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It’s been rather busy in the low cost airline space in South Africa with airlines having to suspend and resume operations several times due to Covid-19 lockdown regulations. Well, new comer, Lift airlines has also has not been immune to these conditions. They resumed operations on Sunday after pausing during level 4 of the lockdown. Lift Co-Founder, Gidon Novick joins CNBC Africa for more.

Lift Co-Founder

Why lockdown level 4 didn’t clip Lift’s wings?

As President Cyril Ramaphosa ponders whether to allow South Africans to smoke and drink again,the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service revealed that the lockdown booze ban had already cost government coffers R15 billion, at a time when it can ill afford it. He also lamented the back street sales that have grown during the pandemic claiming it will take years to stamp them out. 



This was the word from SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter as he told CNBC Africa that the country had fallen short of its R321 billion tax target, set for the end of July, collecting a mere R316.8 billion- a shortfall of more than R4 billion.



&#8220;The real concern is that, year on year, we are already 21% down, which is R86 billion down.If you look at where that comes from, employment taxes are down by R14.5 billion, which is some 9%. That is a concern because many of these jobs may not return. CIT (corporate income tax) is down R16 billion, or 28%, and again there is a concern that some of the businesses that are trading may not also come back,&#8221;says Kieswetter. 



 



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VAT was down 11 %, by R14.5 billion; customs duty down by 16.7 billion, 26%, he said. Tax from alcohol was down by R 7 billion, 75% down year-on-year; cigarettes by R3 billion. 



&#8220;Ïf you then add the downstream taxes from those companies you will also add the loss in corporate income tax and employment taxes that gets you to a shortfall of R15 billion,&#8221; says Kieswetter. 



Kieswetter admitted that it was difficult for the government to balance the impact of the sale of alcohol on the health of the nation, with the impact on the economy. He lamented the black market that had grown during the ban. 



&#8221; It is going to take us years to root out the corruption and illegal activity that has taken root in this pandemic, &#8220;says Kieswetter.



The only bright spot on the horizon, says Kieswetter, was that the downtime gave SARS time to rebuild after years of taxes failing get back to the taxpayer. 



&#8220;&#8221;We are hopeful, if we worked hard on overall project in rebuilding SARS, that even though not all of the gap would be plugged, but we can handle the decline. We have to try our best We can&#8217;t let a good crisis go to waste and we must do what we can to rebuild SARS,&#8221;Kieswetter told Power Lunch on CNBC Africa.

beer

How no beer and cigarettes has cost South Africa R15 billion.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; Three South African provinces considered coronavirus hotspots have seen new infections slow in recent weeks, though it is too early to say whether the country’s peak has passed, the health minister said on Wednesday.



South Africa has the world’s fifth highest number of infections, with cases passing 500,000 over the weekend, despite a strict lockdown since late March.



On Wednesday the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it was sending a “surge team” of 43 experts to the country to help the Health Ministry with “surveillance and streamlining of epidemiological systems and WHO global COVID-19 response guidelines”.



Financial hub Gauteng, tourist centre Western Cape and the Eastern Cape have seen steep rises for months, with total cases at roughly 183,000, 97,000 and 80,000 respectively.



“The number of new infections is increasing at a lower rate than what had been happening in the whole of June and up to the middle of July. That clearly indicates to us that there is a declining trend,” Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told a news conference, referring to Gauteng.



Mkhize noted a presentation showing the average number of new cases in the country’s nine provinces and said that in Gauteng, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, surges in infections might have peaked.



Despite signs of progress, Mkhize warned that two other provinces, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State, had seen high rates, and that a failure to follow containment measures such as wearing masks could see infections rebound.



“We may well be over this peak sometime towards the end of August. But if we don’t insist on distancing and use of masks we actually can have a second surge,” he said.



An earlier easing in lockdown rules from June coincided with a surge, with more than 13,000 new cases on some days.



The minister said while bed capacity in hospitals and field hospitals had not been breached, the system was showing signs of strain. “We are not out of the woods yet, because those who are managing the admissions and treatment and hospitalisation of patients can still feel that the wards are full.”

Zweli Mkhize on SA’s plan to deal with the coronavirus outbreak

COVID-19 cases slow in South African hotspot provinces, minister says

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have crossed half a million, its health ministry said on Saturday, while cases in Africa as a whole approached a million.



Africa’s most industrialised nation recorded 10,107 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, pushing the total to 503,290, the ministry said.



Just over 3 million people have so far been tested for the virus in South Africa, which confirmed its first case five months ago, and 8,153 deaths have been recorded. Africa has recorded 934,558 cases, 19,752 deaths and 585,567 recoveries, according to a Reuters tally.



South Africa imposed a nationwide lockdown at the end of March to curb the spread of the virus, but it has now eased many restrictions to boost economic activity &#8211; as have other countries across the continent, a large chunk of whose populations are poor and face hunger.



