21-day lockdown is absolutely the right thing to do, says DA

The Democratic Alliance applauded the 21-day lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night to combat the spread of Covid-19, calling it the right thing to do in a situation similar to wartime.

Commenting after Ramaphosa’s speech, DA leader John Steenhuisen said the measures announced were of critical importance in efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19, which has wreaked havoc in many countries around the world after first emerging in China in December.

 

“Locking down our country and deploying the SANDF (South African National Defence Force) is something no South African would ever want to see in peacetime, but given the severity of our challenge it is absolutely the right thing to do,” he said in a statement. The threat of this virus is akin to a wartime situation, and this requires of each of us to make sacrifices in our daily lives, and to some of the liberties of our democratic society.”

Three weeks of drastic measures now could save many lives and buy the country critical time for healthcare professionals to deal with the unfolding crisis, he said, warning: “If we don’t make this sacrifice now, we will pay a far greater price in the long run.

| WATCH

The DA welcomes President #CyrilRamaphosa‘s announcement this evening of a nationwide lockdown.

These measures are of critical importance in our efforts to combat the spread of #CoronavirusInSA through communities, and contain possible future infections. pic.twitter.com/MZxat35jGr

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 23, 2020

He reiterated the DA’s support for government efforts against the pandemic and urged Ramaphosa to consider the opposition party’s proposals for an economic recovery package to deal with the devastating effect of Covid-19 on households, businesses and jobs. We have to put in place, right away, the measures to rebuild our economy and shield employers and employees from the worst damage,” Steenhuisen added.

In other news – The role of SANDF during lockdown

The army will be deployed to support the South African Police Service to enforce the nationwide lockdown. President Cyril Ramaphhosa announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown from midnight on Thursday. Military analyst Helmoed Heitman said the role of SANDF members could vary, depending on the assistance needed by the police. They have been talking about closing down parts of the road network, to prevent people from moving much. For instance, the army could man vehicle checkpoints. Read more

Source: iOL