'Cometh the moment, cometh the man': SA lauds Ramaphosa

South Africans have applauded President Cyril Ramaphosa after he announced that the country would go on a 21-day coronavirus lockdown from March 26.

Ramaphosa said decisive action to curb the spread of the virus was necessary, admitting that while the costs to the economy would be high, the cost to human life would be “far, far worse”.

Only essential services personnel will be exempt from the lockdown. These include police, healthcare workers and those involved in the supply of goods, including food.

Ramaphosa warned the economic effects would be severe, but said measures were being implemented to help.

“We will prioritise the lives and the livelihoods of our people, above all else. We'll use all of the measures that are within our power to protect our people from the economic consequences of this pandemic.”

The hashtags #CyrilRamaphosa, #MrPresident and #SALockdown topped the Twitter trends list after the announcement.

Here's a glimpse of what South Africans have said about SA's commander-in-chief.