By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
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Car dealers are allowed to open for business again under revised level 4 lockdown conditions.
The local motor industry is breathing a sigh of relief after it was announced that from Wednesday, new and used car dealers are allowed to open their doors again – under strict risk-adjusted trading measures, and hygiene and social distancing restrictions.
Emergency repairs may also be carried out on vehicles, which includes cars that are overdue for a service.
The department of trade, industry and competition (DTIC) on Tuesday announced the much-awaited directions regarding the sale of cars and emergency automobile repairs during alert level 4 of the Covid-19 national state of disaster.
Under relaxed lockdown restrictions that took effect from May 1, car factories were allowed to open with half their staff, but dealers had to wait longer to find out when they would be allowed to start selling vehicles.
Dealers still don’t know whether they’re allowed to sell cars
Reopened dealers may conduct emergency repairs, but await word about retailing under ‘specific conditions’
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BUSINESS
Initially, automotive dealers could only carry out emergency vehicle repairs under level 4, with vehicle sales only allowed again under level 3 and routine servicing under level 2.
After lobbying from the motor industry, minister Ebrahim Patel gazetted directions on Tuesday evening that allow for the following car trading activities during alert level 4:
trade-ins of new and used cars;
wholesale trade of new and used cars by OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and importers;
export and import of all category of cars through national ports of entry under strict guidelines; and
trade-in purchases, car-lease scheme returns and wholesale trading of used cars.
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Phased approach
Car sales will be phased in under the following conditions:
Under phase 1, all dealerships and used car outlets will operate with up to 30% of employment subject to a maximum of one employee or customer per every nine square metres of floor space, provided that small businesses may operate with a minimum of five employees.
The majority of car sales will be done remotely via the internet (e-commerce) or telephone. Personal contact will be kept to a minimum and only on appointment under very strict hygiene and social distancing conditions in line with the regulations.
Test drives will be conducted on appointment only. Home delivery of vehicles with full sanitisation will be mandatory. Where possible, electronic, or virtual signatures will be used for finance and insurance documentation. Car auctions for all categories will be conducted online.
Under phase 2, all dealerships and used car outlets will operate with up to 60% of employment; limited customers will be allowed to enter the dealership under very strict hygiene and social distancing conditions in line with the Regulations; and remote vehicle sales will continue for those potential customers with access to online services.
Businesses get used to ‘new normal’ as strict health measures become part of everyday service
It was just after 7am yesterday when I pulled up to fill the tank at a Total petrol station just outside Cosmo City, Johannesburg north.
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Under phase 3 – from June 8 until alert level 4 is lifted – all dealerships and used car outlets will operate with up to 100% of employment. On-site customer contact will be allowed, but kept to a minimum whilst remote vehicle sales is encouraged. Test drives can be arranged on site by appointment only, and under very strict hygiene conditions, including fully sanitised cars.
On site pick-ups and deliveries of fully sanitised cars will be allowed under strict hygiene conditions, with an option of home delivery of fully sanitised cars if possible. Car auctions for all categories will be conducted online and limited physical contact will be allowed for viewing prior to the auction under very strict hygiene conditions.
The directions further state that all vehicle dealerships must implement health and safety measures including the disinfecting of the premises, maintaining social distancing protocols, and ensuring that all staff and customers wear a cloth face mask.
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Overwhelming sense of relief
Roadworthy assessment and testing centres, and other testing stations are also operational under the new directions.
Auto electricians, tyre fitment centres, auto body repairers, windscreen replacement centres and other related auto service centres are also allowed to open immediately, under the same staggered workforce levels and hygiene restrictions as car dealers.
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“There is an overwhelming sense of relief that we can get back to trading,” said Mark Dommisse, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (Nada).
“We don’t know how strong the market will be, but we have to look at the positives and get back to trading again. The fallout will still be big, but a line has been drawn in the sand. We can get the economy going.”
