South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Thursday 19 March

Stay informed and up to date with all the latest news in South Africa – check out the day’s major headlines on Wednesday 18 March 2020.

While the highest 24-hour increase in coronavirus infections has been recorded in South Africa and travel bans officially coming into effect, an elbow greeting breaks the political ice between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and the country’s “patient zero” is given the green light to go home.

In sports news, the Proteas join the Blue Bulls and Lions on the self-isolation bench and the South African Football Association (Safa) calls off all football activities until 4 April.

Today’s latest news in South Africa, Thursday 19 March

South African coronavirus cases at 116

South Africa on Wednesday recorded its highest 24-hour increase in coronavirus infections, with 31 new cases taking the country’s tally up to 116.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize dropped a coronavirus bombshell at midnight that the number has climbed from 62 on Tuesday to 85 overnight. However, 31 more cases were added in a matter of hours on Wednesday morning.

South Africa now has the highest toll in sub-Saharan Africa and the second highest on the continent after Egypt, which has recorded 196 cases.

“As of this morning, 18 March 2020, South Africa now has 116 confirmed cases of COVID-19,” Mkhize said in a statement.

Of the new cases announced this week, six were children aged five or under.

Most of the people who have tested positive in South Africa had travelled to highly affected countries in Europe and the Middle East.

But at least 14 internal transmissions were detected this week, raising fears the virus could spread into overcrowded townships where sanitation is poor and there is little scope for self-isolation.

Gauteng tops the list with 61 confirmed cases, followed by 31 in the Western Cape, 19 in KwaZulu-Natal, four in Mpumalanga and a single case of COVID-19 in Limpopo.

Ramaphosa declared a state of national disaster on Sunday after numbers more than tripled over the weekend.

“It is spreading, so it is necessary that we close ranks as we stand together,” Ramaphosa said after meeting with opposition political party leaders on Wednesday.

Yet he warned that the impact on the economy would be “quite devastating” and described the situation as “unprecedented”. (Source: AFP)

Front liners on a ‘suicide mission

The Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITU) has made the alarming claim that nurses and doctors — the country’s so-called front liners in fighting the virus — have not been properly briefed on how to deal with coronavirus patients and therefore they are basically on a “suicide mission”. 

According to the union, the majority of clinics and hospitals don’t have the bare minimum of coronavirus protective gear, such as masks, gloves and gowns.  

Parliament to suspend sittings from Thursday

Parliament has announced that it will be closed to the public until further notice and arrangements are being made to reduce the number of staff members in the precinct.

“At the conclusion of the sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, the business of the Assembly, which includes sittings of the House, committees and public hearings, will be suspended until further notice,” said Parliament in its statement. 
 
“The last sitting of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will be on Thursday 19 March and its business will also be suspended until further notice,” it added.

“The NCOP will only meet on Thursday to consider an urgent business: The intervention in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in terms of section 139 (1)(c).”

Ramaphosa to meet with church leaders

The president will meet with leaders of diverse communities of faith on Thursday at the Sefako M Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Tshwane.

The meeting is part of a series of consultations Ramaphosa is undertaking with leaders across various sectors of society to ensure that the national effort to combat and contain the virus is inclusive and enjoys the support of all stakeholder groups.

COVID-19 cuts SAA, SA Express’ wings

South African Airways (SAA) — the country’s debt-ridden national carrier under business rescue — cancelled 162 flights scheduled to depart in March in response to low demand for air travel amid the travel bans effective from Wednesday due to the spread of the coronavirus

Its subsidiary and budget airline, SA Express, announced overnight that it was suspending operations starting Wednesday until further notice.

Batten down the hatches: Mbalula bans cruise ships from entering ports

The Transport Department bimposed a blanket ban on cruise ships entering its ports, its latest step to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula spoke as more than 1 700 people were stranded on a ship off the coast of Cape Town owing to fears that some might be carrying the virus.

“With effect from today, no cruise ships will be permitted to call into South African ports or will any be allowed to leave our shores,” Mbalula told a news conference in Cape Town.

Unveiling new regulations, Mbalula also declared that “no passenger vessels will be allowed in our ports”.

This follows after the MSC Orchestra left for Mozambique without heeding regulations. According to Mbalula, the vessel will be quarantined when it returns.

Nehawu march a ‘danger to society’ – DA

National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) secretary-general Zola Saphetha on Wednesday insisted that the union will go ahead with a nationwide march at the end of March.

