Mother City News April 2020

WARNING: May contain strong language

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MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2020

Breaking the echo chamber in the city bowl and beyond.

Page 3 New by-law blocks scientists

Page 5 Girl: Living through horror is still living

Page 7 Covid-19: Why testing takes time and what to expect

Lockdown: Informal sector hit hard A raft of measures offer relief to formal sector employers and workers, but self-employed left out in the cold

Saban Jacobs sits on an almost deserted Long Street on Saturday night of 21 March after a State of National Disaster had been declared prohibiting gatherings of over 100 people and alcohol sales after 6pm.

Workers in the informal sector, such as Jacobs, who collects rubbish for recycling, are hardest hit as there are no relief measures announced to protect them. Photo: Steve Kretzmann

Steve Kretzmann Measures to provide relief to businesses and workers in the formal economy are being put into place, but domestic workers, the selfemployed, and those in the informal sector are seeing their income disappear altogether.

There are 2.5 million South Africans who underpin the informal economy, including

domestic workers, according to 2018 figures published by the Human Scientific Research Council. That is one in six working South Africans.

In his speech on 23 March announcing the lockdown due to Covid-19, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted a number of measures to ease the inevitable loss of income facing millions of us. But most of this was focused on

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the formal economy.

The only relief for informal sector workers announced by Ramaphosa was the development of “a safety net”.

“More details will be announced as soon as we have completed the work of assistance measures that will be put in place, said Ramaposa” There have been calls on social media for

people to continue paying their domestic workers during the lockdown, but labour law specialist Michael Bagraim says in the last few days he has received 40 to 50 “panic” calls from people who do not want to pay their domestic worker during the lockdown, as they cannot come to work.

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MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2020

From page 1

Lockdown: Informal sector hit hard The employers are seeking advice on how their domestic workers can claim from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) instead, said Bagraim. The problem is they never took the trouble to register their domestic worker for UIF and so they weren’t eligible to claim.

He said the queries were from some of the most “well-heeled” Capetonians, living in Bishopscourt and Constantia who were talking about domestic workers who had been employed for years and were “loyal as hell”.

He said employers needed to register their domestic workers, apologise to the Department of Labour, pay the backpay and fines, and get them on the UIF system.

Artists and freelancers on their own Regarding self-employed freelancers, he said there was no advice he could provide if they were not contributing to UIF. Artists have been hard hit, with gigs and productions canceled almost immediately after Ramaphosa’s initial speech on 15 March banning all gatherings larger than 100 people.

According to a mapping study by the South African Cultural Observatory published in December 2017, 75 000 artists contribute to the cultural industry in South Africa.

A further 661 340 work in support of the cultural industries, for example as technicians or administrators.

The study also notes: “There is strong evidence to suggest that freelance contract work (and informal, unregistered work in general) is much more common in cultural than in non-cultural occupations.”

This meant artists, particularly actors and musicians in the performing arts who had events canceled directly after Ramaphosa announced the State of National Disaster on 15 March, and had little to no economic fallback.

Actor and stand-up comedian Rob van Vuuren said the effect on income was “instantaneous”.

“All the cancellations poured in” following the initial announcement of a State of National Disaster, said van Vuuren.

Van Vuuren said people in the theatre and entertainment industry mostly lived hand-tomouth and gig-to-gig in normal times. Now there was nothing to fall back on, not even UIF. He said anecdotes of how Shakespeare wrote his best sonnets and King Lear while in isolation during the Black Plague, did not help. South African artists were woefully underfunded at the best of times and “you can’t write your masterpiece while wondering how you’ll have money to eat”.

However, he, as well as many other artists in a similar situation, were exploring ways to gather some income from creating online shows.

He had been having “daily apocalypse anxiety telephone calls” with fellow standup comic Nick Rabinowitz and the idea came up to record them. This also led to him approaching Naked Insurance for sponsorship of a 15 to 20 minute show with other artists.

“The major challenge for me is how much money is that going to pull in. We won’t replace our income from the gig economy.”

UIF to the rescue in the formal sector For workers in the formal sector who

contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), it has been announced they can claim for loss of income if they are put on short time or laid off for a period.

After the President’s initial announcement of a State of National Disaster, Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi announced on 17 March that “the short term UIF benefit will kick in” for companies deciding to close for a short period as a precautionary measure.

“If a company contemplates a short term shut down, they are required to inform the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Our team will visit these companies to provide assistance with the processing of the claims,” stated Nxesi.

The closure for all businesses not deemed as essential, is no longer a choice following the Lockdown from Midnight tonight.

(Thursday 26 March) Unemployment Insurance Fund spokesperson Makhosonke Buthelezi confirmed Nxesi was referring to provisions in the Unemployment Insurance Amendment Act of 2016, which came into effect last year and allows benefits to be paid to workers who lose income as a result of reduced working times.