Dommisse said from a safety perspective, dealerships generally have low footfall and spacious facilities, ensuring effective social distancing. Appointment scheduling and access control measures, which were largely in place before the crisis, can ensure that the number of people within facilities at any given time is monitored and controlled, he said.
The lockdown has had a devastating effect on the local automotive industry, bringing manufacturing and retail industry that accounts for almost 7% of SA’s GDP to a virtual standstill.
New-vehicle sales in SA ground almost to a halt in April due to the Covid-19 hard lockdown, which forced the stoppage of all motor manufacturing and sales.
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The industry total of 574 cars, bakkies and trucks recorded sold last month represented a 98.4% decline compared to April 2019.
The previous month, with the country hit by physical distancing from the middle of the month and lockdown from March 27, new-vehicle sales dropped 29.7% to 33,545 units compared to March 2019.
That leaves year-to-date new-car sales down 28.1% compared to 2019, with light-commercial vehicles (bakkies and minibuses) plummeting 38.5%, medium trucks and buses reduced by 27.3% and heavy trucks by 29.9%.
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News put South Africa first
Man arrested after 6-year-old raped inside North West supermarket
By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
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A 24-year-old suspect was arrested by police in connection with the rape of a six-year-old girl who had been sent to a supermarket in Hebron.
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A 24-year-old man was arrested following the rape of a six-year-old girl who had been sent to a supermarket in Itsoseng section in Hebron.
Gauteng police spokesperson Col Adéle Myburgh said the man was arrested at the weekend.
“According to information available at this stage, the victim was sent by her mother to the local supermarket on May 5 2020. Upon arrival of the victim at the shop, the suspect allegedly undressed and raped her.
“After the ordeal the victim went home and reported the incident to her mother,” she said.
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Myburgh said further investigations led police to the identification and apprehension of the suspect with the help of members of the community on Saturday.
The man appeared int the Ga-Rankuwa magistrate’s court on Monday and was charged with rape. He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Thursday for a formal bail application.
Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Sello Kwena, commended the police and members of the community for the arrest. He said crimes against women and children are a national priority.
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Girl, 15, raped over period of several months
A 38-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly raped a young girl from Klerksdorp, in the North West over a period of several months.
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News put South Africa first
By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
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Nozwatu Dinana of Makause informal settlement in Germiston says getting the Covid-19 relief grant could have helped her financial pressure.
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Beneficiaries of social grants and homeless people living in shelters believe they should not have been excluded from the Covid-19 R350 relief grant as they are also facing serious financial strain.
On Monday, the government opened applications for the R350 grant to all people who are unemployed, have no income and do not receive any other funding from the state.
Nozwatu Dinana, 49, of Makause informal settlement in Germiston on the East Rand, is one of the people who wished she could also benefit.
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“The grant money I received for the children was used to buy winter clothes for the children and it got finished. Now, I have to scramble to get something to eat for the family every single day,” said Dinana.
She receives grants for two of her three children. She works as a domestic worker and her boss has asked her not to come to work until the end of the lockdown.
The government announced that for this month, R300 will be added to the child grant, bringing the total to R740 per child.
Prisoners, minors among thousands who don’t qualify for R350 jobless grant
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But from June until October, this will go back to R440 per child but each caregiver will get an additional R500, regardless of the number of children they receive a grant for.
Those already receiving social grants and those residing in shelters run by the government during the lockdown are not eligible to apply for the relief fund. During the pilot phase of the Covid-19 grant, Sassa said it had received almost 350,000 applications through WhatsApp and email but only 200,000 were eligible.
Almost 150,000 applications were rejected as the people were already receiving some form of social grants.
Sassa CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula said the people applying were not chance-takers but genuinely in need but they were not eligible for further relief.
Jackie Momako, 33, who is at a temporary homeless shelter at the Lyttleton Sports Park in Centurion, said they were told they would not be getting the grant.
