Cape Town - Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has reiterated his call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove the country’s state of disaster status.
In delivering his State of the Province Address in Velddrif on Tuesday, Winde said despite the high numbers of Covid-19 cases at the peak of the fourth wave, the province’s hospitalisations, oxygen usage and deaths remained relatively low.
“This new stage provides us with a window of opportunity to make the bold changes that are now needed, so that we push back against going back to normal and so that we push forward, to do even better.”
According to Winde, the most important lesson from the pandemic experience is that the capabilities of breaking down silos and working quicker and more in sync do exist.
“This is what we need to do again, so that we push back against going back to normal and so that we push forward, to do even better.
“It’s time to end the National State of Disaster,” the premier said.
During last week’s State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa alluded to discussions being held to end the state of disaster, but Winde said he is disappointed that the president did not go all the way and announce the expiration thereof: “Of course, it is completely understandable that alternative measures need to be put in place using existing public health legislation. But we must ask, why has it taken so long for this to happen, when we knew already last year that this was required.
“I have asked for a meeting with the President so that we can get the full roadmap for exiting the National State of Disaster, including exact timelines. To be clear: we want the date and the time, and not generalised commitments,” he said.
tarryn-leigh.solomons@inl.co.za
Political Bureau