Pretoria News (www.pretorianews.co.za) Page 1 - Lockdown challenge flops
Page 2 - Three in 10 administrators test positive Page 5 - North Korea says no to talks with US
The Star (www.IOL.co.za)
Page 1 - PRISONERS RIOT OVER SPREAD OF COVID-19 Page 2 - Truckers in nationwide protest
Page 9 - Media24 to axe 500 jobs and close print titles as Covid hits circulation, rev- enue
Business Day (www.businesslive.co.za)
Page 1 - Eskom overpaid Stefanutti Stocks JV and ABB by R1bn each, report finds Page 2 - State puts R18m into Covid-19 battle
Citizen (www.citizen.co.za)
Page 2 - ‘Call it quits on academic year’
Lockdown challenge flops
Court rejects FF+ bid to declare Covid-19 measures taken by government unconstitutional
Pretoria News 8 Jul 2020
ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za
THE GAUTENG High Court, Pretoria, has dismissed the legal challenge by the Freedom Front Plus to declare the Disaster Management Act and lockdown regulations unconstitution- al.
A full Bench, led by Judge President Dunstan Mlambo, was again called on an urgent basis to rule on the legality of the State’s response to the Covid-19 crisis.
The court agreed with the government that the political party’s attack on the Disaster Man- agement Act was founded on a misconception and fundamentally flawed.
The FF+ had challenged the validity of the National Disaster Management
Act and argued that the legislation gave unrestricted powers to Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
The party’s argument also included that while a national state of emergency had checks and balances built in to ensure the rights of citizens, a national state of disaster gave too much power to the minister to trample on the rights of citizens.
The court was also asked to order President Cyril Ramaphosa to summon the National As- sembly to an extraordinary sitting to debate how the Covid-19 pandemic must be dealt with.
It was argued on behalf of the FF+ that Parliament exercised crucial oversight over states of emergency, yet it played no role with regards to national disasters.
It said this meant that the executive had free rein in a national disaster, even though the regu- lations may be far-reaching and may encroach on people’s rights.
It said that under a state of disaster the powers of Dlamini Zuma were more powerful than those of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Its stance is that the declaration of a state of disaster to deal with Covid-19 is thus unconstitu- tional.
The court said it was clear that a state of emergency and state of disaster are fundamentally
“different legal animals”.
A state of emergency is limited to the direst of circumstances and it may only be declared when the life of the nation is under threat and when it is necessary to restore peace and order.
“Unless these requirements are met, the declaration of a state of emergency would be unlaw- ful.”
A state of disaster, on the other hand, covers a wide range of different circumstances and it may be necessary in the short term to suspend the normal constitutional protections to restore the constitutional state.
The court said the regulations under the Disaster Management Act may limit some rights for a while, but fundamental rights remained intact as any limitation may still be tested in law against the Constitution.
The government told the court that during the state of disaster parliamentary oversight had been exercised through the various portfolio committees of the National Council of Prov- inces.
In turning down the party’s application to overturn the national state of disaster and its provi- sions, the court said it was clear there was no need for a state of emergency to be declared unconstitutional.
Judge Mlambo said if Dlamini Zuma had declared a state of emergency herself, she would have probably “found herself in court far more quickly”.
The court postponed indefinitely the second leg of the application in which the FF Plus called for the record of proceedings as to how it was decided to declare a state of disaster, as well as all the scientific evidence the government relied on in declaring the lockdown.
Three in 10 administrators test positive
Employees, residents and traders doing business in the city urged to wear masks and practise physical distancing
Pretoria News 8 Jul 2020
RAPULA MOATSHE rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
THREE out of the 10 administrators in the City of Tshwane have so far tested positive for Covid-19.
This was announced yesterday after the resignation of the acting city manager, Mavela Dlamini, who cited health reasons for his departure.
City administrator responsible for compliance Lebogang Mahaye expressed deep concern over the increasing number of administrators who have contracted coronavirus.
The development has resulted in the administrators working from home.
Mahaye said the number of infections was gradually rising, and that it was cause for concern when administrators tested positive for Covid-19, “as we are expected to provide leadership and steer the City out of the difficult situation it finds itself in”.
“The nature of the work we do requires us to be hands-on and monitor what is happening, but the rapid spread of this disease is making it difficult for us to lead and manage remotely.
