President Cyril Ramaphosa has in his previous State of the Nation Address, said one of the overriding priorities – were to defeat the coronavirus pandemic. With over 96 000 deaths to date, South Africa has exited the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections.
Days before the next SONA, many Capetonians are hopeful that the country’ social and economic situation has indeed improved.
Two years of devastation some would rather forget. South Africans like their global counterparts were plunged into grief and despair. Loved ones were lost, people fell ill and millions faced extreme economic hardship.
A situation acknowledged by the president, although with hope, in his last State of the Nation Address.
“Like the wildfire that sweeps across the mountainous ranges, where the fynbos grows, a deadly pandemic has swept across the world, leaving devastation in its path and yet, like the hardy fynbos of our native land, we too have proven to be resilient in many ways.”
Capetonians hope country’s social economic situation has improved:
The first phase of the vaccination programme was rolled out in February last year.
Experts say over the past year, three COVID-19 waves have demonstrated the unpredictability of the disease.
Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and Health Foundation at University of Cape Town, Professor Linda-Gail Bekker says, “South Africa will remember this time last year, we were scrambling to get health workers vaccinated. We are grateful for the Sisonke programme, which enabled 500 000 healthcare workers to be vaccinate, ahead of the third wave, but importantly, the national programme got under way, and although we haven’t quite reached the targets we hoped for, I think still an exemplary effort.”
Coming to terms with grief and loss has been a hard journey for the many South Africans who lost loved-ones.
Cape Town residents are hopeful that the worst of the crippling pandemic is over.
“It was very hard not to socialise with friends, just being alone last year and the year before, but it does build character at the end of the day,” says one resident.
“Government must increase this money of grant of R350, like from R500 or upwards,” says another.
“I was starting a business at that time and I had to put all of that on hold, but South Africans come together when they need to.”
Government implemented a range of measures like TERS funding, tax relief for struggling businesses and the social relief grant, to support citizens and businesses in distress. There are currently just over 46 000 active COVID-19 cases in the country.
SONA | Expectations for State of Nation Address:
