Andrew Stegmann

COVID-19: An African Update

As COVID-19 spreads across the world, and concerns grow, we’ve decided to provide an update from an African perspective.

South Africans repatriated from Wuhan

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday hailed the South African team travelling to Wuhan, China, on a repatriation mission, as heroes who carry the pride and hope of the nation. The team comprising members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and a medical team from the Department of Health left for Wuhan, the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak, from OR Tambo International Airport, last night.

“This is an important mission for the country. We are so proud of your commitment. We thank you for doing it for the country. I want you to go out there knowing that you are carrying the whole country,” President Ramaphosa said. He told the excited team that they are not going alone, but they are traveling with God. President Ramaphosa used the opportunity to allay the fears of South Africans, saying that the people that the team is going to repatriate, are not sick.

“This team is going to fetch people who are well. We will keep screening them to check if we cannot find someone who got an infection, if there are, we will take them out for treatment,” President Ramaphosa said. Prior to bidding farewell to the team, President Ramaphosa, accompanied by Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Defence and Military Veterans Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, conducted a walkabout at the OR Tambo International Airport.

The walkabout showed the President the state of readiness at the airport in case of any arrivals from Coronavirus countries. The President was also shown a clinic at the airport were patients are treated. Government initially received more than 180 requests from South Africans in Wuhan to be repatriated to South Africa, but more than 60 of them subsequently changed their minds and decided to remain in China.

Government will now repatriate 122 South Africans from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. Minister Mkhize also emphasized that none of the South Africans in China have Coronavirus but said they will still be quarantined and tested as part of health requirements when they arrive back home from Wuhan. Mkhize thanked the team for their willingness to assist in the repatriation. “I would like to thank you for assisting in the repatriation. You are doing this for the country,” he said.

A member of the team, a medical doctor from the Department of Health, Dr Ahmed Bam, told SAnews that he is proud to be taking part on this important mission. “I’m very honored to be given the opportunity to serve the people of my country,” he said. Asked if he is not afraid of contracting the virus, he confidently said that will not happen as they are well prepared and taking all the precautionary measures into account.

“My duty is to save lives and that’s exactly what I am going to do,” he said, adding that he is proud to serve the country and that he is prepared to do anything to save lives. Dr Bam said saving lives is what he does and that to him is his calling.

COVID-19 in South Africa

The number of Coronavirus cases in South Africa has risen to 13, after six more new cases were confirmed on Wednesday. As a precaution, the Department of Health has embarked on a rigorous campaign of tracing every person the 13 individuals have been in contact with since returning to South Africa.

Some of the identified patients had shown symptoms, while others had not. However, they have all been placed on self-quarantine at home or have been admitted to hospital.

Our Managing Director recently returned to Cape Town, South Africa, from a trip to Europe, and the only place she saw people being tested for COVID-19 was at our own Cape Town International Airport. You can see the testing taking place in the video below.

First Case in DRC

The Ministry of Public Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported the country’s first case of COVID-19. Health authorities said tests found that a Congolese national, who had recently returned to Kinshasa from his residence in France had tested positive for the virus.

The DRC is one of eleven countries in Africa to have confirmed a case of COVID-19. The other countries are: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia. This comes as the country’s largest Ebola outbreak appears to be winding down, with no new cases of the disease confirmed in the past 21 days.

“It is sad to hear that just as the DRC appears to be near ending its worst Ebola outbreak, a new virus is threatening the health of its citizens,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “However, some of the readiness efforts put in place during the Ebola outbreak may help the country respond to COVID-19. WHO is here to support you, just as we continue to do in the Ebola response.”

Tracking the spread

To track the spread of the virus on a live map, made by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, click here.

Staying healthy

To see a list of things the World Health Organization recommends to protect yourself as best as possible, click here. The list includes practicing social distancing, washing your hands frequently, practicing good respiratory hygiene, and seeking medical care as soon as possible if you experience symptoms.

Plans for the workplace

US HR consultancy Mercer has published a 10-point guide for planning around the virus for your workplace. To read the guide, click here.

