COVID-19 pandemic - The African Mirror

Aug

2020

Hair scavenged from Nairobi dump ends up in salon amid COVID-19 pandemic

THOMAS MUKOYA STYLIST Julia Wanja picks her way delicately through piles of food waste, discarded masks, rubber gloves and other rubbish at Nairobi's Dandora dumpsite, looking for used hair extensions she can clean and resell to customers. The pandemic means fewer clients with less money and she is cutting down on costs by cleaning and reselling hair from the dumpsite. Officials direct trucks to dump their loads depending on where the waste has come from. Domestic and commercial waste - which includes bags of hair extensions discarded by other salons - goes to different sections. Medical waste is usually incinerated.…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s Denel ordered to pay outstanding salaries by Friday

NEWS

ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH Africa's Labour Court on Tuesday ordered state defence firm Denel to pay workers outstanding salaries for May, June and July by Friday, Aug. 7, a copy of the court judgment showed. The case against Denel was brought by two trade unions, Solidarity and UASA, on behalf of their members after the weapons manufacturer did not pay salaries in full. Denel, which makes equipment ranging from armoured vehicles to missiles, has struggled to pay staff salaries amid a liquidity crisis aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is one of a number of struggling state enterprises the government has…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

The IMF’s $4bn loan for South Africa: the pros, cons and potential pitfalls

BUSINESS

DANNY BRADLOW, SARCHI Professor of International Development Law and African Economic Relations, University of Pretoria THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a R70 billion (US$4.3 billion) loan for South Africa to help the country manage the immediate consequences of the fallout from COVID-19. The Conversation Africa’s editor, Caroline Southey, asked Danny Bradlow to shed some light on what South Africans should expect. What conditions has the IMF attached to the disbursement? The IMF has provided the funding through its Rapid Financing Instrument. This is designed to support countries facing an urgent need for financing due to a crisis such…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

WHO says COVID-19 pandemic is “one big wave”, not seasonal

COVID-19

EMMA FARGE A World Health Organization official has described the COVID-19 pandemic as "one big wave" and warned against complacency in the northern hemisphere summer since the infection does not share influenza's tendency to follow seasons. WHO officials have been at pains to avoid describing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases like those in Hong Kong as "waves" as this suggests the virus is behaving in ways beyond human control, when in fact concerted action can slow its spread. Margaret Harris repeated that message in a virtual briefing in Geneva. "We are in the first wave. It's going to be one…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Africa’s research capacity is growing

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

SAM KINYANJUI, Head of Training & Director, IDeAL, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme SHARON FONN, Professor of Public Health; Co-Director Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa; Panel Member, Private Healthcare Market Inquiry, University of the Witwatersrand The COVID-19 pandemic has put global emergency preparedness under sharp scrutiny. It’s also placed national health systems’ capacity to predict and respond to major emergencies under the microscope. Much of the response to the pandemic is focused on testing, case management and control measures such as personal hygiene, quarantine and social distancing. But in most African countries, these measures are not backed by…