What does lockdown mean to our economy?

Anelisa Sibanda
Anelisag98@gmail.com
Anelisa_Sibanda


The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa announced National Lockdown due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic virus. The virus has been there for a long time, but this one is a new trend named Coronavirus disease 19, because it was discovered in 2019
 The shutdown which  effectively started on the 27th of March 2020 and is expected to last until the 16th of April 2020.


Street vendors tries to make end meet
Taken from Twitter

However, the announcement was met with mixed reactions some said it will affect the economy which is already affected whilst others thought that it is a good way to curb the virus.

Sinenhlanhla Mkhize(21), a journalist at South Coast Sun said "lockdown is a good call to make, I am highly worried that our state did not focus on what will be done during this 21 day period. Plans put in order to reduce the spread of this pandemic are weak-in my perspective".

Mkhize also said China conducted door to door tests and built hospitals which took in patients who were found with the symptoms(only symptoms) during the door to door tests. "We are slow as a country, unfortunately, the pandemic will not wait for us, as for the economy-time will be the tale-teller", added Mkhize.


Current rate of the Rand against the USD

Zinhle Sibanyoni(22), a third-year journalism student at the Tshwane University of Technology(TUT) said that how will the country run during the lockdown as they are used to importing goods from other countries? This will only put a strain on the economy, as it is the Rand went from R14 against the USD to R17,73 within 2 days what will happen in the next coming days?

Anwen Mojela(24), an intern journalist at Letaba said, "It will affect the economy and most likely to lead it to junk status, the lockdown will only make it worse as it has been bad already.
Mojela also said that the lockdown will help curb the spread of the virus, that's one thing good about it.

A second-year Public Relation student at the University of Johannesburg Rethabile Kgomo(19) said, "the economic cycle is likely to face a depression phase where people will lose their jobs, businesses will collapse due to lack of income".



Kgomo also said that street vendors will be
affected the most as their source of income is in the streets, hence the lockdown will make them run at a loss.
 People have been urged to adhere to the lockdown laws and stay at home in order to prevent the spread of the virus.