Steenhuisen said it was important to establish absolute certainty around this new phased approach, and that the details must be clear and unambiguous.
“We cannot have the issue muddied by conflicting statements from various ministers,” he said.
Steenhuisen said that it was crucial that the phased lifting of the lockdown restrictions be accompanied by an increase in testing, tracing and tracking.
“The DA supports the efforts of President Ramaphosa to combat the spread of the virus and to bring economic relief to those affected. And we will most certainly support him in instituting the much-needed economic reforms that will ensure that SA emerges from this crisis with the best fighting chance,” he said.
The IFP said it was pleased that the government, in consultation with an array of stakeholders, has taken a phased approach to ease the lockdown regulations.
The party said it welcomed Ramaphosa’s “consultative spirit” in the way he called on various industries to make submissions and possible proposals moving forward.
“We are confident that the national coronavirus command council will make the correct determination to balance the need for economic activity to resume to save the economy [with the need to] ... safeguard and protect the lives of South Africans,” the IFP said.
The party cautioned the public to be aware that the easing of the lockdown regulations through various phases will not be set in descending order because the virus is a moving target.
mailovichc@businesslive.co.za
Political parties welcome phased easing of lockdown restrictions
Political parties have welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Thursday evening that the harsh lockdown, implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19, will be partially relaxed next Friday.
As the hard nationwide lockdown enters its fifth week, Ramaphosa announced that the restrictions would be lifted in phases. There are five levels, with level 5 being a hard lockdown and level 1 the most relaxed.
The latest Covid-19 coronavirus coverage
Ramaphosa said the lockdown would be moved from level 5 to level 4 on May 1.
The ANC welcomed the announcement of the phased easing of the regulations, saying it will ensure that everyone takes extreme precautions to limit community transmission and outbreaks, while allowing some economic activity to resume.
“The announcement by President Ramaphosa demonstrates the commitment and seriousness that the ANC government places in protecting the lives of our ordinary people,” the ANC said.
DA leader John Steenhuisen welcomed the announcement by Ramaphosa, but said the party will wait for further details of how the model will affect the various sectors of the economy.
Steenhuisen said the phased, risk-adjusted model, which the DA referred to as a smart lockdown, whereby restrictions are lifted as and when the data suggests it is safe, “is critical to protecting precious jobs and ensuring that the livelihood of millions of South Africans is saved”.
He said the DA had called for this approach and that it was “encouraging that we are able to co-operate in this way, and to know that we are on the same page as we face this daunting challenge”.
SA moves to level 4 lockdown from May 1, this is what life will look like
Steenhuisen said it was important to establish absolute certainty around this new phased approach, and that the details must be clear and unambiguous.
“We cannot have the issue muddied by conflicting statements from various ministers,” he said.
Steenhuisen said that it was crucial that the phased lifting of the lockdown restrictions be accompanied by an increase in testing, tracing and tracking.
“The DA supports the efforts of President Ramaphosa to combat the spread of the virus and to bring economic relief to those affected. And we will most certainly support him in instituting the much-needed economic reforms that will ensure that SA emerges from this crisis with the best fighting chance,” he said.
The IFP said it was pleased that the government, in consultation with an array of stakeholders, has taken a phased approach to ease the lockdown regulations.
The party said it welcomed Ramaphosa’s “consultative spirit” in the way he called on various industries to make submissions and possible proposals moving forward.
“We are confident that the national coronavirus command council will make the correct determination to balance the need for economic activity to resume to save the economy [with the need to] ... safeguard and protect the lives of South Africans,” the IFP said.
The party cautioned the public to be aware that the easing of the lockdown regulations through various phases will not be set in descending order because the virus is a moving target.
mailovichc@businesslive.co.za
In the public interest, most of our coronavirus news isn’t behind our paywall, and is free to read. To support our mission of delivering award-winning, independent local news, subscribe from as little as R45 per month by clicking here
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos