FAQs: South Africa Covid-19 Country Report First Edition

The Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation in collaboration with the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC), the National Research Foundation (NRF) and experts in various research institutions across South Africa will be hosting the Launch of the 1st EDITION OF THE SA COVID-19 COUNTRY REPORT on 30 June 2022.

The DPME spearheaded the writing of a Country Report to record the storyline and broad understanding of how the country managed, responded to and combatted the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic between March 2020 and March 2021. The report draws lessons from experiences across sectors, and also provides recommendations for short- and medium-term interventions to guide future generations on decision-making.

Here we answer some of the frequently asked questions around the Covid-19 Country Report:

1. WHAT IS SOUTH AFRICA COVID-19 COUNTRY REPORT?

• The South Africa Covid-19 Country Report records measures and interventions adopted by SA to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus and negative socio-economic impacts.
• The current version of the Country Report is the First Edition and covers various dimensions of the Covid-19 phenomenon over a one-year period, up to March 2021.
• The report shed light on seven priority areas in the MTSF. Chapters covered in the report include leadership, governance and institutional arrangements; legal and regulatory responses; human rights considerations; communication; health; education; impact on vulnerable groups; gender equity; macroeconomic impact and policy; agriculture and the food supply chain; transport; tourism and leisure; other economic sectors; infrastructure; international cooperation and trade as well as civil society’s responses and case studies on local and provincial government.

2. WHY A SOUTH AFRICA COVID-19 COUNTRY REPORT?

• The magnitude and severity of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted government, through the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), to coordinate the writing of the Covid-19 Country Report.
• This task was undertaken with an objective of improving government performance and outcomes.

3. HOW WAS THE REPORT DONE?

• The DPME partnered with the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) in the production of this report. A Technical Task Team comprising of the three institutions was established to guide the report. More than eighty (80) experts were brought on-board to contribute, on pro-bono basis.
• To ensure a balanced perspective from multiple angles, the report reflects both the views of government and the independent assessments by commissioned researchers.
• The methodology for producing the report combined desktop analysis, analysis of primary and secondary data, and interviews with senior officials and social partners involved in coordinating and implementing the Covid-19 response.
• Non-government experts and representatives of citizens and vulnerable groups were also asked to share their views and experiences.

4. WHAT IS THE OVERALL AIM OF THE COUNTRY REPORT

The overall aim of the Country Report is to record interventions adopted by South Africa to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and its negative impacts.

5. WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE COUNTRY REPORT

• To provide an outline of the measures adopted and implemented at national, provincial and local spheres of government to manage and respond to the pandemic and protect poor and vulnerable households, etc.
• Reflect on the implementation of the measures and their effectiveness.
• Document the contributions made by social partners and other structures in support of the strategy adopted by government.
• Capture South African citizens’ experiences and responses to the Covid-19 measures.
• Document lessons learnt in how South Africa managed the Covid-19 pandemic (what worked well, what did not work well, and provide recommendations for improvement).

6. WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN 2020

• Whereas the Covid-19 pandemic presented itself as a health challenge, it had far reaching implications for the economy and society.
• In SA, Covid-19 effects induced further economic decline, as the economy was already fragile prior to 2020.
• Over 2 million jobs were lost during the Q2 of 2020 when the strict lockdown measures were in place.
• Trade and investment were halted. SA exports declined by 61% for the period March 2020 to August 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Imports declined by about 6% in October 2020 vs the same period in 2019.
• The pandemic and lockdown measures amplified existing economic challenges, i.e. unemployment, poverty, and inequality. It exposed existing coverage gaps in basic service delivery and infrastructure and broadened vulnerabilities to certain risks.
• Whereas the Covid-19 pandemic presented itself as a health challenge, it had far reaching implications for the economy and society.
• In SA, Covid-19 effects induced further economic decline, as the economy was already fragile prior to 2020.
• Over 2 million jobs were lost during the Q2 of 2020 when the strict lockdown measures were in place.
• Trade and investment were halted. SA exports declined by 61% for the period March 2020 to August 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Imports declined by about 6% in October 2020 vs the same period in 2019.
• The pandemic and lockdown measures amplified existing economic challenges, i.e. unemployment, poverty, and inequality. It exposed existing coverage gaps in basic service delivery and infrastructure and broadened vulnerabilities to certain risks.

