15 March 2020

The South African Communist Party welcomes the statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday, 15 March 2020, regarding the global public health emergency of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The President’s statement entails appropriate measures adopted by the Executive Authority of our State to contain the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa, supported by the decisive stance to declare the state of national disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act  

The SACP is calling upon all South Africans and people within the territory of South Africa to co-operate to ensure that the measures announced by the President become successful in the interest of all.

The SACP is further calling upon the private health care sector, especially but not exclusively hospitals, to not place greed or demand for payment for profit and self-enrichment ahead of human life, but to make available facilities and selflessly take part in the national effort to contain the spread of Covid-19 and provide testing and treatment purely on humanitarian grounds.

The global public health emergency of the Covid-19 pandemic and measures required to contain it and provide treatment underline the absolute necessity for successful introduction of the National Health Insurance, the NHI, to ensure access to the constitutional right of quality health care for all.

The situation also calls for the strengthening of development planning and targets to move faster with systemic elimination of uneven development.

In the obtaining circumstances, government should particularly prioritise deploying adequate resources especially to working class and poor communities, including informal settlements, and at public facilities serving the working class, such as taxi ranks, bus ranks and train stations. 

The measures announced by the President to contain the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa include but are not limited to the following.

• Strict personal hygiene, frequently washing hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds, avoiding close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Quarantine and self-quarantine conditions and procedures, well as mandatory testing for Covid-19 and greater health surveillance at ports of entry.
• Closure of a number of ports of entry, limiting the operational ones to a manageable size. 
• Travel restrictions from and to high risk countries, and cancellation of all non-essential travel, including domestic travel.
• Cancellation of the visas issued to visitors from those countries.
• Prohibition of gatherings with more than 100 people.
• Increased hygiene control measures at shopping malls and retail stores.
• Closure of schools on Wednesday, 18 March 2020, until after the Easter weekend, and cancellation of all mass national celebration and commemoration events such as the Human Rights Day.
• Suspension of visits to all correctional facilities for 30 days with immediate effect.

The SACP will lead by good example, fully comply and take part in an appropriate manner in combating the spread of Covid-19.

The measures announced by the President should lay the basis for the adoption of and compliance with irreversible public health protocols.

The SACP notes that the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande will announce additional measures in due course, in relation to the sector. The Party will closely follow the announcement by Dr Nzimande, and the further details to be provided on Monday, 16 March 2020, by other Cabinet Ministers.

The SACP appeals to members of the public to do likewise and closely follow information and advices provided by official health authorities. The Party supports the call by the President against fake news.  

Furthermore, the SACP calls upon industry to preserve employment.

South Africa is an integral part of a global response to Covid-19 and has to do its best to ensure success.