FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
23 March 2020
Dear Fellow South African,
There comes a time in the affairs of a country when, in the face of the most formidable of challenges, its very existence as a nation is put to the test.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread at a relentless pace across the globe. As nations of the world we find ourselves in the same fight: to contain the virus, to protect the lives of our people, and to fortify our economies against the inevitable disruption to manufacturing, productivity, growth and employment.
It has been a week since we declared a National State of Disaster as an urgent response to the outbreak and put in place necessary containment measures.
These measures relate to the prohibition of gatherings of more than 100 people, restrictions on people entering the country, the closure of schools, the sale of alcohol and emergency procurement procedures in support of the fight against COVID-19.
The Department of Health, supported by the entire government communications machinery, has led efforts to raise awareness among the general public around screening and detection, prevention, hygiene control and the importance of social distancing.
The manner in which all South Africans have taken charge of not just their own personal health but the health of those around them has been exemplary and heartening. Everywhere we see signs of behavioural change as the nation rallies behind infection control measures.
From filling stations to taxi ranks, from spazas to restaurants, South Africans fully understand the gravity of the situation. Hand-washing is being practiced and hand sanitiser is available in stores and other retail spaces. People are observing the rules restricting large public gatherings. Businesses and workplaces are complying with the regulations in the best interests of their customers and employees.
Last week representatives from all the political parties in Parliament stood united on a public platform to declare their support for the national effort to combat the pandemic. At the same time, they offered practical and workable suggestions on how we can mitigate its impact on lives and livelihoods.
In the same week, religious leaders representing a multiplicity of faiths and denominations also affirmed their support, taking bold and far-reaching decisions to contain the spread of the virus in churches, temples, mosques and synagogues. They did so fully understanding that no matter how sensitive and difficult these decisions are, the sanctity of life must be preserved.
Corporate South Africa and the business community have stepped up, affirming their support for the emergency measures and regulations, and opening channels of engagement around the economic impact of COVID-19. Yesterday, I met with representatives of the business community to discuss measures we need to take together to combat the pandemic and address its economic impact.
Elsewhere, large retailers have issued directives restricting the purchase quantities of in-demand items to curtail so-called ‘panic buying’. This measure was a laudable effort to protect the rights of ordinary South Africans, but most especially the poor. It is also a welcome sign that South African business will not engage in unscrupulous profiteering from a national disaster.
This week I will be meeting with different arms of the state, trade unions, traditional leaders, civil society formations and other sectors. I have no doubt that they too are already mobilised and united behind the national effort.
What we are witnessing is social solidarity in action, a defining feature of our nationhood. At times of crisis such as this one, it would be easy to surrender to the impulses of opportunism, greed and naked self-interest. History bears witness to the dark side of human nature that can be exposed when fear and panic takes hold.
But as the South African nation we are standing firm. As we navigate our way through the difficult times that lie ahead, we must continue in the spirit of empathy and selflessness and move with unity of purpose. The social compacts of which I have spoken are needed now as never before. Of these, the social compact between citizens and their government is the most important of all.
I am a firm believer in the people. I also believe, as Abraham Lincoln once said, that “if given the truth, [the people] can be depended upon to meet any national crisis”.
We know the truth and what is to be done. We have to contain the spread of the virus. We have to ensure those who need help get it. We have to observe the highest standards of hygiene and practice social distancing.
Our success relies on the effort and energies of every citizen and their commitment to help and assist others.
This crisis will not debilitate our nation. In how we have responded, we have affirmed the true character of our nationhood. It is strong, it is resilient and, above all, it is rooted in solidarity.
It is these attributes of our national character that won us our democracy and it is what will ensure our victory over this pandemic.
