Monday 21 June - DAILY NEWS SUMMARY
The Citizen (www.citizen.co.za) Page 1/3 – Covid wave stalks families Page 2 – New doctors still waiting for jobs Page 8 – How the new deal on car repairs work Pretoria News (www.pretorianews.co.za)
Page 4 – ‘Covid-19 vaccine conditions must be made public’
Page 5 – Thumbs-up for full-time primary schooling The Star (www.iol.co.za)
Ramaphosa warns of fatigue as Gauteng remains a concern
Inquiry into IEC’s Covid-19 safety protocols ahead of 2021 elections on track for July deadline
Business Day (www.businesslive.co.za)
ANC shifts stance on land custodianship to appease EFF
Dependence on Eskom puts SA exports at risk from EU carbon tax
Cape Town accused of ‘treating dogs better than homeless’ as court battle looms 연합뉴스 (www.yonhapnews.co.kr)
알고보니 석영…허사로 끝난 남아공 ‘다이아몬드 러시’
Covid wave stalks families
The worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is yet to come, doctors warn – and this time, unlike the first and second waves, the third wave will hit entire families because they are not isolating infected members as recommended.
• The Citizen (Gauteng)
• 21 Jun 2021
• Marizka Coetzer –marizkac@citizen.co.za
‘A teacher infected her kids, husband, parents, sister and grandmother.’
As hospitals and medical workers in Gauteng prepare to be swamped by Covid-19 cases, the third wave of infections is now affecting whole families, which it did not in the first and second waves.
A Johannesburg-based doctor, who agreed to speak anonymously because he works at the Life Group hospital, said the first and second waves of infections largely affected individuals, whereas in the third wave it has become common for all family members to be infected.
“I had a patient who is a teacher, who infected her three children, husband and her parents who are 70 years and older. The grandmother was also infected along with the teacher’s sister and her 12-year-old son.”
Medical experts say this is possibly because families are not isolating infected members within the house, as recommended. It is recommended that Covid-positive people be kept away from those who are not infected, in a well-ventilated room and have their own, separately washed eating utensils and bedding while they are in the infectious stages, for at least 10 days of isolation.
A doctor on Twitter this week spoke of a family whose 15-yearold son tested positive and decided that “it’s coming so we might as well all get it”. The father contracted the disease, was hospitalised and died.
Doctors are worried about what will happen in Gauteng over the next and following week, when hospital admissions from the soaring infections will rise.
The private doctor said that,
I’m very worried about what’s going to happen next week.
A private doctor on soaring cases of Covid-19 infections
currently, new patients were only admitted once other patients were discharged.
He said over the past seven days, community infections have increased dramatically. “Which means seven to 10 days later, the number of infected people needing to be admitted to
hospital may increase drastically.
“I’m very worried about what’s going to happen next week.”
Last week, the Gauteng department of health confirmed the number of Covid-19 hospital admissions had increased, putting the facilities under pressure.
“There has also been an increased number of People Under Investigation, particularly in the West Rand and City of Johannesburg Districts,” Kwara Kekana, spokesperson for the Gauteng MEC for health said.
The department said it has adopted a Risk-Adjusted and Demand Informed Strategy to optimise the department’s response to the third wave.
“In addition to the newly built infrastructure in areas such as the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Jubilee Hospital and Bronkhorstspruit Hospital, wards and beds are always repurposed, based on the demands of the pandemic at the time,” Kekana said.
Dr Sayuren Moonsamy, a flight doctor who works in various hospitals, said many facilities are at their capacity.
“Intensive care unit (ICU) beds, high care beds and general ward beds have all become a scarce commodity,” Moonsamy said.
Another challenge was emergency centres nursing patients for prolonged periods, while other patients await a bed, he said.
“Healthcare workers are currently overloaded by patient volumes and the healthcare system was running on reserve.”
Moonsamy said in some instances patients are being assessed and managed outside facilities due to a lack of space because of current patient volumes.
“Doctors are sometimes going into ambulances to assess patients while they’re awaiting space in emergency centres. Some patients are being treated while seated on chairs in the parking lot,” Moonsamy said.
He said he has heard of patients having to wait in cars on oxygen.
Democratic Alliance Gauteng shadow MEC for health Jack Bloom said SA hasn’t reached the peak of the wave yet. “A wave lasts about 10 to 12 weeks.”
Bloom added no one in South Africa is fully vaccinated yet because the people from the first round of vaccinations are still waiting for the follow-up jab.