Regarding concerns that the website might crash under a deluge of UIF applications, as has happened in the USA, Buthelezi said rapid response teams had been set up in each province to go to companies with over 50 employees who were having to put staff on short time or layoffs.

This would allow for bulk applications from businesses rather than each employee having to apply individually and clog up the system.

Days prior to the lockdown, he said he had already been “inundated with enquiries from businesses”.

But Bagraim was skeptical UIF offices would be able to deal with the avalanche of applications, and how long it would take for people to get their money.

Mother City News calls to the listed number on the Department of Labour’s website went unanswered for 11 minutes after selecting the option for UIF submission.

An attempt to register for benefits on the websites resulted in the account being suspended because the vetting process failed.

Bagraim said the advice he was giving to small and medium businesses needing to close down was to retrench their employees, with an agreement guaranteeing their jobs back once the situation normalises.

This meant workers could access their retrenchment packages and UIF. Standard UIF payments for unemployment was taking two to three weeks, he said.

The agreement between business owners and employees could include that the retrenchment package would be paid out over a number of months to prevent bankrupting the business.

“I’m not breaking the law, I’m twisting it slightly,” he said. “I’m working in the spirit of the law if not entirely in line with the letter of the law.”

An additional amount of R3 500 per month could be accessed by workers from the freshly announced National Disaster Benefit created in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

He said the information he had to hand was that the money would be paid for the duration of the lockdown, up to a maximum of three months. This amount was irrespective

Actor Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, pictured here in a production of Paydirt at the National Arts Festival, says he mostly does screen work and all projects have been cancelled following the declaration of a National State of Disaster. “My last income was last month for a Spar ad and all future options have died,” said Mkhwanzi. Photo: Steve Kretzmann

of employees’ salary levels.

Further relief measures Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has also announced that employees who have to self-quarantine for 14 days will be fully paid provided requirements were met, and if they had to be quarantined for longer than 14 days due to being in contact, or possible contact, with the coronavirus, they can apply for special leave UIF benefits for the period.

Nxesi also said “distressed companies” would have a reprieve from paying UIF. This would provide workers with 1% more of their salary while taking 1% off the company’s wage bill.

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• Ramaphosa’s lockdown announcement recognised the dire impact for workers and introduced a raft of measures: • A solidarity fund has been seeded with R150m by government and an additional R2bn from the Oppenheimer and Rupert families “to assist small businesses and their employees affected by the coronavirus pandemic”. The private sector has been urged to contribute to the fund, which will also be used to “focus efforts to combat the spread of the virus, help us to track the spread, care for those who are ill and support those whose lives are disrupted”.

• He said “a safety net” is being developed to support workers in the informal sector.

• Old age and disability grants will be available for collection on 30 and 31 March, and other social grants on 1 April.

• The compensation fund would pay out any employee falling ill due to exposure at the workplace.

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• Provisions of the Competition Act have been set aside to allow commercial banks to collude on ways to provide debt relief “and other necessary measures.”

Tax compliant businesses with a turnover of less than R50 million will be allowed to delay 20% of their pay-as-you-earn liabilities over the next four months and a portion of their provisional corporate income tax payments without penalties or interest over the next six months.

This intervention is expected to assist over 75 000 small and medium-term enterprises.

Temporary reduction of employer and employee contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund and employer contributions to the Skill Development Fund are being explored.

The Department of Small Business Development has made over R500 million available immediately to assist small and medium enterprises that are in distress through a simplified application process.

The Industrial Development Corporation has put a package together with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition of more than R3 billion for industrial funding to address the situation of vulnerable firms and to fast-track financing for companies critical to our efforts to fight the virus and its economic impact.

• The Department of Tourism has made an additional R200 million available to assist SMEs in the tourism and hospitality sector who are under particular stress due to the new travel restrictions.

MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2020

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New by-law blocks scientists City claims it is not preventing research and monitoring in its nature reserves Steve Kretzmann A new by-law being drafted by the City contains provisions preventing anyone – including civil society organisations and scientific researchers – from independently testing water quality in City-run nature reserves without written authorisation.

The Draft Nature Reserves By-law aims to control activities in its 23 nature reserves across the metropole as well as control access and research and monitoring. The section dealing with research and monitoring has raised concerns at the unnecessary encumbrances it poses to independent monitoring of water bodies and species populations in important ecological sites.

It also comes in the wake of concerted civil action to obtain regular water quality data in relation to extreme pollution of the Milnerton Lagoon, which forms part of the Diep River estuary.

Section 21 of the draft by-law, states no person may “carry out scientific or general research or undertake monitoring projects” without written authorisation from the City.

