By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says that the Lekgotla has agreed that, in the context of the continuing COVID pandemic, they need to consider the extension of basic income relief to unemployed people who do not receive any other form of state assistance.
Rampahosa said consideration for the grant comes after emergency financial measures introduced around the Covid-19 pandemic came to an end.
Despite the country’s limited resources, the country needs to look at identifying other poverty alleviation measures, he said.
“This year the ANC government, and broader society, will need to continue discussions on the desirability and the viability of a basic income grant to provide a social safety net to poor people in our country,” he said.
This is according to the ANC national executive committee (NEC) lekgotla which ended its weekend-long meeting on Sunday.
“We have also agreed that while we work with urgency to undertake these immediate tasks, our planning and preparedness for future crises must be improved. This must include investment in our own vaccine development and production capacity,” Ramaphosa.
In his opening remarks on Friday, Ramaphosa urged the NEC lekgotla to discuss how the country, and Africa at large, could better prepare for future pandemics.
He said it had been clear that SA was not prepared to deal with the pandemic that’s wreaking havoc in the country.
“While South Africa has extensive experience in the development, trial and manufacture of vaccines, both for animal and human use, we were not prepared to tackle this challenge when it confronted us,”Ramaphosa said.
“As the world confronts the possibility of future pandemics, we need to be drawing on that experience that we already have and investing in South Africa’s own vaccine development and production industry — and we need to do so as part of a broader African initiative.”
Ramaphosa also said the NEC lekgotla had undertaken to build a “broad acceptance” of the vaccine programme and “vigorously tackle misinformation and misunderstanding”.
“To do this, we must ourselves be disciplined in our own public pronouncements, ensuring that we speak accurately and clearly,” Ramaphosa said.
Some have sought to blame the 5G network for the spread Covid-19 while others have seemingly questioned the role of billionaire Bill Gates.
Several ANC members are guilty of spreading falsehoods and conspiracies around the vaccine.
The lekgotla has also recognised that a coherent, integrated and efficient approach to immigration and border management is important for economic development and social stability.
Closing Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa – #ANCNEC Lekgotla https://t.co/n5VyL4dzVX— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) January 24, 2021
Ramaphosa also thanked former ANC Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma and former Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe for their participation in this Lekgotla, and for their ongoing contributions to the work of our movement.