Durban - President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation at 8pm on Saturday during a live broadcast where he is expected to make an announcement on whether the state of disaster will be extended and if the the country will move to alert level 2.
The state of disaster regulations that gave the government enormous powers to fight the Covid-19 virus ends at midnight on Saturday.
A statement from the presidency said the address is aimed at giving South Africans an update on the country’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of Covid-19.
“The President’s address follows a meeting earlier this week of the National Coronavirus Command Council and meetings today of the President’s Coordinating Council and Cabinet. The President’s address will be broadcast live on television and radio and will be streamed live on a range of online platforms,” the statement read.
President Ramaphosa has come under pressure in recent weeks to move the country down a level so that more sectors of the alredy battered economy can be opened.
PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS THE NATION ON SATURDAY 15 AUGUST 2020
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) August 15, 2020
President @CyrilRamaphosa will address the nation at 20h00 this evening on developments in South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/PztxvlkM73
Watching with interest tonight will be the tobacco and liquor industry that have taken the government to court over the ban of their products.
South Africa has endured one of the toughest – and longest – lockdowns in what the government said was to fend off a runaway surge in infections and protect the health system.
In recent weeks, South Africa’s infection rate has begun to dip giving hope that the draconian lockdown will ease.
On Friday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced 286 more Covid-19 related deaths and 6275 new infections.
This took South Africa’s Covid-19 death toll to 11 556, and infections, to over 579 140. South Africa has the fifth most Covid-19 infections in the world, behind only USA, Brazil, India and Russia.
IOL