Plans to deploy national ministers to the Western Cape to assist in the fight against Covid-19 are under way, according to a report in the Sunday Times.
Their duties are still unclear, however, Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu told Sunday Times that ministers would be sent to Covid-19 hotspots – a decision which the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) made.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde confirmed the deployment to Sunday Times, saying he had not spoken to President Cyril Ramaphosa about the ministers' mandate but hoped consultations would take place before the deployment.
While some DA insiders raised concerns that the national government was attempting to micromanage the DA-run province, both Winde and Mthembu denied this, saying politics should not come into play during the fight against Covid-19, the report said.
As of Saturday night, the Western Cape recorded 66.1% of the national figure, with cases sitting at 30 379, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in a statement.
