Covid-19 response should leave nobody behind, says Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in his capacity as African Union (AU), called for more to be done to ensure nobody is left behind during the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ramaphosa was speaking at an International Labour Organisation summit on Covid-19 on Wednesday afternoon.
“As we strive to recover from this pandemic, let us continue to be guided by the spirit of solidarity and ensure that we put people and their welfare at the centre of all our efforts and most importantly that all our responses during this pandemic, leaves nobody behind,” he said.
This comes amid rising concerns that the Covid-19 pandemic will further widen the inequality gap, especially on the African continent.
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The South Africa economy is already reeling from the effects of the coronavirus, with the country’s GDP contracting for a third consecutive quarter.
The first quarter of the year saw the economy shrinking by 2%, while jobs continue to be shed.
“Covid-19 has left no aspect of human existence untouched, from health to security, from social systems to economies and livelihoods,” Ramaphosa said.
“We have to protect working people against the rising tide of unemployment through universal social protection.
“Above all, we have to transform our domestic policy frameworks to support the creation of decent and sustainable work,” he added.