www.news24.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6810:fc51  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET /fin24/search

<form method="get" class="header__search" role="search" action="/fin24/search">
  <input type="text" name="query" class="tf-search-box" placeholder="Search" id="search" aria-label="Search" oninvalid="this.setCustomValidity('Please fill out this field.')" oninput="this.setCustomValidity('')" required="">
  <input type="submit" value="" id="searchBtn" aria-label="search button" role="button" data-event-name="search_query">
</form>

Text Content

 * News24
 * Careers24
 * Property24
 * Autotrader
 * Superbalist
 * OLX

 * Subscribe
 * Sign in



 * 
 * 

Sunday, 05 December

Add location
 * Home
 * For Subscribers
 * Companies
 * Economy
   * Budget
 * Markets
   * Indicators
   * Sens
 * Opinion
 * Money
 * Tech
 * Business Insider
 * Finweek



21 Oct




ACTUARIES MUST STICK TO WHAT THEY KNOW, INDUSTRY LEADER SAYS ABOUT COVID-19
INVOLVEMENT

Compiled by Ahmed Areff
Share
 * 
 * 
 * 

0:00
Subscribers can listen to this article
The current confirmed Covid-19 death toll in SA, without even factoring possibly
hundreds of thousands of excess deaths, is currently over 88 000.
Emily Elconin/Getty Images

 * Actuaries that have commented or make incorrect predictions about Covid-19
   need to have humility when they’ve made mistakes, according to Tjaart
   Esterhuyse, the president-elect of the Actuarial Society of South Africa. 
 * One of SA’s most vocal, anti-mask, anti-lockdown and vaccine
   hesitancy-driving groups is Panda, which is founded and run by Nick Hudson,
   an actuary.
 * The group, and Hudson, have been accused of peddling misinformation during a
   global pandemic, an allegation both have denied.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Actuaries that have commented or make incorrect predictions about Covid-19 in
public need to have humility and admit when they’ve made mistakes, the incoming
president of the country’s actuarial society said on Thursday.

Tjaart Esterhuyse, the president-elect of the Actuarial Society of South Africa
(ASSA), pointed out that actuaries have a "moral imperative" to always apply
proper actuarial principles and methods and to stick to their fields of
expertise before making public statements.



"I’m not an epidemiologist, or a modelling expert, so I will not venture to
comment on things that I know very little about. But when fellow actuaries and
other professionals with such experience that I know and trust provide
well-reasoned and substantiated commentary, I will listen to what they say,"
said Esterhuyse.

One of SA’s most vocal, anti-mask, anti-lockdown and vaccine hesitancy-driving
groups is Pandemics Data and Analytics, or Panda, which is founded and run by
Nick Hudson, an actuary. The group, and Hudson, have been accused of peddling
misinformation during a global pandemic, an allegation both have denied.



Panda describes itself as "a group of multidisciplinary professionals, who
perceived the global reaction to Covid[-19] … as overwrought and damaging to the
point of causing a great tear in the fabric of society".

In June last year, at the height of the first wave, an open letter signed by
Hudson described estimates of South African Covid-19 deaths in the 40 000-range
as "outlandish". He subsequently told the Daily Maverick that  40 000 deaths
"would put us in line with the very worst experiences in the world. That makes
no sense".

The current confirmed Covid-19 death toll in SA, without even factoring possibly
hundreds of thousands of excess deaths, is currently over 88 000.

Esterhuyse said on Thursday that he acknowledged he had initially underestimated
the magnitude of the pandemic and wanted to lead by example by showing humility,
and correcting himself. 

"When figures of 250 000 deaths for the first wave were mentioned, I thought
that would be impossible, and I was more inclined to believe the figures of
around 8 000 to 10 000 deaths being bandied about. Both were wrong, though
reality turned out to be very bad still," Esterhuyse said.

He said that acting with respect should form part of an actuary’s make-up. 



"Being able to listen with an open mind to other opinions may lead you to adjust
your own thinking. Dismissive and disrespectful behaviour does not foster any
hope for being able to discuss matters like mature adults," he said.



"Two minds are better than one. And diversity of thought is powerful when you
allow that to be expressed and listened to.

"By being curious we may well be able to see that there may be some validity in
someone else’s truth, and that the answer actually may be a mixture of the two."


