Steenhuisen Blasts Ramaphosa for Fearmongering and Extending State of Disaster
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa tonight extended the National State of Disaster to 15 December 2020, and announced a Resurgence Plan with interventions to curb the further spread of Covid-19 infections, expressing concern at the lax behaviour of some South Africans as the pandemic continues to grip the country and world. His announcement unleashed an […]
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa tonight extended the National State of Disaster to 15 December 2020, and announced a Resurgence Plan with interventions to curb the further spread of Covid-19 infections, expressing concern at the lax behaviour of some South Africans as the pandemic continues to grip the country and world.
His announcement unleashed an outraged response from DA Leader John Steenhuisen, who said in a statement Wednesday evening, after Ramaphosa’s live address to the nation: “It is incomprehensible that the state of disaster has been extended by yet another month. Government cannot keep managing South Africa around a single risk when our nation is so imperilled by far greater risks, such as poverty, hunger and unemployment.”
Steenhuisen said: “We reject with contempt the veiled threat of a return to higher levels of lockdown. This country is in serious trouble. What people need most right now is maximum freedom and confidence to rebuild the economy and their lives. They need stability and certainty that there will be no return to lockdown, ever.” Steenhuisen added that the state of disaster has itself been a disaster, “fuelling not just a feeding frenzy of corruption, but also illegal land invasions and lawlessness”.
Ramaphosa said tonight that although infections have stabilised (less than 2,000 new cases per day for the past couple of months), people are still daily contracting the virus and remain vulnerable, with the Eastern Cape being the worst hit. (Just today, Mongameli Bobani – the controversial former mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay – died after being admitted to hospital with COVID three weeks ago.)
Ramaphosa pointed out that “we are seeing how quickly and how dramatically infections can rise in a number of countries” and how quickly hospitals can fill.
Globally, the world recorded its highest number of weekly new cases since the start of the pandemic and the highest number of weekly deaths.
Over 51 million people have been infected globally, while 1.2 million patients succumbed to the deadly virus.
“Many countries are in the midst of the second wave of infections, which has often been more severe than the first. What we are seeing brings home a difficult truth that COVID-19 is far from over,” he warned.
The latest figures reveal that South Africa’s Coronavirus death toll had reached 20 011, while the confirmed cases are now sitting at 742 394.
To prevent a resurgence of infections in the country, President Ramaphosa said government has identified areas of attention.
Eastern Cape
On top of the agenda is the situation in the Eastern Cape, which is showing signs of resurgence after recording 50% more cases than the previous week. Meanwhile, the total number of new cases in the last 14 days peaked by 145% than the previous 14 days.
According to the President, massive spikes have been reported in the Nelson Mandela Metro and the Sarah Baartman District in particular, while the province has noted an upward increase in hospital admissions.
The spates of COVID-19 outbreaks are sparked in universities, schools and people attending large gatherings. This is coupled with poor adherence to social distancing, mask-wearing and other poor hygiene measures.
“With many people moving between the Eastern Cape and other provinces – particularly the Western Cape – it is a matter of time before this surge spreads to other parts of the country.”
He has urged the public to adopt measures to contain the rise in infections.
Resurgence plan
He told the nation that government would soon implement the resurgence plan that has been developed together with the World Health Organisation’s surge team deployed to South Africa.
Interventions include intensifying contact tracing, daily community mobilisation, ensuring the readiness of health facilities, and dealing with cluster outbreaks.
“We will be working closely with the provincial government, municipalities and other institutions in the Eastern Cape in the coming days and weeks to ensure that this surge is contained and managed.”
He believes that the Eastern Cape should be a wake-up call to all and that citizens cannot relax and be complacent.
“We are therefore also closely monitoring developments in areas that are experiencing higher than average rates of new infections.”
Other areas where there are higher than average rates of new infections include Lejweleputswa and Mangaung in the Free State, Frances Baard and Pixley ka Seme in the Northern Cape, and the Garden Route and Cape Town metro in the Western Cape.
Festive season
“From the progress, we have made, from the lessons we have learnt, we now know that under the current alert level 1, we have all the tools we need to prevent a resurgence.”
President Ramaphosa believes that there should be no need to return to a higher alert level for as long as people observe all the necessary health protocols and remaining restrictions – as individuals, businesses and institutions.
“We should be proud of our response as a nation, which has been widely recognised and commended by many across the world,” said Ramaphosa.
The President said another concern is the upcoming festive season that will see many people travel to other parts of the country and host social gatherings; and urged all South Africans to play their part, wear a mask, and behave responsibly to avoid a second wave.
“Wearing a mask every time we leave home is far, far better than a second wave. It is also far better than a return to lockdown and better than having to shut down the economy,” said the President.
Steenhuisen called again for the SA government to “end the lockdown, end the state of disaster, open the borders, end the curfew and allow South Africa to get back to normal economic activity”.
The DA leader says the SA government “needs to understand that investors like certainty and there’ll be no recovery while the state of disaster remains in place”.
He pointed out that the Covid fatality rate in developing countries is only a fifth of that in developed countries “because of our younger populations. It makes no sense to mindlessly copy far richer, older nations’ responses. Unless of course you want an excuse to run a dictatorship.”
Despite praise from abroad for SA’s handling of the covid crisis, Steenhuisen said millions of jobs have been lost, along with thousands of businesses, and billions of rands in tax revenue. He warned: “More devastation is yet to come. People are desperate. Children are starving. The government has nothing to be proud of in their Covid response and everything to be ashamed of.”
In response to Ramaphosa’s accusation that some South Africans have acted “recklessly and irresponsibly, as if Covid-19 no longer exists”, Steenhuisen says these people know it exists but they know it exists alongside other risks they face, some of which are greater for them. “Far from being reckless and irresponsible, the attempts by millions of South Africans to return to normal economic activity is sane and sensible,” claims the DA leader.
“What is reckless and irresponsible is the government’s veiled threat to impose more lockdown. And the fearmongering and economy-bashing they have indulged in this year as cover to centralise more and more power in the state.
“Stop managing South Africa around a single risk, Mr President. Stop the fear-mongering, stop the economy-bashing, and end the state of disaster,” said Steenhuisen.