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DA develops a Smart Lockdown paper to save SA’s economy

John Steenhuisen
Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has developed a Lockdown Working paper in a bid to save the country’s economy. The party has submitted the paper to President Cyril Ramaphosa for consideration.

DA interim leader John Steenhuisen says the current lockdown regulations are not workable. He says the DA’s Smart Lockdown Working Paper is a sustainable and implementable solution to the fight against the virus.

“South Africa cannot afford a hard lockdown. The economic repercussions of a hard and extended lockdown will be disastrous for the South African economy, and thousands of taxpaying citizens will emerge from it unemployed as a result. Furthermore, South Africa does not have the fiscal space necessary to accommodate the severe assault a hard lockdown will unleash on our economy.

“Leading economists Jameel Ahmad and Dawie Roodt have already predicted that the South African GDP will contract between 4 and 6% in the second quarter of 2020. We must be urgently planning to address this scenario once the lockdown begins to ease,” Steenhuisen explains.

The Smart Lockdown Workingg Paper is a phased strategy that includes amongst others, the massive rollout of testing, tracking, tracing, and treatment coupled with transparent reporting of data.

“Moving between lockdown stages (different specified stages of economic and social activity) in response to what the data is telling us e.g. about new daily infections and hospital capacity… The smart lockdown is comprised of four stages: Red stage 4: hard lockdown;  Orange stage 3: Soft lockdown; Yellow stage 2: soft open; Green stage 1: open. The details of each stage can be found in the extended working document, and can be amended in conjunction with relative stakeholders and government officials.”

The DA has devised the paper that aims to have a sustainable impact of the country’s economy which is already under recession.

In the video below, DA Interim Leader Steenhuisen explains the proposed smart lockdown:

The party has been working with various stakeholders including, policy specialists and financial and healthcare experts to draft this paper. It has since been submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa to review and hopefully, implement.

Below is a graphic of the economic measures implemented for the extension of the lockdown:

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The Smart Lockdown provides different stages of lockdown relative to the national coronavirus infection rate for every sector of the South African economy and society.

The Smart Lockdown comprises of four critical stages.

“Moving between lockdown stages (different specified stages of economic and social activity) in response to what the data is telling us, for example about new daily infections and hospital capacity … the smart lockdown is comprised of four stages: Red Stage 4 hard lockdown; Orange Stage 3 soft lockdown; Yellow Stage 2 soft open; Green Stage 1 open. The details of each stage can be found in the extended working document and can be amended in conjunction with relative stakeholders and government officials,” explains Steenhuisen.

In this video below DA Interim Leader Steenhuisen explains how smart lockdown is a sustainable approach to save lives:

The paper proposes a number of measures to combat the fast spread of the coronavirus.

The DA believes their smart lockdown paper will protect the country’s economy and the lives of South Africans. The party hopes the president will consider their working paper as a matter of urgency.

Lockdown extended by 2 weeks:

Last week President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the extension of South Africa’s 21 days national lockdown by two more weeks.

The President says there’s compelling evidence that the lockdown is working.

“If we end the lockdown too soon or too abruptly, we risk a massive and uncontrollable resurgence of the disease. We risk reversing the gains that we have made over the last few weeks and rendering meaningless the great sacrifices that we have all made.”

In the video below, President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation:

-Additional reporting by Natasha Phiri

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