Covid-19 has laid bare the inequalities of South African society
“Ms S’lindile Luthuli alleged during the debate that the government failed to respond to the communities of Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal, Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape, and Matatiele in the Eastern Cape. It has prioritised economic gains before people’s
The government’s integrated response to the coronavirus pandemic came under scrutiny at the National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP’s) plenary debate that was held recently. This was a motion raised by the Chief Whip of the NCOP, Mr Seiso Mohai,
The debate occurred in the same month as celebrations commemorating the Freedom Charter and the 1976 Soweto Youth Uprisings. In keeping with the significance of these events, Mr Mohai noted that Covid-19 has laid bare the inequalities of South African society and has highlighted the importance of the state’s role in supporting the most vulnerable.
The African National Congress, as the governing party, believes that it is now more urgent than ever to realise the principles of the Freedom Charter “that there is no government which can claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people. And all shall share in the wealth if the country”.
This vision has been articulated in the National Development Plan (NDP) and Vision 2030, which
proclaim that
This is the case, “because as much as Covid-19 is a health challenge, it has a far-reaching social and economic impact.”
Covid-19 “happened within a context in which our country was faced by multiple economic and social challenges, which include the densely populated informal settlements of our country, with no decent water, sanitation and public health infrastructure”. These conditions make the majority of South Africans vulnerable to the pandemic, he claimed, “but the government’s integrated approach has taken cognisance of these realities”. Participating in the debate, the Minister of the Department of
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said: “We have been flexible with our regulations and they have been amended where we deemed fit.” However, the state is grappling with the problem of non-payment of services. “Currently, municipalities are unable to collect the revenue due to the outbreak of the pandemic.”
She mentioned the City of Johannesburg as a case in point: “It used to collect 80% of its revenue, but now it struggles to reach such levels. The government’s R20 billion relief fund for local government will assist, but it will probably not be enough.” Litigation is another major challenge and the government is dealing with 90 challenges to the lockdown regulations.
Also participating in the debate, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Ibrahim Patel spoke of the government’s economic interventions and the scale of their measures to slow down the economic impact of the pandemic. “Economic relief sought to bring about greater protection to our citizens, and laid down the foundation for measures to address the economic reconstruction of our country.” He pointed out that the government has collaborated
“no democratic process can flourish if the masses of the people remain in poverty, without land and without tangible prospects of a better life”.
with the private sector to secure stocks of medications. “We developed a health stocks database and worked with local industries to repurpose their production machines for the purpose of making hand sanitisers, face and surgical masks.”
In addition, the government ensured that there is basic food supplies and stock of basic food to avoid food shortages. This was necessary because the pandemic created unprecedented demand and supply challenges.
The permanent delegate to the NCOP, Mr Dennis Ryder, said 90 days after the outbreak of the pandemic, the nation is united. However, unilateral decisions were made.
“The President was overridden by a minister and alarming regulations were decreed. As a result, the credibility of the government was lost.”
Mr Ryder alleged that the renewed lockdown regulations affected company taxes and other related taxes. “Now the demand for products is way, way down. Currently, seven million more people are unemployed and this will drastically affect the economy,” he said.
According to Ms Maurencia Gillion, another permanent delegate to the NCOP, saving lives and livelihood is critical to ensure that there is a balance between the capacitation of the health and the needs of the economy. She commended the government for its interventions to mitigate the pandemic’s effect on the people.
Ms S’lindile Luthuli alleged during the debate that the government failed to respond to the communities of Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal, Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape, and Matatiele in the Eastern Cape. It has prioritised economic gains before people’s lives, she claimed.
“This follows the opening of restaurants and movie theatres, and just now the government will allow people to go to music concerts and to church in big numbers, and it will also open up contact sport.”
Mr Stephanus du Toit said the government failed to provide healthcare for people suffering from TB and HIV, and it has done so again to those infected with coronavirus.
“Since the lockdown, radical economic transformation is regarded as a new norm, not an ideology. The governing party realised it was losing political ground due to fraud and corruption amounting to billions of rands, and used the pandemic to gain political mileage that further decided South Africans along racial lines,”
he said.