President Cyril Ramaphosa said that now that the final COVID-19 limitations have been withdrawn, it is up to each of us to prevent a revival of the illness.
President Ramaphosa stated in his weekly communication to the country that everyone must act responsibly, acknowledge the risks, and take steps to reduce them.
The remaining COVID-19 restrictions, such as those on gatherings, overseas travel, and the wearing of masks in public, were repealed last week by Minister of Health Dr. Joe Phaahla.
A decrease in daily instances, hospital admissions, and reported deaths led to the decision to eliminate the limitations.
“The nation has no COVID limitations in place for the first time in more than two years. We will defeat the dangerous virus in our midst, I declared in my inaugural speech to the country on television on March 15, 2020. I promised that we would take prompt, coordinated action.
The President remarked on Monday that “in the many trying months that followed, my faith in the tenacity and strength of the people of South Africa, and their ability to come together in times of crisis, was often reaffirmed.”
The President claimed that there had been a tectonic shift in the public psyche despite the fact that the lifting of the previous COVID-19 restrictions was not met with much excitement.
He claimed that the nation was recovering from a significant national trauma that had brought about immense harm, devastation, and despair.
The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly not over, and everyone must exercise extreme caution and watch, he continued, “but there is a distinct sense that we have prevailed.”
The health care system was praised by the president for surviving the pandemic when many believed it would fail. By providing care, saving lives, and immunizing millions of people, the system did a great deal for the country.
“To the bravery and commitment of the medical professionals and the many other people fighting the pandemic on the front lines, we owe an eternal obligation.
“We have survived the storm thanks to the bravery of every South African. We will be able to move forward with the challenging process of repair and recovery thanks to the same tenacity and perseverance, he added.
Statutory Capture
The State Capture Commission’s ability to carry out its work has been credited by the President to the activism of South Africans from all walks of life who made submissions, provided testimony, served as whistleblowers, and discovered and reported on wrongdoing.
The State Capture Commission’s work came to an end the same week that the limits were relaxed, and its final report was presented to the President in the Union Buildings.
“All who were instrumental in casting a light on the corrupt activities eating away at the heart of the state are to be congratulated for their heroism and patriotism. Just as our health care and other frontline employees are lauded for their bravery.
“Each of us must contribute in order for South Africa to achieve true freedom, equality, peace, and shared wealth.
“Now that we are aware of what happened and who was involved, our job can really get started. The President stated, “We must make sure there is reparation, justice, and accountability in order to ensure that such a horrible era never occurs again.
The damage caused by the state capture era, according to him, went beyond the looting of public funds, the attempted overthrow of public institutions, and the massive corruption that defrauded the South African people of what was rightfully theirs.
State capture, the president continued, was also a violation of the Constitution’s values and the tenets upon which our democracy was built.
“The people’s trust in the authorities and organizations that are supposed to serve them was eroded by the immoral, unethical, and criminal behavior of self-serving persons in positions of authority. It will take some time to bridge the trust gap that has been caused by this.
The people of South Africa, however, have banded together to fight bribery and corruption, as has been the case with the pandemic, he said.
The President referred to the epidemic and state capture as serious crises in the country’s national life, despite the fact that they are unrelated.
“Yet opportunity resides in crises.” We ought to come out stronger and more prepared to start over after these experiences.
By creating a society free of corruption and a government built in ethics, professionalism, and capacity that genuinely serves the South African people, he stated, “we now have the potential to make a definitive break with the excesses of the past.”
According to the President, the nation also has the chance to rebuild a society that is more welcoming, more humanitarian, built on the principle of equal opportunity for all people, and that defends the most vulnerable.
“Despite the fact that we did not celebrate in the streets last week, these few days were historic for our country. It should serve as a reminder of our progress and the necessity to keep acting and cooperating in order to realize the better future we all desire, according to President Ramaphosa.