If authorisation is granted, a research proposal must be submitted to the City and all findings must be submitted in a format determined by the City.

Anyone violating these conditions would be liable to a fine. Failure to comply could result in vehicle impoundment.

Invitation to comment was released on 24 February, with the period for comment closing 20 days later, on March 16.

It is known that water bodies in certain nature reserves are subject to periodic incidents of pollution. Zandvlei nature reserve was closed or partially closed at least five times last year due to sewage spills, and water quality in the Diep River and Milnerton Lagoon, which falls within the Table Bay Nature Reserve, has deteriorated to the point where the provincial authorities issued a warning to the City last month.

It is uncontested that with no rainfall in summer, the Diep River becomes little more than a channel for discharge from the Potsdam Waste Water Treatment Works combined with flows from contaminated storm water drains.

The City’s Water and Sanitation Department, led by Xanthea Limberg, was given 21 days from 12 February to provide the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) with its short, medium, and long term plans to end the ongoing sewage contamination of water bodies.

The City subsequently released its antipollution plans for the Diep River catchment on 16 March.

The province took action after civic bodies elevated complaints to the Western Cape government in December last year.

Additionally, the City has consistently failed to provide publicly accessible results of the monthly water quality tests it conducts on its rivers, canals, and estuaries.

While water quality results have been provided to Protected Area Advisory Committees (PAACs) and to residents associations that have requested them, PAAC members, and chairs of both the Milnerton Central Residents Association and Fish Hoek Valley Residents and Ratepayers Association, have said they had to sign terms and conditions, which include not distributing results without the City’s permission.

A draft City by-law requires citizens obtain written authorisation in order to monitor water quality and species populations in City-run nature reserves such as the highly polluted Table Bay Nature Reserve in Milnerton. Photo: Steve Kretzmann/WCN

The Milnerton Central Residents Association (MCRA), in their comment on the draft by-law submitted by Caroline Marx who heads the environmental portfolio, stated Section 21 of the by-law in its current form was unreasonable and impedes the constitutionally enshrined right to a healthy environment.

The MCRA further stated the section also impeded the right to access information held by the state, particularly if the information sought was in the public interest. This section, the association states, can and should be challenged.

The by-law as it stands could be used to prevent independent monitoring of water quality to ensure the results were in line with those obtained by the City, and also prevent independent monitoring of species populations.

“It could be used to prevent civilian oversight of such populations and allow pillaging of natural resources as has occurred elsewhere,” The MCRA stated.

Additionally, even if permission for research was granted by the City, the requirements imposed “cumbersome and unreasonable requirements on independent interested environmental groups whose activities pose no risk”.

The section was also “contrary to the principal of inclusion, transparency, and the City’s policy of encouraging co-operation with residents”.

Senior Professor Leslie Petrik, from the UWC Chemistry Department, said it seemed the City’s plan was “to let the fox guard the hen house”.

Petrik, along with retired Stellenbosch epidemiologist Dr Jo Barnes and UCT Associate Professor Lesley Green, have been accused by the City, in a right of reply published in the Daily Maverick, of making “a habit of detonating unsubstantiated bombshells in the media”.

This was in light of articles highlighting pollution on Cape Town’s coastline and the pollution of the Kuils River which receives discharge from the Zandvliet sewage works

The mouth of the Milnerton Lagoon has been so polluted, the City has had to put up warning signs for bathers, but these are often ignored.

Photo: Steve Kretzmann

in Macassar.

Petrik said it has been “a battle to get the City to own up to the huge contamination of our beaches, rivers and estuaries” and were it not for the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) assisting in Milnerton, the pollution of the Diep River “would have been downplayed and swept under the carpet.

She said until recently the City claimed the pollution in the Diep River was due to an algal overgrowth.

“Citizens have a constitutional right to a safe environment and access to information that will materially influence their choices, to avoid harm.

“The by-law in my view is a sneaky way to gag our and other independent voices and punish us.”

The City’s mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Marian Nieuwoudt, said the proposed by-law does not aim to stop, restrict or prevent research taking place within City nature reserves.

“The requirement for researchers to obtain landowner permission to conduct research

and monitoring has always been (and is currently) in effect. All requests received are evaluated by the Biodiversity Management Branches Ecological Management Committee. This is to ensure that research is conducted responsibly and provides important input into the management objectives of the nature reserve and/or environment concerned,” stated Nieuwoudt.

She stated requests to undertake research or monitoring inside a nature reserve must be sent to the Knowledge Manager (Penelope.

Glanville@capetown.gov.za) and proposals would be considered by the Biodiversity Management Branch’s Ecological Management Committee.

Regarding the comment period, she said the public participation “took place from 1 February 2020 to 16 March 2020, thus for 35 days” and “various advertisements and a media release were issued.”

