Ramaphosa: South Africa’s
14 July 2020 - www.tametimes.co.za
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Reckless Behaviour
In an unfamiliar tone, Ramaphosa delivered a sharp reprimand to South Africans who refuse to abide by Covid-19 regulations during his address to the nation on Sunday evening. The president began by acknowledging that the storm of the coronavirus peak had arrived but had strong words against reckless behaviour, saying “we are not helpless in the face of this storm”. A big focus of his speech was espousing behavioural change, with the president announcing that wearing masks is mandatory, with penalties for those who do not enforce it in buildings, shops and taxis. Owners of public buildings and public transport operators would be legally obliged to ensure people on their premises wore masks. While the country would remain on Level 3 of the lockdown regulations, the sale and distribution of alcohol was immediately banned. “We are by now all familiar with what we need to do to protect ourselves and others from infection. We need to wear a cloth mask that covers our nose and mouth whenever we leave home. We must continue to regularly wash our hands with soap and water or sanitiser. We must continue to clean and sanitise all surfaces in all public spaces. “Most importantly, we must keep a safe distance – of at least 2 metres – from other people. There is now emerging evidence that the virus may also be carried in tiny particles in the air in places that are crowded, closed or have poor air circulation. For this reason, we must immediately improve the indoor
environment of public places where the risk of infection is greatest.” Ramaphosa’s address comes after weeks of criticism from his opponents in opposition parties who questioned his silence. The National Coronavirus Command Council and Cabinet have considered returning all or parts of the country to a higher alert level, either to level 4 or level 5 President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation on Sunday 12 July. The president had last addressed the nation last month when he announced a readjusted alert Level 3, which saw the sale of alcohol being reintroduced. Ramaphosa has been criticised by some, including the EFF, who accused him of abandoning ship, and the DA called him a spectator to the ravaging effect of Covid-19. The EFF responded to the reinstatement
of the alcohol ban with a proverbial “I told you so”, while the DA said Ramaphosa was diverting attention from real issues like government’s failure to build treatment and testing capacity, News24 reported. The ban on alcohol sales comes as a victory for Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, who called for it a week after it was reintroduced. Other premiers weighed in, raising concern about overwhelmed public healthcare systems in various provinces. Ramaphosa seems to be in agreement. In his address on Sunday evening, he said there is clear evidence that the resumption of alcohol sales has resulted in substantial pressure being put on hospitals, including trauma and intensive care units, due to motor vehicle accidents, violence and related trauma. “Most of these and other trauma
injuries occur at night. Therefore, as an additional measure to reduce the pressure on hospitals, a curfew will be put in place between the hours of 9pm and 4am,” the president said. The immediate ban on the sale of alcohol could become a bone of contention for Ramaphosa’s Cabinet in the coming weeks with many caught by surprise. Interim DA leader John Steenhuisen said in response: “The argument that alcohol trauma is putting the system under pressure is simply an excuse and cover-up for this failure. Alcohol is the scapegoat, not the reason. A curfew gives an illusion of control, when quite clearly the government has no control over the real issue, which is treatment and testing capacity. These are false narratives that should not divert us from what we need to do.” The president conceded that the National Coronavirus Command Council and Cabinet have considered returning all or parts of the country to a higher alert level, either to Level 4 or Level 5, but that suggestion was proved to be moot. “The advice we have received is that taking this step now would not necessarily achieve a significant reduction in the rate of transmission and would come at an extraordinary economic cost, putting more livelihoods at risk and potentially causing longlasting social harm,” he said. The biggest concession Ramaphosa made was allowing taxis to operate at 100% capacity for short distance trips. Taxis which travel further than 200km should have a maximum capacity of 70%.
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14 July 2020
Gauteng is SA’s Covid-19 epicenter, with 3,527 cases in 24 hours
Gauteng accounted for 3,527 of those new cases, meaning it has replaced the Western Cape as the province with the highest number of confirmed infections. According to the health ministry, as of Thursday night there are 75,015 cases in Gauteng and 73,292 in the Western Cape, which recorded 1,136 new infections in the past 24 hours.