7. WHAT ARE THE KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING HEALTH RESPONSE CHAPTER

The National Health Response plan sought to mobilise the public and private sectors, the business and non-governmental sectors, and the academic and research sectors.

The national response comprised the health sector’s eight-stage implementation framework (preparation, prevention, surveillance, hotspot identification, lockdown regulations, quality medical care, psychosocial impact, and ongoing vigilance). Various streams of work contributed in preparing the health system for the anticipated surge in Covid-19 cases. The National Health Response regulations was implemented from 26 March 2020 to effect the national lockdown comprised 5 Alert Levels, ranging from extensive restrictions on movement and economic activity (alert Level 5) to the easing of nearly all restrictions (alert Level 1).

Key findings:

• The healthcare sector was at the forefront of SA’s response to the pandemic and women comprise the majority of frontline HCW
• The country mobilised multiple health resources through a cohesive response from the public and private sectors, as well as through solidarity support from business, NGOs, and expertise from the academic and research sectors.
• The early lockdown enabled the slowing of the Covid-19 spread and bought time for medical facilities to prepare: the healthcare system’s readiness, resourcefulness and capacitation to cope with the Covid-19 crisis was often interrogated.
• Alcohol restrictions benefited the health sector with observed reductions in emergencies and trauma admissions.

Selected Recommendation in the Country Report:

• The chapter recommends implementing preventative measures and the vaccine roll-out, as the country experiences multiple pandemic surges.
• The chapter concludes by underlining the need to improve surveillance, especially among vulnerable communities, strengthen outbreak prevention and containment measures, integrate behavioral interventions into the health sector to protect public health and well-being, and strengthen data systems to improve informed decision-making.

8. WHAT ARE THE KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING ON LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS & LEGAL AND REGULATORY RESPONSES CHAPTER

These themes focused on how the government structured its response to the Covid-19 crisis and assessed the legal and regulatory response to the pandemic against the values enshrined in the Constitution.

Key findings:

• South Africa has been widely recognized for quality political leadership in managing the pandemic, partly as a result of the evidence-based approach to its interventions and the decisive steps taken at the outset of the pandemic.
• The Disaster Management Act (DMA) was deemed to have provided a strong legal framework and as the most appropriate for managing the Covid-19 threat since ordinary legislation would have limited government’s powers to impose lockdown restrictions. The DMA has been tested for its strengths and gaps.
• The coordinated approach of utilizing existing structures and establishing an institutional architecture for handling the pandemic was deemed effective despite the concerns regarding lack of transparency and accountability, legitimacy, role clarity and functionality of certain structures.
• It was argued that civil society’s efforts were not always solicited, appreciated, or supported by government. In the early days of the pandemic, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) felt left out from the consultative processes, as priority was given to medical experts, scientists, and the private sector.
• A review of government regulations illustrated that while some interventions referred to women and gender, most used gender-neutral language, which tends to amplify women’s marginalization. There were also worrying trends during the pandemic on women’s experiences of GBV, access to housing and primary health.

Selected Recommendations in the Country Report:

• To improve public trust, transparency in decision- making and the legal basis for establishing structures beyond the DMA scope should be considered.
• Amend the DMA to ensure a comprehensive framework for managing pandemics and increase the profile of DM centres in all government spheres by establishing dedicated ‘pandemic’ units and a central unit as the main contact for DM with appropriate protocols to manage national disasters.
• The state of disaster should be limited in duration to ensure that arms of government return to normal as soon as the immediate threat is addressed
• Gender mainstreaming of government interventions needs to be operationalised in a way that shows how key variables in women’s lives intersect in complex ways to shape their experience of exclusion and marginalisation
• There is a need to develop stronger routine engagement with CSOs and reimagine civil society’s role in times of crisis to improve collaborative partnerships.
• The criteria for appointing experts to different advisory structures should be broadened to provide for a spectrum of experts and inclusive perspectives 

9. WHAT ARE THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING EDUCATION SECTOR AND VULNERABLE GROUPS CHAPTER

These themes focused on the education sector’s response to the pandemic and examined measures adopted by the ministries to contain the spread of the virus while managing the academic programme. The extent to which the pandemic affected the ability to meet basic needs was also assessed.