Applications for R350 unemployment grant goes live
Sassa CEO Busisiwe Memela has urged people who do not qualify for the Covid-19 grant not to apply.
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“They told us that we can only get benefits while we are in this shelter and not cash. We didn’t argue with them as we were just asking. They said if they give us the R350 we are going to run away from here.”
Momako said the government should not consider giving them the grant as their current financial state was keeping them in the shelter.
“If they give us the money I can tell you none of these people will be here by the end of the day,” he said.
“They are assisting us to clean ourselves from this nyaope in here. They give us medication so that we don’t get the craving. So, once they give us that money most of the people here will relapse.”
But, another resident at the shelter, Koketso Makonde, 24, said the government should not exclude them as the grant could help them buy necessities such as shoes and clothing.
“It’s cold my brother. I’ve never been in a more colder place. Town is cold but it’s worse here. So, we need that money to buy ourselves clothes and shoes. Look at my shoes,” he said pointing at his torn red sneakers with no shoelaces.
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News put South Africa first
Covid-19 Report 3: Promising new tests, but hydroxychloroquine disappoints
By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
Image: Supplied
Doctors at Tygerberg Hospital’s intensive care unit have explained in the South African Medical Journal how they’re treating Covid-19 patients.
The report also shows how Tygerberg Hospital ICU doctors are managing patients.
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This is the third issue of Covid-19 Report. We point you to the latest quality science on the pandemic. If you come across unfamiliar terms, there is a glossary at the bottom of the article.
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Promising new tests
There are broadly three types of tests for an infection like Covid-19:
Ones that check for the genetic material of the virus. These are known as PCR tests. In South Africa when you get tested for Covid-19 this is currently what’s used. The advantages are that they are reliable and tell if you’re currently infected (though only a few days after being exposed). Disadvantages are that these are mostly time-consuming and expensive.
Antigen tests: These detect viral protein fragments. The FDA has given emergency authorisation use (which is not the same as approval) to the first such test, made by Quidel Corporation. Advantages are it’s cheap (about $5 according to one source), gives results in 15 minutes (but as far as we can tell — we’re not sure — it has to be done in a lab), and Quidel can quickly start producing millions of them. If you test positive, you’re almost certainly currently infected. But the disadvantage is that it has a high false-negative rate. In other words, you may be infected but the test may say you’re not.
Antibody tests, on the other hand, detect if you have previously been infected with Covid-19. These should give a positive result even after you’ve recovered. They’re usually less expensive to make and usually give results quicker than PCR tests. This is vital for surveillance, to see what percentage of the population has been infected. From this we can learn how fast the virus spreads and how much immunity people have against reinfection. But they don’t tell you if you’re currently infected.
Up till now the accuracy of antibody tests has been too low and this has resulted in some poor quality surveillance studies that have got wide media coverage.
A study published in Nature found that every person infected with SARS-Cov-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) develops a type of antibody called Immunoglobulin G, within 19 days of getting symptoms. The developed antibodies appear to be specific to this virus. So in theory we should be able to get close to perfect accuracy antibody tests.
Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Roche claims it has developed a test that detects SARS-Cov-2 antibodies with 100% accuracy if you have them (i.e. no false negatives), and with more than 99.8% accuracy detects when you don’t have them (i.e. very few false positives), with the condition that it is at least 14 days since a PCR test would have shown you are infected. It also claims to be able to produce over ten million tests from this month. The FDA has granted Roche’s test “Emergency Use Authorisation” (again, this does not mean the agency has approved the test). Whether Roche has hyped its claims or made a breakthrough remains to be seen.
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Another modest drug trial result
Last week we reported on the modest findings about the drug remdesivir. Now The Lancet has published the results of a clinical trial in Hong Kong comparing two drug regimens: interferon beta-1b, ribavirin and the anti-HIV drug lopinavir-ritonavir versus lopinavir-ritonavir alone. The study compared the time it took for the patients on each regimen, all with mild to moderate Covid-19, to test negative, in other words, be officially recovered. It took on average seven days for patients on the more intensive regimen versus 12 days for the lopinavir-ritonavir alone patients (from when they started treatment). None of the 127 trial participants died.
