BusinessLive reports that according to Gauteng Premier David Makhura, the province will be moving to a less restrictive lockdown level at the beginning of June, which will provide much-needed relief from an unprecedented economic and human catastrophe.  

Addressing a virtual sitting of the provincial legislature, Makhura said that Gauteng, which ordinarily contributes more than a third of the country’s GDP, could lose as many as 2-million jobs due to the Covid-19 national lockdown.  Nationally, the country is at level 4 and President Cyril Ramaphosa has signalled a relaxation to level 3 at the end of May, although he also indicated that regions could move at different speeds based on infection rates.  “Gauteng will be going to level 3 at the beginning of June,” Makhura stated.  He also emphasised that the province would move as a whole because the region was too integrated for a differential approach.  The economic effects of Covid-19 will be like that of the Great Depression almost a century ago, the premier warned.  He noted that the modeling done for the province had looked at the worst- and best-case scenarios in terms of job losses.  In the best-case scenario the province would lose almost 900,000 jobs, which could reach up to 2-million in the worst outcome.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Claudi Mailovich at BusinessLive

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