President Cyril Ramaphosa conceded on Sunday that reversal of regulations to ban the sale of cigarettes under Level 4 should have been communicated by him, adding that he was not undermined and that the decision was based on rigorous research and scientific advice.
Ramaphosa was speaking during an engagement with members of the South African National Editors’ Forum during a virtual meeting.
“I have been saying to the ministers let us make sure that our communication is clear, direct and that we not contradict or misinterpret our regulations,” said Ramaphosa.
He said the change to keep the ban on cigarettes came about as a result of a flurry of concerns and objections raised by a number of South Africans after it was announced that tobacco products will be sold.
He admitted that he should have been the one to communicate the change in the decision.
Focusing on the state of the media in South Africa, Ramaphosa commended the country’s media for helping to inform and assure the nation in this unprecedented situation which currently calls for a balance between vigilance against the coronavirus and the exercise of personal and collective responsibility that will enable economic activity to resume and alleviate hardship.
He added that he remained open to engaging with the media on the status of the country.
“Like so many others in society, journalists have played their own part in overcoming the virus,” said Ramaphosa.
“This is also an opportunity to applaud and thank the media in South Africa for its indispensable contribution to the national effort to confront this crisis. Through its reporting on the disease, the media has helped to inform and empower South Africans, stimulate public debate and promote accountability.”
He added: “The media has had to fulfil this role under the difficult conditions of lockdown, which has required new ways of working and reaching readers, listeners and viewers. This at a time when most media organisations are no doubt facing financial challenges.”
The engagement with Ramaphosa comes as the media industry has taken a hard knock from the economic crunch caused by the coronavirus, with many companies struggling to stay afloat.
In May, Caxton announced it would be pulling the plug on its magazine division, while the Mail and Guardian newspaper announced that, due to the loss of advertising revenue it was struggling financially.
Sanef chairperson Mahlatse Mahlase listed retrenchments, salary cuts, Covid-19 infections and deaths, intimidation from police and a lack of information from government offices as the media’s daily challenges.
Mahlase said publications were among those hardest hit by the pandemic with some organisations having to retrench workers or impose salary cuts, at times up to 40%.
She highlighted that several journalists had contracted the coronavirus while in the line of duty. One of them, eNCA cameraman Lungile Tom, died.
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