As one South African pharmacologist has pointed out: this trial had no placebo arm nor a standard-of-care arm (lopinavir/ritonavir is not known to treat Covid-19, though see below). Also the endpoint was virological (PCR test result) rather than clinical (how well the patients were doing).
On the same day the outcome of a trial of lopinavir/ritonavir was published in the NEJM, and found no benefit (or harm). Here the endpoint was clinical, rather than virological improvement.
Taken together these two studies do suggest a very modest benefit to the three drug regimen. Whether there’s sufficient benefit for this regimen (or remdesivir) to become part of standard practice remains to be seen. We’re not convinced.
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Setback for hydroxychloroquine?
An analysis published in the NEJM of 1,446 Covid-19 patients at a New York medical centre, 811 of whom received hydroxychloroquine, showed no benefit to using the drug.
It’s not a clinical trial — only an observational study — and this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the end of the road for hydroxychloroquine and Covid-19. Also, the patients who were given the drug tended to be sicker.
But it does suggest that if hydroxychloroquine does help, its benefits will be modest. A well-run clinical trial that provides more definitive information on the drug’s safety and efficacy is still needed.
That trial may now have been done. A not yet peer-reviewed study of 150 patients in China found no difference in time to testing negative for people with mild and moderate Covid-19 taking hydroxychloroquine compared to not taking it. There were more adverse events in the hydroxychloroquine patients. It’s a small number of patients, and the paper needs more scrutiny, but it’s not looking promising for hydroxychloroquine.
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Coronaviruses and the common cold
A single paragraph from an article in the latest issue of Science is packed with useful information:
“The coronaviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses that infect vertebrates and move between different host species. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, there are now seven coronaviruses that are known to infect humans. Four of them (HCov-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1) are responsible for ~30% of cases of the common cold in humans. Two of them caused recent epidemics that had considerable associated mortality: SARS-CoV-1, which emerged in 2002–2003 and causes ~10% mortality, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which emerged in 2012, is still active, and causes ~35% mortality.
“Both epidemics affected a relatively small number of patients compared with Covid-19, which is more transmissible for several reasons, including asymptomatic carriers, long latency period, and high infectivity. Before Covid-19, only SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV caused severe disease. Therefore, coronaviral drug discovery has been a small effort relative to that for other viral diseases such as influenza.”
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From South Africa
The MRC’s weekly update still shows that the number of registered deaths (7,135) for the latest week for which there is data, 22-28 April, is lower than the expected deaths (7,319 to 8,494). Natural deaths are as expected, but deaths due to homicides and vehicle accidents are down.
The NICD has published a very good article on who should get an influenza vaccine this year: “pregnant women, children aged between six months and five years, people older than 65 years, those with chronic medical conditions such as HIV, heart or lung problems, and healthcare workers”.
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The jab doesn’t protect against Covid-19 at all. But it does reduce the risk of getting both Covid-19 and flu. If people get vaccinated it will also reduce the pressure on the health system.
The NICD has also published the second issue of its very useful Covid-19 weekly epidemiology brief. One of the many interesting tidbits in it is that in terms of tests per 100,000 people, the Western Cape (788) is still well ahead of Gauteng (560), KwaZulu-Natal (407) and the Eastern Cape (369).
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A letter in the SAMJ by several Tygerberg Hospital clinicians describes how they are treating very ill Covid-19 patients. The first six patients to the intensive care unit were put on ventilators; all died. “Following international reports of improved survival rates with non-invasive ventilation, the Covid-19 ICU at Tygerberg … changed its standard operating procedure in mid-April 2020 from the initially promoted ‘early intubation and mechanical ventilation’ to High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy’, to avoid intubation.” One out of seven such patients died. This is a tiny number of patients and this wasn’t a clinical trial or study, but the results are promising.
