Government

5 important things happening in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·30 Jan 2020

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

• Medical professionals say the state Compensation Fund’s dysfunctional operations are putting lives at risk, having not settled bills since October 2019. The fund is supposed to compensate doctors for treating injured workers, but the website built to log and track these cases has not worked for the last three months. Medical professionals say this just increases concerns over the NHI, and government’s capacity to effectively manage it. [Business Day]

• The move by the Development Bank to bail out SAA is being criticised from all fields – from political parties and civil action groups, to lawyers and economists. The funding of R3.5 billion being made available to SAA is being seen as a poorly veiled bailout, and despite being a loan, has no prospects of ever being repaid. Experts have expressed worry that the move will mark a new trend of government dipping into funds held by entities like the DBSA to bailout other failed SOEs. [EWN]

• Following a statement shrugging off perjury charges being laid against her, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane will find herself at the mercy of the NPA, with the Hawks taking her words as an indication that she will not provide a statement on the charges, as required. The Hawks have now handed the matter over the the NPA for processing. Accountability Now and Outa have both laid perjury charges against Mkhwebane after the Constitutional Court found she was dishonest in her handling of the Absa/Bankorp report. [Daily Maverick]

• The Wuhan coronavirus has now claimed the lives of over 170 people, with 1,700 new infections recorded, adding to the more than 6,000 already identified. The virus has also spread to more countries, with the UAE and Finland now reporting cases. The World Health Organisation will meet today to determine whether the outbreak should be classified as a global health emergency, which would prompt further travel and trade bans, but also bring global co-ordination to combat the virus. [ENCA]

• South Africa’s rand weakened on Wednesday, reversing gains from the previous session in another day of volatile trading as concerns over the impact of the coronavirus on Chinese growth kept investors looking for short gains. The subsequent risk aversion pushed the dollar close to two-month highs, but also exposed the rand’s shaky ground, showing investors’ uncertainty about the local economy. On Thursday the rand was at R14.65 to the dollar, R19.07 to the pound and R16.14 to the euro.