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

Andrew Stegmann

Netflix Launches First Original African Series: ‘Queen Sono’

Netflix has launched ‘Queen Sono’, its first-ever original TV series from Africa. The streaming platform’s six-episode TV thriller, staring Pearl Thusi, South African actress and model.

The movie was premiered on its platform and at the same time Netflix specified that it will increase investment in Africa’s showbiz.

‘Queen Sono’ is filmed in several locations across Africa and is directed by Kagiso Lediga, an award-winning comedian.

The show highlights a female spy who works for a force known as Special Operations Group (SOG) while trying to work out her complicated personal life. Among those staring in the series are Vuyo Dabula, Kate Liquorish, Chiedza Mhende, Connie Chiume, and Abigail Kubeka.

Pearl Thusi, who is also known for her roles in ‘Quantico’, U.S. television series, and Netflix’s ‘Catching Feelings’, starred as the key character, taking up the role of ‘Queen Sono’.

“I want other women to see themselves in this. Women are the heroes of this show. We’re still heroes of this continent. We still nurture, we still look after, we still fight. We don’t have lots of freedom. But women still choose to be here and they still choose to be heroes in an environment that doesn’t allow it”, Thusi said.

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

ConCourt: Children Born in South Africa to Foreign Parents Can Apply For Citizenship

It has taken four years of legal battles – but now, if you were born in South Africa to foreign parents, you can apply for citizenship. It has been an “agonizing journey” for those who consider South Africa to be their only home.

The department of home affairs’ opposition to the court bid by five adults, representing others in a similar situation, for the vindication of their rights, was dealt a death blow by the Constitutional Court last week. The court simply ruled that it would not hear any further argument on the matter.

The department had not filed its papers in time, and it had not given good reason for this. What this means for Mariam Ali, Aden Salih, Kanu Nkololo, Caroline Masuki, Murphy Nganga and any others “similarly situated” is that their previous victory in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) now stands.

In terms of that order, the minister must accept their applications for citizenship and make a decision within 10 days.

The SCA declared that if you were born in South Africa to foreign parents who have not been admitted as permanent residents, you qualify to apply for South African citizenship upon becoming a major – if your birth was registered and if you have lived here all your life, irrespective of the date of your birth.

It also ordered the minister to enact the necessary forms to allow for such applications within one year. Pending this, he must accept applications on affidavit. The application, brought with the assistance of the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), was first set down in the Western Cape High Court.

It was argued that the centre’s clients had all complied with the Citizenship Amendment Act, which came into effect in January 2013. They were all born in South Africa to foreign parents and they had all turned 18, but their applications for citizenship under naturalisation laws were being refused.

In fact, they said, they were being told that such an application form did not even exist.

In that court, the minister argued that the act only applied to children born after January 2013 and could not be applied retrospectively. In fact, his lawyers argued, it did not even apply to children who turned 18 after that date but only to children born after that date.

Any retrospective application would create “an unnecessary flow of applications and burden the already strained resources of the department”. The Western Cape High Court ruling in favour of the centre’s clients was taken on appeal to the SCA by the minister.

There, the department of home affairs changed its argument. Retrospectivity was no longer an issue. Instead, it was argued that those affected should have put the minister on terms to deal with their applications and, if they were refused, they could then launch court proceedings to review and set aside the decisions.

“But this was untenable,” the judges said. “It is difficult to understand on what basis the minister could have made any decision. They were never given an opportunity to apply. They were just turned away.

“The argument is consistent with the ongoing attempts to frustrate and delay their application. It is not in the interests of justice to send them from pillar to post, simply because the minister adopted a supine attitude that the regulations will only be promulgated in due course.”

They were being treated unfairly, the court ruled, dismissing the appeal. Sherylle Dass, LRC regional director in Cape Town, said they had opposed the state’s application for leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court, saying it was an attempt to have a “second bite of the cherry” in spite of conceding the bulk of their submissions in the lower courts.

