Govt will always choose lives over livelihoods, warns Ntshavheni
Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbuzo Ntshavheni has warned South Africans that government will always choose the saving of lives over the preservation of livelihoods.
Ntshavheni was speaking at a media briefing in Tshwane on Thursday, where the government undertook a site visit to several taxi ranks to observe the adherence of Covid-19 regulations.
“Like we said, the country’s pockets are not deep enough to do a relief that is substantive,” she said.
“So we need to try as a business, as a nation and government so that we don’t get into hard lockdowns so that we can save jobs because if we close the businesses the problem is that we are going to lose more jobs. We are still losing more jobs.
“But if the government is not left with a choice, if we have to choose between livelihoods and lives, we will choose lives because livelihoods we can rebuild but when you are dead you are dead. We cannot rebuild you, we can't bring you back.”
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Ntshavheni’s warning shot comes in the wake of the skyrocketing Covid-19 numbers, with Gauteng at the epicentre of the virus.
On Wednesday night, 17,493 new cases were recorded, with Gauteng accounting for over 10 000 of that number.
Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa moved the country back to level three which saw a tightening of the curfew, a new limit on gatherings as well as restrictions on the sale of alcohol.
Ntshavheni said if everyone plays their part, the pandemic will be defeated and the economy will remain open.
“But if we all play our part we will defeat this pandemic. We will make sure that the economy will remain open.”
