Business

5 important things happening in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·14 Dec 2020

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:

Coronavirus: Global Covid-19 infections have hit 70.96 million confirmed, with the death toll reaching 1,605,600. In South Africa, there have been 7,999 new cases, taking the total reported to 860,964. Deaths have reached 23,276 (a daily increase of 170), while recoveries have climbed to 761,011, leaving the country with a balance of 76,677 active cases.

• Family meeting: President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation tonight at 20h00. The president has been forced to call the ‘meeting’ as South Africa’s second wave of Covid-19 infections continues to surge, with active cases jumping 34% over the weekend. The president is expected to detail a comprehensive response to the rising infections, with analysts expecting tighter lockdown restrictions, including curfews, restrictions on gatherings and alcohol trading. [EWN]

• Tobacco ban: The Western Cape High Court has ruled against Cogta minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, saying that the tobacco ban implemented by her department during the nationwide lockdown was not necessary, nor consistent with the country’s Constitution. Dlamini-Zuma argued that the ban was in place to protect lives, but the court ruled that this was not supported with evidence or science. Meanwhile, the ban cost the country billions of rands in taxes, and caused long-term damage to the sector. [News24]

• Adding up: A health expert says that the widely-held belief that South Africa is somehow faring better than the rest of the world when it comes to Covid-19 infections and deaths isn’t quite accurate. She explained that using excess mortality data, about 80 in 100,000 South Africans is perishing from the virus, putting it at a rate higher than the ‘harder hit’ UK, and within reach of Italy’s 110 per 100,000 figures. In terms of infection, while EU countries show 10% infection rate among the populace, in SA it could be as high as 35%. [TimesLive]

• Beached: Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has written to government asking for the province’s parks and beaches to be closed, as part of its fight against Covid-19 in the region. Closing beaches will have a massive impact on tourism in the province, and people move into the region for the festive season. Talk on the closing of beaches has been going around for over week, with KwaZulu-Natal also ‘discussing’ the issue. [ENCA]

• Markets: Markets have eyes on the deployment of Covid-19 vaccines, pushing investors out of safe haven assets such as gold and into riskier assets. Deployment in the US is expected to reach all 50 states by Wednesday. After strengthening below R15 to the dollar last week, the currency pushed back to R15.20 levels at the week’s close. On Monday the rand has recovered slightly, and is at R15.09 to the dollar, R18.31 to the euro and R20.10 to the pound. [XE]