He defended the decision to protest against the government’s public sector wage cuts. Sapthetha came up with a logic-defying plan to get round President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ban on “gatherings of 100 or more people”.

“One of the proposals made already is that even if we have 20 000 in the gathering, we can put them in the categories of 99 to comply with what Ramaphosa is saying.”

Should the union refuse to stand down on this issue, the Democratic Alliance (DA) have already vowed to get a court interdict against Newahu.

Thank you, Eskom…

And now for some light at the end of a long tunnel of darkness: No loadshedding is expected on Thursday, but the possibility of rotational blackouts remains, Eskom said on Wednesday evening.   

“Eskom does not expect to implement loadshedding [on Thursday], but the possibility that loadshedding may be implemented remains. The power generation system remains constrained and vulnerable. 

“During peak hours we are utilising emergency generation reserves to supplement supply, and may have to implement loadshedding at short notice should the power generation system performance deteriorate,” the utility said via a statement. 

Unplanned breakdowns or outages were at 11 143 MW at 16:30 on Wednesday afternoon, and planned maintenance outages were at 4 826 MW, it said. 

Division of Revenue Bill adopted

The National Assembly on Wednesday adopted the Division of Revenue Bill in its last sitting before closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today’s sitting was important, as the passing of the 2020 Division of Revenue Bill, which provides for equitable division of funds raised nationally among the national, provincial and local spheres of government, will also enable allocation of funds to fight the virus,” the legislature said in a statement. (Source: ANA)

Banking shares, miners left bleeding

In another disastrously record-setting day on the JSE, banking shares and miners were left bleeding as panic selling intensified.

The JSE’s All-Share Index ended the day 7.2% lower on 38 604 points. Wednesday’s session counts among its top 15 worst days since 1978. 

The oil price plummeted 9% to $27.77 a barrel, with Sasol down another 7% to R34.

But the financial sector took the biggest hit due to investors growing concerns about the impact of a stalling economy and rocketing bad debts during the coronavirus crisis   

Capitec ended the day 28% lower at R800. The market is valuing Capitec at R93.5 billion. Since 19 December, Capitec has lost R79 billion of its value. 

Platinum shares were also decimated amid concerns about the global economy, with Impats down another 24%. Anglo lost 12%. (Source: AFP)

Inflation ticks up on eve op repo rate announcement

The slight increase nudges inflation past the 4.5% mid-point in the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy target rate, where it was in January.

The Reserve Bank is expected to announce a repo rate cut on Thursday, a week before a review by Moody’s on the country’s credit rating.

Theoretically, a rise in inflation limits the policy space for the bank to announce a rate cut, but central banks across the world have moved to cut rates in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: ANA)

BMW closes factory doors

German carmaker BMW said on Wednesday it would close European and South African factories accounting for half its output for a month, matching other car giants stricken by coronavirus containment measures.

It also warned that profits this year would be significantly lower as a result of the crisis.

“From today, we will shut down our European car factories and the Rosslyn factory in South Africa,” chief executive Oliver Zipse said, adding that the interruption is expected for now to last “until April 19”. (Source: AFP)

Behind closed doors is just not safe

While there is an almost total suspension of worldwide soccer, government was still considering playing local matches behind doors despite the growing threat of COVID-19.

However, the South African Football Association (Safa) has suspended all football activities until 4 April, president Danny Jordaan confirmed on Wednesday.

Jordaan addressed a press conference at Safa headquarters on Wednesday afternoon. The president of the governing body said that resuming the Absa Premiership, GladAfrica Championship or MultiChoice Diski challenge would be ill-advised.

The decision could put Safa at loggerheads with PSL chiefs who will convene a meeting of their board of governors this week with the aim of announcing the path forward on Thursday.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has supported restarting the domestic football season behind closed doors, but Safa has seemingly put paid to any suggestion that football could return before the end of the month.

South African cricketers in self-isolation

Joining the likes of the Blue Bulls and Lions, members of the South African cricket team have been told to undergo a 14-day period of self-isolation and social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus following their return from an aborted tour of India.

The players arrived back in South Africa on Wednesday — 10 days after departing on a tour during which they played no cricket.

The first of three scheduled one-day internationals was abandoned without a ball bowled because of rain and the remaining two were cancelled.

Cricket South Africa’s medical officer, Dr Shuaib Manjra, said the team had effectively been in isolation in India and had travelled on chartered flights and coaches in a sanitised environment. (Source: AFP)

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