Cape Town - Ahead of the highly anticipated United Rugby Championships (URC) finals this weekend, the City and Province continue to plead with President Cyril Ramaphosa to lift all existing Covid-19 restrictions.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis called on Ramaphosa to lift the remaining event capacity restrictions ahead of the URC finals between the Stormers and Bulls at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
“I have previously written to President Ramaphosa without success, and I’ve written to him again asking for these limits to be lifted urgently this week.
“I invite the president to attend the game between the Stormers and Bulls himself, with a 55000 capacity crowd,” Hill-Lewis said.
The City is already preparing for greater numbers by arranging additional MyCiTi bus routes from Cape Town Civic Centre to the Stadium and by opening the Fan Walk from the Cape Town CBD to the stadium.
Despite previous failed attempts, Premier Alan Winde called for an urgent President’s Co-ordinating Council (PCC) meeting ahead of the big game.
Winde previously wrote to the presidency with the same request on May 27 and June 7, to table the province’s latest data in support of the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, only 50% of tickets are allowed to be sold, Winde said.
“Sports tourism is a critical part of our economy and facilitates job creation, but the Covid-19 restrictions are blocking conventions, religious gatherings, theatres, tourist arrivals and economic decisions.
“Our competition around the world is more agile than us and I really would have expected by now that these decisions be made quickly. We have horrendous unemployment levels in our country and by lifting these restrictions we will immediately enable thousands of jobs.”
The province recorded 4 558 active Covid-19 infections as at 1pm on Tuesday.
Provincial Health and Wellness Department spokesperson, Mark van der Heever said: “Through this resurgence, our health-care system has remained at the lowest trigger system – despite having the resources available to scale-up our response where needed.
“The reason for this is that vaccines are working, and residents have a much higher rate of immunity.”