Government

5 important things happening in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·1 Feb 2021

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

Coronavirus: Global Covid-19 infections have hit 103 million confirmed, with the death toll reaching 2.23 million. In South Africa, there have been 4,525 new cases, taking the total reported to 1,453,761. Deaths have reached 44,164 (a daily increase of 213), while recoveries have climbed to 1,299,620, leaving the country with a balance of 109,977 active cases.

• Vaccine landing: President Cyril Ramaphosa will personally be taking charge of the first drop of Covid-19 vaccines landing in South Africa today. Joined by health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, the president plans to oversee the arrival of the vaccines, which will be swiftly transported to cold storage upon arrival. The vaccines will go through a quality assurance process for two weeks, before being distributed for phase one inoculation, where front-line healthcare workers are first in line for the jab. [EWN]

• Wasteful spending: The Special Investigative Unit has launched investigations into the apparently wasteful spending by the Gauteng education department, where over R430 million was spent in three months conducting unnecessary ‘deep cleaning’ at schools, by contracted companies with no previous experience in that service. The SIU said that it received a request from provincial MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi – who claimed ignorance of the whole affair – but said it was planning to investigate the matter anyway. [ENCA]

• Ivermectin: Veterinary doctors are warning against the use of over-the-counter ivermectin drugs, which are formulated for use on animals – not people – saying that the side effects for the wrong formulation and dosage could be severe. The approval for compassionate use of ivermectin from SAHPRA is only for drugs that have gone through the application and screening process and been approved for human use – not the general drug that has different formulations for different animals. [TimesLive]

• Load shedding: Eskom says that despite increased demand for power during the winter months in South Africa, load shedding could be less frequent, given its maintenance scheduling. The power utility said that it ramps up maintenance over summer, where demand is typically lower, so that it can have more units online over winter. While this means that there is more breathing room in terms of power availability during winter, this does not mean load shedding is off the cards as the grid remains, and will remain volatile fore the foreseeable future. [MyBroadband]

• Markets: The rand traded as weak as R15.22 to the dollar in the overnight session, with the range remaining wide. There is some caution in the market as it awaits the stimulus package from the US. Manufacturing PMI from China missed expectations, however the number remains expansionary. Manufacturing PMI is also due from the UK and EU, followed by EU unemployment and local vehicle sales. The rand starts the week at R15.11 to the dollar, R18.32 to the euro and R20.75 to the pound. Commentary by Peregrine Treasury Solutions. [XE]