“We have been acting responsibly and observing the golden rules relating to Covid-19, and somehow the disease has managed to find its way into us through direct contact, and has ren- dered us to self-quarantine and self-isolate,” she said.
She implored everyone staying, working and doing business in the City to continue wearing a cloth mask at all times and to maintain the required physical distancing, use a hand sanitiser with an alcohol content of 60% and above, and to regularly wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
“We would like to urge the City’s employees not to take advantage of our physical absence from work and abscond.
“We collectively have a responsibility to act professionally and provide quality services to the communities we serve.”
She promised that the City would continue to take steps to prevent the virus from spreading further among employees and the people of Tshwane.
“Importantly, we should openly and publicly talk about this dreaded disease in order to des- tigmatise it. Together, we will fight and defeat this pandemic,” she said.
As of yesterday, the City had recorded 10 538 confirmed cases with 464 infections and 72 deaths.
Last month, the southern part of Tshwane House was temporarily closed due to a confirmed positive Covid-19 case.
The City also recently suspended its bus operations to enable the tracing of personnel who came into contact with a bus driver who tested positive. A total of 19 drivers are self-isolat- ing.
The Tshwane metro police department was also hit by the virus, with at least six officers test- ing positive.
For two days, the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market was closed due to a confirmed coronavirus case, and it was disinfected when it reopened.
The worst-hit areas are the Pretoria CBD and Pretoria West, including Atteridgeville, Laudi- um, Hercules, Danville, Saulsville and Lotus Gardens.
Yesterday, the SA Municipal Workers Union announced, with what it said was great sadness, that at least 63 municipal workers had succumbed to Covid-19, while a further 4 571 were confirmed as positive cases.
“We are greatly concerned that the number of positive cases is on a steady increase, with the most cases registered in Western Cape (3 103), Gauteng (557) and Eastern Cape (486). The Eastern Cape has recorded the highest number of deaths (27) followed by Western Cape (15) and Gauteng (11),” the union said,
“We have also noted that the greatest number of employees who have tested positive are from Community Safety (metro police, fire departments and ambulance service); and community health workers and those in solid waste departments.
“We, therefore, call on greater focus from these groups of workers as we believe there is not much being done to protect them.
“As the epicentre of the virus shifts to Gauteng, we are greatly concerned about the health and safety of municipal workers.
“We therefore demand greater compliance with Covid-19 regulations by all municipalities.”
North Korea says no to talks with US
Pretoria News 8 Jul 2020 AP
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A FOURTH meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shouldn’t be ruled out, says Professor Leif-Eric Easley of Ewha University in Seoul. African News Agency archives |
NORTH Korea said yesterday it had no immediate intent to resume a dialogue with the US.
US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has arrived in South Korea for discussions on stalled nuclear diplomacy.
In a statement released through the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, senior For- eign Ministry official Kwon Jong Gun ridiculed “nonsensical” calls by South Korea for re- vived negotiations between the US and North Korea, saying it has lost its relevance as a me- diator.
The State Department said Biegun, who is also President Donald Trump’s special representa- tive for North Korea, will discuss co-operation on a range of issues in meetings this week with officials in South Korea and Japan, including the “final, fully verified denuclearisation”
of North Korea.
Kwon’s statement came hours before Biegun arrived at a US air base near Seoul.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have met three times since embarking on high- stakes nuclear diplomacy in 2018. But negotiations have faltered since their second summit in February last year in Vietnam, where the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capability.
Amid the stalemate in talks, North Korea has repeatedly said in recent months that it would no longer give Trump the gift of high-profile meetings he could boast of as foreign policy achievements unless it gets something substantial in return.
North Korea has also been dialling up pressure on the South, cutting off virtually all co-oper- ation and blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office in its territory last month, following frus- tration over Seoul’s unwillingness to defy US-led sanctions and restart joint economic projects that would help the North’s battered economy.
“Explicitly speaking once again, we have no intention to sit face-to-face with the US,” Kwon said.
But Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the prospects of a fourth Trump-Kim meeting shouldn’t be ruled out. “Normally a US president wouldn’t take such a gambit ahead of an election, but down in the polls, Trump has incentive to go ever further off script,” he said.
Kim may also see a closing window of opportunity if Trump is expected to leave office and attempt to exchange reversible denuclearisation steps for sanctions relief and South Korean investment, Easley said.
