EFF statement on measures announced to combat Covid-19 by President Cyril Ramaphosa

13 June 2020

The Economic Freedom Fighters has noted the most recent measures announced by Cyril Ramaphosa to maintain alert-level three of the national lockdown which was put in place to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. Ramaphosa has given an incoherent address, in which he blames citizens for infections and deaths that could have been avoided if he did not succumb to the pressure of reopening the economy despite a rise in COVID-19 cases.

As a leader, Ramaphosa failed to take responsibility for his own poor decision making, which does not take into serious account the rate at which infections and deaths are increasing in South Africa, and he continues to not listen to superior and scientific reasoning, risking innocent lives with his indecisiveness.

As of 12 July 2020, South Africa has a total of 276 242 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and 4 079 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths. We have witnessed daily increases of above ten-thousand over the past few days, and it is clear that we are heading into a dangerous situation that will be characterised by loss of lives. Despite this, Ramaphosa continues to ignore pleas to prioritise life over profits and keeps casino's, restaurants, hotels and domestic air-travel operational in the face of the death of the people of this country.

We warned Ramaphosa principally that any easing of the lockdown regulations must be based on science and epidemiological evidence of a drop in the rate of infection and anything other than this would be to gamble with people's lives. We told Ramaphosa countless times about the danger of alcohol and how it is at the centre of social-discord in South Africa, and how to resume the sale of alcohol will place a burden on health-infrastructure and weaken our efforts to fight the spread and impact of the Corona Virus. He failed to listen, and today hospitals are struggling to manage the surge of infections because of having to deal with alcohol-related trauma incidents.

It is a shame that a man who is leading South Africa does not have foresight, and for him to make responsible and rational decisions there must first be an exhibition of a loss of life and surge in infections. All logic pointed out that to sell alcohol would have a negative effect on our fragile health-sector, yet this was entirely ignored in the interests of profit.

Ramaphosa continues to ignore basic logic and insists on maintaining an open economy and social activities despite the looming death toll and overwhelmed hospitals. The decision to sanction 100% loading capacity for all local taxi travel is ill-advised and will lead to a surge of infections. The decision to persist in keeping schools open is an unethical and cruel social-experiment that makes children guinea pigs who will carry this deadly virus into their homes and put their loved ones at risk.

Ramaphosa's pathetic attempts of blaming South Africans for a situation he has control over as the leader of this country must be rejected. We find ourselves in this crisis because he refuses to be a leader and has decided to abdicate his responsibilities, leaving it up to individuals to fight a deadly pandemic. As the EFF, we hold him personally responsible for each death and more so the inevitable increase of infections that will come because he refuses to take charge and protect the lives of people.

We reiterate our call for a return to level-5 of the national lockdown as the most sensible way forward, in order to protect lives and curb the spread of the Coronavirus. There must be an immediate closure of all schools, and the leadership of this country must abandon its arrogant and homicidal decision to gamble with the lives of the children of South Africa.

Failure to return to level-5 will lead to mass deaths, and we will ensure that Ramaphosa accounts for each death as a result of his poor leadership as an agent of white monopoly capital, who wants to see deaths before making long-overdue and necessary decisions.

Issued by Vuyani Pambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 13 July 2020