Calls grow for President Ramaphosa to end national state of disaster

Some medical experts have added their voices to calls to end the national state of disaster, which was declared in March 2020, by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

They say most of the measures in place are simply unfit to deal with where South Africa is right now in the fight against the coronavirus.

Wits University’s Virology Professor, Shabir Madhi says, “We are in a very different phase of the pandemic and the dynamics of the pandemic have changed. The dynamics of our ability to protect ourselves against severe disease and death has changed completely.”

“Despite the modest rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in South Africa, more than three quarters of the population before the omicron wave already developed natural infection [and] induced immunity which is protecting extremely well against severe disease and death. It will likely continue protecting us even when there is another resurgence, which will probably take place in a few months,” says Madhi.

The video below is the full interview with Professor Shabir Madhi:

On January 14, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini -Zuma extended the National State of Disaster by another month until the 15th of February.

The extension was granted in terms of the Disaster Management Act.

The Act empowers the Minister to extend the State of Disaster on a month-to-month basis once the first three months have expired.