PRISONERS RIOT OVER SPREAD OF COVID-19
The Star Early Edition 8 Jul 2020
KHAYA KOKO khaya.koko@inl.co.za
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THE DEPARTMENT of Correctional Services says the riots in Gauteng prisons were deliberately orchestrated by unruly elements wanting to force the government into re- leasing prisoners.
RIOTS have erupted in major Gauteng prisons over fears of the alleged rapid spread of Covid-19, which has claimed the lives of inmates and officials.
Allegations are also that the government has stalled following its announcement in May to release more than 19000 low-risk inmates to combat severe overcrowding, which stood at 30%, according to official internal documents from the Department of Correctional Services (DSC), as a measure to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The Department of Correctional Services yesterday slammed the disturbances as being delib- erately orchestrated by unruly elements intent on forcing the government into a mass release of prisoners.
Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said infections rose in line with national trends; that 1 012 active cases existed for both inmates and officials, with only 88 active cas- es out of a community 146 732 offenders cases countrywide.
“Unfortunately, some individuals purporting to be representing the interest of offenders have engaged on an offensive campaign, misinforming the public. A picture being painted is that of a chaotic environment with hope that the public will be mobilised and pushed for mass re- leases. It must be emphasised that such will never happen.
“We live in a democratic state where the rule of law is supreme. Only those classified to be of low risk and qualifying will be considered for parole placement,” Nxumalo said.
“No form of undue pressure and propaganda will prosper. Inmates are being incited not to respect authority. We have cases where inmates will deliberately cause chaos, which can only be defined as hooliganism.”
Sources within the prisoners, however said that over the past week, prison clinics, kitchens, security and records offices at Johannesburg Correctional Centre, commonly known as “Sun City”, and Kgosi Mampuru II in Tshwane have had to close as Covid-19 numbers increased inside the facilities.
Over the weekend, riots broke out at “Sun City” with prisoners, in solidarity with officials, refusing to eat until the department does more to protect them.
Pictures and videos which The Star has seen show the aftermath of the strikes, with inmates beaten and bruised.
The protests followed two deaths in three days of a female and male inmate, both of whom are known to The Star.
An insider at “Sun City”, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It’s really bad and our gov- ernment thinks our lives don’t matter in prison.
“The prison clinic is no longer working, because two nurses tested positive and all other nurses are not going to work, fearing Covid-19.
“More than 20 prison officials have also tested positive – this is the story of Johannesburg Medium B.”
The source said three high-ranking officials at Johannesburg Medium A, whose positions and names are known, died recently as a result of the global pandemic.
At Tshwane’s Kgosi Mampuru, an internal note shows the prison having 28 active cases and one death, which an official said was two weeks out of date, because more people had tested positive and a colleague was buried just last week.
Nxumalo dismissed allegations of a Covid-19 outbreak in prisons.
“Fortunately, numbers do tell the truth and we do hope that objective reporting from the me- dia can also bring these dynamics to the fore and decisively deal with the current misinforma- tion campaign.
“We have observed with grave concern where every fatality in a correctional facility is now classified by these peddlers as Covid-19 related. They even go to an extent of publicising their images, with utter disrespect to their families,” said Nxumalo.
He said the assault allegations would be investigated as “this was a serious matter”, and that sections were decontaminated where positive cases were reported.
“No sections in any of our facilities have been closed down due to Covid19. We have sub- jected our systems to continuous monitoring and evaluation.
“As the virus is moving towards the peak, the department is fully aware of the immense tasks ahead. It becomes critical that our standard operating procedures find flexible means to re- spond accordingly,” he said.
Truckers in nationwide protest
The Star Early Edition 8 Jul 2020
SAKHISENI NXUMALO sakhiseni.nxumalo@inl.co.za
DESPITE a court interdict, truck drivers took to the streets across the country yesterday, de- manding that employers stop hiring foreign nationals.
Several videos went viral on social media depicting protesters stoning trucks and blockading roads.
The Road Freight Bargaining Council was granted a court interdict by the Gauteng High Court on Monday to prevent members of the All Truck Drivers Foundation (ATDF) from protesting.
ATDF secretary Sfiso Nyathi said plans were at an advanced stage to intensify the shutdown as the week progressed – until employers meet their demands.
Nyathi said truck drivers were not open to engagement with the government as they had done so for the past three years without any resolution.
“No one seems to care about struggling local drivers. The government is not doing anything, they keep forming task teams, and we have had enough of that,” said Nyathi.