“The lockdown succeeded in delaying the spread of the virus by more than two months, preventing a sudden and uncontrolled increase in infections in late March,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a separate statement.



As restrictions have eased, infections have spiked over the last two months.



However, the daily increase in infections appears to be stabilising, particularly in the worst-hit Western Cape, Gauteng and Eastern Cape provinces, Ramaphosa added.



The World Health Organisation’s top emergencies expert Mike Ryan last week warned that South Africa’s experience was a precursor for what was likely to happen across the continent.



The difficulty &#8211; if not outright impossibility &#8211; of socially distancing in Africa’s poor, tightly packed urban areas, has also been an enabler for the spread of the virus.



Cases in South Africa, which has the fifth highest total in the world, have overwhelmed an already stretched healthcare system.



That presents a cautionary tale to the other African countries, whose health services are for the most part even more stretched.



During August, the National Ventilator Project will deliver 20,000 locally-produced, non-invasive ventilators to where they are most needed, Ramaphosa said, as the government continues to mobilise additional facilities, equipment and personnel in provinces still experiencing an increase in infections.

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South Africa’s COVID-19 cases surpass half a million

Booze manufacturers are likely to be fuming as President Cyril Ramaphosa shut down South Africa&#8217;s lucrative alcohol sales for the second time this year.



President Ramaphosa is under pressure to take decisive action as the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to kill up to 50,000 South Africans and ismonths away from its peak. Already it has seen 276,242 cases &#8211; with more than 100,000 in Gauteng alone and 80,000 in the Eastern Cape &#8211; with 4079 people losing their lives.



In his address to the nation from the Union Buildings in Pretoria, President Ramaphosa said many of the cases that came into hospitals were related to the consumption of alchohol that justified a ban on sales forthwith. He said this would also be strengthened by a curfew between 9 PM and 4 AM daily. as the state of national disaster was extended to August 15.



&#8220;We have to make sure there are sufficient beds in hospital and they are not occupied by people who are there because of alcohol,&#8221;says Ramaphosa. 



It is only a matter of weeks that the ban on the sale of alcohol was lifted after the national lockdown of the entire economy in March.



The ban not only gave rise to a thriving black market, but also cost the drinks companies billions that it was starting to recoup with the resumption of sales. 



Distell, the maker of the Savanna, Hunter’s Dry and Nederburg brands, says it saw a spike in demand as restrictions on selling of alcohol have eased. Even then volumes were down a bout a quarter year on year.



From July 1 2019 to the end of June 2020, its South African revenue was down by 18.3% and volumes by 25.6%, the liquor group said in a trading statement.



Many more losses are likely for the drinks companies in the months ahead as South Africa battles with a pandemic that looks far from over.

COVID-19: No more booze for now says Ramaphosa

By Chris Bishop







The government will allow a number of industries employing half a million South Africans to open up from lockdown. 



The government decided to ease restrictions on sit down restuarants,casinos air B and B and cinemas and theatres to be aligned on the limitations on gathering of people and hairdressers ; non contact sports including cricket and others. 



&#8220;We have taken this decision with due care and seriousness,&#8221; says President Cyril Ramaphosa.



&#8220;So far COVID-19 has cost our nations the lives of 1674 people out of more than 80,000 people, says the president of South Africa.



A drug manufactured here and tested in the UN has found it has cut deaths by a third and helped the management of the disease.



&#8220;We have succeeded in slowing the rate of the spread of the virus,&#8221;says President Ramaphosa. &#8220;But the pandemic will remain with us for many more months: it is not a sprint, it is a marathon.&#8221;



&#8220;More than a third of all the cases have been recorded in the last two weeks alone.



The disease is getting closer and closer to us all.As the county opens up the risk of infection increases&#8230;.Through our behaviour we can reduce the chance of getting infected.



Wearing a cloth mask reduces the chance of getting the virus&#8230;There are some South Africans who have not taken up the wearing of masks and we advise them to do so.&#8221;

African Union reaffirms support for WHO amid COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19: Why Cyril Ramaphosa has  eased lockdown so the nation can gamble play and eat together.

Given the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic, Africa could be facing an economic crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Although the peak of the epidemic has not yet hit the continent, all economic indicators are currently flashing red as a result of preventive measures such as lockdowns and national border closures across most of the continent.



Why should we be so concerned with what is happening across the Mediterranean? Because if the growth dynamic recorded in Africa over the past several decades stalls, it is Europe that will suffer the consequences in a later stage. Everything that has been undertaken with the help of development aid and the setting up of structuring partnerships at the economic level as well as at the health and education levels is at risk of being reduced to nothing. For example, more than 8 million children have been enrolled in primary and more than 160,000 in secondary education in Africa as a result of EU-funded interventions in 2013-2014. This ambitious partnership needs to continue on an ever-stronger footing. Needless to also say that a new wave of migration would also have an impact on our societies: the looming economic crisis would be coupled with a real political crisis that would undoubtedly give populist parties the upper hand in the next elections.



