Level 5 lockdown on the cards for Gauteng? Malema claims that is Ramaphosa’s plan
EFF leader Julius Malema has claimed President Cyril Ramaphosa is considering imposing a hard lockdown in Gauteng to deal with the surge in Covid-19 cases.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday, Malema said: “The man is looking at taking us back to level 5 for 21 days. That is what he is considering. [David] Makhura has no power to take the province anywhere in terms of regulations. It is the president himself.
“He wants to lock us up again for 21 days in level 5. We’re not going back there,” said Malema.
The firebrand leader claimed he had it on good authority that the government will impose a stricter lockdown in the province which is now the epicentre of Covid-19 infections.
Malema has on several occasions correctly “predicted” the government’s tightened measures in its response to Covid-19. Last week he tweeted ahead of Ramaphosa’s address that SA would move to level 3.
Level 3, 8pm🤔
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) June 15, 2021
Last month Malema tweeted ahead of the president’s address that SA would be moved to alert level 2.
Earlier this year, he tweeted that SA was going to be downgraded to level 1.
“I can smell level 1,” he said at the time.
It is still unclear if government will impose stricter regulations in the province but, as Amanda Khoza reported for TimesLIVE, Ramaphosa said on Monday he was concerned about rising infections.
“I am deeply worried. We are seeing infection rates that seem to be much higher than what we have seen before and premier Makhura is dealing with this challenge as best as he can, and I know the acting minister of health is also involved.
“The issue of moving to another level is a matter that is going to be discussed by the national coronavirus command council (NCCC). There seem to be indications that we have to increase the measures, particularly in Gauteng,” said Ramaphosa.
TimesLIVE ran a poll on Tuesday in which readers were asked to weigh in on calls to impose tighter regulations in Gauteng. A total of 56.59% said this must be done to protect lives, 24.39% said it is too late and 19.02% said they were tired of all lockdown levels.
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