Uncle Cyril, lockdown extension and pay cuts: Twitter is lit

09 April 2020 - 22:14 By Jessica Levitt
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President Cyril Ramaphosa. File photo.
President Cyril Ramaphosa. File photo.
Image: ESA ALEXANDER

Thousands of South Africans have taken to Twitter in response to the two-week extension to the nationwide lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night.

Ramaphosa said the extension was necessary to ensure that the positive results in halting the spread of the coronavirus were not outdone by premature moves to end the lockdown.

“As your president, I am mindful of the great and heavy burden this will impose on you. I am keenly aware of the effect this will have on our economy.”

He said SA had to “hold the course a little longer”.

“We all want the economy to come back to life, we want people to return to work, we want our children to go back to school, and we all want to be able to move freely again. But our immediate priority must remain to slow down the spread of the virus and to prevent a huge loss of life.”

Pay cuts 

Speaking about the Solidarity Fund established to mobilise resources and funds in the battle against the coronavirus, Ramaphosa said R2.2bn had so far been raised.

He said bearing in mind the principle of solidarity, the president, deputy president, ministers and deputy ministers would take a one-third pay cut in their salaries over the next three months.

“This portion of their salaries will be donated to the Solidarity Fund. We are calling on other public office bearers and executives of large companies to make a similar gesture and to further increase the reach of this national effort.”

Here's what is dominating social media talk.

Applause for 'Uncle Cyril'

Lockdown extended

Pay cuts


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