Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) called on the government to implement a 24-hour curfew in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
After a briefing held on Thursday morning, BUSA said that South Africa faced disruption to supply chains that were essential for the country’s basic functioning, as EWN reports.
They added that the cost of damage to property will amount to billions.
“This disorder has had a devastating economic impact, which represents a significant setback for economic recovery, and has significantly magnified the challenge of dealing with poverty, inequality, and unemployment,” BUSA president Sipho Pityana said.
“It has massively undermined investor confidence, which will take years to rebuild. The impact on employers and employees is severe and will be significant for some time as businesses rebuild. Government must mobilise funds to assist employers and employees.”
The group further warned that the unrest will have a serious impact on vaccinations against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The disorder is a major threat to our fight against the pandemic, both in the large and unsafe gatherings that are occurring and the disruption to access to healthcare including testing, the supplies of oxygen and medicines including the transport and administration of vaccines.
“Together with existing laws against criminality the state has the powers to take steps to stop the disorder in its tracks.”
According to BusinessTech, this is what BUSA proposed president Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet should do:
- Allocate emergency funds for the call up of all army reservists nationally and police reservists in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
- Declare a 24-hour curfew in both provinces to allow order to be restored.
- Deploy all available security services to strictly enforce the 24-hour curfew and then existing curfews in terms of lockdown restrictions thereafter.
- Station security services to at-risk areas to monitor the situation, enforce law and order, and be prepared to remain in position until order is fully restored.
- Reverse the amendment to the Disaster Management Act allowing for gatherings by certain parties. Instead, a restriction on gatherings must be strongly enforced.
“We call on President Ramaphosa to take the lead instituting law and order and using the full might of the power and resources actively and decisively at his disposal to do so. The perpetrators must feel the full might of the law.
“The president needs to pull the entirety of government behind this effort. We call on the president to be present through regular addresses to the nation to instil confidence and demonstrate government cares about their security,” BUSA said.
Picture: Ntate Phakela/ @7venth