Another letter in the SAMJ warns that placing people who live on the street in temporary shelters as part of the lockdown increases the risk of overdose among people who are dependent on heroin. DM
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Glossary
FDA (Food and Drug Administration): US government organisation responsible for authorising or approving the use of medicines.
Hydroxychloroquine: Drug used to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions.
MRC (Medical Research Council): South African state research institution.
Nature: Leading science journal
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News put South Africa first
Question marks surround Madagascar’s Covid-19 ‘miracle cure’
By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
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Despite Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina’s claims of a cure for Covid-19, experts say ‘there is absolutely no evidence’ that is true
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One of the few institutions to speak out is West Africa’s regional bloc Ecowas, which distanced itself from claims it had ordered Covid-Organics.
On April 29, 10 African heads of state met via video chat. The meeting was presided over by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as chair of the African Union. Also present was AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat and John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The purpose of the meeting was to assess Africa’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and determine what should happen next. Broadly speaking, they were all on the same page — until Andry Rajoelina began to speak.
Rajoelina, the 45-year-old president of Madagascar, was the youngest person in attendance. He came bearing what he said was good news: Madagascar had discovered a cure for Covid-19.
This was not the first time Rajoelina had made such a claim. He has been aggressively touting the benefits of Covid-Organics, a herbal drink invented by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research. Rajoelina says the bitter drink can both prevent and cure Covid-19, and has distributed it to schoolchildren across Madagascar.
Rajoelina — a former DJ who first came to power in a military coup in 2009 – has released no evidence to support his claims.
At the meeting, Rajoelina urged his fellow African heads of state to embrace the herbal remedy. The other presidents did not push back, even though most had deep reservations. “You know how it works at the African Union. Once people say such a thing, his peers are supposed to compliment him,” said one source who was party to the discussions.
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Grand claims
The Malagasy Institute of Applied Research occupies a tree-lined plot on the outskirts of Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital. It was established in 1957 by Albert Rakoto Ratsimamanga, one of the country’s pre-eminent scientists, to research how local plants and traditional practices could be used to treat disease. Among its successes is Madeglucyl, an anti- diabetic drug derived from the Eugenia jambolana plant, widely used in Madagascar and abroad.
Covid-Organics is its latest formulation. The primary ingredient is artemisia, indigenous to China, imported to Madagascar in the 1970s, and now widely grown on the island.
Like chloroquine (also controversially touted by a head of state — Donald Trump — as a Covid-19 treatment), the plant’s active compound artemisinin is a recognised antimalarial treatment. But the World Health Organisation (WHO) advises against the use of the artemisinin compound as a preventative, and of the artemisia plant altogether, because the short half-life of the former and its low concentration in the latter accelerate resistance to treatment in active cases, rendering it useless against malaria.
President Rajoelina has made grand claims about the efficacy of Covid-Organics. It has healed two people who had Covid-19, he said. It has the “potential to change the course of history”. Ata glitzy launch event in April, he said: “All trials and tests have been conducted and its effectiveness in reducing and elimination of symptoms has been proven in the treatment of Covid-19 patients in Madagascar.”
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But this cannot possibly be true, said Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Madhi is also a founder and director of the African Leadership Initiative for Vaccinology Expertise. “There is absolutely no evidence that it has cured anything,” he said telling illovuonline news team.
Madhi noted that Madagascar only has a small number of confirmed coronavirus cases (158 as of 7 May). “That’s definitely not enough for a trial. Citing these sorts of numbers is a meaningless exercise.”
He dismissed President Rajoelina’s claim that two people had been “cured” by the herbal remedy. “The majority of people who have this virus show no symptoms. Of those who develop symptoms, 85% of them have mild illness. You could treat them with water and it would have the same effect.”
