John Steenhuisen

Dear MyPE President Ramaphosa’s announcement last night that the Lockdown will continue at Level 2 is nothing but a capitulation to the real power in the ANC, who desperately want to cling to the “new normal” they have created for South Africa these past five months. The lockdown, along with the State of Disaster that was again extended for 30 days yesterday, only serves to place power and control in a few hands and bypasses government’s legislative arm entirely. Whether they call it level … [Read more...] about Too late, Mr President. You’ve already killed the economy

Dear MyPE Even though it was entirely predictable, the feeding frenzy over Covid19-related tenders among ANC-connected individuals is a filthy stain on our country in this time of crisis. I will be writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly today to request a snap debate on the matter, in which President Ramaphosa himself will have to come and answer for the behaviour of his party’s members and set out exactly how he intends to act against each and every implicated individual. He must … [Read more...] about President Ramaphosa must immediately account in Parliament for the ANC’s Covid feeding frenzy

Dear MyPE On Saturday we reached the hundred-day mark since our country went into lockdown. This is a long time, and I’m sure for many of you it feels even longer. But the truth is we are still in the early days of dealing with this virus. Even with the world’s best scientists working day and night to develop a treatment or vaccine, it could be another 18 to 24 months before this becomes available. We have to learn to live with the virus, as safely as we can. Whether we like it or … [Read more...] about Why has our president assumed spectator status?

Dear MyPE President Ramaphosa's announcement of a further lifting of lockdown restrictions is an admission that the lockdown serves no purpose and has failed. He seems to have finally realised just how devastating this lockdown has been – and will continue to be – for ordinary South Africans, but it’s happened far too late. Everything he announced last night could have – and should have – been announced almost two months ago. It is unclear at which level of the lockdown we now find … [Read more...] about The world’s longest hard lockdown

Dear MyPE I urge President Ramaphosa to provide clarity on lockdown levels 3, 2 and 1 and to give South Africans a better idea of when we can expect to move down to level 2 and then 1. There is a growing sense that the lockdown levels exist to give the illusion of control and of something being done, rather than to actually enhance public safety and wellbeing in a time of heightened risk and uncertainty. There is currently a great deal of uncertainty around what is and is not permitted … [Read more...] about Is the NCCC as much in the dark as the rest of SA?

Dear MyPE It appears that Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma lied to South Africans in her justification for the continued ban on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. If this is indeed the case, then President Ramaphosa surely has no choice but to fire her from his cabinet. On 29 April, in a televised briefing of the regulations for Level 4 of the lockdown, Minister Dlamini Zuma claimed that government’s decision to … [Read more...] about Minister Dlamini Zuma lied to the nation and must be fired

Dear MyPE The DA welcomes the announcement by the President that large swathes of the economy will be opened up, subject to hygiene, mask and distancing protocols, as we move to Alert Level 3 of the lockdown on 1 June. This is in line with what the DA has called for, repeatedly, for the past month. For clarity on the DA’s position on the Covid19 response and the lockdown crisis, please see our FAQ document here. While it is critical that we now save what can be saved in our economy, it … [Read more...] about Lifting of the hard lockdown comes a full six weeks too late

Help us end this lockdown crisis Dear MyPE Today, the DA announced the court action we are taking to end the national hard lockdown that is tearing our society and economy to pieces. This afternoon, our lawyers will file papers in the High Court challenging the rationality of three separate lockdown-related decisions: the night curfew, the restrictions on e-commerce and the limited 3-hour window for exercise. These cannot be justified and should be immediately reversed. Tomorrow, our … [Read more...] about Court Action to End Lockdown

Dear MyPE President Ramaphosa delivered a speech but said very little. Essentially, he doubled down on what has been a tragically flawed approach that has wreaked catastrophic, unnecessary and possibly irreparable damage to our country. South Africa’s economy and society must be opened up now, to save lives and livelihoods from all types of risks, not just Covid. We repeat our call for the national lockdown to end swiftly. It is not a rational strategy, and has not been so for weeks. It … [Read more...] about National hard lockdown must end

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on President Ramaphosa to come out of hiding and address the nation on the escalating Lockdown Crisis. It has now been 19 days since the President last spoke to South Africans about the government’s nationwide lockdown in response to Covid-19. Since his announcement of a move to Level 4 of the lockdown, he has been missing in action and has left it to a handful of ministers to communicate the questionable decisions of the National Command … [Read more...] about Address the nation, President Ramaphosa. It’s been 19 days.