Jacques du Plessis, managing director of Netcare’s hospital division, said they have not yet seen a surge in Covid-19 admissions.
“Although the situation remains fluid, at present our facilities in Gauteng are under pressure, while Netcare facilities in all other provinces remain on high alert,” Du Plessis said.
The Citizen’s picture editor, Michel Bega, toured a number of public and private hospitals in Gauteng yesterday and reported that things seemed quiet, with no sign of people being treated outside. He was told by ER24 that, so far, they had not been pressured in terms of calls for ambulances.
New doctors still waiting for jobs
INTERNSHIP: INTAKE SET TO START NEXT MONTH
• The Citizen (Gauteng)
• 21 Jun 2021
• Rorisang Kgosana – rorisangk@citizen.co.za
More than 200 qualified health practitioners express frustration as they are in limbo.
Hundreds of qualified doctors still waiting to be placed for their mid-year internship intake would eventually be allocated a position despite the frustrating delays in their placement, said the South African Medical Association (Sama).
More than 200 qualified doctors expressed frustration and worry as they have heard no word from the department of health on the mid-year internship intake which is set to start next month.
With some waiting for placement for more than a year, most had completed their studies this year and have been waiting several months to be placed by the health department’s Internship and Community Service Programme (ICSP).
“We have applied for the midyear cycle, which is supposed to start placing us from 11 June, but on Friday, they said they postponed the placement as some posts still need to be funded,”
said a medical graduate.
But the excuse of lack of funding was invalid, as the health department had always known they would need to allocate and place medical interns, said a Walter Sisulu University medical graduate, who also wanted anonymity.
According to an e-mail sent by the ICSP to the graduates on Friday, the health department was finalising the process for the midyear intake due to the extension of the academic year at higher education institutions.
But Sama, which was in talks with the health department on the intakes, said the students will definitely be placed, despite the delay from the department.
Sama chair Dr Angelique Coetzee explained that graduates first have to go through a two- year internship programme, followed by one year community service before they can become doctors.
For the July intake, 118 medical graduates had already been allocated funds and
accreditation. About 214 were still outstanding. The technical advisory committee meeting was actually scheduled for tomorrow, instead of Thursday, she said.
She said despite the delay, all outstanding medical interns are assured that they will eventually be placed.
How the new deal on car repairs work
GUIDELINES: CONSUMERS CAN HAVE VEHICLES SERVICED INDEPENDENTLY
• The Citizen (Gauteng)
• 21 Jun 2021
• Ina Opperman – inao@citizen.co.za
Every decision you make will have some repercussions if something goes wrong.
The guidelines issued by the Competition Commission for the Automotive Aftermarket give consumers certain rights when having work done on their cars, but it could be quite difficult for consumers to make sense of it all.
The commission has clarified the rights of consumers regarding service and maintenance on their cars at a virtual consumer workshop on Friday, before the Automotive Aftermarket Guidelines come into operation on 1 July.
However, it is important to remember that every choice you make from now on will have certain repercussions if something goes wrong.
Car repairs
If you use an independent service provider (ISP) during the warranty period, there is a risk that the car manufacturer’s warranty (or parts of it) may become invalid.
The manufacturer or dealer can void the warranty (or parts of it) if they can prove that the damage is due to the work of the ISP.
If the car manufacturer or dealer alleges there is a fault in the car due to the work done by the ISP, it must assess the car, at its own cost, to determine the cause.
If the fault or damage is not caused by the independent service provider, the car manufacturer or dealer should honour the terms of the warranty.
You will be able to choose a service provider, but if you choose an independent service provider (ISP) while the car is under warranty, the car manufacturer or dealer is not
responsible to cover the cost of the service or repairs. You will have to pay for the service.
If you have insurance cover, you have to use the repairer allocated by your insurer and approved by the car manufacturer.
Most independent service providers have insurance cover for liability events.
Spare parts
You can choose between original or non-original spare parts at a service provider of your choice.
You can buy non-original parts for your car under warranty from independent service providers.
You can also buy original car manufacturer parts from independent service providers, sourced from dealers.
ISPs will also be able to access the coding systems of car manufacturers, except security- related features, if they register with the relevant original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and meet its requirements.
However, you must remember that if you have spare parts fitted by an ISP during the warranty period, there is a risk that the car manufacturer’s warranty (or parts of it) may become invalid.
The manufacturer or dealer can void the warranty (or parts of it) if they can prove that the damage is due to the fitment of spare parts by the ISP.
The same rules for repairs count for spare parts as far as ISPs and insurance go.
Maintenance and service plans
You can buy a maintenance and service plan with the car or separately from a licensed provider, including independent/third party providers.
You can choose not to buy plans and value added products when buying a car.
Dealers must give you the actual price of the car and the price of the maintenance or service plan separately.
You can choose to buy the maintenance and service plans from any service provider, including third party providers or the dealer.
If your car is written off due to an accident, you can receive a refund or transfer the balance of the plans you bought for a new car.
How to choose an ISP
You have to ensure that you choose an ISP who has the necessary skills and information to work on your car.
Choose an ISP with trained staff.
ISPs can choose to register with a particular OEM to get access to its technical information, such as car service books, technical manuals, components and diagnosis information, wiring diagrams and operational software, as well as security-related information to access the vehicle security systems, including coding and safety systems.
ISPs must tell you how much the work will cost on cars under warranty.
You must check if the ISP has adequate commercial insurance cover to perform the work.
You must ask the ISP about the risk of fitting spare parts which could void the warranty.
Also ask the ISP to record in-warranty repairs and services in your service book.
Where to complain
First follow the internal complaints procedures of the service provider. If there is no resolution, you can complain to the Motor Industry Ombudsman of SA and the National Consumer Commission.
’Covid-19 vaccine conditions must be made public’
• Pretoria News
• 21 Jun 2021
• ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za
AFRIFORUM and Solidarity have launched an urgent court application to request more information concerning the conditions imposed on Johnson & Johnson (J&J) by the South African Health Products Regulator.
The applicants launched a two-legged application in which they will also ask the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to review and set aside the regulator’s alleged decision to impose certain conditions on the procurement of the J&J vaccines.
The regulator has approved the J&J vaccine, which is manufactured by Janssen
Pharmaceuticals, but on condition that the vaccine be purchased only by the government, the applicants said.
This, in effect, means that both the provincial governments and the private sector, including pharmacies, may not buy the vaccine directly from the manufacturer.
The applicants said in court papers that if there were conditions attached to the purchasing of this vaccine, these must be published in the Government Gazette.
AfriForum and Solidarity said they have been unable to find any such publication and therefore urgently request this information. The urgent application will be heard this week.
According to them, the decision is unlawful as there are no provisions that enable them to impose these conditions.
“The regulator is supposed to look after the effectiveness of vaccines and other medications and not its centralisation and nationalisation. We are of the opinion that such a condition of centralisation is unlawful,” said Anton van der Bijl, head of legal services at Solidarity.
He said the government’s vaccine roll-out programme so far had been problematic and it is in no position to deal with the purchase and distribution of vaccines on its own.
Van der Bijl stated that the prohibition on the private or provincial procurement of the Covid- 19 vaccines was unlawful. The applicants wrote various letters to the regulator to obtain details regarding the conditions imposed on the registration of this vaccine.
The medicine regulator denied that it had placed a prohibition on the private and provincial procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.
It said that it received an application by Janssen for the registration of its Covid-19 vaccine - Johnson & Johnson - but this was made in the context of its intent to supply it to the national Department of Health for purposes of its vaccine plan.
The regulator said it was bound by the Medicines Act not to disclose these conditions.
The applicants said they were not convinced that the regulator had not placed a prohibition on the private and provincial procurement of this vaccine.
They said the issue must come under legal scrutiny urgently as they fear that there may be an unlawful condition regarding the J&J vaccines which had the effect of barring private
individuals from procuring a possibly life-saving vaccine.
The applicants said the government made it clear that it had no policy to prevent private procurement and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, but they are accusing the regulator of not playing open cards.
According to the applicants, it is vital that clarity is obtained as soon as possible as to who can procure these vaccines, especially as the third wave of the pandemic is upon the country.
The regulator is expected to file its court papers in response this week.
Thumbs-up for full-time primary schooling
• Pretoria News
• 21 Jun 2021
• BALDWIN NDABA
GCISBASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga. |
EDUCATION bodies have welcomed Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s decision to allow foundation phase pupils to resume schooling on a fulltime basis.
Equal Education (EE) and Equal Education Law Centre, including teachers’ unions, also commended the Department of Basic Education for taking a careful, case-by-case approach to managing Covid-19 infections in schools.
EE spokesperson Jay-Dee Cyster said the decision was in line with its risk-adjusted strategy and significantly helped manage fears around school safety, while protecting pupils from the harmful impacts of not being at school every day.
