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Ramaphosa Shows His Mettle in Face of Coronavirus Scourge

Ramaphosa Shows His Mettle in Face of Coronavirus Scourge

(Bloomberg) --

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has endured withering criticism for failing to act decisively enough to spur economic growth and tackle graft since taking office in February 2018, inaction that’s been widely attributed to his tenuous hold over the ruling party.

Now, in the face of the onslaught of the global coronavirus pandemic, the 67-year-old Ramaphosa is finally showing the mettle he was renowned for during his tenure as a firebrand labor union leader and anti-apartheid activist in the 1980s and early 1990s.

He announced a string of drastic steps to combat the spread of the pandemic including travel bans on nationals from some of South Africa’s biggest trading partners and closest allies, including China, the U.K., the U.S. and Germany. Other measures announced in a televised address on Sunday night could prove unpopular, such as closing of schools for a month and a ban all public gatherings of more than 100 people.

Ramaphosa briefed senior leaders of the ruling African National Congress on his action plan earlier Sunday, and encountered opposition from several who regarded them as too harsh, according to three people who attended the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity. The president prevailed after explaining the potentially devastating impact of a widespread virus outbreak in the country’s overcrowded townships, where a high prevalence of HIV/Aids and tuberculosis may render residents especially vulnerable, they said.

The ANC caucus in parliament, which includes some of the president’s biggest foes, welcomed his “bold and decisive intervention,” as did the country’s main business lobby group and most opposition parties -- the latter are typically strident in their criticism of much of the government’s actions.

South Africa has confirmed 62 coronavirus cases since March 5, and moved swiftly to quarantine those infected and track down people who came into close contact with them.

To contact the reporters on this story: Paul Vecchiatto in Cape Town at pvecchiatto@bloomberg.net;Mike Cohen in Cape Town at mcohen21@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, ;Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, ;Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Hilton Shone

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