Keen attention will be focused in the days to come on what President Cyril Ramaphosa promised would be ‘a comprehensive package of urgent economic measures’ to tackle the coronavirus crisis, and the ‘severe economic challenges’ the country will face in the months to come.
In his televised address to the nation last night, in which he announced a 14-day extension of the lockdown, he made several pointed references to steps to help the economy.
In recent days, the IRR and others have been urging sweeping – and long-overdue – reforms to remove impediments and deterrents to investment, cut public spending and stimulate job creation.
While the president gave no indication of what his administration had in mind, his forceful phrasing underscored the seriousness of South Africa’s economic position.
Looking ahead, he said: ‘As we emerge from this crisis, our country will need to undergo a process of fundamental reconstruction.’
The immediate priority was to ‘slow down the spread of the virus and to prevent a massive loss of life’. But he emphasised saving livelihoods, too – a core element of the IRR’s policy proposals on tackling the crisis.
He announced that the ‘Cabinet will be developing a comprehensive package of urgent economic measures to respond both to the immediate crisis and to the severe economic challenges that we must confront in the months ahead’.
He said: ‘We will use the coming days to evaluate how we will embark on risk-adjusted measures that can enable a phased recovery of the economy, allowing the return to operation of certain sectors under strictly controlled conditions.’
Elsewhere, he referred to ‘additional extraordinary measures’ being ‘put in place in the coming weeks and months to absorb the sudden loss of income to both businesses and individuals’.
‘We are in a situation that demands swift action and exceptional methods, a situation that demands innovation and the mobilisation of every resource that we have.
‘We are determined to pursue a path that both saves lives and protects livelihoods.’
Positive cases in South Africa rose to 1 934, with 18 deaths.
Earlier yesterday, it was reported that state hospitals and private hospital groups across the country had decided to either suspend or postpone elective surgeries.
It was also announced that retired nurses could restore their registration with the South African Nursing Council free of charge.
In other virus-related news
- Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world neared 1.5 million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Almost 90 000 people have died from the virus. In Spain, the death toll has risen to 15 238 but the rate of infections appears to be slowing; and
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved out of intensive care.