PETER BRUCE: Three’s company, but then along came Covid-19
Ramaphosa, Gordhan and Patel have a vision for a new SA – but a wasteland awaits them if they do not get more economic activity safely going
I’m reliably informed President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation this week, though I’m not sure when. It’s about time. He had established himself as a regular TV presence; his sudden absence after the decision to allow tobacco sales for level 4 lockdown was reversed has attracted a fair amount of unfriendly comment.
We still need that explained. Why did he announce that the ban on tobacco sales would be lifted in the first place? Who did he show his announcement to before making it? Did his office clear the speech with the top brass of the national command council (NCC)? And then what happened? The Sunday Times reported (https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2020-05-10-ramaphosa-swayed-on-extension-of-cigarette-ban-at-heated-ncc-meeting/) at the weekend that there was a furious row at the NCC when ministers challenged him on his announcement that the ban would be lifted...
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