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. For only R75 per
month, you have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative
journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens
democracy. Invest in the future today.
Subscribe to News24

Next on Fin24
Rand manipulation: As banks want SA case 'euthanised' some face fines in Europe
and the US

04 Dec




Read more on:
nick hudsonpandemiccovid-19

Most read For Subscribers
 * Eskom to implement Stage 2 load shedding from Saturday night to Monday
   morning
 * Eskom to suspend load shedding
 * The great escape: How Steinhoff saved itself from total collapse
 * MONEY LIVE | Big tech sinks stocks as traders rush into havens
 * Elon Musk's wealth drops by R245 billion in tech stock plunge

 * Stalemate in Gauteng coalition talks delays mayoral committees appointments
 * Inside SA’s kidnap crisis
 * Covid-19: Ramaphosa convenes urgent command council meeting over Omicron
 * Why NPA boss quit
 * Gupta-man tries to take over Optimum mine



Currencies Commodities Jse Indexes
Rand - Dollar
16.14
-1.3%
Rand - Pound
21.36
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
18.26
-0.0%
Rand - Aus dollar
11.30
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.14
-0.0%
Gold
1,783.48
0.0%
Silver
22.55
0.0%
Palladium
1,816.00
0.0%
Platinum
936.31
0.0%
Brent Crude
69.88
+0.3%
Top 40
64,307
-0.4%
All Share
70,808
-0.3%
Resource 10
66,503
-1.6%
Industrial 25
93,791
+0.1%
Financial 15
13,982
+0.7%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes

Company Snapshot


Newsletters

Business Briefing - weekly




A deep dive into the big business story of the week, as well as expert analysis
of markets and trends, curated by Fin24 editor Helena Wasserman.

See all newsletters

Covid-19 Money Hub
prevnext
slide 7 to 9 of 4
MONEY CLINIC | I tried to access money from my pension fund but it was
denied....

02 Dec


MONEY CLINIC | My employer says I opted for early retirement, but I didn't.
What...

29 Nov


Covid-19 Money Hub - answering your business and money questions during the
crisis

22 Jul 2020


MONEY CLINIC | I'm planning to move house - how can I cut costs?

04 Dec


MONEY CLINIC | I tried to access money from my pension fund but it was
denied....

02 Dec


MONEY CLINIC | My employer says I opted for early retirement, but I didn't.
What...

29 Nov


Covid-19 Money Hub - answering your business and money questions during the
crisis

22 Jul 2020


MONEY CLINIC | I'm planning to move house - how can I cut costs?

04 Dec


MONEY CLINIC | I tried to access money from my pension fund but it was
denied....

02 Dec


MONEY CLINIC | My employer says I opted for early retirement, but I didn't.
What...

29 Nov


Covid-19 Money Hub - answering your business and money questions during the
crisis

22 Jul 2020


MONEY CLINIC | I'm planning to move house - how can I cut costs?

04 Dec


MONEY CLINIC | I tried to access money from my pension fund but it was
denied....

02 Dec


MONEY CLINIC | My employer says I opted for early retirement, but I didn't.
What...

29 Nov


Covid-19 Money Hub - answering your business and money questions during the
crisis

22 Jul 2020


MONEY CLINIC | I'm planning to move house - how can I cut costs?

04 Dec



Read more


 * Editorial Complaints
 * Tip-Offs
 * Press Code
 * Advertise on News
 * Jobs at 24.com
 * About us
 * FAQs

© 2021 (1.1.21329.3) 24.com. All rights reserved.
Terms and Conditions Media24 Privacy Policy

Contact Us
Follow:
 * 
 * 
 * 




PRIVACY PREFERENCE CENTER

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your
browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you,
your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you
expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can
give you a more personalised web experience. Click on the different category
headings to find out more.
View our Cookie Policy
Allow All


COOKIE TYPES

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block
or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Cookies Details‎

PERFORMANCE COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.

Cookies Details‎

FUNCTIONAL COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages.

Cookies Details‎

TARGETING COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device.

Cookies Details‎


BACK BUTTON BACK



Vendor Search Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label


 * 33ACROSS
   
   HOST DESCRIPTION
   
   VIEW COOKIES
   
   
    * Name
      cookie name

OK


We use cookies to improve your site experience, perform analytics and show you
relevant advertising. By clicking “OK”, you agree to the storing of cookies on
your device. View our Privacy Portal, Cookie Policy & Cookie FAQs

OK