Ramaphosa takes pay cut, calls on MPs, public officials and execs to do the same

President
Cyril Ramaphosa has called on public office bearers and executives of large
companies to take pay cuts and contribute to the Solidarity Fund which will go
towards mobilising resources to combat the coronavirus pandemic. 

Ramaphosa
made this plea when he addressed the nation on Thursday night to announce a
further two-week extension of the national lockdown. 

He
announced he, together with his Cabinet, deputy ministers and premiers would
take a one-third cut in their salaries for the next three months which would be
donated to the fund.

It had so
far raised around R2.2 billion, with half of that already allocated to buy gloves,
face shields, surgical masks, test kits and ventilators, Ramaphosa said.

“It
will also allocate funds for humanitarian relief to vulnerable households, in
addition to the R400 million set aside by the government for social relief of distress
grants. We are calling on other public office bearers and executives of large
companies to make a similar gesture to further increase the reach of this
national effort.”

Several
governments have already made salary adjustments to aid their economies during
the lockdown. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as African
presidents – including Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and
Malawi’s Peter Mutharika with their Cabinets – have each taken salary
cuts. 

Ramaphosa
said there had been some progress in combating the scourge during the lockdown,
adding it had decreased from around 42 to 4%.

“We
are only at the beginning of a monumental struggle that demands our every
resource and our every effort. We cannot relax. We cannot be complacent.

“In
the coming weeks and months, we must massively increase the extent of our
response and expand the reach of our interventions,” he said before
announcing the lockdown would be extended for another two weeks.

Some of
the measures, which will be extended during this time, include special
facilities for those who cannot self-isolate and a Covid-19 information centre
at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. 

“This
world class centre will keep track of all screening, testing, isolation and
hospitalisation throughout the country. It is already identifying infection hot
spots. It is following the spread and the severity of the disease and enabling
us to move our focus and resources where they are most needed,” Ramaphosa
added.

The
president identified one of the government’s biggest challenges as the shortage
of medical supplies. South Africa has not only relied on its own supply,
but the government has also sourced supplies from other countries.

Mobilisation
of South African business, labour, academics and government agencies will get
underway in the next few weeks to build the stocks of medical and other
equipment needed to fight the coronavirus.

“We
have, for example, established the National Ventilator Project to rapidly
mobilise the technical and industrial resources of our country to manufacture
non-invasive ventilators which can be used to support patients afflicted with
the disease. 

“Other
projects are focusing on increasing the local manufacture of protective face
masks, hand sanitisers and pharmaceutical products which can be used by healthcare
workers and the public at large,” said Ramaphosa.