The Covid Report

While the agriculture and food sector value chain were declared as essential during the lockdown, small scale farmers who sell directly to markets and consumers were adversely affected as they could not reach customers. Dr Lennox Xolile Mtshagi, President of Black Farmers Association of SA says some of the small scale farmers are not going to be able to revive their business post the Covid 19 pandemic if they do not receive any funding from government. Some farmers have had to sell some of their equipment to keep up with their monthly expenses during the lockdown period. Mtshagi says big retailers continue to sideline black farmers, making it impossible for them to grow their businesses. Another farmer, Mpho Mpfuni co-founder of Mulilo Holdings, says the have to cut down the number of employees from 15 to 8 as they could not afford to pay their salaries as the UIF and grants took long.

The first clinical trial for for a vaccine against Covid-19 will star this week. This was announce on 23 June 2020, during a virtual press conference hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial aims to find a vaccine that will prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.In South Africa, at least 80,000 people have already been diagnosed with Covid-19 and more than 1,674 have died from Covid-19 since March, when the President declared a state of disaster and national lockdown.

SPEAKERS at the announcement included Professor Johnny Mahlangu, Head of the School of Pathology, Faculty of Health

Sciences, Wits University

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Professor Shabir Madhi, Principal Investigator and Director: South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (VIDA) at Wits University, and the National Research Foundation/Department of Science and Technology SARChI Chair in Vaccine Preventable Diseases

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​​​Professor Helen Rees, Chair of the African Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group of the World Health Organization, Chair of the Programme and Policy Committee of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Chair of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, and Executive Director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI)

Professor Glenda Gray, President and Chief Executive Officer, South African Medical Research Council, and Full Research Professor in the School of Clinical Medicine, Wits University

Professor Jeffrey Mphahlele, Vice President: Research, South African Medical Research Council

Dr Sandile Buthelezi, Director-General: National Department of Health

On the Covid Report we are joined with CEO of Higher Health Dr Ramneek unpacking the regulations put in place by Higher Health for Institutions of learning and their fight against Mental Health in the time of Covid-19.

The impact of the pandemic on the education sector has been well documented and publicised. On The Covid Report today we look at the state of affairs in the tertiary education sector, & the ways in which the "online learning" development still needs to level its playing field. Siphosihle Mbuli and Gamelihle Bovana speak to Palomino Jama, who was recently chosen to form part of the Covid 19 Task Team for Higher Education by Dr Blade Nzimande.

President Cyril Ramaphosa Ramaphosa announced new changes under level 3 lockdown, easing some restrictions. Political Commentator Jamie Mighti says the only thing that still indicated that we are under lockdown is the restriction on cross border travel.

The president addressed the nation following a spade of violent killings of women. In his address Ramaphosa described GBV described as “war on women”. Advocate Brenda Madumise, the director of women’s empower organisation, Wise 4 Afrika says contrary to what the present send, Gender based Violence is not war against women, “we are not at war with anybody, because we are not fighting anybody”. GBV is a genocide. Advocate Madumisa says South Africa should be locked down to deal with Gender the same way you dealt with coronavirus pandemic. Another activist Zukiswa white says government is good at putting policies in place with no action taken against perpertrators.

Recent Studies have Found that 24% of South African boy child between grade 8 to 11 had experienced feelings of Depression, hopelessness and sadness while a further 21% had attempted suicide at least once.

In addition, the inability to express their emotions has shown to have a negative impact on their adult life. They are taught not to cry or express their emotions in words and that certain aspects of their personality are not acceptable.

Voice of Wits Host of Area Code, Thato Harvey T chats to Lunga Khuphiso, founder of Man at Work

One of the biggest problem South Africa is currently facing is youth unemployment. The youth unemployment rate is expected to be 70% by the end of 2020, as Covid19 puts jobs at risk for about 1.6 million to 2.5 million in South Africa. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbate our situation- more and more people lose their jobs and companies closing. Dumisani Mkhize who is 26 year old from Soweto who is currently unemployed.

With South Africa moving to level 3 of the lockdown regulations, and universities being allowed to have up to 33% of the students and staff return to campus, Wits University has launched its own Covid19 Screening App to curb the spread of the coronavirus. VOWFM's Havey T Mathibi speaks to Wits University’s Chief Operating Officer Fana Sibanyoni who says in addition to the screening app they’ve had to appoint a Covid19 Compliance Officer to make sure that the sure that the university university was ready to welcome students and staff. Sibanyoni added that the LogBox Patient App which can be accessed through the App Store or the Google Play Store is linked to the the university’s database and students and staff data is protected. At lockdown level3 only staff members with permits are allowed on the campus, and students who have been invited to return to campus.

South Africa's Chief inspector for Occupational Health and Safety has urged workers to report their employers for non-compliance with the Covid19 regulations put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus with the Department of Employment and Labour. Siphoshihle Mbuli speaks to Tibor Szana, the National Chief Inspector for Occupational Health and Safety at the Department of Employment and Labour who says the department has170 Inspectors across the country and an additional 500 that is expected to join to ensure companies are compliant.