However, the date of the media release on the City’s own website is 24 February, and the media release was received by Mother City News via email on 24 February.

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Food

MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2020

When gravity fails, and it’s Easter time too Rather worrying times are upon us and we’re all confined to our homes to fret and stew. It’s a situation ripe for depression. But there is one thing we can do to lift our spirits: bake.

The aroma of freshly baked goodies coming out of the oven is a special kind of special and is known to calm the worst family squabbles.

Seen as it’s Easter time now, what could be better than your own sweet and spicy hot cross buns. Only thing is, once you’ve made your own, you’ll struggle to ever buy them from the likes of Pick n Pay etc.

But fortunately, making them is not very difficult. You’ve just got to follow the steps (and have an oven, of course).

So here goes with a recipe I’ve used for the last three years after I discovered it in an old book at the bottom of my mother’s kitchen drawer.

You’ll need: • A baking tray of some sort.

• Two and a half teaspoons dry yeast • Three quarter cup warm milk • Quarter cup, plus one teaspoon sugar • About three and a half cups of cake flour (not self-raising) • Two teaspoons ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, cloves.

• One teaspoon salt • Four tablespoons soft butter • Two eggs (room temp) • Three quarter cup currants or cake mix • Two teaspoons orange or lemon zest Then for the glaze: • One egg • One tablespoon milk For the frosting: • One and a half teaspoons milk • Half a cup castor sugar • Drop of vanilla essence

Steps to delicious buns 1. Proof the yeast: Add a teaspoon of sugar to a quarter cup of warm milk.

Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand until frothy (5 – 10 mins).

2. Mix three cups of flour, salt, spices and quarter cup of sugar.

3. Add the foamy yeast, two eggs, the butter and the remainder of the milk.

Mix well. The dough should become shaggy and quite sticky.

4. Add the currants/cake mix, and orange or lemon zest.

5. Knead the dough, adding one teaspoon of flour at a time until it no longer completely sticks to your fingers.

6. Leave it in the bowl under a cloth to rise for at least two hours.

7. Put it on a board, press it down slightly and cut in half. Cut each half into six or eight balls, flatten them and place on a greased tray. Cover with a cloth (recipe calls for platic wrap but that’s not cool) and let stand for 30 to 40 minutes for the second rise.

8. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and while it’s warming up, prepare the glaze by mixing the egg and milk and brush these over the balls of dough.

9. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Once ready, put it on a wire rack (or a row of chopsticks) and let it cool.

10. Make frosting by whipping up the castor sugar, milk and vanilla essence until it is a thick past. Put it in a clean plastic pouch, cut a tiny bit off the corner, and squeeze it out as you draw the crosses on the buns.

This last bit you can leave out. I sometimes do as this particular frosting recipe is a bit too sweet for my tooth.

Have fun. You’ll never look at hot cross buns the same way.

Wine

Breaking Down the Lockdown List Sade Allcock By now I am sure you are all well aware of the lockdown commencing at midnight on the 26 March. During these unprecedented times many people are scared and confused, running around like headless chickens stockpiling for the apocalypse. In all this tumult, the last thing you need is to grab a sub-par bottle of wine with which to drown your sorrows. Not to worry, I have compiled a list, from sauvignon blanc to merlot, that is worthy of being stockpiled. When it comes to sauvignon blanc, I am very particular.

The sauvignon blanc that ticked the most boxes for me in 2019 was the Groote Post Sauvignon Blanc. Balanced, being neither too acidic nor too fruity, it is a lovely wine for the warmer days. When it comes to chardonnay, an unwooded version is usually far easier on the pocket and for many people on the palate too. Warwick wine estate does an unwooded First Lady Chardonnay that is great for a picnic in your back garden when the day comes that you’ve exhausted the options on Neflix. Of course, I had to put my favourite most recent discovery on this list, the Swartland Winemakers Collection Chenin

Blanc. I raved about this particular wine in the last edition of Mother City News and absolutely nothing has changed. Add it to the shopping list pronto. A firm favourite from the region that I grew up in is the Darling Cellars Reserve Rosé. This easy drinking wine has been a staple in my wine rack for over a year, high praise considering the usual quick turnover. Excelsior Merlot is an old favourite with a very reasonable price point. This is a fantastic wine for those long nights in isolation when the family is driving you nuts.

However, I take no responsibility for the state of your throbbing head the next day. Lastly, a new favourite and slightly more expensive wine than the usual assortment, the Swartland Winery Limited Release Carignan.

A lesser known varietal, it is medium bodied with a rich palate that remains balanced.

Perhaps you should crack this one open with the end of the twenty-one days in sight.

Goodluck, and try not to pick up a drinking problem. They say it takes only twenty-one days to make or break a habit!

