AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has used the eulogy to one of the country’s prominent traditional leaders to reinforce the dangers of COVID-19 and the need for South Africans to follow government protocols in order to reduce infection levels.
Ramaphosa spoke at the funeral of King Thulare Thulare III, the King of Bapedi, who died of COVID-19 at the age of 40. The funeral was held in Mohlaletsi, in Ga-Sekhukhune, in the Limpopo Province.
He said South Africa was in the midst of a second wave of coronavirus infections, far greater and far more destructive than what we experienced before.
The President said: “Many more people are becoming infected and more people are needing medical care. In many parts of the country, our hospitals and clinics are overwhelmed and our health care workers are under severe strain.
‘In this province, infections, hospital admissions and deaths are several times greater and higher than they were in the first wave. And so, we cannot leave this place of sorrow without affirming our determination to overcome this grievous disease.
“We will and must use every means available to us to save lives and protect livelihoods. We must become even more diligent in observing the various health measures – avoiding closed spaces, crowded places and unnecessary contact with others. In the coming weeks and months, we will begin a mass vaccination programme that is expected to significantly reduce infections as it reaches more and more of our people.”
The president said in recognition of King Thulare III’s contribution in society, the government accorded him a Special Official Funeral Category 1, and ordered that the national flags be flown at half-mast at every station from the 13th of January to the evening after his burial.
“While it remains our dearest wish that we could bid farewell to His Majesty in a manner befitting both his status and his person, we are constrained by the coronavirus pandemic that continues to take the lives of our people. It was this pandemic that prevented my planned visit to the King and to the royal household in early January.
“This visit was to be part of the commemoration of the formation of the African National Congress on 08 January 1912, in which the Kings and Chiefs of this country played such a central part. We have no choice to wait until this storm has passed before we can observe all the protocols and practices that are due to a life so deserving. The time will come when we will be able to pay proper tribute to our loved ones. For now, let us be safe and save lives.
