THEBE MABANGA
AS THE SOUTH African government continues to strive for balance between saving lives and preserving livelihoods, recent indicators suggest that it is confronted with an economy that is grinding to a halt.
The first reminder of this stark reality came from car sales figures for the month of April, when it was reported they fell 98.4 % as car dealerships were closed due the lockdown.
According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of Southern Africa (Naamsa), only 105 passenger vehicles were sold, while 496 commercial vehicles were sold.
Car dealerships have been allowed to reopen under strict conditions.
As expected, airport arrivals slumped by 99.7% in April compared to a year earlier after falling by 44.5% in March and following a 4.4% yearly gain in February.
Business conditions are also deteriorating significantly.
The Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) eased to 35.1 in April from 44.5 in March,
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