Do not drink and drive, and if you’re under-18, you’re not allowed to drink. Be responsible.

MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2020

5

Book Reviews

Girl: Living through horror is still living Boko Haram. Remember them. That they kidnapped and enslaved 276 school girls

essence and primal instinct is called to

around this time of year – April 14 - six years

service. This is brought into particular focus

ago. 112 are still missing. Those who escaped,

once the narrator gives birth to a daughter

or were exchanged, did not necessarily have

– whether from rape or the husband she is

happy endings. Many of them bore children.

forced to marry – and the girl becomes a

Novelist Edna O’Brian went to Nigeria to hear their stories, do her research. The book

There are passages in the book when the word ‘keen’ comes to mind. As in, ‘to keen’.

The story she has woven from the threads

In a biblical sense. To fall to one’s knees as

of many, is a tapestry patterned with the

darkness covers the earth, too dry to weep.

Of course O’Brien never got to speak to

of life’s simplest beauties. One of these is the

any of the girls who remain missing. Thus

beauty of her sentences. Each seems to stand

this is a story of one who escaped. Mercifully,

apart, as a pearl on a novel-length rosary.

she remains able to perceive light, kindness,

In the introduction to Tolstoy’s Anna

the poignancy of which leaves you stunned

Karenin, translator Rosemary Edmonds tells

amidst the horror of what has befallen.

how Tolstoy praised Pushkin’s art of plunging

Of course there is the spectre of madness.

the reader straight into the heart of the story,

There is no way of a sane mind avoiding it. It

“the middle of the action”.

is the observations of what catalyses it that

He would have admired O’Brien for

makes the novel so perceptive. It is not of

that, too. If not so much the first sentence,

itself – possibly never of itself – but brought

certainly the first paragraph:

about through betrayal.

“I was a girl once, but not any more. I smell.

Madness looms when the last hope is

Blood dried and crusted all over me, and

destroyed. Being forced into betraying the

my wrapper in shreds. My insides, a morass.

only person to trust us, because we ourselves

Hurtled through this forest that I saw, that

are betrayed, is a black cloak of ashes. A

first awful night, when I and my friends were

prison. Hope, even the tiniest sliver, and

snatched from the school.”

desperation are needed to escape.

And so in Girl, we enter a nightmare, only

The girls from Chibok, who had gathered

to realise we keep on living. That life contains

at the school to write their final exams,

its own force. Pushing us, however unwilling

and kidnapped on a whim, because their

we are, through whatever disasters we must

humanity meant nothing to their captors, are

pass.

a stain of suffering on our global consciences.

In her protagonist, she presents a narrator

The subtitle is 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative and has been around since 2012 but might be worth dusting off to get you inspired during lockdown. It teaches you how to maximise your creativity and that ultimately you must think like the artists you look up to instead of directly copying their work.

mother.

she has written as a result, is devastating.

darkest despair, shot through with rosettes

Steal like an artist, by Austin Kleon

survival; all matters are stripped to their

One of many, but one O’Brien examines for

who is detached, as if in permanent shock.

its patterns and its intricacy, and holds up to

Which is also to say, in a state of constant

the daylight for us too, to reckon with.

Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E Butler

The Book of Gifts, by Craig Higginson

Glass Castle,

by Jeanette Walls

Published in 1993 and set in 2025, this is a classic by an absolute master of sciencefiction, and a perfect example of the genre’s potential in terms of subversion and cultural critique. Despite being almost three decades old, this book remains chillingly prescient and relevant, particularly given apocalyptic coronavirus fears. A must-read for any fans of the genre.

Craig’s a good writer, this is his 5th novel, and I’ve enjoyed most of his novels without being blown away. This dark family drama is the same. It’s about family relationships, particularly mother and son and two sisters. And about hurt and grief and all that stuff. It’s got a slightly classical bent, probably influenced by something Greek or bloody Shakespeare or some old shit like that, and it has an underwhelming plot, but I still liked it. I guess he’s created a set of characters who I found believable and who held my attention, which makes him a good storyteller, which is probably why I liked it. Look at me, working my shit out while writing this. Am feeling so resolved. Well, about Craig Higginson anyway.

Glass Castle, The best memoir I’ve ever read ever! One of the best books I’ve ever read ever! Sadness in high doses, funny, quirky and shocking. Explores the shocking and confusing relationship between Jeanette Walls, her siblings and their parents. ‘Not all love is good love’.

Short reviews supplied by staff of The Book Lounge, the best indi bookstore in Cape Town.

About the Koeberg Public Safety Information Forum

Section 26(4) of the NNR Act states that “The holder of a nuclear installation license must establish a public safety information forum as prescribed in order to inform the persons living in the municipal area in respect of which an emergency plan has been established on nuclear safety and radiation safety matters.”

