President Cyril Ramaphosa defends COVID-19 regulations
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the lockdown, although one of the hardest in the world, helped flatten the curve significantly. Ramaphosa defended the lockdown at a hybrid sitting of Parliament.
MPs grilled Ramaphosa on some of the regulations and bans and questioned whether they have been effective.
Nearly 1,700 people have died of COVID-19 and over 80,000 people have been infected. Ramaphosa said a delay or early easing of the lockdown would have been catastrophic.
The economy dominated the discussion, with MPs raising questions on how the economy will cope with the effects of the pandemic.
Ramaphosa spoke specifically on the importance of the informal sector, saying it accounts for 18 percent of the country’s economy. The president said a fund will be set up to assist SMMEs. Ramaphosa reiterated the balance that must be drawn between saving the economy and saving lives.
He said the balance is a very delicate one and saving the economy must not come at the expense of human lives.
This is the President’s first appearance in the National Assembly for oral questions since the declaration of COVID-19 as a national state disaster. #RamaphosaQandA pic.twitter.com/vqWA8bIrrU
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 18, 2020
Ramaphosa also stated that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni would soon table an emergency budget to address the economic cost of the pandemic.
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Source: eNCA
