While the country anticipates another “family meeting” which could lead to tighter restrictions, the ANC has wished President Cyril Ramaphosa a speedy recovery following his positive Covid-19 diagnosis.
In a statement, the governing party’s spokesperson Pule Mabe said the president’s courage and resolve to beat the pandemic should inspire all of us to stand together against the pandemic.
He further asked the citizens to show compassion to those who are infected with the virus and emphasised that adhering to Covid-19 protocol should be embraced by all.
“We also wish many other South Africans who are battling with Covid-19 well. We must continue to defend each other and protect one another.
“We urge all South Africans to heed the call by our government to be vaccinated. It is only through mass vaccination that we will be able to achieve herd immunity and ultimately protect livelihoods,” Mabe said.
The president is receiving treatment for mild Covid-19 symptoms following a positive test result on Sunday.
Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele confirmed this hours after Ramaphosa had delivered his eulogy at the last apartheid president FW de Klerk’s state memorial in Cape Town on Sunday.
It is believed that the president started feeling unwell shortly after the memorial service.
Gungubele noted that while Ramaphosa appeared to be in good spirits, he was being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the SANDF.
He will remain in Cape Town for the duration of his quarantine.
Deputy President David Mabuza will take over Ramaphosa’s responsibilities for the next week.
Ramaphosa was expected to hold a meeting with the National Coronavirus Command Council this week to discuss the way forward following the outbreak of the fourth wave, but despite attempts to confirm this, Independent Media was unable to retrieve comment at the time of publishing.