“We also celebrate Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s announcement that our country’s 582000 school staff will have the opportunity to be vaccinated by July 8.
“We have, since last year, appealed to the department to implement the risk-adjusted strategy so that teaching and learning can continue in schools, in parts of the country where
community transmission is low or at zero, allowing the same schools to later close when community transmission becomes high.
“Despite the DBE having developed a comprehensive digital system to guide the
implementation of this strategy, no province has implemented it yet. Minister Motshekga should now ensure that provinces use this strategy to guide the case-by-case approach to the opening and closing of schools.
Equal Education and Equal Education Law Centre have also welcomed the Basic Education Department’s latest set of directions, which determine that all primary school pupils return to school full-time, saying the foundation phase of schooling, in particular, was critical.
“It is in these grades that basic learning skills must be acquired. All later learning is built on this aptly named stage of schooling.
“Our submission to the department on the draft directions – before they were finalised – proposed that provincial Education Departments prioritise providing extra resources to those schools which are unable to return to full-time timetable.
“We also proposed that the provincial head of department develop a register of those schools that are unable to return to a full-time timetable, to ensure that there is oversight and that schools get the help that they need to move to full-time teaching,” Cyster said.
Equal Education said they were glad that the department took their advice, but they are concerned that the directions excluded plans for the fulltime return of high school learners and did not make provision for oversight and support, regarding when and how high schools implement rotating and platooning timetables.
On Saturday, Motshekga told the media that the decision to return foundation phase learners to fulltime school was canvassed adequately within the sector, with key stakeholders making input in the process.
“We were guided by various studies, which looked into the teaching and learning losses already suffered in the sector; the scientific evidence regarding the impact of Covid-19 on younger children as well as the advice from the medical fraternity.
“Cabinet approved and supported the proposal by the sector to prepare for the return of traditional timetabling at primary school level, with effect from the first day of the third school term, on July 26, 2021.
“We gave ourselves two months to prepare for this mammoth task. At the moment, provinces are at various stages of readiness in terms of the return of all primary school pupils to school on a daily basis.
“We are aware that there are many variables that will make this task a success. The department is currently holding one-on-one sessions with each provincial Education Department to check on their state of readiness,” Motshekga said.
The National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa executive director Basil Manuel said his union was in full support of Motshekga, saying her comments had been consistent over a period of time.
“We have received reports from scientists and health experts, that it was too early to have a major panic. Motshekga’s decision is sound.”
The SA Democratic Teachers Union was not available for comment by the time of publication.
A few days ago, the EFF threatened to close schools if Motshekga implemented the full-time return of foundation phase schools.
Ramaphosa warns of fatigue as Gauteng remains a concern
By Zintle Mahlati 54m ago
Johannesburg - The third-wave’s rapid rise in Covid-19 cases in Gauteng remains a concern, President Cyril Ramaphosa says.
He said the rise in the number of cases and infections needed to be dealt with urgently before more lives and livelihoods were lost.
Gauteng is the country's economic hub. While it’s the smallest province in the country, it has the biggest population.
The number of cases in the province has been rising rapidly, surpassing the peaks of the first and the second wave.
There has been more than 13 155 new cases countrywide reported since Sunday.
More than 8 000 of those are in Gauteng.
"This week the number of new cases exceeded the peak in both previous waves, and it has not started to decline yet. As a result, hospitals are reaching capacity, and health-care workers are exhausted.
"Gauteng looks small on the map. But it is home to one in five South Africans and two-fifths of our economy. As an economic hub, many people travel to and from this province. We need to turn this around urgently, or lives and livelihoods will be seriously under threat," Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter.
Ramaphosa warned against fatigue and said the consequences of not adhering to Covid-19 protocols would risk an impact on the economy.
"We may be tired of this persistent enemy, but it is not yet tired of us. The threat to health and lives is evident as people become ill and some die. So, we must do what we can, as individuals, as families and communities, as unions and employers, and as government, to limit the toll.
"When the virus surges to this extent, the economy also faces challenges. Workers have to isolate or quarantine, people stop going out for recreation or shopping, tourism comes to a standstill, and workplaces have to spend more money to prevent infections," he said.
He said people should avoid social gatherings no matter how small they were.
"We have to avoid social gatherings of all kinds, whether for family, friends, business or recreation. We must work from home if we can. We must wear masks when other people are around and stay 1.5m from other people whenever possible. Although we find ourselves in the middle of winter, we need to ensure good ventilation when indoors or in public transport, for instance by opening windows."
