Corona Watch

South AfricaSouth African banks are unlikely to join forces to offer industry-wide relief to a sector hit by the coronavirus and will assess each case individually, Investec Bank Ltd's CEO has said.The South Africa Real Estate Investment Trust Association, which represents real estate investment firms, has approached banks for a relief package, Richard Wainwright told Reuters.It is unlikely that they would offer blanket relief, Wainwright said, adding that South Africa's aviation, hospitality, real estate and retail sectors have been most severely hit by the coronavirus crisis.South AfricaAngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng mine in South Africa has been temporarily closed after 164 workers tested positive for the coronavirus, the gold miner said in a statement on Sunday.The mine, the deepest in the world, only re-opened in April after being shut under a nationwide lockdown, and had been operating at around 50% capacity. AngloGold Ashanti said it had conducted 650 tests at Mponeng since detecting the first case of the virus there last week. It added that the vast majority of the cases were asymptomatic and all those who tested positive would be isolated in line with national health protocols, with on-site facilities available for those who need them. – Nampa/ReutersNigeriaNigeria is wooing local companies to boost manufacturing and food production in the West African country, the central bank said, after the novel coronavirus disrupted imports and created large financing needs.Central bank governor Godwin Emefiele recently said the bank was willing to provide hard currency for imports of machinery and raw materials that cannot be sourced at home.He added that Nigeria would prioritise strategic imports or service obligations for US dollars to galvanise local manufacturing. – Nampa/ReutersDRCGovernment officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have denied any manipulation of its figures for coronavirus cases and deaths.Late on Friday, the government reported that a doctor and a hospital administrator had been arrested and later released over accusations of falsely declared coronavirus cases.President Felix Tshisekedi asked the health minister to investigate rumours of fake patient deaths linked to the virus.Parliament voted on Friday to extend the state of emergency order by 15 days for the third time. – Nampa/AFP

Corona Watch

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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Corona Watch

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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