With best wishes,
Cyril RAMAPHOSA
MINISTER NKOSAZANA DLAMINI ZUMA : GAZETTED REGULATIONS AS PART OF GOVERNEMENT’S INTERVENTION MEASURES ON COVID-19 CORNAVIRUS
Statement of the IMC on the Gazetted Regulations on the state of disaster Hon. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Honourable Ministers
Members of the Media
South Africans at large
Good Afternoon,
As you are aware, recently the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) better known as COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation. To date it has infected in excess of 213 000 people but despite having caused the death of more than 8 727 people world-wide, around 84 000 people have already recovered from the disease. In South Africa, we have thus far identified 150 cases which are receiving treatment at home or in hospital, depending on the severity of their symptoms.
This pandemic requires urgent action and on 15 March 2020, following a special Cabinet meeting and the classification of the pandemic as a national disaster, President announced that declared national state of disaster in terms of the National Disaster Management Act, 2002. The President in his address to the nation later that night called for an extraordinary response and announced a number of measures to limit contact between persons who may be infected and those that are not infected in order to reduce the spread of the disease using social distancing and hygiene control.
Some of these measures were put into operation already through existing legislative measures such as imposing a travel ban on foreign nationals from high-risk countries; the cancellation of visas; the issuance of travel advisories and alert; travellers undergoing high intensity screening; the closure of 35 land, and 2 sea ports of entry; the prohibition of non-essential travel for all spheres of government outside of the Republic etc.
Notwithstanding this, some of the measures announced by the President, could only be brought to bear through Regulations made under the declaration of a state of disaster in terms of section 27 of the Disaster Management Act, 2002. Since Sunday, legal representatives of the respective organs of state that plays a key role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic have been at work to draft the regulations needed to further put into operation measures announced by the President.
These regulations are a rule of order which have the force of law, they are prescribed in terms of the Disaster Management Act and, they enable departments to direct certain actions under matters which fall within their legislative mandate.
Furthermore, these regulations are designed to create a regulatory framework for government to respond to the COVID-19 virus in an integrated and co-ordinated manner.
They enable us as government to focus on preventing a disaster and where applicable reduce the risk of disasters, they activate governments capacity emergency preparedness regime, which must be rapid and effective.
I am therefore pleased to present these Regulations, published in Government Gazette No. 43107 on 18 March 2020, to you and would like to highlight some key aspects thereof.
Regulation 1 sets out the “Definitions” of the terms used in the Regulations;
Regulation 2 deals with the “Release of resources” by the Department of Defence, national organs of state, and institutions within national, provincial and local government. Means of dealing with any donor funding received to assist with the national state of disaster is also addressed.
Regulation 3 deals with the “prevention and prohibition of gatherings”. In this case, a gathering of 100 people is prohibited. The assembly of more than 50 persons at premises where liquor is sold and consumed is also prohibited. The Regulation also makes provision for powers of an enforcement officer to disperse a gathering or in some cases to arrest and detain the organiser of a gathering.
Regulation 4 deals with the “Refusal of medical examination, prophylaxis, treatment, isolation and quarantine”. This regulation makes provision for the unlikely scenario where a person refuses to (self) quarantine or (self) isolate. The person may then be placed in isolation or quarantine for a period of 48 hours, as the case may be, pending a warrant being issued by a magistrate, on application by an enforcement officer, to perform the medical examination of a suspected or confirmed case.
Regulation 5 deals with the identification and availing “Places of quarantine and isolation” by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, the Members of the Executive Council in the provinces and the accounting officers of municipalities.
Regulation 6 deals with the “Closure of schools and partial care facilities” from 18 March 2020 until 15 April 2020, which period may be extended for the duration of the national state of disaster by the cabinet member responsible.
Regulation 7 deals with the Suspension of visits for 30 days to Correctional Centres; Remand Detention Facilities; Holding Cells; Military Detention Facilities; and Department of Social Development facilities, including Child and Youth Care Centres, shelters, One Stop Centres, and Treatment Centres, which period may be extended for any period, but not beyond the duration of the national state of disaster by the cabinet member responsible.