Ramaphosa pleaded for patience as the country's vaccination programme continues.
He said the government hoped to vaccinate most of the population by the end of the year. As of Sunday, 2 142 624 people had been vaccinated.
Inquiry into IEC’s Covid-19
safety protocols ahead of 2021 elections on track for July
deadline
By Zintle Mahlati 5m ago
Johannesburg - The inquiry appointed to investigate whether the Electoral
Commission of South Africa (IEC) can safely hold local government elections, says it is on track to complete its work by July 21 this year.
The inquiry has so far received more than 1 000 submissions from the general public and opinions from medical experts.
The inquiry was appointed last month and is being chaired by former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke.
It is tasked to "enquire into, make findings and report on, and make
recommendations concerning the likelihood that the Electoral Commission would be able to ensure that the forthcoming 2021 general local government elections will be free and fair, in view of (i) the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and (ii) the measures promulgated by the government to curb the continued spread of the pandemic".
Other aspects the inquiry has to look at is whether the IEC may be required to add other measures to ensure safer elections. Moseneke said the plan is for the inquiry to be wrapped up by July 21, before a proclamation is made by Cooperative
Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
This week, the inquiry, in response to Independent Media questions, it said it was on track to complete its work as expected.
The IEC has also made its submissions and it was expected that, by Friday, political parties, the Department of Health and Cogta would have made submissions.
The inquiry is also expected to hear oral submissions from June 28.
The question of whether elections should go ahead has left political parties divided.
Parties like the EFF and the IFP have spoken out publicly about their disapproval over elections going ahead on October 27.
The biggest concern has been political parties being unable to campaign as usual and hold large gatherings to lure voters. Other parties, such as the DA, have supported the decision to have elections go ahead.
IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said the commission would accept whichever recommendation the inquiry proposes.
Mashinini said if the inquiry recommends a postponement, then the IEC would approach the court to allow for such a situation.
The IEC had, last year, approached the court over the postponement of more than 100 by-elections. These elections took place this year and could not go ahead under level 5 of the lockdown.
"Ultimately, if need be, then we will have to go to the courts. It is only the courts that can postpone the elections or not postpone it. The Constitution is very clear, it does not have an indefinite situation, as we have seen in other countries. It says the term is five years and we should have results within 90 days after the end of the term.
"If we are minded to have it postponed, we will have to do what we had done with the by-elections. It would be to put a case forward and approach the courts," Mashinini said.
Mashinini said under level 1 and 2 of the risk-adjusted lockdown, conditions were conducive for elections to go ahead. He said most of the country had normalised to living in a pandemic.
"We have normalised into a new normal, most activities now are happening. What makes the elections unique and different? Shops are open, social security queues are there ... Most activities have normalised under the Covid-19 protocols, so what makes elections different?" asked Mashinini.
zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za
ANC shifts stance on land
custodianship to appease EFF
Change to the constitution may stall
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Picture: 123RF/JACEK SOPOTNICKI
In a move to strike a deal with the EFF to amend the property clause of the constitution, the ANC on Friday proposed that state custodianship be applicable to “certain land”
within the context of expropriation.
But the EFF immediately rejected the proposal, saying that nothing short of full state custodianship, which would amount to nationalisation, would be acceptable. The party also remains at odds with the ANC over the inclusion of compensation in the clause.
This means the change to the constitution could stall as the two parties continue to differ as the deadline to table a report to the National Assembly by the end of August looms.
Both parties need one another to pass the amendment, which requires a two-thirds majority.
The next step is a meeting between the top leadership of the ANC and the EFF on Wednesday, said Floyd Shivambu, the deputy leader of the EFF.
The parties would then have to decide whether they could find common ground or not.
The amendment, which has spooked investors, is meant to make it clear that
expropriation of land without compensation can be permitted under the constitution.
The EFF, the third-largest party in parliament, insists that all land be under state custodianship and no compensation to landowners be paid.
On the other hand, the ANC has all along favoured mixed land ownership: private, state and communal tenure.
During a meeting of parliament’s ad hoc committee tasked with amending section 25 of the constitution on Friday, the ANC presented its slightly tweaked amendment saying:
“The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to foster conditions which enable state custodianship of certain land in order for citizens to gain access to land on an equitable basis.’’
ANC MP and member of the ad hoc committee Cyril Xaba told Business Day on Sunday the party proposed that the state retain ownership of all land until it is redistributed to beneficiaries. “So our position is still markedly different from the EFF, which wants all land to be nationalised,” Xaba said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told journalists earlier in June that the ANC’s approach has always been to give tenure to South Africans.