“Despite these concessions, some 10 months later, the state decided to change its stance. We believed it was an abuse of process. They plainly had no reasonable prospects of success and again it showed a total disregard for taxpayers, who have to foot the bill for these types of vexatious proceedings.”

She said that during those 10 months, when there was no indication of any appeal, the clients had submitted their citizenship applications but they were not dealt with.

“Following the dismissal of their appeal, we will now be demanding the adjudication of those citizenship applications and we will approach the courts if necessary, should a decision not be made within 10 days, in accordance with the SCA ruling.

“Our clients have had to endure a long and painful journey to obtain citizenship, with some of them all but giving up hope of being finally accepted by a country they have grown to love – the only country they have called home.

“A large part of this agonizing journey could have been avoided if decision makers within the department of home affairs exercised reason and caution by not arbitrarily abusing the court processes to delay and frustrate the exercise of the clear and unequivocal right of these applicants.”

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

Opinion: Digital Access The Key to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Africa

Opportunity2030: The Standard Chartered SDG Investment Map reveals a $197 billion opportunity for private-sector investors in five high-growth markets in Africa to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with improving digital access making up $74.5 billion of that total.

The study highlights opportunities for investors to contribute to three infrastructure-focused goals between now and 2030: SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure across emerging markets.

Across all the world’s emerging markets, Oportunity2030 identifies a $10 trillion opportunity for private sector investors. This represents around 40 per cent of the total funding required to meet specific indicators within the three SDGs – allowing for population growth as well as maintaining current access – with public funds expected to provide the bulk of the investment.

Five African countries are included in the study: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia. Key highlights include:

Providing universal digital access represents the greatest investment opportunity for the private sector by 2030 ($74.5 billion), followed by universal access to power ($65.8 billion), transport infrastructure ($46.4 billion) and access to clean water and sanitation ($10.3 billion)

The biggest single opportunity across the African markets in the study is in increasing digital access – a combination of mobile phone subscriptions rates and internet connectivity – in Nigeria (USD47.4 billion). Driven by its large and growing population, Nigeria also offers the greatest overall opportunity across the SDG indicators measured (a total of $114.2 billion), followed by Kenya (USD40 billion)

Zambia and Kenya present a big opportunity to make an impact on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): With an average of 43 per cent and 56 per cent of the population respectively currently lacking access to clean water and sanitation, there is a $0.7 billion and $2.3 billion private-sector investment opportunity to help close the gap by 2030

Uganda presents a meaningful opportunity to make an impact on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): with just 22 per cent of the population that have access to electricity, there is a USD6.1 billion private-sector investment opportunity to help achieve universal access by 2030

The greatest investment opportunity in Ghana is in achieving and maintaining universal access to electricity (a key SDG 7 indicator), representing a $7.8 billion private-sector opportunity

Sunil Kaushal, Regional CEO, Africa & Middle East, Standard Chartered, said: “The UN Sustainable Development Goals are amongst the most ambitious projects humanity has ever attempted. As well as offering our best hope yet of tackling the world’s most serious challenges, they also offer a unique opportunity for the private sector. For the goals to be met in Africa, the private sector must play a central role in deploying capital to get projects off the ground. Opportunity2030 provides a map of these opportunities, revealing the sectors and markets where investors can best contribute to the SDGs whilst achieving sustainable returns.

“Currently, not enough capital is reaching the countries that need it the most. With the UN’s 2030 deadline for achieving SDGs just 10 years away, the time to act is now.”

With Standard Chartered’s experience and reach into Africa, the Bank uses banking knowledge, products and its unique footprint to fund sustainable development where it matters most.

In June 2019, we launched our first Sustainability Bond, raising EUR 500 million to fund projects aligned to the SDGs in emerging markets, and have worked with clients and partners to create a number of important landmark structured solutions to support the SDG’s.

The Bank has also launched its digital bank in nine markets in Africa, as part of the Bank’s digital transformation strategy for Africa. The digital banking solution provides Standard Chartered customers with affordable, fast and easily accessible banking services that is supporting financial inclusion in the markets.

 

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].