South Africans raise their concerns directly with President Ramaphosa

 



A visibly exhausted Cyril Ramaphosa appeared before the nation for a virtual “Presidential Imbizo” about coronavirus on Wednesday evening.

The interaction was broadcast live on television, social media and more than 80 community radio stations. On YouTube alone, close to 3,000 people tuned in. 

Karabo Mokhubela from GCIS Radio facilitated the chat.

An announcement from the Presidency earlier in the day described it as “a public-participation platform” where citizens would be able to “engage on community-generated solutions” to challenges in society.

The president began the imbizo by highlighting the dire reality of the pandemic:

“Many of us now know someone. It can be a friend, a colleague, a relative… we know who has now been affected in one way or another.” 

Ramaphosa was clearly tired, so tired that a few small yawns managed to catch him unawares and escape mid-sentence. There were also technical glitches to deal with, but the president did his best to respond to all questions – even though he sometimes gave answers which were rather thin on detail.

“When will the cigarette ban be lifted?” asked Rulani. “Why don’t we bring back the death penalty?” queried John Abrams from Cape Town, and a frightened woman from Johannesburg shared that she was a recent victim of gender-based violence and was getting no help from the police.

Within the hour set aside for the imbizo, eight people managed to pose their burning questions to the president. 

Addressing the hot topic of the tobacco ban (upheld in court last week), Ramaphosa said it was something the nation should “accept” in the interim.

“With time, as we go to another level and another level, the ban will be lifted,” he said, clearly disappointing those hankering for a smoke.

One user took to the presidential Facebook page to vent her anger:

“Lockdown has lasted nearly 100 days now. How long are you going to keep us locked up with these ridiculous rules. Stop treating us like children.”

In his opening remarks, Ramaphosa reiterated a phrase he used during a presidential address on 18 June, that gender-based violence was “the second pandemic” in our country.

Later, when faced with a query from a caller who said she was being stalked by a mentally challenged man and told by police that they could not arrest him because of his mental state, Ramaphosa replied:

“Sexual offences must be followed up despite the mental health of the perpetrator.” He added that police officers cannot be autonomous in these matters but need the assistance of social workers and psychologists. 

The president also fielded medical questions, like one from Siphosihle from the Eastern Cape who asked if the symptoms of the coronavirus were changing from the common dry cough, fever and fatigue, to which Ramaphosa replied:

“I’m not a medical doctor, I should say that up front,” adding that he relies strongly on the minister of health and his team of medical advisers.

Ramaphosa repeated the sobering statistics that on Wednesday South Africa had more than 150,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which a third were recorded just in the last week.