“The hunger for land has always been about tenure. The notion that we have had a blanket approach, that we will own all the land [from land reform] may be impeding the entrepreneurial spirit. Our people want to own the land and hold the title,” Ramaphosa said.
The leasehold system that has been used for most land reform beneficiaries over the past decade is widely regarded as a failure because it prevents people from using their land as collateral to raise loans.
On Friday, Shivambu said the party will not support any amendment that does not support nil compensation or “anything that says custodianship is only for certain land.
“We have realised that the engagement with committee members has not been very useful because the majority of time they are not decisionmakers in the ANC, they still have to consult at a different level ... so we have been in engagement with the top five of the ANC with the latest developments to then say ‘let’s sit down and discuss’ and if that discussion does not bear fruit, we will just have to agree that we do not have the common perspective in terms of amendment of section 25.”
DA MP Annelie Lotriet said that Friday’s proposal from the ANC was evidence that it was actually warming up to the EFF view on custodianship.
Fig leaf
“President Cyril Ramaphosa misled the country when he said that the ANC will not support the EFF’s proposal to make the state custodian of all land as this would ‘kill entrepreneurial spirit’," Lotriet said.
Ruth Hall from the University of the Western Cape’s Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, said given that the ANC is not willing to support expropriation without compensation across the board, or nationalisation, the “state custodianship of certain land” is the compromise offer on the table. “It could be
the fig leaf needed to paper over the real political differences between the two. But in reality, and on the ground, it will likely satisfy nobody.”
Dependence on Eskom puts SA exports at risk from EU carbon tax
Firms that decarbonise faster will be the rising stars of the next decade, says asset manager
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Picture: SUPPLIED
SA’s exports are at risk of having hefty carbon border taxes imposed on them by the EU as a result of Eskom’s heavy reliance on coal, which accounts for about 90% of the electricity it produces.
The EU’s carbon border tax adjustment proposal could entail levies on goods imported from countries with a heavy carbon reliance from 2023, though the scope and quantum of the proposed taxes will become clearer only next month.
The penalty would imperil not only the mining industry — in which 453,000 jobs are at stake — but any manufacturer that produces a product with a high level of embedded carbon.
The European Commission is expected to unveil a series of penalties next month to be imposed on goods imported from countries with heavy carbon footprints, with Bloomberg reporting on June 2 that steel, cement and aluminium would be among the first to be affected.
The planned import taxes are part of a broader plan called the European Green Deal, which aims to make the region the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
The issue is now on the government’s radar, with President Cyril Ramaphosa writing in Business Day that SA will engage countries at the COP26 climate conference scheduled for November and at the World Trade Organization on the issue of carbon tax import penalties and the phasing out of fossil fuels to get a fair deal for the developing world.
“We should be careful not to advocate one-size-fits-all approaches to disinvestment from fossil fuels or impose non-tariff barriers or discriminatory taxes that would unfairly harm developing economies,” he said.
In addition, SA firms and the government may soon find funding less available and more expensive as investors begin to price in environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk when allocating capital.
Investment firms are preparing by taking a stronger stance on ESG issues when making investments. Local asset managers are fast catching up, with Ninety One, Coronation and Alexander Forbes all highlighting their commitment to ESG investing in recent months.
John Green, chief commercial officer of Ninety One, warned during the 2021 Investment Forum on June 9 of the risk of carbon border tax adjustments due to Eskom’s heavy reliance on coal.
Carbon Brief ranks SA as having the most carbon-intensive power grid among 25 major economies it analysed based on grams of carbon emitted per kilowatt hour of power produced in 2017.
“If you believe that carbon border tax is something that the developed world applies because it’s one of the ways they can force emerging markets to address this problem then you’ve got to see that coming and you’ve got to adapt,” Green said in an interview.
“If it comes in and you’re not adapting, then there’s going to be an enormous impact on the country.”
While the threat of carbon taxes imposed on SA’s exports is a risk for the government and firms, Green said it presents SA with an opportunity.
“If we commit to transitioning our electricity system from a coal-dependent system to a renewable one ... it will be an incredibly strong catalyst for growth,” said Green, adding that investors are “enormously receptive” to funding decarbonisation projects at
competitive rates. In fact, so strong is the emphasis on achieving a more sustainable future that he said decarbonisation would replace digitisation as the world’s next big investment theme.
