Crucial advice ignored

Alex van den Heever

The Wits University health economist slammed the government’s approach to the pandemic. “The processes in dealing with the pandemic were dismal,” he said.

“Crucial advice from the ministerial advisory committee was ignored. The country lost billions of rands in taxes through prohibition of tobacco and alcohol products.

“We were told the bans were to save bed space, save lives and stop the spread of Covid-19, which was total rubbish.

“There were a myriad other more practical ways of approaching the alcohol issue to save beds. Prohibitions just fuel black markets.”

He said in the first 21 days of lockdown SA lost R13bn a day.

Decisions made by the National Coronavirus Command Council were disastrous.

“The textile industry, which could have been used to produce life-saving PPEs and generate taxes and income, was shut down. Clearly, from the level of corruption around PPEs, this happened because of agendas.”

He also slammed the decision to stop NGOs from distributing food to desperate people. —