As the debate rages over vaccine hesitancy and a controversial video about the safety of the vaccine by Dr Susan Vosloo, South Africa’s first female heart surgeon, death statistics show that 80% of South Africans may have had Covid.
Meanwhile, a report from the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority shows that no one in South Africa has died from getting a Covid-19 vaccine.
Amid the confusion, government is stepping up efforts to get as many people vaccinated before an expected fourth wave in December, one of which is to bring forward the date for 18 to 35s to get their jab.
In the markets, the rand breached the R15-mark against the US dollar and oil slumped to below $65 a barrel to its lowest level since May after the US Federal Reserve signalled it was to start tapering asset purchases within months, hurting commodities and supporting the dollar.
To cushion the US economy from the blow inflicted by the pandemic the Fed has been buying $120bn of assets every month, buoying commodities and stocks. The minutes showed that most participants now judged it could be appropriate to start reducing them, reports Bloomberg.
Here’s a roundup of the world’s top and most interesting headlines:
SA Business
UPL fire: here’s the full inventory of chemicals in the destroyed Cornubia warehouse – Daily Maverick
Burger King sale possibly back on the cards after revised conditions – News24
New govt plan wants South Africans to pay 12% of their earnings into state-managed fund – Fin24
Global Business
Tencent earmarks US$7.7 billion for ‘common prosperity’ to answer Xi Jinping’s call for equality – SCMP
BHP is selling its dirty oil and gas assets, but hold the applause – The Conversation
Black market for fake Covid passes flourishes in France – AFP
Markets
Stocks slide, dollar climbs as taper and virus fears combine – Reuters
Wall Street investors are worrying like it’s April 2020 – Business Insider
World’s no. 1 wealth fund makes $110bn as stocks soar – Bloomberg
Opinion
What lies behind social unrest in South Africa, and what might be done about it – The Conversation
Afghanistan: Taliban takeover ‘could extend war on terror by a decade’ – Daily Maverick
Why a COVID-19 vaccine mandate is not the best policy option for South Africa – The Conversation
