We must all reject the racialisation of COVID-19 relief measures
7 April 2020
Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbite from John Steenhuisen MP.
The Democratic Alliance rejects the application of racial criteria in determining eligibility for government relief for businesses affected by COVID-19. We call on President Ramaphosa to immediately instruct the ministers in his cabinet to comply with his government’s own assurances given on the 24th of March that assistance to Covid-stricken businesses will be available to all South Africans.
It has now emerged in a letter written by the Minister of Tourism, Minister Kubayi-Ngubane, to Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities in the City of Cape Town, James Vos, that her Department will indeed be guided by the BEE codes in administering the Tourism Relief Fund. There are also indications that relief in the agriculture sector will exclude commercial farmers and will only be available to emerging farmers.
When news broke almost two weeks ago in a leaked draft document by the Department of Small Business Development of government’s intention to racialise the relief effort, they quickly tried to backtrack. First this document stipulating a 51% black ownership requirement was called “fake news”, but it soon emerged that it was a legitimate, albeit earlier, draft of government’s SMME relief plan. Government immediately set about reassuring South Africans that these relief measures would be available to all, regardless of race.