Covid-19: Everything you should know about day 4 of the lockdown

Minister for Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, has sent condolences to three elderly people who died while trying to collect their social grants in three provinces in the country.

Zulu said one person collapsed on his way home in the Western Cape, another at the post office in KZN and in Gauteng one person died after getting off the taxi before collecting their grant.

“Sassa and the department are working on making sure that the families are taken care of,” she said.

Zulu said the day had seen numerous challenges including long queues, a lack of social distancing and limited hygiene measures.

She said despite requesting that only the elderly and those with disabilities must collect their grants, others also went to collect.

“There were 3.2 million beneficiaries whose grants were deposited into their personal accounts. Moving forward here is an opportunity for us to improve our systems,” she said.

“Our overall payment system was good. Each person was spending less than five to ten minutes at each station. Public transport restrictions were relaxed. I was aware this morning that taxi drivers were sticking to what was said.”

Zulu said payments for other Sassa recipients were still continuing and all provinces were being monitored.

She said Sapo, Sassa, retailers and banks held a conference to find out what wasn’t working and the following interventions were established.

“Cash management industries confirmed there would be enough cash supplies to replenish ATMs to ensure there wasn’t a problem like yesterday,” she said.

“Beneficiaries must adhere to the national call and do the best they can to protect themselves. They must avoid agitations. We understand the stress and strain. Those who are still out on the streets, those who are not adhering must think about the people around them.”

Small businesses

Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the department was giving an opportunity for spaza shops to do bulk buying.

She said owners had to buy a pre-approved basket of goods.

“We are facilitating access to basic business tools such as speed points and airtime,” she said.

“We want spaza shops to adhere to health requirements. We have asked SEDA to help them with this.”

She said issues of spaza shops being registered with SARS did not mean operators had to pay tax but they have to submit returns.
“The spaza shop must hold a permit to trade. Those operating illegally can go to their nearest municipality to apply to do business. They must be willing to stop supporting SMMEs which are not South African,” she said.

“We are going to help spaza shops to access bank accounts.

“Traders are not allowed to use spaza shops as sleeping quarters.”

International Relations and Cooperation (DICO)

Minister Naledi Pandor said many of South Africa’s citizens found themselves stranded in countries across the world.
She said 1 471 South Africans were stranded, 722 students and 224 tourists.

“I have directed that priority be given to those stranded at the airport, those with no funds or accommodation and those who are elderly. We will be negotiating with other countries as they are with us,” she said.

“We are appealing to those who can afford to return do so at their own costs. Some have started organising themselves into groups. Others are students who were enrolled in short courses and have been moved out of their accommodation and have nowhere to go.”

Pandor said the department was appealing to travel agencies to assist travellers and not to exploit them.

Some were forced to buy new tickets.

“We are asking agencies to be appreciative of the circumstance of urgency we find ourselves in,” she said.

“For others who are not stranded, we are asking them to remain where they are. We are not urging travellers to get on airlines and travel to South Africa. Our intention is to repatriate those who want to come home.”

Pandor’s special appeal, to those who remained where they were located, was that they adhere to the regulations of the countries they are in to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

Minister of Employment and Labour

Minister Thulas Nxesi condemned employers seeking to shift the burden of the lockdown to employees by asking them to take their annual leave.

“We are receiving concerns from workers and unions that some employers are seeking to shift the burden of the lockdown to the workers by using their annual leave. Some have instructed workers to take unpaid leave,” Nxesi said.

He said employers can negotiate this as a unique situation but the during the lockdown it was not accepted.

“We have announced a national disaster Covid-19 benefit to mitigate the layoffs of workers during the lockdown. It is important that all parties understand the UIF cannot deal with millions of claims. We have put a system in place rather pay out benefits through the companies.”

He said the department would pay UIF claims through the companies, sectoral associations and bargaining councils.

Nxesi said this was because the department would not be able to facilitate millions of individual pay-outs and would delay the process.

He said the department was in the process of concluding discussions with the textile bargaining council that was among the first applicants for the UIF claims.

“We have engaged the banking council to facilitate with the UIF payments,” Nxesi said.

“We are moving away from the traditional individual claims through the labour centres which would be overwhelmed as they would attract huge crowds,” he said.

He said group payments required the department to enter into a written understanding with employers and the bargaining council that the money would be audited.

“This has led to some resistance from some employers,” he said.

“We all need to understand these are public funds and that by law they have to be audited”.

He said the UIF call centre was operating to take queries from the employers. People can call them on 012-337-1997 from Monday until Friday from 08:00 until 20:00.

He said the UIF relief was set for April and no payments would be made for March.
“People should not take advantage of the situation,” he said.

“People cannot pressurise us to pay March salaries, we are only catering for the 21-days”.

Nxesi called for employees not part of the essential services and who were required to work, to report this to the department as this was a “criminal offence”.

Nxesi said employers not providing protective wear to essential service workers in the retail industry would be penalised.

Roads and Transport

Minister Fikile Mbalula said since the announcement of the lockdown transport activities dramatically slowed down and airlines were grounded.

He said all flights are still prohibited expect flights of evacuations of citizens from other countries.

He said international citizens were allowed to be repatriated under strict terms and conditions.

Mbalula said South Africans stranded in foreign countries were allowed to be evacuated to SA.

Mbalula said medical flights, aircraft for the state of emergency, flights refuelling, and aircrafts for relief and safety may use the airports.

He said the department would communicate to the taxi industry and public industry and will give an update of lockdown regulations tomorrow.

Mbalula said the department is in talks with taxi associations regarding a number of complaints raised regarding the conditions of service under the national 21-day lockdown. The nationwide strike, which was planned for Wednesday, has since been cancelled.

South Africans stranded in foreign countries were allowed to be evacuated from foreign countries to SA.

“When South Africans get here they will be quarantined.

“Also, people cannot travel from one province to another without a permit,” Mbalula said.

He said in a case where one would have to attend a funeral they would have to provide a permit that indicated such.

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