MBOMBELA – President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the province to check the government’s response to Covid-19 on July 2.
President Ramaphosa, Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, minister of Health Zweli Mkhize and his deputy Joseph Phaahla, Correctional Services and Justice minister Ronald Lamola, Education minister Angie Motsekga and minister in the presidency Jackson Mthembu embarked on a tour at Rob Ferreira Hospital’s Isolation Unit accompanied by the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Fridah Nyathi. The president addressed the media after the tour.
“My visit was quite informative. The province has taken on the management of Coronavirus with a great deal of gusto. They’ve coordinated quite a lot of effort in planning and the managing of the virus. Various priority areas were identified for health responses with support of the national department of health. The province is ready for the upsurge of numbers and they need support which they will receive. They also responded well to community engagements,” said President Ramaphosa.
He revealed that he was impressed with the setting up of Coronavirus forums at ward level in the communities. That is an effort appreciated which he would like for it to be copied by other communities in the country.
“Relief measures in terms of responding to vulnerable people in our communities have also been an area of focus. We’ve also identified measures we need to embark on an economic level and they’re looking at managing various initiatives that will stabilise the damaging effect that the virus has on the economy of the province. Mining and tourism are among those industries that they will be focussed into. I’m pleased with the strategies the premier and MECs and various officials have put in place for the pandemic,” he ended.
The president also visited grade 12 learners of Cyril Clarke Secondary School in Mataffin with the minister of Education, Angie Motshekga to assess compliance the department has put in place. The premier, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane said preliminary projections estimate 10-48 deaths per day in the province by mid-July. The provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is in the process of identifying additional land across the province to utilise as cemeteries
