Ramaphosa to address the nation on Sunday over coronavirus
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation on Sunday following a series of meetings with stakeholders about the Covid-19 coronavirus.
The president will meet with business leaders to discuss the impact of the national state of disaster and engage on possible measures to mitigate the impact on the economy at large.
Sunday’s engagement with business forms part of a series of meetings the president has held with various stakeholder constituencies – including communities of faith and the nation’s political leadership – in the week since his declaration on 15 March 2020 of the national state of disaster.
The president declared a national state of disaster over the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The country has escalated measures to curb the spread of the virus, including banning travel to and from various countries and limiting gatherings to no more than 100 people, as the number of infections rises.
The restrictions are expected to dampen the country’s already dire economic outlook, with the Reserve Bank saying the country is likely to contract 0.2% this year, after slipping into a recession at the end of 2019, Bloomberg reported.
Among the proposals the business sector may be tabling is tax and loan relief for small- and medium-szied enterprises, as well as an amendment to the Unemployment Insurance Fund Act to allow workers who put in shorter hours to claim the shortfall from the fund, the Business Times reported.
Following the meeting with business at the Union Buildings, the president will receive a delegation of leaders of political parties who were part of the president’s engagement on Tuesday, 17 March 2020, with the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament.
“The leaders who will see the president today did not have an opportunity at the meeting at Parliament to deliver statements of support and will therefore do so today with media present,” said the Presidency on Sunday.
Later in the day the president will chair a meeting of the National Command Council which will receive an update on the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak; progress and challenges related to implementation of the recently promulgated regulations on the state of disaster and other measures to protect the country, as well as the economic impact.
On the outlook for the period ahead, the Council will consider whether the measures that are currently in place to contain the spread of the virus are sufficient and what further measures are required.
“Following the Council’s deliberations, resident Ramaphosa will address the nation in a message that will be broadcast on radio and television, and livestreamed online,” said the Presidency.
Read: Army will enforce coronavirus restrictions in South Africa if things get worse: health minister
Loading ...