With the busy holiday season now in swing, I reiterate the call for National Government to end the curfew. Let businesses and informal traders get back to trading in full. Not only have 27 807 355 vaccine doses been administered, but after nearly two years of living in this pandemic, South Africans have learned to do what’s necessary to be Covid-compliant.
We cannot let the economy and, in particular our hospitality and tourism sectors, small businesses and informal traders, endure further losses due to restricted trading hours.
As it is, the joblessness rate is at a shocking 46.6%. As a nation, we are all too sadly aware of the knock-on socio-economic effects of a high unemployment rate.
As the vaccine rollout continues and we all play our part to be safe, it’s time for government together with industry leaders to turn our attention to firing up our ailing economy with every hour of trading. We must boost job and training opportunities and let people regain their livelihoods and dignity.
I will continue to engage with sectoral leaders and organisations such as restaurant groups, the South African Informal Traders Alliance (SAITA), hospitality associations such as the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) and others, to join our call to end curfew. In fact, I’ve already spoken to Fedhasa who has pledged its support for the bid to end the curfew.
Together with my department’s Portfolio of Economic Growth, we are looking at all possibilities and options that will get our industries and businesses to function optimally. As such, I will therefore make submissions to the National Ministers of Tourism, Small Business, and Trade and Industry to proactively solve conflicts or blockages to trading activity.
In Cape Town, we’re working hard to get the economic engine going in full force. We are revitalising the CBD for more economic opportunities, and I’m pushing to look at the Night Time Economic Study again to see how we can get 24 hour economic activity going.
We cannot wait any longer. It’s time to end all curfews and get back to business so that our economy can flourish.
Source: City Of Cape Town