In a televised address to the nation on Thursday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he and his Cabinet will cut their salaries by 30% for three months, with the money to be donated to the national fund to support the poor.
“In support of this effort, we have decided that the President, the Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will each take a one-third cut in their salaries for the next three months. This portion of their salaries will be donated to the Solidarity Fund.”
He also announced a two-week extension of the lockdown, Ramaphosa urged citizens to unite in the war against the pandemic.
“I have to ask you to make even greater sacrifices so that our country may survive this crisis and so that tens of thousands of lives may be saved,” he said.
Ramaphosa also announced several economic measures, including support to those who lose employment due to the lockdown.
The President, who is current president of the African Union, also called on African
leaders to consolidate efforts towards the combat of the virus.
“Over the past two weeks, I have been speaking to other African leaders about a
coordinated Africa continental effort to combat the coronavirus and support our people and our economies. “
The most- industrialised nation in Africa, has acted fast and aggressively to tackle the virus, sending out health workers to do door-to-door screening. The country has succeeded in reducing the country’s average daily increase of new COVID-19 cases from 42% to about 4%.
South Africa has been under lockdown for two weeks and it was due to be lifted in a week. The measures order all but essential workers to stay at home and sales of alcohol and cigarettes are banned.
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