Key findings:

• The chapter contends that amid competing voices, the education ministries had to make unprecedented, complex policy decisions, including the closure of schools and the move to online learning. Some of these decisions exposed existing educational inequity and inequality into sharp focus. The digital divide meant poorer learners had little access to online learning, and the idea of ‘homeschooling’ imposed responsibilities on parents, some of whom lack educational capital.
• Covid-19 exposed and broadened people’s vulnerabilities and increased poverty and other risk factors, such as access to water, healthcare, food and ICT, which impacts are most strongly by women, children, elderly and disabled people, refugees, and migrants. Rushed, temporary, unsustainable and inefficient emergency measures were implemented to bridge some of the gaps.
• South Africa expanded social assistance by topping-up the existing grants and introduced Covid-19 social relief measures across sectors, businesses and households. These measures had a progressive, direct impact on household incomes and alleviated food insecurity among other risks. Some of the measures were however, not adequately coordinated, and appeared inconsistent in responding to the economic fallout.

Selected Recommendation in the Country Report:

• The chapter recommends that decisions to close educational institutions and continue with learning at home must consider the spatial, infrastructural, and socio- economic disadvantages of the majority of students.
• Government interventions should provide long term solutions in preparation not only for successive waves of the pandemic but also for other crises.
• Consider using the well-established South African Revenue Service’s (SARS) infrastructure to administer grants, and identify and rectify problems that undermine the efficiency of government’s emergency policy response.

10. WHAT ARE THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING TOURISM AND LEISURE SECTORS AND AGRICULTURE AND FOOD CHAPTER

These themes reviewed the impact of Covid-19 on the tourism industry in South Africa and around the world. It discussed government’s targeted fiscal relief measures to assist hard-hit tourism operators and areas, as well as government and industry’s non-fiscal support and recovery measures and also addressed impacts of the Covid-19 regulations on food supply chains and on ports, production, trade, and employment in the agricultural sector.

Key findings:

• Strategies to flatten the curve of the pandemic, such as lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, social distancing or travel and mobility restrictions brought about the temporary (and increasingly permanent) closure of many tourism establishments
• The agriculture chapter asserts that government regulations to contain the pandemic had a minimal impact on the food supply chain in terms of production, manufacturing, and retail, except for a few industries that were severely affected by the regulations.
• Restrictions on informal traders negatively affected several suppliers of agricultural products, as informal traders are responsible for about 40% of food trade. The restrictions on these traders also undermined the affordability and the accessibility of food for vulnerable people

Selected Recommendation in the Country Report:

• The chapter argues that government should rather have assessed the damage to individual sectors and provided targeted relief instead of a blanket relief programme.
• Recovery strategies should identify locally tailored solutions to redefine tourism based on local rights, interests and benefits.
• TERS should be extended to workers in the debilitated tourism and hospitality sector.

11. WHAT ARE THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING TRANSPORT SECTOR AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHAPTER

These themes examined the role of the infrastructure sector departments and primary service providers and assessed the impact of various Covid-19-related restrictions on the transport sector

Key findings:

• The pandemic revealed infrastructure investment backlogs, coverage gaps, and inequalities. For example, existing coverage and reliability problems within the water and sanitation sector compelled government to respond with expensive and temporary emergency supplies to water-stressed communities.
• The financial impact on public transport services has been substantial:
  • Rail services initially came to a standstill, and pre-existing management problems, especially around security contracts, contributed to widescale vandalism and theft during the lockdown. Rail operators found it difficult to resume services.
  • Bus operators reported significant disruption and sizeable operating losses. Long-distance bus services incurred standing costs without generating any fare revenue, resulting in some of the services closing down.
  • Minibus taxi operators were severely affected by capacity restrictions and (ongoing) lower demand, as commuters remain very aware of the risks of transmission on public transport.
  • The ban on travel also translated into lower revenue for airlines (which had already been in a financial predicament), cross-border transport services, and sea cruise operations.

Selected Recommendation in the Country Report:

• Government should address systemic issues in the transport sector through, for example, a more equitable public transport subsidy policy, travel demand management initiatives, and better integration between modes of transport to enhance sustainability.
• South Africa requires long-term, sustainable solutions; it must learn from the pandemic and ensure that priorities for post-pandemic recovery are driven by lessons from the social, economic, and fiscal consequences of the health crisis. This requires functioning institutions, fit-for-purpose infrastructure, trustworthy relationships, and systems and processes for long-term recovery and resilience. It also requires addressing growing threats such as social inequality and climate change.

12. WHAT ARE THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CASE STUDIES CHAPTER

This chapter reflects on the role of the provincial and local spheres of government in transforming national strategies into real-time actions to manage the negative effects of the pandemic and reduce its spread.

Key findings:

• Positive experiences include, provinces using existing communication systems to create awareness of the pandemic and impress on people the need to take basic precautions. Existing data was combined with new data to establish lists of indigent households in need of food support.
• Negative experiences include hierarchical problems, where the positions of actors in the provincial organisation did not allow for the free flow of information and experience sharing.

Selected Recommendation in the Country Report:

• Lessons from the pandemic response should form the basis for honest and sincere conversations among the provinces to reset systems, structures, processes and operations of governance in support of better service delivery.

 13. WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE DPME ON THE REPORT

DPME has identified the following recommendations that need attention of the NCCC and Cabinet:

1. Draw lessons from the Covid-19 experience and amend the DMA to ensure a comprehensive framework for managing future pandemics.
2. Establish a central unit to serve as the main contact for disaster management at a national level for adoption by all spheres, departments and entities.
3. Increase the profile and importance of disaster management centres at all levels of government and ways to streamline information access.
4. Strengthen measures to enforce accountability for corrupt activities and more stringent oversight on emergency procurement, including harsh penalties or sanctions for the transgressors.
5. Introduce coordination on communication of legislation amongst leaders and between the different spheres to reduce public confusion.
6. Improve infrastructure to support schools. This includes access to basic amenities in all schools and upgrade ICT infrastructure, integrate ICT use in teacher professional development and in the delivery of lessons and ensuring that policy decisions affecting schools consider the spatial, infrastructural and socio-economic conditions of learners.
7. Broaden the criteria for appointing experts to different advisory structures, (i.e. Ministerial Advisory Committee, Command Councils) to provide for a broad spectrum of experts and diversified and inclusive perspectives.
8. Policies and interventions must promote inclusivity and ought not to be gender neutral. They must be sensitive to intersecting variables in women’s lives that shape experiences of exclusion and marginalization (i.e. race, class).
9. Improve data, research and surveillance infrastructures and systems to strengthen intelligence in decision making, and to support prevention and containment measures. Further research is also required to investigate the drivers of excess deaths as the country experiences multiple surges.
10. Integrate behavioural and health interventions in order to improve the public health response and decision-making.
11. Consider providing targeted relief to individual sectors following careful assessment of likely effects, as opposed to blanket relief programmes, in order to reduce negative effects on the fiscus and livelihoods.
12. Consider using the well-established South African Revenue Service’s (SARS) infrastructure to administer grants, and identify and rectify problems that undermine the efficiency of government’s emergency policy response.
13. Introduce protocols for guiding the role of civil society in times of disaster to improve collaboration and effective partnerships.
14. Introduce a practice for monitoring and evaluating international relations strategies. Calibrate communication messages to respond to domestic and international stakeholders.
15. Continue to document lessons and develop institutional memory to enable effective responses to crises in the future.
16. Some legacy projects need to be sustain under the “new normal”: Examples include best practices in government communications and citizen engagement; social behavioural preventative measures among citizens; social assistance programmes; GBV counter measures; the shelters for the homeless, and GBV victims; innovations in data sciences, disease surveillance and epidemiology; capability for vaccine and pharmaceutical production.