After 7pm, Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu emerged with Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, to address waiting journalists at the seat of the South African government. 

“We are here to tell the nation that the matters that the National Command Council is dealing with are very weighty matters that are indeed of concern to many South Africans. So we don’t want to take shortcuts. When the president [Ramaphosa] speaks to the nation, he will have covered all the bases,” Mthembu spoke to news crews. 

“These [ongoing] discussions would have armed the president to deal with all these issues that South Africans are worried of. It would not be helpful for the president to speak to the people of South Africa when the structure that advises the president – the National Command Council – has not concluded its business, and it has not looked at all the issues that affect South Africans.” 

Mthembu said deliberations were underway at the Union Buildings to review if the numerous multi-pronged interventions introduced by government are actually working to curb the spread of coronavirus. 

Earlier on Sunday, the Presidency said Ramaphosa would meet business leaders at the Union Buildings, as the South African economy takes strain amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic.  

"The engagement with business forms part of a series of meetings the president has held with various stakeholder constituencies – including communities of faith and the nation’s political leadership - in the week since his declaration on 15 March 2020 of the national state of disaster,” the Presidency said in a statement. 

After the meeting with business executives, Ramaphosa received a delegation of leaders of political parties represented in Parliament. The president has previously met the political parties last week. 

“The leaders who will see the president today did not have an opportunity at the meeting at Parliament [last week] to deliver statements of support and will therefore do so today with the media present,” the Presidency said at the time.

“Later in the day the president will chair a meeting of the National Command Council which will receive an update on the novel coronavirus outbreak; progress and challenges related to implementation of the recently promulgated regulations on the state of disaster and other measures to protect the country, as well as the economic impact.”

The Presidency said on the outlook for the period ahead, the National Command Council will consider whether the measures that are currently in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 are sufficient, and explore if additional measures are required.  

The Presidency had earlier said after the National Command Council meeting, Ramaphosa would then address the nation in a message that will be broadcast on radio and television, and live-streamed online. 

Ramaphosa has declared Covid-19 a national emergency and prohibited gatherings of more than 100 people. According to the World Health Organisation, as of March 20 there were 234,073 confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide with 9,840 deaths. 

African News Agency