Ramaphosa’s Opposition Meeting Doesn’t Yield Lockdown Decision

(Bloomberg) -- Leaders of South African opposition parties said in a meeting they held on Wednesday with President Cyril Ramaphosa it wasn’t made clear to them when the country will further relax its coronavirus-related lockdown.

It was suggested that metropolitan areas, where the bulk of infections have been detected, could remain at the so-called level 4 while the rest of the country would be moved to level 3, two people who attended the meeting said. They asked not to be identified because an announcement hasn’t been made.

At least one opposition leader objected to this plan because the bulk of economic activity takes place in cities, they said.

Under stage 4 most people aren’t allowed to return to their workplaces and the sale of alcohol, cigarettes and a range of other products is banned.

The government placed the country under a stringent lockdown on March 27 known as stage 5 and relaxed that on May 1.

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