Ramaphosa expected to announce relaxed lockdown restrictions

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation on Thursday to expand on the phased lifting of restrictions, as citizen’s gear up for the last leg of the nationwide lockdown.

South Africa has been under lockdown since March 26, in an effort to contain the rapid spread of Covid-19, the lockdown is expected to be lifted on April 30.

To date South Africa has recorded 65 Covid-19 related deaths, with 3 635 infections.

On Tuesday, Ramaphosa announced a social relief and economic support package of R500 billion amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

“The impact of the Coronavirus requires an extraordinary Coronavirus budget of around R500 billion to direct resources towards fighting the pandemic. This will include the reprioritisation of around R130 billion within the current budget,” said Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa also announced that he had approached the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund among others, to work with National Treasury on various funding transactions.

Key take homes from the President’s address on relief measures:

– Additional R20 billion made available to municipalities for provision of emergency water supply, transport etc

-Social Development will distribute 250 000 food parcels across the country over the next two weeks
– Child support grant beneficiaries will receive an extra R300 in May and from June to October they will receive an additional R500 each month.
-All other grant beneficiaries will receive an extra R250 per month for the next six months.
– A special Covid-19 social relief of distress grant of R350 a month to individuals who are currently unemployed and do not receive any form of social grant or UIF payment.
– An additional R100 billion will be set aside for protection of jobs and to create jobs.
– R40 billion has been set aside for income support payments for workers whose employers are not able to pay their wages.
– An additional R2billion will be made available to assist SMMes , spaza shop owners and other small businesses.

“Our country and the world we live in will never be the same. We are resolved not merely to return our economy to where it was before the Coronavirus, but to forge a new economy in a new global reality,” said Ramaphosa.