As European politicians, Africa is one of our priorities. Sceptics need only remember the first trip made by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; her first official trip, just a week after taking office, was to Addis Ababa, to the African Union&#8217;s headquarters. Two months later she went back, along with 20 of the 27 European Commissioners, a sign that Africa and the EU have a real “common destiny” and an ambitious partnership to rebuild.



We need to think, and fast, about how we can help our African partner in the race against time as it faces the predicted economic disaster in the wake of the global covid-19 pandemic. Let&#8217;s ask ourselves the right questions: what works in Africa, what are the factors for development and growth? One is undoubtedly Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), since Africa had more than 400 million Internet users in 2018 – that’s 20% more than in 2017. Mobile phones are the preferred means of accessing the Internet (used three times more than computers) and the United Nations estimates that mobile phone operators are major job creators today. Before the crisis, it was predicted that the mobile phone industry would generate 7.9% of GDP and create 3.45 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa by 2022.



As Co-Chair and Vice-Chair of the soon to be established RUMRA &amp; Smart Villages Intergroup in the European Parliament, we know how important access to a good Internet connection is as a factor for growth. The intergroup aims to “promote the integrated development of European territories in all their diversity”. And what is true for Europe is all the more true for Africa! ICTs facilitate access to education, they contribute to increasing business productivity, and they represent real added value in the agricultural sector, for example by giving family farmers access to targeted information on techniques to improve their yields.



In light of these facts, there is an urgent need to support the companies operating in the ICT sector that are working on providing Internet access and deploying fibre optics on the African continent, such as Vodafone, Orange, or Huawei Northern Africa. Huawei for instance provides 200,000 kilometers of optical fibre network coverage on the African continent, and owns 50% of the 3G and 4G networks. Orange invests 1 billion euros every year in network development in Africa and Vodafone now has more than 170 million mobile customers across eight African countries, with 4G networks launched in many African markets. These groups are engines of growth and potential solutions to the impending crisis. In this process we need to make sure not to single out any of these companies for geo-strategic considerations that should have no place in our economic considerations. As free marketeers our decisions need to be based solely on merit and the ability of any given company to provide the ICT solutions needed.&nbsp;



Without complicity, without naivety, we have to think about what will impact us positively in the short, medium and long term. Our fear is that our reluctance to move towards greater connectivity will impact our economies, and those of our neighbors, and Africa first and foremost. So let&#8217;s be responsible, let&#8217;s be political, and let&#8217;s take responsibility for our choices. ICTs are one of the ways out of the crisis caused by Covid-19, so let&#8217;s not deprive anyone, and especially not Africa!



Franc Bogovic, Member of the European Parliament from Slovenia in the centre right group of the European People&#8217;s Party &amp;



Engin Eroglu, Member of the European Parliament from Germany in the liberal Renew Europe Group



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Op-Ed: Supporting the ICT sector in Africa as a cure for the economic crisis

By Shani Smit &#8211; Economist



Travel bans and containment measures around the world are having a devastating effect on the tourism sector in Mauritius, which was already experiencing sluggish growth in 2019. According to Statistics Mauritius, the total number of tourists visiting the island’s shores declined by 1.1% in 2019, while gross tourism earnings fell by 1.5% to Rs63.1bn.



The tourism industry as a whole is an essential component of the Mauritian economy and is estimated to have accounted for 18.8% of GDP and 19.1% of total employment in 2019.



In the first four months of 2020, tourism arrivals dropped by 33.9% y-o-y. Meanwhile, tourism earnings, which are not updated as regularly as tourist arrivals, are estimated to have fallen by 3.8% y-o-y in the first two months of 2020.



The United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimates that global travel could fall by 60% &#8211; 80% in 2020, which would suggest a drop of between 850 million and 1.1 billion in international tourists, the loss of $910bn &#8211; $1.2trn in export receipts from tourism, and as many as 120 million direct jobs in the tourism sector being at risk.



Prior to the pandemic, the government’s vision was to attain 1.6 million tourists by the end of 2020, to increase tourism earnings to the tune of Rs71bn and create 12,208 (compared to 41,792 jobs in 2017) additional direct jobs in the tourism sector.



Tourists visiting Mauritius are primarily European, accounting for about 60% of all tourists. European tourists are mainly French, British, and German, but the government has undertaken numerous initiatives to diversify its tourism market, with a particular focus on Asia, Oceania, and America.



While many countries have started to ease their lockdown measures, potential tourists will be anchored down by travel restrictions, tighter budgets, and health-related fears.



While the tourism sector has been the hardest hit, other economic sectors such as the textile, transportation, and manufacturing sectors are also facing the brunt of the economic slowdown.



