Covid-19: Working Together, We Will Prevail

18 March 2020

The People’s Dialogue would like to reiterate its support for the actions taken by the national government to stop the spread of Covid-19 infections in South Africa. It is our civic duty to work together with the great people of our country to overcome this threat.

In support of the President’s request, we have taken the decision to suspend direct contact activities of The People’s Dialogue, and direct our resources to fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus to the general population.

I am pleased to announce that I have secured a regular supply of hand sanitizer, which volunteers of The People’s Dialogue will begin distributing at taxi ranks and train stations in Gauteng from tomorrow.

We will start our operations at the Marabastad Taxi Rank, Bloed Street Mall Taxi Rank, and Dairy Mall Taxi Rank. We will expand these operations to reach more and more people going forward.

We have committed to this initiative to help stop the spread of the virus to our most vulnerable communities, particularly those who rely on overcrowded public transport facilities where social distancing is not possible. It is often residents of these same communities that cannot afford products such as hand sanitizer, and who do not have access to adequate sanitation.

The situation we face in South Africa in the coming weeks will be one of the greatest threats we have faced in our young democracy. What makes me believe in our ability to prevail is the undying spirit of the South African people that has touched me so deeply through The People’s Dialogue.

As a nation, we have the opportunity to put aside the things that make us different, and work together to overcome this threat. We have the opportunity to show that in spite of the challenges we face, as a people we are strong, we are resilient, and we are good.

The People’s Dialogue will be launching a crowd-funding initiative to assist us to stop the spread of the virus. We will be appealing to South Africans, of all backgrounds, to contribute to the procurement of additional hand sanitizer that we can distribute to vulnerable communities.

I am also inviting other organisations, the private sector and other political parties to assist with this initiative. The more communities we can reach, the greater chance we have of stopping the spread of Covid-19.

From my extensive experience in engaging the people of South Africa over the last three months, I am convinced that we will overcome this latest threat to our country and its people by working together.

As an organisation, we will join the many others who are taking action to protect our most vulnerable, and we will work with the good people of our country to prevail.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, Founder, The People’s Dialogue, 18 March 2020