New figures reveal more than 21,000 South African Public Servants have been infected by COVID-19, amid warnings that key institutions, including public hospitals, prisons and the police, are running short of staff.
Government Departments and Agencies that deal with the public, such as Home Affairs, Labour, and municipal entities, have been gradually opening up, resulting in a spike of new infections among the country’s 1.3 million Public Servants at national and provincial levels.
In a national address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the Health Service would need to recruit 12,000 more nurses, doctors and physiotherapists to deal with the increase in hospital cases.
Mr Ramaphosa said trainees and final year tertiary students would be drafted in to help.
The Democratic Nurses Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) has warned that if the crisis continued to escalate there would be more care-givers in need of care than giving it.
“Patients won’t have healthcare workers to look after them, as more and more nurses themselves get infected at an alarming rate,” the union said.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) said it was distressed by the high number of infections in correctional services facilities.
Spokesman for the PSA, Reuben Maleka said some Correctional Officers had already died.
“All this could have been avoided when we called for testing of all frontline workers, especially those in the public sector, so that people could know their status and limit the spread,” Mr Maleka said.
Police stations across the country have had to close for decontamination as officers became infected with the virus.
Teachers unions have demanded the suspension of schooling until after COVID-19 infections have peaked.
In the 2020 school year to date, South Africa’s estimated 12 million State school learners have spent less than three months in class.
Director General of Public Service and Administration, Yoliswa Makhasi denied union claims that services were at risk.
“COIVID-19 has forced the Public Service to rethink the manner in which work is being performed. Alternatives to the normal way of working have been found and the concept of remote work has been adopted,” Ms Makhasi said.
“This enables employees whose jobs are allowed for and who have the necessary tools, to continue their work remotely and keep the wheels of Government turning,” she said.
Pretoria, 18 July 2020
