President Cyril Ramaphosa says compared to other countries South Africa’s infections are still under control and manageable.
Ramaphosa has urged South Africans not to panic and be alarmed by the rising number of coronavirus infections in the country.
He was speaking during the virtual Presidential Imbizo on the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday night. The President interacted with communities across the country through over 80 community radio stations and some SABC platforms.
South Africa has over 150 000 COVID-19 infections with the number of deaths fast approaching the 3 000 mark.
With the country on a national lockdown since March, most companies lost revenue forcing some of them to retrench workers.
This has also brought to the fore the underlying challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
Ramaphosa says the COVID-19 pandemic is like a dark cloud hanging over the country. But as efforts continue to contain the spread of the virus, the President says it presents a silver lining in the form of opportunities for the country.
Ramaphosa says as the country gets into the eye of the storm, victory is certain. He is urging South Africans to do the most basic to beat the virus.
With more and more businesses now opening up, which also saw the unbanning of alcohol, the President expressed regret over the excessive abuse of alcohol, which is blamed for an increase in the number of accidents and cases of gender-based violence. He also said at some point the ban on cigarette sales will be lifted.
In the video below, Ramaphosa interacts with communities:
