On the downside, we sat through 20 minutes of important but deadly dull billions of rands to small business, punishment for those who misuse food parcels (read "local ANC cadres withholding parcels from non-members"), banks doing this and that, billions more rands for the other, including something nice for those taxi companies. And every poor person will get R300 per month - which at today's rate is about $16.
Like all good storytellers, we find that Cyril had kept the best until last . . . all of South Africa leaned forward on their wooden crates and heard:
The fourth area on which cabinet has resolved is the phased reopening of the economy. We will follow a risk-adjusted approach to the return of economic activity, balancing the continued need to limit the spread of the coronavirus with the need to get people back to work.
As I have said previously, if we end the lockdown too soon or too abruptly, we risk a massive and uncontrollable resurgence of the disease. We will therefore follow a phased approach, guided by the best available scientific evidence, to gradually lift the restrictions on economic activity. As we do so, we remain firm in our resolve to contain the transmission of the virus. We will therefore need to act with agility and flexibility in the weeks and months ahead, and respond to the situation as it develops.
Now here we were at the "phased approach" - about to get back our beer, wine, brandy, cigarettes, ready-cooked chicken at Woolworths, the lifting of onerous restrictions on walking about . . . and the winner is!!!!>>>>>
Aaaargh! After the foreplay, nothing! Gratification delayed.On Thursday, I will address the nation on the measures that will be taken beyond the nationwide lockdown to reopen the economy.
We know this means that the cabinet is still in-fighting; the forces of darkness are dead-set against wine common sense. It seems likely that there will be some lifting of the ban on travel between each province (not like the USA, is it?). But at the same time, we're expecting to be told of a two week extension of stay-at-home.