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History repeating itself?
This is not the first time Professor Madhi has witnessed politicians make grand claims at odds with established medical evidence. He lived through that dark period in South Africa’s history during which its leaders — principally former president Thabo Mbeki — disputed the science on how to treat HIV/Aids. At one point, cabinet minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang suggested beetroot and garlic were more effective treatments than antiretrovirals — despite all evidence to the contrary. A Harvard University study found in 2009 that this misguided policy may have caused more than 300,000 premature deaths.
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Both Africa CDC and the WHO are concerned about history repeating itself — and that using an untested herbal remedy such as Covid-Organics could have the opposite of the intended impact.
“We would caution and advise against countries adopting a product that has not been taken through tests to see its efficacy against Covid-19 and its safety in different population groups,” said Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s Africa region director. “We are concerned that touting this product as a preventative measure might make people feel safe to do other things [against medical recommendations, such as neglecting social distancing].”
The WHO and Africa CDC have offered to partner with Madagascar to test Covid-Organics in a proper medical trial. So too has South Africa. John Nkengasong, the director of Africa CDC, told the Mail & Guardian: “I heard the briefing the president of Madagascar made … [we] look forward to seeing the data and the design of the study.”
So far, Madagascar has not shared the data underpinning its claims. Both the government and the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research declined to be interviewed for this story.
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Clinical trials are critical
A lack of evidence has not deterred several leaders from embracing Covid-Organics. Last week, Madagascar dispatched 1.5 tonnes of the herbal drink to Equatorial Guinea. Another shipment went to Guinea-Bissau. President George Weah personally greeted a plane as it delivered samples for Liberia. And Tanzanian President John Magufuli — who has claimed three days of prayer can cure Covid-19 — said he would send a plane to Antananarivo to collect a consignment.
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But sources within the AU suggest most leaders remain unconvinced — even if diplomatic protocol is preventing them from saying so publicly.
One of the few institutions to speak out is West Africa’s regional bloc Ecowas, which distanced itself from claims it had ordered Covid-Organics. It said although it recognises the importance of traditional and plant-based medicine, “we can only support and endorse products that have been shown to be effective through scientific study”.
The WHO has taken a similar line. This week, it said: “Many plants and substances are being proposed [as Covid-19 cures] without the minimum requirements and evidence of quality, safety and efficacy. Africans deserve to use medicines tested to the same standards as people in the rest of the world. Even if therapies are derived from traditional practice and natural, establishing their efficacy and safety through rigorous clinical trials is critical.”
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News put South Africa first
Seven lions on the loose after escaping from Limpopo game park
By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
Image: Supplied
Seven lions have escaped from a local safari park near Louis Trichardt.
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Limpopo police on Tuesday cautioned community members of Alldays, near Louis Trichardt, to be “extra careful” after a pride of lions escaped from a local game park.
Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said seven lions – five males and two females – escaped from their cages at Ingogo Safaris’ premises on Monday night.
“The lions were allegedly spotted by community members roaming the area opposite Speaker Park Phase 1 and 2, in Alldays policing area, this morning around 7,” said Mojapelo.
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“The farm owner and the police have already summoned officials from Limpopo economic development, environment and tourism. They are on their way to the area.”
It was not immediately clear how the lions escaped.
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A 23-year-old man was arrested in Hartbeesfontein over the weekend after he was found in possession of lion skins and drugs, the North West Hawks …
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Chatsworth food parcel protesters demand R1m or threaten to burn down shopping centre
By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
Image: supplied
Durban – A Shallcross councillor says he was threatened by Bottlebrush informal settlement residents who allegedly demanded he raise R1 million and give them authority to hand over food parcels, or they would burn down the shopping centre and protest.
Ward councillor Previn Vedan was investigating the underlying cause of the sudden outbreak of protests on Link Road that has blocked entry and exit points and caused chaos on the roads including the stoning of vehicles.