He urged the government to engage trucking companies and come back with a positive re- sponse if it wanted to end the protest.
“When the drivers take action, they are told that they are crippling the economy. That is not our aim. The employers are the ones that cause the whole issue. We will not stop supporting drivers. Hunger is the cause of this anger,” said Nyathi.
The National Joint Operational Structure, consisting of various government departments in the security cluster, met yesterday to find ways to resolve the impasse.
The structure issued directives to law enforcement agencies to activate their contingency plans in all provinces to ensure that the strike was policed efficiently.
In a statement issued yesterday, the structure said there would be zero tolerance of any form of intimidation against truck drivers and road users.
“Law enforcement will ensure that there is no criminal activity and that the lives of law-abid- ing citizens are not put in danger,” said Department of Employment and Labour spokesperson Teboho Thejane.
Thejane said the task team established by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year had made good progress in resolving outstanding matters.
“We have instructed the police to deal decisively with those involved, as we cannot tolerate further disruptions to the economy.”
Thejane said the employment, labour and home affairs ministers had been urged to fast-track the international immigration and labour migration management policy and legal matters to the Cabinet.
“We call on Road Freight Industry workers to air their grievances and to stage protests within the confines of the law. Protesters are also reminded that the country is still under the State of Disaster,” added Thejane.
Advocate Priya Hassan from the Positive Freight Solution Forum, which represents 3 000 truck owners, said they were going to leave everything in the hands of the government.
“The losers here are the masses, the citizens who have nothing to do with the protest,” Has- san said.
Media24 to axe 500 jobs and close print titles as Covid hits circulation, revenue
The Star Early Edition 8 Jul 2020
SANDILE MCHUNU sandile.mchunu@inl.co.za
NASPERS’S Media24 said yesterday it planned to retrench more than 500 people and close some of its magazines as the Covid-19 pandemic hits its operations.
Media24 said it planned to cut about 510 jobs and close 660 positions across its print media and distribution divisions.
Media24’s head of research, reporting and communication, Egbert de Waal, said the company was in consultation with its employees.
“The process is starting today (Tuesday), and I can’t divulge much at this stage, because we are at the beginning of the consultation process with the employees.
“What I can say is that the company tried all means necessary to avoid job losses, but the outbreak has had a negative impact on the group’s revenue. Unfortunately, the group has de- cided to take this route,” De Waal said.
The print media has been hard hit since the national lockdown was implemented in March, with advertising and sales revenue declining by 40 percent since the beginning of the lock- down.
The Media24 announcement comes after Caxton closed its entire magazine division in May, and Associated Media Publishing, which published brands such as Cosmopolitan, Women on Wheels and House and Leisure, closed.
Last week, public broadcaster SABC said that it was planning to lay off about 600 full-time employees and 1 200 freelance workers.
The print media’s circulation figures have been falling in the past few years.
The Audit Bureau of Circulations said consumer magazines declined by 20.1 percent year on year at the end of the fourth quarter of 2019.
Media24 said that it would close Move and the Hearst portfolio, which consists of Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Bicycling and Runner’s World, while Drum was set to be published in a digital format only.
The group said it would also close Son op Sondag, Sunday Sun, the Eastern Cape edition of Son, and four community newspapers in KwaZulu-Natal.
It said it would publish Volksblad, Die Burger Oos-Kaap and The Witness newspapers as digital editions.
Media24 chief executive Ishmet Davidson said the pandemic had accelerated the pre-existing and long-term structural decline in print, resulting in a devastating impact on the group’s al- ready fragile print media operations, with significant declines in both circulation and adver- tising since April.
“For many of our print titles, the benefits of prior interventions to offset the structural de- clines and keep them on the shelf no longer exist, and they have run out of options in this re- gard,” Davidson said.
Eskom overpaid Stefanutti Stocks JV and ABB by R1bn each, report finds
Business Day 8 Jul 2020
Lisa Steyn - Mining & Energy Writer steynl@businesslive.co.za
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Pravin Gordhan
Eskom has named SA construction firm Stefanutti Stocks and Swiss-Swedish multinational ABB among the contractors that it says were overpaid R4bn for work at the troubled Kusile power station.
In one case, investigations have resulted in the arrests of four individuals, two of whom are former Eskom employees.
The information was divulged in the utility’s report on continuing investigations into over- payments at Kusile, as requested by parliament.