What is the Public Safety Information Forum (PSIF)?

The PSIF is a meeting which takes place four times a year. It is used as a platform for residents within the municipal boundary of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, to enquire about and receive nuclear safety related information from the facility.

Which topics are discussed?

The forum will address any topic that the members feel could impact their health, environment, and safety from a nuclear emergency preparedness point of view.

Who should attend?

All persons living within the municipal area around Koeberg, all affected and interested organisations or parties, and any other persons concerned about their health and safety from a nuclear and radiation safety point of view are welcome to attend the forum. Persons wishing to attend are requested to register as a member.

How do I register?

Kindly email your details, i.e. full name, contact number, organisation (if applicable) or indicate whether you are a resident, to JoshuaD@eskom.co.za or contact tel. +27 21 550 4238.

When are the PSIF meetings held?

Dates for the meetings are published in the annual Koeberg Emergency Plan Calendar, which residents around the station would have received in January 2020. The PSIF meeting dates for this year are: • Thursday, 26 March 2020; • Thursday, 25 June 2020; • Thursday, 17 September 2020; and • Thursday, 26 November 2020.

Who to talk to For more information, contact Lewis Phidza, Koeberg Stakeholder Management Manager, at tel. +27 21 550 5758 or send an email to PhidzaNL@eskom.co.za. Alternatively contact Debbie Joshua at tel. +27 21 550 4238 or send an email to JoshuaD@eskom.co.za Should you not have received a Koeberg Emergency Plan Calendar and are a resident in the 16km radius of the station (Urgent Protective Action Zone), please contact the Koeberg Stakeholder Management Department at tel. +27 21 550 4238.

MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2020

7

Covid-19: Why testing takes time and what to expect Fatima Khan Are you wondering why you have to wait a few days for the results of the Covid-19 test?

One reason is that laboratory technicians must take pains to avoid getting it wrong – what are called false negatives, and less often, false positives.

The other reason is that the techniques they use are done in a specialised laboratory, working with very small, precise quantities of what are known as reagents.

The first step is to take a swab from you. It may be a little uncomfortable, but grin and bear it; it’s for your own good.

You could also provide a sputum sample from your lower respiratory tract if you have a cough. A health worker will decide – based on your symptoms, and the guidelines issued by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), which route to take.

Looking for the virus Lab technicians need the swab to check if you have the virus. They do this using a diagnostic test called a real-time reversetranscription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test. To do a PCR diagnostic test, a laboratory technician isolates the genetic material of the virus from the sample you have provided. The PCR technique is welldeveloped and there is plenty of information about it online.

A virus is a small infectious agent that multiplies in living cells. Viruses contain nucleic acids, which are the building blocks of living organisms. DNA and RNA are the primary nucleic acids. Some viruses may contain single-stranded nucleic acids, others may contain double-stranded nucleic acids.

A genome is the complete set of hereditary material in an organism. Some viruses have RNA genomes, while other viruses have DNA genomes. The genomes of some RNA viruses can be translated directly into viral proteins and they serve as a template for genome replication. They are described as positive-sense.

The coronavirus that emerged in late 2019 has a single-strand, positive-sense RNA genome.

PCR is a molecular biology tool that is used to amplify a gene segment from a very small sample of DNA. Many millions of copies are produced, which allows the gene sequence of interest to be studied further.

The first step involves transforming the RNA into DNA using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. A small amount of DNA is amplified into larger quantities which will be more easily detected. In a standard PCR, the lab technician can only find out the result of the test once it is complete. In a real-time PCR, a camera or detector can “watch” as the reaction takes place and give real-time feedback on how the test is going.

The waiting period – the time you have to wait to get your results – may be due to a number of factors all of which contribute to the reliability of your test result. The crucial one is to reduce the risk of getting a false negative (when the PCR test says you don’t have the infection, but in fact you do).

According to the NICD, a false negative could occur when the specimen: • is of poor quality; • was collected late or very early in the illness; or • was not handled and shipped appropriately.

Technical reasons inherent in the test, for

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, (round blue objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, is the virus that causes Covid-19. The virus shown was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Image by the US NIAID (CC BY 2.0)

example virus mutation, may also lead to a false result.

False positives occur less often and may be the result of the slightest of contaminations in the testing process, among other factors.

The World Health Organisation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the NICD provide guidance for laboratory testing on their websites. But the Covid-19 virus is new, so testing protocols are being formulated and refined as new knowledge emerges.

Other tests needed At present, PCR tests can only be done in specialised laboratories. Even putting aside the time it takes to get the sample from the patient to the lab, the fastest available process takes at least four hours to get a result. This time includes the sample preparation and the actual analysis.

The backlog that is building up because of the increased demand for tests could mean the process will, in the short-term, probably become slower rather than faster.