Initially, it was thought the protest was about the non-delivery of food hampers. Clean-up operations were under way yesterday on Link Road with a strong public order police presence.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said that last Thursday, a known man allegedly went to the offices on Shallcross Road where he questioned Vedan about food hampers.
“He allegedly threatened to call the Bottlebrush community to burn the shopping centre and other shops in the area. A case of incitement to commit public violence was opened at Chatsworth police station,” Mbele said.
Vedan said that a week ago, members from his ward structure and a businessman met. They gave Vedan seven days to raise R1m.
Vedan said last Wednesday the group leader arrived at his office with two others. Again they demanded he raise the money and also allow them to “co-ordinate” each of the 1 000 hampers being distributed by the eThekwini Municipality. The following day they met again, and Vedan explained he could not have a public gathering and would make flyers with information on the hamper distribution issue.
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“They were happy with what was discussed. I am not sure what caused the turnaround of events. They have misled the residents. They have been blurring the lines and the processes to follow in order to get food relief and Sassa grants.
“Each ward councillor will be given an allocation of 1 000 hampers. That has not been rolled out yet in my ward,” he said.
Vedan said he engaged with business leaders in the community. They were able to get hampers and distributed them in the interim.
“I’m not willing to tolerate any threats. I would not be held to ransom. I laid a charge against the main perpetrator. We will not tolerate lawlessness in our ward.
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“We know it’s a stressful time. A lot of our people, even those involved in the protests, are good and honest. It’s about getting the word out there and communicating a message which is correct, honest and true,” Vedan said.
Shallcross resident Moosa Abdool, 37, and his wife said they were lucky to be alive after being stopped in the protest on Link Road on Sunday night. His bakkie now has dents from rocks and bricks hurled at the vehicle.
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Only Gauteng and Western Cape ready to reopen schools
By: illovuonline news team
13-05-2020
Image: supplied
Only Gauteng and Western Cape have indicated they are ready to open schools.
Gauteng and the Western Cape are the only two provinces that are ready to reopen schools.
This is what the MECs of education from the nine provincial education departments told basic education minister Angie Motshekga during a meeting to discuss the state of readiness for the reopening of schools.
Grade 12 and 7 pupils are tentatively expected back in classrooms on June 1.
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Motshekga meeting with teachers’ unions on readiness to resume schooling
Teacher unions are meeting with basic education minister Angie Motshekga on Saturday afternoon to discuss the state of readiness for the resumption …
Motshekga also held virtual meetings with governing body associations as well as teacher unions on Monday.
Two top officials, who participated in the virtual meetings, both independently confirmed that they were told during the meeting that only Gauteng and the Western Cape were ready to reopen.
One of the officials said that with the exception of the Eastern Cape, the other six provinces said they were at different stages of readiness.
“The Eastern Cape said they cannot guarantee that they are ready to reopen on June 1.”
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The second official said that Gauteng and the Western Cape had bought sanitisers and face masks and had identified workers from the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to assist with the screening of educators and pupils and the cleaning of schools.
“According to the department, the other provinces said they will be ready to welcome the first cohort of learners on June 1.”
The official said that Motshekga had indicated that a reworked school calendar would be gazetted.
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Private schools ready to reopen, await green light from Motshekga
Some private schools are ready to open, but the department of basic education wants to know how they intend to comply with requirements to stem the …
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He said the department had also indicated that the department of health had given it guidelines on how to deal with the issue of educators with comorbidities and those who were 60 years old and over.
“For example, it does not mean that those aged 60 and over will automatically qualify to stay at home. They will need to provide evidence from medical doctors.”
He said the health department’s guidelines will be given to teachers.
Motshekga will be informing the nation on Thursday about the preparations for the reopening of schools.
Basic education department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said in a statement that Motshekga will be providing final dates as well as detailed plans for the phased approach “to the possible reopening of schools”.
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