Kusile is one of Eskom’s two mega coal-fired power stations that have run hopelessly over- time and almost 100% over budget. They are largely responsible for the utility’s enormous R450bn debt burden, which, being largely backed by government guarantees, poses a major risk to the SA economy.
The problems at the power stations also contributed to power failures that crippled industry and pushed the economy into a recession even before the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Eskom report indicated overpayments of R1bn each were ascribed to Stefanutti Stocks Basil Read JV, ABB SA, and Tubular Construction
Projects, a large privately owned SA firm. Another R735m was attributed to Tenova Mining and Minerals SA (TMMSA), the local arm of the global metals and mining firm, and R180m was overpaid to “various site service contracts”.
Most Eskom employees responsible for the overpayments resigned before disciplinary action could be taken, meaning the matter lies with law enforcement only.
The Eskom report was annexed to a letter which minister of public enterprises Pravin Gord- han submitted to the ANC chief whip on Monday to clear up an “ongoing misunderstanding”
that the overpayments originally raised in parliament amounted to R5bn and related to the notorious Gupta family’s Optimum coal mine.
This is a separate matter wherein Eskom submitted a claim of R5.5bn against Optimum for undelivered and poorquality coal, but an arbitration hearing has determined the claim to be R1.27bn.
On the R1bn overpayment to ABB SA, the firm was issued with four major variation orders at Kusile.
“These variation orders do not have all the requisite particulars to assess or verify the delays or costs claimed and were grossly inflated,” Eskom’s report said. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is finalising its probe.
Eskom said ABB had verbally offered to pay back R240m.
Eike Christian Meuter, a spokesperson for ABB, said based on findings during an internal investigation, the company had self-reported “potential suspect payments and other compli- ance concerns in connection with some of the company’s dealings with Eskom and related persons” to the Securities Exchange Commission and the department of justice in the US, and to authorities in SA and other countries.
“Many of those parties have expressed an interest in, or commenced an investigation into [the matter] … ABB made it public that the company believes that there may be an unfavourable outcome in one or more of these matters,” Meuter said.
The R1bn in overpayment to Stefanutti Stocks Basil Read relates to unsubstantiated claims as well as “compensation events”, which were agreed and paid without final measurements be- ing done.
The SIU has so far referred evidence in support of criminal charges against 11 role players to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and is also considering the institution of civil pro- ceedings.
Among the matters being probed in relation to Tubular Construction Projects, Eskom said the contractor submitted a proposal, which led to a modification. But it was now questionable whether the items included in the modification provided Eskom with any value and warranted additional money.
A contract awarded to Tubular for the waste water treatment plant is also being investigated.
Eskom’s report said evidence handed over by the SIU to the NPA resulted in the arrest of four individuals, including two former officials.
TMMSA’s R735m matter relates to a settlement agreement with Eskom that did not follow due process and was allegedly inflated.
The SIU has referred evidence supporting the institution of criminal charges against seven role players to the NPA.
Because the outcome of its independent investigation is pending, TMMSA said it was unable to provide further commentary but denied that it overcharged Eskom.
“TMMSA has performed significant and tangible work on the Kusile project and the price escalations on the project have arisen as a result of continued delays by Eskom over several years, in providing access to the site,” it said.
The remaining R180m relates to numerous contracts that have been “red flagged” in multiple audits and reviews, and findings have been referred to Eskom Assurance and Forensic, Es- kom Legal or the SIU for further investigation.
Stefanutti Stocks and Tubular Construction Projects did not respond to requests for comment.
IN ONE CASE FOUR INDIVIDUALS, TWO OF WHOM ARE FORMER ESKOM EM- PLOYEES, HAVE BEEN ARRESTED
State puts R18m into Covid-19 battle
Business Day 8 Jul 2020
Tamar Kahn - Health & Science Writer kahnt@businesslive.co.za
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/AFP
Pandemic: A laboratory worker manipulates Covid-19 samples in the fight against the pandemic.
The government has awarded R18m to seven local companies, organisations and researchers developing test kits and reagents for SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The rapid spread of the coronavirus since it emerged in China late in 2019 has precipitated a surge in demand for test kits and reagents, and sent governments around the world scrambling to source supplies.