“Decarbonisation is going to be one of the most meaningful drivers of returns for the next 15 years,” he said.
“The companies that orientate towards delivering decarbonisation solutions are going to experience enormous growth.”
Ninety One’s global environment fund already has $835m invested in companies such as Waste Management Inc, Nextera Energy, Voltronic Power Technology and Infineon Technologies. Almost 70% of the companies in the fund are located in the US (35.2%), Europe (28.2%) and the UK (6.1%) with 19.4% in China and 1.3% in Japan.
“There are a whole lot of companies ... that are delivering fantastic solutions to
decarbonisation, many of whom we don’t even know about,” said Green. “They are going to be the real stars over the next 15 years.”
Modelling work presented to the presidential climate commission has recommended a faster decarbonisation than contained in government targets, with activists also arguing that SA’s targets are too low and do not take a “fair share” of the world’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Cape Town accused of ‘treating dogs better than homeless’ as court battle looms
Activist organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi challenges the constitutionality of criminalising bylaws
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Picture: 123RF/SILVER K BLACK
“Cape Town treats dogs much better than homeless people.”
This is how Carin Gelderbloem, 51, who has been living on and off Cape Town streets since 2011, describes how homeless people are treated by the city’s law-enforcement officials.
She accuses the DA-led city of Cape Town, which bills itself as a caring city, of treating the homeless like “enemies of the metro” and “with disrespect all the time”.
One of the continent’s wealthiest cities boasting some of the most exclusive and trendy suburbs such as Camps Bay, Clifton and Constantia, Cape Town has a homelessness crisis and the problem is worsening partly due to the Covid-19-induced economic crisis that has led to a jobs bloodbath and psychological trauma.
The crisis in the city is a microcosm of the inequality and poverty issues that continue to plague SA, a country that remains one of the world’s most economically unequal.
While the crisis and bylaws that effectively criminalise rough sleeping are not unique to Cape Town, the city has been under the spotlight for its perceived harsh treatment of homeless people with many of them fined or arrested, and allegedly constantly harassed for living on the streets.
Gelderbloem is one of the many homeless people in Cape Town that feel aggrieved by the city’s approach. She lost her home after her husband died in 2006 and she could not afford the bond repayments on her own. She subsequently moved in with her sister in Mitchells Plain, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. Gelderbloem says she did not
get along with her sibling and they fought all the time, which eventually forced her to live on the streets from 2011.
According to the city’s figures, about 6,000 people are living on the streets across the metro. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including U-turn, a faith-based
organisation that assists homeless people, conservatively estimate the number to be about 14,000.
NGOs say their city shelters, struggling for funding, can accommodate up to about 3,000 people. Even when space is available, some shelters require some form of payment starting from about R15 a night, which is unaffordable for most of the homeless.
In a recent report, U-turn cites global research showing that homelessness has detrimental consequences for individuals on the street and society. Living on the street causes a decline in physical and mental health, and an increase in trauma and injury due to a lack of safety.
Housed residents face an increase in begging and littering as well as a perceived decrease in safety. This, some observers point out, can also lead to a marked drop in property values in the affected suburbs, a big concern for homeowners.
Gelderbloem, who has a hairdressing qualification but has struggled to land a steady job, alleges the city’s law-enforcement officials, intent on removing homeless people off the streets, confiscated her property including a sleeping bag, identity documents, dentures and jewellery beads, which she relied on to make money to buy food and other essentials.
After running battles with the city, Gelderbloem and 10 other homeless people with the help of Cape Town-based activist organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi recently approached the Western Cape High Court to challenge the constitutionality of the bylaws that in effect criminalise homelessness.
Gelderbloem and her co-applicants — most of whom list their place of residence as Hope Street in the Cape Town CBD, a stone’s throw from parliament — have also approached the Equality Court to challenge the discriminatory nature of the bylaws.
They want the streets, public places and the prevention of noise nuisances as well as the integrated waste management bylaws set aside.
They also want the city to pay each applicant R5,000 in damages and to issue a formal apology.
In her affidavit in the high court case Gelderbloem says that in applying the waste bylaw the city’s law- enforcement officers have routinely incorrectly classified the personal belongings of homeless people as litter or waste.
The city is opposing the application. A court date is yet to be set.
Recently, the city council raised eyebrows when it issued a statement effectively urging residents to submit complaints about the homeless, ostensibly to bolster its case.
