SEDIBENG. The Democratic Alliance (DA) suggested that President Cyril Ramaphosa should look into using a draft model they call ‘Smart Lockdown’ while dealing with the current epidemic, Covid-19.
The party said, in a statement, that as a working paper, the document can be easily updated and amended to mirror the changing circumstances surrounding South Africa’s fight against Covid-19. It further added that there is mounting support globally for a phased strategy.
“It would be imprudent to call for a complete easing of all restrictions relating to the current lockdown, as it would likely risk a sudden spike in infections. At the same time, continued hard lockdown conditions will increase the number of unemployed citizens, and close businesses which will not be in a position to reopen after the crisis. A phased strategy gives South Africa the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, and it gives people an incentive to comply with regulations.”
How does the DA’s ‘Smart Lockdown’ work?
The DA said that its ‘Smart Lockdown’ functions similarly to a load shedding grid or the different stages of water restrictions, both strategies that are familiar to South Africans. It said that the model provides different stages of lockdown relative to the national Coronavirus infection rate for every sector of the South African economy and society.
“In addition to the introduction of the Smart Lockdown, our Covid-19 strategy for managing lives and livelihoods includes”:
- Moving between lockdown stages (different specified stages of economic and social activity) in response to what the data is telling us e.g. about new daily infections and hospital capacity.
- Massive rollout of testing, tracking, tracing, and treatment coupled with transparent reporting of data.
- Massive build of healthcare capacity coupled with transparent reporting of progress data.
- Enabling and strict enforcement of the wearing of protective face masks in all public areas.
- The roll out of a comprehensive public education campaign: hygiene, diagnosis, handling. This includes health protocols for public spaces and workplaces;
- Assistance to the high-risk group to continue isolating where possible.
- Strict border control.
- Bold economic stimulus/relief package
- Sweeping reforms in government and to our economy
“This is part of our contribution to work collaboratively in the fight against this pandemic. In addition to this, South Africa was already in recession before the coronavirus hit. Under a hard lockdown we are heading toward an economic depression.”
The DA said that it has suggested and devised the ‘Smart Lockdown’ for the following reasons:
- The lockdown in its current form is not a feasible approach to contain the coronavirus in South Africa. In our context it is impossible for individuals living in townships and informal settlements to self-isolate, to practice the level of hygiene necessary to kill the virus, and to acquire the protective equipment necessary to keep the virus at bay.
- Regardless of when the lockdown ends, South Africa cannot immediately go back to business as usual.
- South Africa cannot afford a hard lockdown. The economic repercussions of a hard and extended lockdown will be disastrous for the South African economy, and thousands of taxpaying citizens will emerge from it unemployed as a result.