The government has awarded R18m to seven local companies, organisations and researchers developing test kits and reagents for SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
The rapid spread of the coronavirus since it emerged in China late in 2019 has precipitated a surge in demand for test kits and reagents, and sent governments around the world scram- bling to source supplies.
The global shortage is one of the biggest constraints facing state and private-sector laborato- ries, which are now rationing tests to ensure they reach the sickest and most vulnerable pa- tients.
SA now sources all its reagents from international companies, but increasing global demand, fluctuating exchange rates and limited transport options are affecting supply, resulting in an urgent need to source components locally, higher education science and technology minister Blade
Nzimande said in a statement. The department issued a joint call for proposals with the Med- ical Research Council and the Technology Innovation and has made three awards for the de- velopment of reagents and four for rapid point-of-care test kits.
The National Health Laboratory Service and private laboratories have collectively conducted more than 1.83million Covid-19 tests since the first case was confirmed in SA on March 5.
The recipients of the awards for developing diagnostic reagents are the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); a joint initiative between CapeBio Technologies and the
CSIR; and the Biopharming Research Unit at the University of Cape Town. Biopharming uses genetically modified plants to produce pharmaceutical proteins.
The awards for developing rapid test kits, which are expected to deliver results within as little as 15 minutes have been made to Medical Diagnostech; Mintek; Gnowmix; and Diagnostic Aptamer Technologies-Aminotek.
The projects are expected to produce results within six months. Test kits and reagents will have to be approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority before they can be marketed or sold in SA.
THE GLOBAL SHORTAGE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONSTRAINTS FACING STATE AND PRIVATE-SECTOR LABORATORIES
‘Call it quits on academic year’
MISTAKE: EDUCATION IN A ‘SELF-SABOTAGING COR- NER’ Experts say minister’s ‘obsession’ to resume school is
‘fatal mistake’ as nine close again.
The Citizen (Gauteng) 8 Jul 2020
Rorisang Kgosana – rorisangk@citizen.co.za
The outcome of the 2020 academic year is uncertain as government is wasting the remaining months on opening the economy, instead of resolving existing challenges in the education sector, say analysts.
Pupils in Grades 6 and 11 and some in Grade R returned to school a month after pupils in Grades 7 and 12, following months away due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But, said South African Democratic Teachers Union general secretary Mugwena Maluleke, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga should rather aim to readjust for the 2021 acad- emic year, instead of being “obsessed” with the remainder of the already depleted 2020 school year.
“As we swim through the peak [in the coronavirus pandemic] in other provinces, schools must be shut down and in hotspots, the same must happen.
“The curriculum can be readjusted into 2021.
“It will be a fatal mistake to be obsessed with saving the academic year. Safety first,” he said.
The phased return of pupils was only to benefit the economy because it allowed parents to return to work as their children would be in school, said education analyst Papama Mnqandi.
This would benefit the part of the economy tied to the “urban system” and not schools in rur- al areas.
“We should have suspended the year and used that time to make the necessary infrastructure preparations so that we can have a good start to next year,” he said. “Now, we have warped ourselves into a self-sabotaging corner where we know the unions will continue to raise the problems and parents will not want to take their kids back to school.”
Mnqandi is guardian to his niece, who is in Grade 5, who is expected to return to school on 3 August. However, that is something he is not willing to do.
“I have taken a decision not to take her back and arranged for remote learning,” he said.
“All that is human is now being dehumanised. We are blasé about loss and trauma.”
Despite assurances from Motshekga that the country’s schools were prepared to accept pupils, several provinces experienced hiccups on Monday.
According to basic education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga, the North West, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal were not yet ready to take in Grade R pupils.
The Eastern Cape decided to reopen schools on 20 July, due to a spike in Covid-19 cases.
Grade R pupils in the province are expected to return on 17 August.
“Eastern Cape and Limpopo did not open [schools] because they were still waiting for water... We don’t compromise on that because water is critical to the fight against the virus,”
said Mhlanga. In the Free State, six schools had to temporarily shut, while one in Limpopo
closed its doors on Monday and a further two closed yesterday due to confirmed Covid-19 cases.
The suspension of classes would only disrupt learning, making it difficult to salvage the year, said community-based movement Equal Education (EE).
EE head of Gauteng Zama Mthunzi said: “With the [pupils] in Grade 7 and Grade 12, there was chaos of reopening and reclosing due to infections and we think that has disturbed the whole entire aim of trying to salvage the academic year.”