As a result, unemployment figures have started to soar. According to the minister of finance, Mauritius could see unemployment increase by 150% to a total of 100,000 active non-employed workers; that is, 17.5% of the active population.



This would represent an increase of around 60,000 of unemployed persons across Mauritius, he said.



As part of the government’s fiscal support measures amid Covid-19, a wage support scheme and self-employed assistance scheme have been implemented.



The purpose of the two schemes is to cushion the socio-economic impact of Covid-19 by providing financial support to employees who have become unemployed on a temporary basis, as well as those who are employed in informal sectors or self-employed.



On April 17, the government extended the schemes until the end of April, allocating an additional Rs4.5bn in spending. Meanwhile, temporary amendments have been made to the Workers’ Rights Act and the Employment Relations Act under the Covid-19 Bill to protect the rights of workers and support businesses.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Op-Ed: Tourism sector in Mauritius devastated by COVID-19

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/05/27/this-african-fintech-is-helping-zimbabweans-in-sa-send-groceries-home-during-covid-19-lock-down/">Zimbabwean</a> troops and police on Tuesday tightened the <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/05/28/how-to-address-africas-ventilator-shortage/">coronavirus</a> lockdown in the capital Harare, blocking many cars and buses from entering the central business district as cases of infections increased.



But the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was trying to suppress protests over a worsening economy and to stop MDC supporters from gathering at the courts where the lawyer for its leader was due to appear after being arrested on Monday.



Coronavirus infections have more than tripled to 203 in the last few days. Mnangagwa had eased the lockdown since it was first imposed at the end of March.



On Tuesday, however, police and soldiers turned away many commuters and cars, including those with work letters, at check points leading into town except critical staff like health workers as well as state employees, witnesses said.



“Please note that it is not everyone who should be in the CBD (central business district),” the police said in a statement.



A Reuters witness saw a group of soldiers and police in downtown Harare ordering people to leave the city centre and shops to close.



By lunchtime <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/05/28/how-covid-19-is-impacting-funding-for-african-start-ups/">businesses</a> in downtown had shut, but in another part of town, where government offices are located, some businesses, including supermarkets and banks, were open.



The state-owned Herald newspaper, which reflects government thinking, published pictures on its website of people walking back home on foot.



There were no similar reports from other cities.



The MDC has accused the government of using curbs on movements to persecute its members and sees a political motive behind Monday intensifications of the lockdown.



“So if this is about Covid-19 why is it only happening in Harare? This appears to be more about politics than medicine or health,” MDC senator David Coltart wrote on Twitter.



(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Angus MacSwan)



This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN2391O3-OZATP">https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN2391O3-OZATP</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Zimbabwe tightens coronavirus lockdown in capital Harare as cases hit 203

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Key Points:</h3>



<ul><li>Remittance flows to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are projected to fall by almost 20% in 2020, one of the sharpest declines in history, according to the World Bank.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Sub-Saharan Africa is projected by the World Bank to suffer a 23.1% decline in remittances over the course of 2020. The region has the highest remittance costs, with the average transfer of $200 charged at about 9%.</li></ul>



The <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/05/28/how-covid-19-is-impacting-funding-for-african-start-ups/">coronavirus</a> pandemic is leaving migrant workers unable to send money or goods home to families, cutting off a vital lifeline for communities already under siege from a barrage of external shocks.



<a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/05/21/covid-19-takes-toll-on-ssa-diaspora-remittances/">Remittance</a> flows to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are projected to fall by almost 20% in 2020, one of the sharpest declines in history, according to the World Bank.



The coronavirus pandemic has led to mass unemployment and hammered wages in the U.S. and Europe, key destinations for migrant workers, leaving many unable to send money home.&nbsp; A number of major European countries have introduced furlough schemes to partially subsidize wages for those unable to work, but many of those in less formal employment have still found themselves without income. For workers in the U.S., there is less of a social safety net, which has led to more than 40 million Americans filing for unemployment since the pandemic was declared in mid-March.



<a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/04/09/covid-19-drives-sub-saharan-africa-toward-first-recession-in-25-years-world-bank-report/">Sub-Saharan Africa</a> is projected by the <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/05/21/world-bank-approves-500mn-to-aid-africas-fight-against-locust-plague-covid-19/">World Bank</a> to suffer a 23.1% decline in remittances over the course of 2020. To compound the tighter financial conditions for African migrant workers, in the first quarter of 2020, the region continued to have the highest average remittance costs, with the average transfer of $200 charged at about 9%.



Even for those who have maintained the financial capability to transfer money, lockdown measures have impacted access to MTOs (money transfer operators) in receiving countries.



Oxfam and around 90 other NGOs, academics and aid workers recently penned a letter to international bodies documenting the impact of the plunge in remittance payments in Somalia, in particular.