Regulation 8 deals with the “Limitation on the sale, dispensing or transportation of liquor”. In this case all on-consumption premises selling liquor, including taverns, restaurants and clubs, must be closed with immediate effect, or must accommodate no more than 50 persons at any time: Provided that adequate space is available and that all directions in respect of hygienic conditions and limitation of exposure to persons with COVID-19, are adhered to. Its also notable that no special or events liquor licenses will be considered for approval during the duration of the national state of disaster. Establishments will also close earlier between 18:00 and 09:00 the next morning on weekdays and Saturdays; and from 13:00 on Sundays and public holidays.
Regulation 9 deals with the “Emergency Procurement Procedures” in line with financial management legislation, regulations and instructions.
Regulation 10 deals with the “Authority to issue directions”. In this regard I have authorised the Ministers of Health; Justice and Correctional Services; Basic and Higher Education; Police; Social Development; Trade and Industry; Transport to issue directions where needed to address, prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19 in matters falling within their respective mandates.
Regulation 11 deals with “Offences and penalties” for a person when found liable on conviction, to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.
Regulation 12 deals with the Commencement of the Regulations, which came into operation on 18 March 2020.
I believe that though these regulations and those actions already taken under existing legislation, the extraordinary measures announced by the President, and most importantly through the concerted effort made already by the public, the private sector and society at large we have taken a giant step forward in our efforts in bringing the spread of this disease under control. Notwithstanding this, should circumstances warrant it, I would make any additional regulations and or directions as may be needed to achieve our common goal of bringing this disease under control.
I therefore remain confident that through the implementation and enforcement of these regulations, through ongoing mass communication and with the support of our communities, by working together, we can mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on our economy and our communities.
I thank you!
Issued by: Department of Cooperative Governance-19 March 2020
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
08 March 2020
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane,
Premier of the Free State, Ms Sefora Sisi Ntombela,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Premiers of our Provinces present,
Speaker of the National Assembly,
Leaders of various political parties and organizations
President of the ANC Women’s League, Ms Bathabile Dlamini and all Officials of the Women’s League present Fellow South Africans,
It is my privilege to be here in the Free State as we join the global community in observing International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to assess how far we have come in advancing gender equality across all spheres of society, and on what more needs to be done to give effect to the rights of women and girls worldwide.
It is also a time when we give recognition to women who have excelled in various spheres, many of whom are here with us today.
We recognise that our peace, stability and prosperity rests on our enduring commitment to the constitutionally guaranteed right to equality between men and women, between black and white, and indeed between all our citizens.
This year we mark a number of milestones in the continental and global fight for gender justice.
Firstly, it is the end of the Decade of African Women (2010-2020), whose purpose was to re-invigorate commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Secondly, it is the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women that acknowledges the impact of armed conflict on women and girls and affirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace-building and in post-conflict reconstruction.
Thirdly, it is 25 years since 17,000 delegates representing 189 countries met in the Chinese capital, Beijing at the landmark Fourth UN World Conference on Women.
Among them was a delegation from South Africa, having held our first democratic elections just the year before.
The adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action changed the trajectory for the empowerment of women worldwide.
South Africa signed both the Declaration and Platform for Action the same year, and committed to five-yearly reviews of our progress in key areas such as women and education and training, gender-based violence, women’s rights, women and the economy, and women in power and decision making.
In the same year, 1995, one of the first legislative acts of the first democratic Parliament was to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
As noted in our most recent five-year report submitted to the UN last year, we have made significant advances in improving the lives of our country’s women in the social, political and economic spheres, particularly with regards to their rights and representation.
We have implemented policies and programmes to give practical expression to the rights of women and girls to education, to reproductive health care, to basic services, and to social support.
Women are equitably represented in government.
Last year we achieved 50/50 parity in Cabinet for the first time, and 47% of MPs are women.
We continue to strive to ensure sufficient gender representation in key sectors such as the judiciary and the armed forces, and are actively engaging with the private sector to ensure women are better represented in positions of management.
We have a raft of gender-responsive laws around reproductive health, sexual orientation, access to justice, customary law, and protection against domestic and sexual violence.
