DA wants to know why ANC thinks it’s OK to call Covid-19 screeners ‘cadres’

The Democratic Alliance in Limpopo said they wrote to the provincial Health MEC, Phophi Ramathuba, to seek clarity over the processes of the ongoing Covid-19 community testing and screening in the province.

DA Limpopo provincial leader Jacques Smalle said the matter followed circulars released by the department of health on community testing and screening.

Smalle said the trained community healthcare workers and volunteers carrying out the screening were referred to as “cadres”.

“This term is widely and commonly used in the ANC and leaves concerns as to whether this crucial process in the fight against the coronavirus is transparent and being used for political gain,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Smalle suggested that “a more appropriate and unambiguous term could have been used” and further said the DA wanted assurance from Ramathuba that her department was not politicising the processes to conduct the screening.

He said the party also asked the MEC for clarity on how many people would carry out the screening; the process used in selecting them and the training provided to them; how many tests were planned to be carried out in the province and whether sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) had been procured for those carrying out the community screening.

“We have also raised concerns around screening at areas such as bus stops where it will be difficult to maintain social distancing,” he said.

Smalle added that while the DA acknowledged all the efforts of Ramathuba and the provincial government, the potential politicising of the community screening and testing was unnecessary and unacceptable.

“We should all be working together a time when the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has called for unity among all of us as we attempt to flatten the curve,” he said.

He said the party remained committed to assisting and supporting all efforts in defeating the spread of Covid-19.

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