The letter urges the U.S. and European governments to take urgent action to facilitate wiring or other payment settlement mechanisms, and calls on Somali officials, MTOs, international banks and bodies such as the UN to coordinate efforts to boost the accessibility of remittance payments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Somalia: A case study</h2>



Many domestic economies in Sub-Saharan Africa are suffering as a result of shutdowns associated with the coronavirus pandemic, and in some cases dealing with multiple concurrent shocks such as historic <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/05/27/locust-plague-covid-19-weigh-on-east-africas-economic-outlook/">locust swarms</a>, droughts, flash flooding or violent insurgencies.



Almost half of all households in Somalia rely on remittances to cover basic needs such as food, water, health care and education. The UN estimates that 4.1 million Somalis are food insecure in 2020, while around 2.6 million are internally displaced and more than a third have insufficient water for their basic day-to-day needs. The country’s total population is just over 15 million, according to World Bank data from 2018.



The above average rainy season anticipated in the coming months is expected to exacerbate the flash flooding which has devastated communities, along with offering ideal breeding conditions for the locust swarms that have affected around 360,000 hectares of land.



Meanwhile, conflict continues to rage between government forces, clan actors and insurgent groups, including notorious terror organization Al Shabaab.



Some MTOs in Somalia have had their bank accounts closed due to bank concerns about exposure to terrorism financing and anti-money laundering regulation, preventing access to their online services, according to the letter. Others have been rendered unable to reach more remote locations of the country, including settlements for internally displaced persons and refugees, the most vulnerable portion of the population.



“MTOs not only provide the only viable mechanism to legally and transparently send money to Somalia/Somaliland, they also serve a dual function in terms of providing letters of credit to Somali traders who come to Dubai, Djibouti and other international hubs to purchase essential food and nonfood items for sale inside Somalia/Somaliland,” the letter explained.



“Across the U.S. and around the globe, Somalis are working hard to support their families back home,” Scott Paul, Oxfam America’s humanitarian policy lead, said in a recent statement.



“Sadly, many have fewer resources to share today, and because of the U.S. government’s irresponsible approach to bank regulation, banks have been scared away from helping Somalis send what they can.”



Paul called on the Treasury Department in the U.S. and governments elsewhere to take urgent action to enable Somali families to cover their “rent, food, medicine and school fees as Covid-19 spreads.”



As of Friday morning, Somalia has 1,828 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 72 deaths.&nbsp;



Oxfam’s country director in Somalia, Amjad Ali, said the pandemic is “laying bare and exacerbating inequalities” and highlighting that “too many among us are living on the brink.”



“We now need to see leaders step up to support vulnerable communities with the social protection they need and deserve, while also easing the way for families to support each other through hard work and remittance payments.”



This article was first published on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/29/coronavirus-migrant-workers-struggle-to-send-money-home-during-the-crisis.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/29/coronavirus-migrant-workers-struggle-to-send-money-home-during-the-crisis.html</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Sub-Saharan Africa to suffer 23.1% decline in remittances in 2020 – World Bank

By Louw Nel – Political Analyst



On Tuesday, May 26, authorities in Zimbabwe charged three activists from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance (MDC-A) with breaching the country’s lockdown regulations, nearly two weeks after they were allegedly abducted and brutalised after being taken into police custody.



The female activists, including Member of Parliament Joana Mamombe, were arrested at a roadblock in Harare on May 13 as they were returning from a protest in the Warren Park area.



They say that they were then taken to a remote area where state agents beat and sexually assaulted them before leaving them on the side of the road near Bindura, some 90km north of the capital, two days later.



The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed that the activists were taken into custody but denies any knowledge of the alleged abduction.



All three remain hospitalised.



Minister of Justice Ziyambi Ziyambi has accused the activists of inventing the story to deflect from their violation of lockdown regulations.



Prosecutors say that the activists were attending a protest gathering of more than 50 people – in contravention of lockdown regulations – and have accused them of trying to “promote public violence or breaches of peace”.



Two journalists who tried to visit the women in hospital were also arrested and charged with breaking lockdown regulations – among them the MDC-A’s youth leader in Harare, Stanley Manyenga.



The decision to charge the women with breaching lockdown regulations has been condemned, with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and Amnesty International both describing the decision as an effort to intimidate the women, calling instead for an investigation into their abduction.



The accused’s onerous bail conditions have also been questioned, including the requirement that they report to their local police station three times daily.



Diplomatic envoys in Zimbabwe, including the heads of mission from the EU, Norway, Switzerland, UK, and US, co-signed a statement saying they expect “a swift, thorough and credible investigation into the abduction and torture of opposition Member of Parliament Joana Mamombe, along with Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova… [and that] the perpetrators of heinous acts of this kind and other human rights violations need to be identified and prosecuted”.



Opposition forces in Zimbabwe have questioned the government’s response to Covid-19, suggesting that the widespread deployment of police and military personnel and strict lockdown measures have been used to crack down on and stifle dissent.



