WATCH: Ramaphosa remembers Covid-19 victims with candle-lighting ceremony

President Cyril Ramaphosa lead a candle-lighting ceremony for the victims of Covid-19 in Khayelitsha District Hospital, Cape Town, on New Year’s Eve.

According to the SABC, Ramaphosa wanted “to see, firsthand, the impact of alcohol restrictions on the hospital’s emergency care unit”.

Earlier on Thursday, Ramaphosa gave a reflective message about the coronavirus, saying “there is no corner of the earth, nor any part of our country, that has been unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic”.

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“As this year draws to a close, we mourn the loss of relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours who succumbed to Covid-19.”

He also expressed gratitude to ordinary South Africans and in particular, healthcare workers, for their efforts throughout the year, saying they had worked “tirelessly and at great risk to themselves to care for us and protect us”.

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to every South African for the courage and the perseverance with which you have confronted this crisis.

“I want to thank the health and social services workers for taking care of people who are ill, hungry or lonely. Even as the new year dawns, in hospitals and other health facilities across the nation, committed health workers are caring for the sick in the face of a severe resurgence of infections.”