President Cyril Ramaphosa has struck a compact with leaders of the political parties represented in Parliament over the global pandemic Coronavirus.
Ramaphosa, accompanied by his deputy David Mabuza, met with 14 leaders of all political parties represented in the national legislature this week.
Ramaphosa’s social partners – specifically government, business and labour – needed to jointly develop and implement measures to mitigate the economic effects of COVID-19.
“Companies in distress need to be assisted and jobs and livelihoods need to be preserved. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all South Africans in the face of extremely disruptive measures,” he said.
At the time of his speech, 116 cases of Coronavirus had been registered since its global outbreak. Gauteng, the country’s economic centre, has emerged as the epicenter of the virus with 61 positive cases.
DA leader John Steenhuisen warned against panic buying and also called on the private sector to lend a helping hand in dealing with the crisis COVID-19.
Gauteng premier David Makhura committed his province to implement the measures announced by Ramaphosa – who declared the virus a national disaster- on Sunday.
He also warned against stigma with regards to the virus.
EFF leader called on Ramaphosa to ensure that corrupt elements don’t take advantage of the crisis and also warned private health care providers to avail beds should it be necessary.