As our country report notes, “the nature of vulnerability that women face in 2019 is markedly different to the vulnerability women faced in 1994.”
Fellow South Africans,
We must acknowledge that despite our progressive laws, vast discrepancies exist between the protection the laws offer and their actual implementation.
We must further acknowledge that violence against women and the stark reality that women continue to bear the brunt of poverty undermine our efforts to meet the commitments we made in Beijing.
South Africa is not unique in this regard.
The global consensus is that despite our progress, real change has been agonisingly slow for the majority of women and girls in the world.
The sad reality is that today not a single country can claim to have achieved complete gender equality.
Women and girls continue to be undervalued; they work more and earn less and have fewer choices; and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public spaces.
That is why providing women with the necessary support to enable them to become financially independent is critical.
Not just because their economic inclusion is central to any country’s development, but also because economic marginalisation and economic dependency leaves women vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
This year South Africa assumed the chairship of the African Union.
We aim to use our chairship to bring women into the mainstream of economic activity and to drive a concerted programme of action to stamp out gender-based violence across the continent.
Specific actions have been identified and we hope to secure the cooperation of other member states, and to work in partnership with civil society, labour and the private sector.
We will urge all AU member states to devote adequate budgetary allocations for women’s empowerment, to set aside at least 30% of all government procurement for women-owned businesses, to reduce barriers to financial services for women-owned businesses, and to pass legislation that ensures equal work for equal pay.
We will leverage the continent’s ambitions towards the industrialisation and digitisation of Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area to benefit women.
In South Africa, we continue to work to broaden the participation of women in our economy.
We have introduced the SheTradesZA platform to assist women-owned businesses to participate in global value chains and markets.
Over the next five years, the Industrial Development Corporation has set a target of providing R10 billion of government and partner funding for women-empowered businesses.
To create a larger market for small businesses, we also plan to designate 1,000 locally produced products that must be procured from SMMEs.
The Procurement Bill will soon be presented to Parliament as part of our efforts to empower black and emerging businesses and advance radical economic transformation.
With respect to gender-based violence, we want to ensure that there is a concerted, visible and consistent global transformative advocacy campaign to prevent violence against women and children.
We are urging all AU member states to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Convention on Violence and Harassment in the workplace by the end of 2021.
We are advocating the adoption of an AU Convention on Violence against Women.
We are also promoting the repeal of discriminatory laws within five years and ensuring that laws relating to women are in line with all regional and global resolutions and protocols.
As AU member states we need to commit to implementing an essential services package as a national standard for responding to gender-based violence, with an emphasis on the need for high-quality police response.
In line with this, we must move with renewed determination to overcome our national challenges.
In South Africa, women and girls continue to be subjected to extreme levels of rape, sexual offences, femicide, domestic violence and intimate partner violence.
The recent case of eight-year-old Tazne van Wyk whose body was discovered in a storm water drain in Worcester drives home the cold reality that women and children are dying daily, at the hands of men, known and unknown by the victim.
We are implementing an Emergency Response Plan and have reprioritised R1.6 billion to support it until the end of the current financial year.
Working with partners in civil society, we are focusing on closing the legislative and other loopholes that result in perpetrators of gender-based violence being released where they reoffend.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In delivering our acceptance speech at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last month, I recalled the words of Egyptian women’s rights activist Nawal el Saadawi, that women are half the society; you cannot have a revolution without women, and you cannot have democracy without women.
On this International Women’s Day let us work together to ensure that the interests of women are mainstreamed, that their rights are protected and enforced, and that they are empowered to participate in economic life and have a share in our nation’s wealth and prosperity.
I wish all the women of South Africa, of the continent and of the world a happy International Women’s Day!
I thank you.
TRAVEL ADVISORY IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa is issuing this Travel Advisory in light of the announcement on 16 March 2020 by the Government declaring a State of National Disaster. The State of National Disaster entails that restrictions on entry, movement and exit will be prescribed in Regulations to be issued by the responsible Ministers. As high-and medium-risk countries are identified and the status of countries changes, Travel Alerts will be issued to communicate such changes and the measures applicable.
SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZENS
South African citizens planning to travel or transit through the Italian Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Spain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, the Swiss Confederation and the People’s Republic of China presently identified as high risk countries, as well as the European Union, should refrain from doing so. This includes all forms of travel to or through identified highrisk countries.
South African citizens are also to refrain from traveling on cruise ships due to the inherent risks involved in such travel as recent experiences haveshown. This is effective immediately, until further notice. Non-essential travel to other countries should also be cancelled or postponed.
South African citizens returning from high-risk countries will be subjected to testing and self-isolation or quarantine on return to South Africa. South African citizens should be aware that there are health risks when they travel and should check the travel and health notices for COVID-19 at their destinations. Increased health screening measures at ports of entry for international destinations, which may include entry requirements, border closures, flight suspensions and quarantines, can be expected.
South African citizens should contact the South African Mission/Consulate in the country of their destination, to inform them of their presence in the country andprovide them with information such as contact details, duration of stay, etc.
FOREIGN TRAVELLERS
All entry, regardless of compliance with visa requirements, of foreign travellers with ordinary passports, travelling from or transiting through high-risk countries presently identified as the Italian Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Spain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, the Swiss Confederation and the People’s Republic of China is prohibited until further notice.
No applications for visas by foreign travellers from high-risk countries will be approved. Visas already issued are revoked with immediate effect for travellers that have not yet entered South Africa. Visa waiver agreements with countries identified by the Department of Health as high- and medium-risk will be suspended from dates that will be advised through Travel Alerts.
Any foreign national who has visited high-risk countries in the past 20 days will be denied a visa.
Any foreign national affected by these travel restrictions who needs to travel to South Africa for emergency or compelling reasons may contact the nearest South African mission or consulate to apply for a visa. Such visa applications will be considered on merit and on a case-by-case basis.
The above restrictions exclude holders of diplomatic passports and travel documents issued by International organisations as well as their family members accredited to the Republic of South Africa, and holders of official/servicepassports. The travel restrictions will also not apply to the crew members of aircraft and cargo ships, as well as cross border rail and road transportation workers. However, such travellers will be subjected to medical screening and if required, can be isolated or quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days.
ALL INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS
All international travellers, including South African citizens, entering South Africa will be required to complete and submit the prescribed Health Form and hand it to Health officials and Immigration officers upon arrival.
All travellers will be subjected to medical screening for COVID-19 upon entering South Africa and if required, can be isolated or quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days. Over and above the normal immigration requirements, entry into South Africa is subject to a passenger’s cooperation with officials conducting tests.
Travellers from medium-risk countries as identified by the South AfricanDepartment of Health will be required to undergo high intensity screening. All travellers who have entered South Africa from high-risk countries since 15 February 2020 will be required to present themselves for testing.
South Africa has placed restrictions on attendance of international meetings. All organisers or attendees of international meetings are strongly advised to confirm whether attendance will be permitted before travelling to South Africa.
More information is available on the following links regarding precautionary measures to be taken to halt the spread of COVID-19:
World Health Organisation:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-forpublic
Department of Health, South Africa:
http://www.health.gov.za/index.php/outbreaks/145-corona-virus-outbreak/465-
corona-virus-outbreak
For any inquiries related to this Travel Advisory, contact the 24 hours operations centre of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation at +27 12 351 1000
Information is also available on the website of the Department at www.dirco.gov.za.
ISSUED BY THE MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
17 March 2020
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Monday, 02 March 2020
Dear Fellow South African,
The Budget presented by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni last week presents a sobering assessment of the state of our economy.
The figures make it plain that unless we act now to turn things around, there will be even more difficult times ahead.
Put simply, we are spending far more than we are earning.
As a result, we are borrowing more and more, and the cost of servicing that debt is rising. In fact, debt service costs are now the fastest-growing area of expenditure. We spend more on debt repayments than we do on health; only education and social development get more.