The 21-day countrywide lockdown, introduced on March 30, was extended indefinitely on May 16. Heavy-handed enforcement of lockdown restrictions has been widely reported, with the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum saying on May 22 that 245 violations had been recorded since the start of lockdown.



The coalition of 20 rights groups has petitioned the minister of home affairs and the police commissioner to investigate what they describe as “escalating human rights violations”.



The abduction of the MDC-A activists has raised alarm in a country where the targeted harassment – or worse – of opposition forces was commonplace during the regime of former President Robert Mugabe.



The trend seems to be continuing under his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, with state agents still being accused of extrajudicial actions, presumably with the knowledge of their superiors.



The decision to charge the activists suggests that authorities are intent on continuing their harassment of opposition forces.



More protests against food shortages, such as the event attended by the activists, are likely in the coming weeks and we expect these to be met with a heavy-handed security force response.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Op-Ed: Zimbabwean opposition activists charged following their own abduction

Report by Ayenat Mersie



NAIROBI(Reuters) &#8211; <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/05/22/covid-19-kenya-continues-pipeline-plan-despite-drop-in-oil-prices/">Kenya</a>’s government is facing growing criticism over quarantine centres it set up to curb the spread of the coronavirus, with witnesses saying some are squalid and expose residents to the risk of catching <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/05/26/african-bank-ceo-on-how-the-bank-is-cushioning-its-customers-from-the-effects-of-covid-19/">COVID-19</a>.



Since mid-March, the government has enforced a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for anyone who flies into the country or has direct contact with someone infected and lives in an area where self-isolation is not allowed.



Those who can pay spend the quarantine in an upmarket hotel. Others are placed in government-run facilities established in buildings such as schools or universities.



Demonstrations have broken out in some centres, break-outs have been reported, and the government faces two lawsuits over alleged mistreatment which it has yet to respond to.



Reuters interviewed 12 people who have spent time in quarantine in the government-run centres. Two said conditions were satisfactory. The other 10, who asked not to be identified to avoid stigma, described filthy conditions with bedbugs, overflowing toilets and bad food.



Reuters sought comment from the facilities where these people were housed, but phone and text messages sent over several weeks received no responses. Health Ministry spokeswoman Judy Sirima declined comment.



One woman told Reuters she was quarantined at Nairobi’s Kenya Medical Training Center for two weeks and tested negative for the coronavirus.



Then others at the facility, where people were crowded together at mealtimes, tested positive. She was kept another week, and then tested positive too.



“I got it from the quarantine,” she said. “We were sharing washrooms; we were sharing everything.”



Reuters could not verify where she contracted the virus.



A woman in quarantine at the Karen Cooperative Retreat and Conference Center said she and others received no protective gear.



“We are not given masks; no gloves, no sanitizer,” she said.



Neither facility responded to requests for comment.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">PUBLIC TESTING</h3>



Kenya has reported 1,348 cases and 52 <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/05/26/mozambique-records-first-covid-19-death/">deaths from COVID-19</a>, but large-scale public testing began in the country of 47 million only this month because of shortages of materials.



On Sunday, Kenya’s Health Ministry tweeted that many people being tested were giving false contact information.



Robert Alai, a popular blogger, quickly offered an explanation for their reluctance.



“Because you treat those who test positive like pigs,” he tweeted.



Alai has been sharing pictures of grim quarantine conditions which he says he received from people in government-run facilities. Reuters reached three by telephone and they confirmed the conditions.



Dr Mark Nanyingi, an infectious disease epidemiologist with the University of Nairobi, said the threat of having family quarantined could deter sick people from coming forward.



“Public health messaging shouldn’t be threatening,” he said. “If we militarise this, we won’t have as much success.”



Facing criticism over the quarantine centres, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said on May 6 they would be free.



“Testing, quarantine and isolation is free. Come out and be tested,” the ministry tweeted on Tuesday.



Until this month, the minimum rate for quarantine was 2,000 Kenyan shillings ($20) per night. Some centres had refused to release people who did not pay their bills.



Kagwe has also said people who break a dawn-to-dusk curfew will no longer be put in quarantine.



A Senate report last month said hundreds of curfew breakers had been quarantined alongside people who had been exposed to COVID-19, the respiratory disease the coronavirus can cause.



One woman, Caroline Akumu, told Reuters she was held in a quarantine centre where she and her two-month-old son slept on a concrete floor after she was accused of breaking curfew and refused to pay 20,000 shillings to be released. She was freed only after a public uproar.



(Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld; editing by Katharine Houreld and Timothy Heritage)



This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN2331PB-OZATP">https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN2331PB-OZATP</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Op Ed: East African finance ministers to present budgets for new fiscal year

Kenyan government under fire over coronavirus quarantine centres

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has clarified the government’s decision around the relaxation of <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/05/27/this-african-fintech-is-helping-zimbabweans-in-sa-send-groceries-home-during-covid-19-lock-down/">lockdown</a> restrictions and the classification of <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/05/27/covid-19-how-will-employee-salaries-be-impacted-in-the-months-to-come/">COVID-19</a> “hotspots”.