Responding to questions from Business Day, the city says it serves the whole of Cape Town and its constituents, and is therefore entitled to request information from all of its residents to assess the effect of homeless street people on the broader population.
The city is also at pains to highlight that addressing homelessness is the responsibility of the national and provincial government, who jointly hold the constitutional mandate and budgets for welfare services. But with the state finances under huge strain, there is not enough money to tackle the growing crisis.
Cape Town says it goes beyond its mandate by providing social development programmes for street people, including access to substance-abuse rehabilitation, assistance with obtaining identity documents and social grants and short-term job opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme.
The city states that it is responsible for enforcing its bylaws, which apply to everyone who lives in, works in or visits the city “and from time to time this includes street people”.
The city emphasises that the reasons for people living on the street are both structural and individual. Homelessness can be linked to unemployment, fractured family relationships, eviction, as well as individual factors such as substance abuse, mental illness or criminal involvement. Thus, according to the city, not everyone who finds themselves on the streets is homeless.
Danielle Louw, a lawyer for Ndifuna Ukwazi, notes that the city has a few social
development interventions but these are nullified by an approach that fines street people who conduct life-sustaining activities such as sleeping, camping, resting, bathing, erecting a shelter or keeping personal belongings in public.
What is needed, according to Louw, is a radical shift from an emphasis on punitive measures, to one that is centred on meeting street people’s basic needs.
For Gelderbloem, the looming court battle is a chance for homeless people to be heard.
She says it could mark the beginning of a new chapter for many people forced to live on the streets.
“All we want is for people to be treated with dignity and respect, even if they are homeless. I am praying for the court case to go our way,” Gelderbloem says.
It is a dilemma for city bosses. Many of the homeless have nowhere to go, but it is unhygienic and unsafe for people to live on the streets — making fires to cook, bathing and relieving themselves in public spaces. An urgent solution is needed.
알고보니 석영…허사로 끝난 남아공 '다이아몬드 러시'
송고시간 2021-06-21 09:08 장재은 기자
"벌판에서 보석 주웠다" 소문에 수천명 몰려들어
남아공에서 다이아몬드 러시를 부른 광물[콰줄루나탈 주정부 제공, 현지매체 IOL 게재. 재판매 및 DB 금지]
(서울=연합뉴스) 장재은 기자 = 남아프리카공화국에서 수천명의 '다이아몬드 러시'를 촉발한 광물이 석영 결정인 것으로 확인됐다.
로이터 통신에 따르면 남아공 콰줄루나탈주의 관리인 래비 필레이는
20 일(현지시간) 기자회견에서 "일부 기대와 달리 이 지역에서 발견된 돌은 다이아몬드가 아니었다"며 이 같은 조사 결과를 밝혔다.
필레이는 "석영이 가치가 있다면 잴 수는 있겠지만 그 가치가
다이아몬드보다 매우 낮다는 점은 반드시 언급돼야 할 것"이라고 덧붙였다.
남아공 요하네스버그에서 남동쪽으로 360 ㎞ 정도 떨어진 콰줄루나탈주 콰흘라티에는 지난 12 일부터 전국에서 수천명이 몰려들었다.
가축을 치던 사람 한 명이 벌판에서 보석을 주웠다고 말한 뒤 다이아몬드가 나온다는 소문이 퍼지면서 발생한 소동이었다.
남아공 '다이아몬드 러시' 결국 헛소동으로[로이터=연합뉴스]
광물 사진과 함께 횡재했다는 주장이 소셜미디어에 나돌면서 점점 더 많은 이가 몰려 다이아몬드를 캐내려고 곡괭이, 삽으로 땅을 파헤쳤다.
필레이는 답사 때 집계된 채굴자가 3 천명 정도에 달했다고 밝혔다.
콰줄루나탈 주정부는 채굴 때문에 토양이 훼손돼 현지 목축업이 방해를 받을 뿐만 아니라 너무 많은 사람이 몰려 압사 사고가 발생하거나 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나 19)이 확산할 수 있다고 우려했다.
필레이는 다이아몬드를 노리고 몰려든 이에게 떠나라고 권고하며 필요하면 공권력을 동원할 수도 있다고 밝혔다.
로이터 통신은 이번 소동에서 남아공 국민이 겪는 사회경제적 난제가 잘 드러난 소동이었다고 해설했다.
코로나 19 확산의 여파로 남아공 경제는 올해 1 분기 실업률이 32.6%까지 치솟을 정도로 무너져 많은 이가 생계에 어려움을 겪고 있다.
