SASCO welcomes the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to lock down the country for 21 days from Thursday, 26 March 2020.
“Patriotism demands of us sustained sacrifice”. Chiang Kai-Shek
The South African Students Congress (SASCO) welcomes the decision by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa to lock down the country for 21 days to contain the pandemic corona virus and avoid mass traveling by the citizens of our nation. We are of the view that this decision came at the right time, when our nation needed to be guided through this health threat we are facing. The generations to come will not only remember President Ramaphosa for his active involvement in the building of organised Labour, the crafting of our constitution and the ultimate overthrowing of Apartheid but they will look to this bold human decision he took to save the country from the world pandemic. Deployees of our revolutionary movement must always act in this manner.
As SASCO we are exonerated by this decision as we had since called on College Principals, University rectors/Vice Chancellors and Government to stop students residence evacuations as we deemed them to be risky and therefore exposing the students to this pandemic virus through mass traveling. Unfortunately that fell on deaf ears, These institutions being careless about the lives of students.
As an organisation, while welcoming the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to lock down the country we are deeply concerned about the academic year. Trimester examinations and first semester assessments in some of our institutions should be underway and some should be headed to their graduation ceremonies.
SASCO calls for the urgent readjustment of the academic calendar to cover the work missed and save the academic year. All institutions of higher learning must resume their academic activity on the 20th of April 2020, if our Government declares it safe.
The Commander In Chief has spoken and we call on all our members, supporters, students and South African society in general to adhere to the commands. We call on all our students who are still at residences to be more careful and safe. The wellness centres of our institutions should be actively involved in making sure that our students who are still at residences are mentally well and provide any possible support through food parcels for all students.
- “The time is always right to do what is right”. Martin Luther King Jr *
Issued by SASCO NEC
For Enquiries
Bamanye Matiwane
President ~ SASCO
079 026 5759
Or
Buthanani Ngwane
Secretary General ~ SASCO
073 257 567