In a statement, Mkhize confirmed that, “as the whole country moves to level 3, there will be constant as-sessment of each and every area and its rate of infection, in which case, further containment measures and restrictions may be considered.”



The following brief provides further explanation:



27 May 2020



Media Statement



Clarity has been sought on the presentation made by the Minister of Health to the NCOP yesterday regarding the determination of alert levels for hotspots.



An old slide was presented stating hotspots would remain at level 4. That slide is now outdated and was inadvertently included in a presentation that had been updated. The slide was part of a presentation previously done by health department prior to the NCCC resolving on the final approach to be adopted for the country, which was subsequently announced by His Excellency, President MC Ramaphosa.



This note seeks to clarify the enquiries received.



Firstly, as announced by President MC Ramaphosa on the 24th May 2020, we confirm that the whole country will move to Alert Level 3 on the 1st June 2020.



Further to that, government has taken measures to identify areas that have been defined as epidemiological hotspots. As clearly explained by the President in his speech, these are areas that have more than 5 infected people per 100 000 population, or areas where the infections are increasing at a fast pace.



As it stands, government has immediately taken steps to intervene in areas that are regarded as hotspots by deploying experts and specialists who will implement measures to curb the spread. These areas also require heightened levels of tracing of contacts of positive patients, ensuring that those who are positive remain in quarantine/ isolation and those who cannot self-quarantine, are accommodated in quarantine facilities provided for by provinces. This will limit the risk of further infection to other members of the communities, including their families (community transmission).



In some of these hotspots, cluster outbreaks have also been identified. This means, positive cases arising from people participating in the same activity within a specific area. These include factories, grocery shops, farms etc. Those areas also require a rapid response of screening, testing and the tracing of contacts. Cluster outbreaks drive the pandemic because spread occurs within the cluster then individuals take the virus home with them, thus causing community outbreaks. It is for this reason that we emphasize the importance of submitting to appropriate isolation once a person has tested positive or go into appropriate quarantine when a person has been identified as a direct contact of a positive patient. This reduces the risk of infecting others while waiting to be tested if you are a contact.



This therefore means that as the whole country moves to level 3, there will be constant assessment of each and every area and its rate of infection, in which case, further containment measures and restrictions may be considered. If the spread of the infection is not contained despite the above mentioned interventions, government will make a determination on whether to return that specific area, (i.e. metropolitan, district, sub district, ward) to alert level 4 or 5. This will be done rapidly and in an effort to contain and manage the spread, and also to ensure that our health facilities are not overwhelmed by the rapid rise of positive cases in that area.



This therefore means that as the whole country moves to level 3, there will be a constant assessment of each and every area and its rate of infection.



This raises the importance of social behaviour: members of the community can and must take it upon themselves to observe social distancing by keeping more than 1 metre distance from the next person; constantly wash and/ or sanitize hands; wearing a face mask; avoid touching ones face with unwashed hands; and clean surfaces we come into contact with. We also want to emphasise that staying at home is remains key and for those employees who can work from home, we urge employers to promote and facilitate this new culture. For those employees who must still go to work, they must embrace the new way of life which will protect them, their families and their fellow workers.



Dr Zwelini Mkhize Minister of Health



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Clarification on COVID-19 “hotspots” as SA moves to level 3 lockdown

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Key Points</h3>



<ul><li>South Africa to downgrade lockdown measures to level three on June 1.&nbsp;</li><li>This means a full reopening of&nbsp;all manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, professional and business services, information technology, communications, government services, and media services.</li><li>Around 8 million South Africans will be sent back to work, out of the country’s 58 million people.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/105500770-1539253589126gettyimages-909184932.jpeg?v=1590503533&amp;w=678&amp;h=381" alt="President Cyril Ramaphosa during a pre-World Economic Forum breakfast briefing on January 18, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa."/><figcaption>President Cyril Ramaphosa during a pre-World Economic Forum breakfast briefing on January 18, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa.Moeletsi Mabe| Sunday Times | Gallo Images | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>







South Africa will downgrade its coronavirus lockdown measures to level three on June 1, marking what President Cyril Ramaphosa called a “significant shift” in its approach to the pandemic.&nbsp;



The move commences the full reopening of all manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, professional and business services, information technology, communications, government services, and media services. Wholesale and retail trade will also be fully opened, including in the informal economy. All in all, this relaxation of the alert level sends around 8 million South Africans back to work, out of the country’s 58 million people. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube alignwide wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="COVID-19 lock-down: SA to moves to level 3 on 1st June" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9K1JSRt_29w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption>South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the nation this evening said the country will move from level 4 lock-down to level 3 on 1st June. Consumers will be able to buy alcohol for home consumption only but the tobacco ban remains.</figcaption></figure>