The ministry also announced that there were 100 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours. This means that there have been 3,602 total fatalities from the virus in SA. Of these deaths, 47 from the Western Cape, 18 each in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, 15 in Mpumalanga and two in Limpopo. The Western Cape remains the province
Permit For Travelling Under The New Curfew
with the highest numbers of deaths (2,192), followed by the Eastern Cape (582), Gauteng (478) and KwaZulu-Natal (223). There have been 106,842, a recovery rate of 47.5%. The figures were cased on 1,944,399 total tests, of which 36,867 were done in the past 24-hour cycle
Government has reintroduced an evening curfew in South Africa as part of a number of new restrictions aimed at curbing the surge of coronavirus cases in the country, Business Tech reported. In a national address on Sunday evening (12 July), President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the curfew will be implemented between 21h00 and 04h00 daily. The curfew comes into effect from 21h00 on Monday evening (13 July) and does not have a set end date. According Business Tech, an accompanying directive published by minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africans will require a permit should they need to travel during these prohibited times. These permits are required for people who perform essential or other permitted services and require both the employee’s information and the information of the company.
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14 July 2020
14 July 2020
SA exiting Super Rugby would perk up Rugby Championship
An enforced gap year in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, would instantly heighten interest for the 2021 competition, with a fresher feel and some sense of regrowth among the four competing nations. By then, though, a tonic of another type may have come into play for Springbok enthusiasts: the lack of a preceding Super Rugby tournament featuring players from our neck of the woods. That will come about if, in the interim, SA Rugby shifts our four existing franchise participants into an expanded version of the northern hemisphere’s PRO14 ... a strengthening rumour, fuelled by the murmurs from Australasia that the two superpowers there wish to “go it alone” at Super Rugby level in future. A seismic shift like that, after quarter of a century of loyalty to pro-era Super Rugby, would provoke controversy and no lack of ruefulness in some circles back here. But it would remove quite a significant portion of the “same old faces” look to the Championship, coming as it traditionally has, annually, in the immediate smoke trail of Super Rugby. Especially when the South African challenge in Super Rugby has been a forceful one, with interest by at least one team right to the end of the finals series phase, the Championship - usually held over a double round, too, something the
ever-prestigious Six Nations steers clear of - has surrendered more than a little of its mystique. When the Bulls were in their 2007-10 heyday, for example, they might find their Bok-laden side playing the Crusaders (just as crammed with top-bracket All Blacks) toward the end of ordinary season, then again in a key knockout match. Just a few weeks beyond that, many of the same customers would
be fronting the respective international causes over two legs between the Test arch-rivals. If the cream of SA domestic franchises shifted emphasis to the other side of the equator, there would instantly be deeper curiosity every year over how our finest players weigh up against New Zealand counterparts - minus the intelligence that would more customarily be gleaned during the long Super Rugby slog. Also to consider: it has always been less than ideal (at least that’s how I feel) that the Jaguares of Super Rugby simply reappear soon afterwards, in at least 95 percent of playing-personnel cases, as the Pumas in the Championship. On that note, nobody has said much yet about the fate of the Argentinean franchise if the SA sides do abandon Super Rugby and the Australasian heavyweight countries cosy up more profoundly together.
Springbok fullback rushed to hospital: ‘It’s a pain I’ve never experienced’
Springbok fullback Willie le Roux underwent an appendectomy last week after being rushed to hospital. Register your interest for the British & Irish Lions tickets in South Africa 2021 Le Roux told Sunday weekly Rapport that he had a stomach ache last Tuesday night, which he thought was from pasta he had eaten. The 30-year-old still went for a 10km run on Wednesday before seeing a doctor, who gave him an injection and Gaviscon. However, the pain became unbearable and on Thursday, Le Roux’s mother took him to the Mediclinic in Somerset West. “The doctor said my appendix, which he then removed, was full of bacteria. Because he was afraid that I might get an infection, he wanted to keep me in hospital until at least Saturday or Sunday. “I was really shocked. It’s a pain I’ve never experienced. The doctor only told me afterwards that if I had waited another day, my appendix would have burst. I was really scared and can’t describe the pain I was experiencing.” Le Roux, who has played 61 Tests for the Springboks, is expected to head to Japan in September to play for the Toyota Verblitz club. Verblitz are coached by former All Blacks mentor Steve Hansen. Le Roux has since returned home.