments to certain Acts of Parliament,” Magwanishe said.

Submissions must be received by no later than 1 October 2021, and submitters must indicate their interest in making a verbal presentation.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, has commended the vaccination of more than 120 000 mineworkers against COVID-19, which amounts to 20% of the workforce in the mining sector.

The committee was briefed by the Minerals Council South Africa (Mincosa) on statistics relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, management of the virus, and the vaccination process in the mining sector. The sector collectively employs 452 000 workers.

“The committee welcomed a commitment from Mincosa to reach a vaccination target of 80% by the end of September 2021. It also welcomed the Council’s commitment to make available its unused health centres as quarantine facilities,” Committee chairperson, Sahlulele Luzipo said.

While noting the challenges of vaccination apathy and misinformation, the committees encouraged Mincosa to accelerate the vaccination of mineworkers, in order to move to the second phase of vaccinating mining communities and the labour-sending towns.

The committee also called upon government to intensify communication about the importance of vaccination and address the myths around the so-called “vaccine passport”.

The committee was also briefed by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, iGas, PetroSA and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation on the challenges facing the mining and energy sector in South Africa, as well as the mitigating factors.

The committee welcomed the presentations and resolved to invite Transnet so that it can be briefed on the Durban-to-Johannesburg pipeline, which transports refined petroleum products, including gas, petrol, diesel, and jet fuel.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Public Service Commission says it has noted with shock the recent media reports regarding the brutal killing of senior officials at the Gauteng Department of Health, Babita Deokaran, on Monday.

The PSC has extended its condolences to the Deokaran family for their tragic loss.

“It is sad that this incident takes place during Women’s Month. Even sadder, is the fact that Deokaran was not only an employee of the Department of Health in Gauteng but she was a mother first and foremost and this cruel act has resulted in a child losing her mother,” the Public Service Commission said in a statement.

It came to the knowledge of the PSC that Deokaran was a key witness in the Special Investigating Unit’s probe into, among others, fraudulent COVID-19 PPE contracts.

“To the extent that Deokaran’ s death is linked to her involvement with the SIU probe, the PSC views her killing as an attack not only on whistleblowers, but on the professionalisation of the public service as a whole.

“The attack on her is part of an orchestrated campaign by forces of darkness in South Africa, who are doing what they can to ensure that the public service is inefficient and ineffective. They are undermining the code of conduct which calls for a high standard of professional ethics in the public service,” PSC said.

The commission encouraged all public servants and members of the public not to be intimidated and silenced by such coward acts but to continue, in accordance with the code of conduct, to report any irregularities and maladministration to the relevant law enforcement and oversight bodies through the channels created.

“It is only through dedication and ethical conduct that the tide of lawlessness and corruption will be stemmed in pursuance of a South Africa free from crime and corruption serving the people of the country.

“This incident once again highlights the vulnerability of whistleblowers and the PSC appeals to all law enforcement agencies to take note of this tragic incident and to strengthen measures to ensure the safety of all persons who take courage to report maladministration and corruption,” the PSC said.

Source: South African Government News Agency