Other, quicker, types of tests are needed.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has in the past few days approved a test developed by molecular diagnostics company Cepheid. It produces a machine called the Gene Xpert, the size of a desktop computer, which can be used in health facilities to do PCR tests for the new coronavirus.

But at this stage it is unclear how well the Cepheid test works, how quickly the company can produce the reagents needed for it, what these will cost and how quickly it can be rolled out across the world.

To permit the use of this test, the FDA, on 29 February, posted new rules allowing emergency use authorisations of coronavirus tests other than the ones made and distributed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The RT-PCR test is recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Another possible way for testing would be that recommended by David Ho, a viral epidemic expert, who suggested antibody testing in his interview with Caltech.

To fight viruses, your body will begin producing antibodies. An antibody is a protective protein produced by your immune system to help it fight this foreign substance. These are usually cheaper and quicker than PCR tests, and can be done at a clinic quickly, with a patient able to get his result before going home.

Reports are emerging of promising antibody tests, but at the time of publication none had been approved. Things are changing quickly, however. For example, on 18 March 2020, researchers posted a preprint on the Medriv website of a serology test which would identify the antibodies within three days of the onset of symptoms.

A serology test is a blood test that looks for

antibodies in your blood.

The researchers were clear that this was not a clinical trial, but the first development towards such a test.

On March 22, the WHO published it’s interim guidance for “Laboratory testing strategy recommendations for COVID-19”.

It stipulated that “serological assays will play an important role in research and surveillance, but are not recommended for case detection at present”.

“The role of rapid disposable tests for antigen detection for COVID-19 needs to be evaluated and is not currently recommended for clinical diagnosis pending more evidence on test performance and operational utility.”

Behind the scenes There is a lot more going on behind the scenes in the testing lab than most people realise. Entire teams are working to ensure your results are reliable.

The process, by its very nature, is painstaking and methodical.

But the good news is that throughout the world, scientists are working together, sharing knowledge that is being accrued by the day. They’re making tests that are quicker, and more reliable.

For informed information on how to proceed for testing, contact the National Institute for Communicable Diseases on its 24-hour toll-free number: 0800 029 999.

– GroundUp

Breaking the echo chamber in the city bowl and beyond

Beware, beware, the ides of March. Yes, we mentioned it in the last edition but had no clue it would be this dire. It was exactly the ides of March when Cyril Ramaphosa declared a State of National Disaster. I’m telling you, the ides always deliver. Shakespeare was onto something.

So now there’s simply no going out for a little while. This has really screwed artists. Musicians and actors in particular. However, they’re a rather creative bunch and are cooking up ideas to keep us entertained through IGTV and Facebook Live and whatever other platform they can get a handle on. They’re also generous and it’s amazing how much free or severely discounted stuff has been made available.

Here’s what we’ve come across so far that’ll help get you through the lockdown but just remember that all that screen viewing and netflixing is thanks to artists and technicians. Without them you’d only have books to read. And books are great, we champion books, but movies and suchlike are great too.

If you are one of the fortunate people who work for a big business or institution and are still getting your salary, pass some money on to the artists. You can donate to the Theatre Benevolent Fund, or support an artist on Patreon, or simply send a favourite local artist a DM and ask for their bank account number. Also, you can go online and buy local music.

Festival Just as local artists were bemoaning their cancelled gigs after Ramaphosa’s March 15 address to the nation and the National Arts Festival announced this year’s edition will be virtual, Toronto playwright Nick Green set up the Social Distancing Festival online.

After having a new show canceled on Friday 13, Tim Green and collaborators created a place where artists could submit their canceled work. Videos work well, of course, but there are also incredible textile works by Austrian artist Janine Heschl, design sketches, dance, music, the lot.

There are scheduled live events to follow – a rough garage version of a global arts programme, essentially. And a site where work is being shared and enjoyed by new audiences. We predict this, or something very like, is going to change the game for artists.

While you’re there (socialdistancingfestival.com) don’t miss the dance piece by Tanzanian Tadhi Alawi. The first part of the vid isn’t that exciting, but stick with it a bit. He moves to a Dar es Salaam market. The dance movement gathers tension and the way the stall holders and shoppers interact, and become a rapt audience, is wonderful, and encouraging.

Film

FREE COPY

MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2020

of seasons.

Doc Martin. Delightful English series in which Martin Clunes plays a curmudgeonly surgeon with a phobia of blood that sees him replacing the deceased GP in a Cornwall seaside village.

His cold, clinical manner does not endear him to the locals, who are all bloody mad in their own way. Lovely English humour, we find ourselves going back to it whenever we want something fun, well acted, and light-hearted.

