President says the decision was “reached through great difficulty”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the Covid-19 global pandemic could have a devastating impact on poor communities, which are already ravaged by HIV-Aids.
Addressing religious leaders in Pretoria this morning over the outbreak of the global pandemic, with 116 cases confirmed as of last night, Ramaphosa appreciated the role played by faith organisations in curbing the spread of Corona.
Ramaphosa thanked the leaders for their cooperation so far in containing the spread of Coronavirus.
“The announcements by the Methodist Church cancelling Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, by the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) that the Friday prayer has been cancelled, and by the Zion Christian Church that the annual Moria pilgrimage has been cancelled were no doubt reached through great difficulty,” he said in his opening remarks.
Millions of South Africans clog the N1 as they descend on Moria, the headquarters of Zion Christian Church outside Polokwane, in Limpopo. The next few weeks, ahead of the winter season, are critical in the country’s effort to contain the flu-like virus that has brought great panic and fear to billions of people around the world.
Ramaphosa said millions of South Africans are at risk of contracting coronavirus not just in places of worship, but in buses and taxis, in the workplace, and in homes.
He said the risk of the spread of the virus was greater in poor communities, many of whom don’t have access to safe and clean drinking water and live in close proximity.
Ramaphosa called on the religious leaders to help in removing stigma regarding those coming from quarantine and help them to be reintegrated back into communities.
“Our experience with the HIV/Aids epidemic shows that the faith community can play a critical role in breaking the stigma surrounding illness by educating our people,” he said.
