Natural resources & energy Did Eskom secure a $10 billion loan from Saudi Arabia and a $33 billion loan from China in 2018? Source South African Government News Agency Short answer Did Eskom secure a $10 billion loan from Saudi Arabia and a $33 billion loan from China in 2018? In 2018 President Cyril Rhamaposa confirmed Eskom had entered into a loan agreement with the China Development Bank for $2.5 billion (about R38.7 billion) to fund the construction of Kusile Power Station. The president also secured a $10 billion (about R152.7 billion) investment pledge from... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Health Is it true that if you are not vaccinated for Covid-19 you can’t receive the Older Persons Grant? Source President Cyril Ramaphosa Short answer Is it true that if you are not vaccinated for Covid-19 you can’t receive the Older Persons Grant? No. Legally, no one can be forced or coerced into taking the vaccine. This was affirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa when he addressed parliament on 3 September 2021: “No one should be forced to be vaccinated. Instead, we need to use the available scientific evidence to encourage — repeat encour... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Health How many patients were hospitalised with Covid-19 at Groote Schuur hospital on 6 September 2021? Source UCT Faculty of Health Science Short answer How many patients were hospitalised with Covid-19 at Groote Schuur hospital on 6 September 2021? According to UCT’s Faculty of Health Science, there were 254 patients hospitalised with Covid-19 on 6 September 2021. ... Back Full answer
Sex & gender Crime & justice Covid-19 Did gender-based violence increase during lockdown? Source Department of Social Development Short answer Did gender-based violence increase during lockdown? According to the Department of Social Development, more people contacted the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre during the first two months of South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown. The government established the call centre to “provide immediate care, support and counselling to victims of... Back Full answer
Sex & gender Covid-19 Did South African men spend more time on childcare during lockdown? Source Gender and the early effects of the Covid-19 crisis in the paid and unpaid economies in South Africa Short answer Did South African men spend more time on childcare during lockdown? While some men reported spending more time caring for children, an analysis of National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey data found that a bigger share of women devoted more time to childcare during South Africa's Covid-19 lockdown. In interviews with about 7,000 adult re... Back Full answer
Covid-19 Economy Sex & gender Were men or women more likely to lose a job during South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown? Source Gender and the early effects of the Covid-19 crisis in the paid and unpaid economies in South Africa Short answer Were men or women more likely to lose a job during South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown? The release of South Africa’s official unemployment numbers for the second quarter of 2020 (April to June) has been delayed. According to an analysis of National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey data, women accounted for the bulk of net job losses. This is “because wo... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Is it true that the new coronavirus is a vascular virus and not a respiratory virus? Source Presentation by Dr Jaco Laubscher Short answer Is it true that the new coronavirus is a vascular virus and not a respiratory virus? Dr Jaco Laubscher, a Stellenbosch-based physician, has claimed that Covid-19 “is a vascular problem and not a respiratory problem”.He argues that Covid-19 is a disease that affects blood vessels and not the lungs. Therefore, the way the condition is treated by health professionals should change.... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Is the big Covid-19 wave still coming? Source South African Covid-19 Modelling Consortium Short answer Is the big Covid-19 wave still coming? In May, the South African Covid-19 Modelling Consortium estimated that the peak in active Covid-19 cases in South Africa is likely to be somewhere between early July (in a pessimistic scenario) and early August (in an optimistic scenario). The initial lockdown measures and social distancing delayed ... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 How has Covid-19 spread so quickly? Source The University of Texas at Austin Short answer How has Covid-19 spread so quickly? Two measures are relevant to this question: how many people someone with Covid-19 infects and how long it takes to do so.Experts have calculated the basic reproduction number (R0) of Covid-19 to estimate how contagious the disease is. R0 is the number of people an infected person is likely to infect... Back Full answer