STATEMENT BY BRETT HERRON, GOOD MEMBER OF WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT AND SECRETARY-GENERAL
16 SEPTEMBER 2020
COVID19: SOUTH AFRICA MOVES TO ALERT LEVEL ONE AS THE HARD YARDS PAY OFF
FURTHER EASING OF RESTRICTIONS WELCOME
SOCIAL SUPPORT WILL STILL BE NEEDED: BASIC INCOME GRANT
We welcome the President’s announcement that our country will move to Alert Level 1 from Monday 21 September 2020.
As a nation we were called upon to endure the most challenging restrictions of economic, social and personal activities in the interest of saving lives.
The restrictions required each of us to make great sacrifices for the greater good – to enable the health system to provide services to those who would need them.
South Africa has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for solidarity and we appear to be coming out of the storm cautiously.
We join a relatively short list of countries that have opened international borders for business and leisure travel and this is a very welcome development.
Tourism is an important economic sector and our government’s caution should give potential tourists some confidence that travelling to South Africa is as safe as can be expected.
The economic restrictions have resulted in businesses closing and jobs having been lost.
South Africa has lived with poverty and inequality for an unacceptably long period of time.
As we build the new economy we have to build an economy and a social welfare system that is inclusive. We cannot have millions of South Africans relegated to unemployment and with no access to any social benefit.
We call on the government to extend the temporary Covid-19 social grant and to convert this into a basic income grant.