Businesses reopening will be subject to “strict health protocols” and social-distancing measures, and Ramaphosa said in a televised address on Sunday that the government is “finalizing a number of sector protocols” mandating companies to implement relevant measures to curtail the spread of the virus.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Restrictions on public gatherings and “sectors where the risk of transmission is high” will remain in place, while special measures will also apply to hotspot areas with more than five infections per 100,000 people.&nbsp;&nbsp;



These areas will still be subject to the downgrading of restrictions, but specialist teams and interventions will be allocated to at-risk regions and Ramaphosa suggested that any particular region could be upgraded back to a four or five alert level if its infection rate spikes.&nbsp;



Despite the decision, Ramaphosa was keen to stress that the country has not yet overcome the virus. With 23,615 cases and 481 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University data, South Africa remains the most affected nation on the continent.&nbsp;



In Sunday’s address, Ramaphosa warned that “the risk of a massive increase in infections is now greater than it has been since the start of the outbreak in our country” and said the state of the pandemic in South Africa “is going to get much worse before it gets better.”&nbsp;



While the lifting of measures was unsurprising, given that the government had set out its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/south-africa-extends-lockdown-but-offers-roadmap-for-reopening.html">roadmap for reopening earlier this month</a>, the confirmation has been generally welcomed, according to Louw Nel, political analyst at NKC African Economics.&nbsp;



“The lifting of the lockdown had become increasingly politicized, with the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, making it a central tenet of their messaging and ramping up the pressure on government,” Nel highlighted in a note Monday.&nbsp;



Nel said South Africa is set to enter a “crucial and inevitable stage” in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The lockdown has given the health sector time to prepare for the inevitable surge in infections, and the coming weeks and months will severely test the plans and contingency measures put in place during this period as South Africa gets back to work,” he said.

COVID-19 lock-down: SA to moves to level 3 on 1st June

South Africa downgrades lockdown rules, sending 8 million back to work

South Africans may now <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/05/13/covid-19-how-will-sas-travel-tourism-industry-regain-its-top-spot/">travel</a> internationally under strict regulations detailed by the Department of Home Affairs.



South Africans who wish to leave the country are permitted to depart only for the following reasons:



<ol type="1"><li>Work</li><li>Study</li><li>Family reunion</li><li>Take up permanent residency</li><li>Receive medical attention</li></ol>



The following brief provides more details:



International Travel Allowed for South Africans



Issued by Marisa Jacobs, Director of Xpatweb



The Department of Home Affairs confirmed on 23 May 2020 that international travel will be allowed for South Africans, who fall within limited categories.



Categories



The main categories which will be allowed are work, study, family reunion, to take up permanent residency and for medical reasons. These are indeed the most important categories and make provision for most cases where international travel is an important consideration.



Requirements



The requirements include a copy of a valid South African passport, a letter from the country you will be travelling to confirming your admissibility, permission for transiting countries, proof of means of travel and the intended date of departure.



Home Affairs Approval



The international travel is subject to Department of Home Affairs approval, which is needed before you can proceed with your travel arrangements. At this stage the complexity of this process is unclear, albeit that one would expect that the normal strict Home Affairs protocols will be followed.



Group Arrangements



The new dispensation makes provision for a single Department of Home Affairs application for a group and the supporting information must then be send for each member of the group.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

International travel for South Africans is now allowed, this is how it will work

On Sunday evening <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/coronavirus/2020/05/24/sa-to-move-to-level-3-of-lockdown-on-1st-june-these-are-the-details/">South Africa&#8217;s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced</a> that the country would move from level 4 to level 3 of its phased easing of lockdown on June 1.



This decision was based on South Africa&#8217;s risk-adjusted approach to combating COVID-19. The approach is guided by the level of infections and rate of transmission, the capacity of health facilities, the extent of the implementation of public health interventions and the economic and social impact of continued restrictions.



The country <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/03/23/breaking-nationwide-lockdown-announced-in-south-africa/">entered lockdown on 27th March</a> to contain the spread of COVID-19 and build capacity to fight it. Below shows how the two levels compare&#8230; 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="645" height="486" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/LEVEL-3-A.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-372171" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/LEVEL-3-A.jpg 645w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/LEVEL-3-A-300x226.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="645" height="510" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/level-3-b.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-372172" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/level-3-b.jpg 645w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/level-3-b-300x237.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px" /></figure>

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Lockdown

Why lockdown level 4 didn’t clip Lift’s wings?

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Clarification on COVID-19 “hotspots” as SA moves to level 3 lockdown

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International travel for South Africans is now allowed, this is how it will work

How SA’s level 3 compares to level 4 when it kicks in on June 1

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