WATCH LIVE: Ramaphosa address the nation as state of disaster gets extended

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to address the nation on developments in South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of Covid-19.

This comes in light of the extension of the national state of disaster to 15 September in government gazette published by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The current state of disaster was set expire at midnight, and without an extension several regulations would have also expired.

Ramaphosa’s address follows a meeting earlier this week of the national coronavirus command council (NCCC) and meetings on Saturday of the President’s coordinating council and Cabinet.

The President is expected to lift the ban on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol and move the country to Level 2 of the nationwide lockdown.

ALSO READ: Urgent need to promote women into managerial positions, says Ramaphosa

He chaired meetings of the NCCC and Cabinet on Tuesday, where the overwhelming argument was in favour of fully reopening the economy due to the fewer confirmed Covid-19 cases have been reported daily.

Many South Africans argue that the economic devastation of the cigarette sales ban could no longer be justified. The country has lost billions of rand in tax revenue as a result of the ban, while the illegal selling of cigarettes has flourished.

The same argument was made for the reinstated alcohol ban, which has been in place for the last month.

Watch the address live below:

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.