Which reminds me of Derry Girls. If you haven’t seen it, you must. It’s a hoot. Irish are a special kind of crazy. And after you’ve watched that, read the novel Milkman by Anna Burns. It’s a tad darker, but will make so much sense. Or do it the other way round.

Considering actors out of work, GLOW is possibly the most under-rated show on Netflix.

Stands for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and at a glance it looks cheesy to the awful max.

That is its charm, because that’s what it is about: having to do cheesy shit to make a buck, and it means a different thing to each of the wonderfully cast characters. So no, it’s not actually about girls wrestling. You’ll also discover (or rediscover Alison Brie, who played Trudie Campbell in Mad Men).

Mad Men. Yes. Brilliantly made. Shocking in how it reveals the casual misogyny of the 50s, 60s, 70s… and yes, there was a dip where we got a bit fed up of the Don Draper show, before some of the women came into their own, but we watched all seven seasons. Beyond the brilliant camera work, set, delicate touches and sharp references, the ending was so worth it.

Theatre If you’re isolating with kids, you can still take them to the theatre. Make a song and dance about it and give them tickets to hand in at the door (to the lounge) and present them with shows from Cape Town born theatre company FTH:K. Standing for From The Hip: Khulumakhale, they specialise in making theatre for the deaf, and also work with Assitej, an international organisation for children’s theatre. They’ve put the two shows up on YouTube.

It’s free, of course, but you are encouraged to make a donation to the Theatre Benevolent Trust.

There’s What Goes UP, at https://youtu.be/yZT_d7aQRy0 And Measure Up, at https://youtu.be/rBGHM8lsaSk Awful URLs to copy into your browser but hey.

Watch the social media feeds of local actors. We reckon local theatre people are going to be doing some interesting things from their lounges/kitchens/beds in coming weeks. One of them is the actor better known as comedian Rob van Vuuren. He and his compatriots are relieving their anxiety over canceled gigs, and letting off creative steam on live instagram shows. His insta handle is @robvanvuuren.

Rob’s also trying things out on Patreon, as is local actor Dara Beth. Check out www.patreon. com for them and other local artists to support.

Check out @24hourplays on Insta. They’re doing these Viral Monologues on IGTV in which an actor does, well, a monologue. An original one.

Comics Dudes, this is awesome! 2000AD, the creators of that mean mad square-jawed enforcer of

Local fliek Moffie is out. By all accounts, it takes an unflinching look at the army during apartheid, when all the white boys had to go. The ‘mag’ was roff, and fucked up an entire generation or two of white South African okes. If you’re a white ou near or over 50, be prepared for feeling bosbefok all over again. Of course we can’t go see it at the cinema, but director Oliver Hermanus promises they’re figuring out how you can buy your ticket and watch it on your own screen. Follow @MoffieFilm on Twitter to see when, and how, they do it.

Speaking of generous, there are a lot of organisations freeing up access to their archives. One of these is the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which hosts the world’s largest gathering of documentary film makers. They’ve made over 200 films from their collection available online. The site has a page to help guide you through the selection, and there’s a great section for teenagers as well. It’s www.idfa.nl

justice in Mega-City One, Judge Dredd, have made The Complete Case Files Vol. 5 available for free download. 400 pages of graphic pleasure at https://2000ad.com/news/free-todownload-400-pages-of-epic-judge-dredd/ And the coolest of cool storytellers, Amanda Palmer’s husband Neil Gaiman has free text and audio of his short stories available on his website neilgaiman.com. Click on ‘Cool Stuff & Things’.

Music Go back to The Social Distancing Festival and look under featured artists for the uKhoiKhoi band of crazy hot musos from Jo’burg who’ll have you dancing around your lounge.

Series Of course there’s the option of Netflix (if you have it), for which we (ahem) have a few recommendations: Rake: We have Richard Roxburgh playing a dodgy lawyer named Cleaver Greene, an exdruggie with a gambling problem, but his incisive wit and deprecating tongue can provoke dark chuckles. As is usual with movies pivoting around law, the court scenes are unrealistic, but have to be in order to maintain any sense of pace. If you’ve ever sat through a trial you’ll know how stuffy and tedious and bureaucratic they are. Additionally, this being an Australian series, there is not a person of colour to be seen. Not even an Asiatic character in the first episode. If you can deal with this, Rake’s character-driven action should hold your attention for a couple

You may tire of your album collection over the next three weeks, in which case, discover new music via National Public Radio’s New Music Fridays, which also gives you something to look forward to as days cease to differentiate themselves. Each week they provide tracks from albums just released. They also do these weird whacky Tiny Desk Studio recordings. Check them out on www.npr.org.

These are just some suggestions. There’s a whole universe out there full of cool, hot, cooking, wicked, dank, popping creativity. Just don’t forget our local artists who will be back to give us the good ol’ live stuff in our own backyard when the dust has settled.