This position is precarious and unsustainable.
We need to make significant changes and we need to make them now.
There are several reasons for the position we’re now in. Our economy has not grown much over the last decade, mainly due to the 2008 global financial crisis and a decline in demand for the minerals that we export. As a result, revenue collection has been weak and we have had to borrow more to sustain spending on development, infrastructure and wages. At the same time, state capture and corruption has affected governance, operational effectiveness and financial sustainability at several public institutions, including state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Efforts over the last two years to revive the economy and rebuild institutions have now been undermined by the electricity crisis, further constraining growth and placing an additional burden on public finances.
Our priorities in this budget therefore are to put the economy back on a path of growth, constrain public spending and stabilise our debt.
The budget is an integral part of our drive for inclusive growth, job creation, investment and a capable state.
We have made a deliberate decision not to pursue a path of austerity. Such a route would have seen deep cuts in spending on the social services that poor people rely on. It could have involved dramatically reducing the salaries of civil servants, the size of the public service, cutting bonuses and pensions, raising taxes and selling off key state assets.
An austerity budget would have damaged our growth prospects further and weakened the ability of the state to stimulate economic activity and meet people’s needs.
We have instead presented a budget that contains a range of balanced and well-considered measures to contain spending, increase revenue and encourage growth.
Over the next three years, we expect to achieve savings of around R261 billion by cutting the budgets of several departments and reducing the rate at which the public service wage bill increases. At the same time, however, we will need to spend more to support the restructuring of SOEs like Eskom and SAA. As a result, we expect a net reduction of R156 billion in non-interest spending over the medium term.
This will help to narrow the deficit and reduce our borrowing needs.
A large part of the savings will come from reducing the rate at which our wage bill grows. This will require focused discussions among all social partners, but particularly with public sector unions. These engagements need to be conducted in a spirit of seeking solutions. I am heartened by the willingness of all parties to engage in serious negotiations aimed at finding a solution.
Our approach is not to dramatically cut the size of the public service, but to examine the rate at which wages grow. Public service wages have on average increased at a much higher rate than inflation over many years, and we need to fix this if we are to get public finances under control. This also applies to the management of people’s personal finances, where if any expenditure item that rises at a rate more than inflation – be it electricity tariffs, mobile tariffs or food – will always put any individual person’s budget and finances under strain and out of kilter.
The wage bill remains the largest component of spending by economic classification. Growth in the wage bill has begun crowding out spending on capital projects for future growth and items that are critical for service delivery.
The public service wage bill is by no means the only area where we are cutting costs. I have decided that there will be no increase in the salaries of senior public office bearers this year. This follows a reduction in benefits stemming from changes to the Ministerial Handbook. We will publish a new law this year introducing a remuneration framework for public entities and state owned companies to prevent excessive pay for board members and executives.
Our trade union compatriots are right in saying that we should in a demonstrable way prevent leakages of public funds by addressing corruption, ending irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. We will do this and much more.
As much as containing the public wage bill is critical to stabilising public finances, improving public sector performance is imperative if we want to build a more capable, efficient state. We need more of the right people in the right positions.
As we contain public spending, we are pursuing growth. It is for this reason that, despite the fiscal gap, there are no major tax increases. Instead, there is some relief for individual tax payers and several measures to broaden the corporate tax base. We are also pushing ahead with far-reaching reforms in areas like electricity provision, ports and rail and telecommunications to reduce the cost of doing business. Through the Infrastructure Fund we aim to mobilise financing from a range of sources to invest in a massive build programme. Through our industrial strategy and investment drive we are unlocking vital areas of growth.
We are fixing our public finances to make inclusive growth and job creation possible. Such times call for us to be realistic, not dogmatic. They call for cooperation, not conflict. Compromises and trade-offs will have to be made.
We are all in this together, and we share a collective responsibility to take the oars, to row in unison and steer our country through these stormy waters .
With best wishes,
President Cyril Ramaphosa