Andrew Stegmann

Western Cape Remains the South African Province Most Affected by COVID-19

The Western Cape remains the country’s worst affected province, with over 20 000 cases making it by far the province in most urgent need of monitoring, especially as the country collectively moves into Alert Level 3 Lockdown measures (the transition for which began on 1 June).

Heath Minister Zweli Mkhize arrived in Cape Town on Monday 1 June along with the new Director General (DG) of the Department of Health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, to discuss the ailing province’s success in stemming its rapidly increasing COVID-19 infection rate. 

Buthelezi was appointed DG on, and enters the political arena at a time when his department is under constant pressure to keep tabs on the successes of intervention strategies across the country.

CTICC Field Hospital Up and Running

Mkihize and his new colleague linked up with Premier Alan Winde and provincial health officials to discuss the province’s response to their hotspot areas, with the majority of the country’s hotspots found in the Western Cape. 

The Health department duo were led on a tour of the newly established field hospital at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) where Mkhize said 862 beds are ready to be utilised when necessary.

The field hospital will be able to accommodate those with mild cases of COVID-19 but who may require hospitalisation, and is one of five such facilities erected in the province in the last month. 

The Thusong Centre in Khayelitsha is another such site, and is situated in one of the province’s worst hit hotspots, where social distancing is challenging as a result of dire congestion. 

Two Thirds of Positive Cases in the Western Cape

The Western Cape now has 21 382 positive cases of COVID-19, and 503 people have lost their lives to the virus in the province. 

A total of 11 099 people have successfully recovered from the virus. 

Mkhize will be hoping that his new colleague, Buthelezi, will be able to assist him in providing support to the ailing province. 

Buthelezi was formerly thecvief director in the Department of Health in KZN, and will now take command as the accounting officer in the department of health. 

“Dr Buthelezi is an experienced leader in health management, starting when he was superintendent of Nkandla Hospital, then at Grey’s Hospital and going on to become a chief director in the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal on  HIV and maternal and child health programmes,” said Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo upon the confirmation of Buthelezi’s appointment. 

“We are looking forward to reaping the benefit of his experience in other areas he has worked in and to take the department to greater heights. We congratulate the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize for identifying Dr Buthelezi at this stage to lead the department under these challenging circumstances.”

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Government of Ghana Gradually Eases COVID-19 Restrictions

This information was provided to us by Globetrotters Legal Africa.

As an update, the President of Ghana in an address on May 31 announced the easing of some (internal) restrictions initially put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Effective June 5, an abridged format of religious services can commence with 25% attendance and a maximum number of one hundred (100) congregants. Final year junior/high school and university students will be allowed to sit for their exams from June 15 with the requirement that there are reduced class sizes.

Immigration-wise, the government of Ghana is planning an evacuation exercise for Ghanaian nationals overseas; However, no commercial flights are currently allowed in as the borders (air, land, and sea) remain closed until further notice.

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is working and accepts new work permit applications and renewals for expatriates currently in-country. Extension of stay applications may also be filed. Applications for visa on arrival remain suspended due to closure of the borders.

All other restrictions remain in place.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Ghana Immigration Service Extend Mandatory Medical Examination to Other Permits

Courtesy of Lynn Mackenzie, J.D., LLM

Effective June 15th 2020, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has extended mandatory medical examination to other applicants requiring immigration permits. This requirement has expanded to all those foreign nationals who require indefinite residence permits, rights of abode, naturalization and the renewal of other immigration residence.

Previously, the mandatory medical examination only applied to all new applicants for work and residence permits and not to other types and categories of immigration permits. However, in this era of infectious diseases, the GIS stated that, “ the medical examination is aimed as a mechanism to curtail possible spread of infectious diseases”.

This is all to ensure that foreign nationals seeking to reside in Ghana temporarily or permanently are in good health for stay, as well as, to acquire health information or specific knowledge of their health status.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

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Andrew Stegmann

South African Shoppers Stock Up On Liquor As Sales Resume

South African shoppers filled trolleys with cases of beer and cider and bottles of whiskey and wine on Monday as the government eased the coronavirus lockdown to allow the sale of alcohol to resume after a nine-week ban.

South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption per capita in the world, banned the sale of liquor in late March to ease hospital workloads and prevent a rise in domestic violence related to alcohol abuse during lockdown.

Under looser restrictions, alcohol will be sold for home consumption from Mondays to Thursdays, a welcome relief for an industry on its knees due to the ban.

“There is a significant amount of profit lost, we were losing turnover every day,” Jimmy Constantinou, who has been managing a liquor store in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township for six years, told Reuters inside the busy store.

“It’s obviously good that we’re open again but in terms of business it’s going to take a while to get there.”

An estimated 117,600 jobs have been lost in the industry, with 13-percent of the craft beer sector in the process of shutting, while the wine industry was in severe distress, said Rico Basson, chief executive of Vinpro, a wine industry body.

A few kilometres from the township, more than 100 people snaked around the parking lot of Makro Liquor, owned by Massmart, with bottle store owners loading cases of beer and cider onto pick-up trunks.

Software developer Teboho Mofokeng waited in the queue for more than two hours for his six bottles of whiskey, saying his alcohol stock ran out during lockdown.

“I’ve been without liquor for some time now,” he said. “I’m over-excited and relieved.”

Retailers like Pick n Pay and Shoprite’s Checkers supermarket chain, had allowed customers to place pre-orders online for delivery from Monday.

Some retailers placed limits on purchases, with Checkers limiting online orders to 120 litres per order.

Online alcohol stores and delivery apps were dealing with high volumes of orders after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement to further reopen the economy.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].