President consults interfaith leadership on COVID-19 transition

President Cyril Ramaphosa has this evening, Wednesday 20 May 2020, consulted a broad range of faith leaders on government’s preparations for a differentiated approach across the country to the further reopening of the economy alongside the unrelenting effort to save lives.

The President held discussions in a virtual meeting where the leadership of the South African Catholic Bishops Conference, the South African Council of Churches, the National Interfaith Council of South Africa, the Muslim Judicial Council, the Jewish Board of Deputies, the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, African Independent Churches, Charismatic/Pentecostal churches, African Traditional Faiths, the National Religious Leaders Council and the Southern African Interfaith Council was invited.

The meeting was held amid government’s planning, in partnership with civil society, for the progression of large parts of the country to Alert Level 3 of the national lockdown that will enable further easing of economic activity and personal movement.

The meeting with interfaith leaders formed part of an intensive series of consultations undertaken by the President in recent days.

The consultations allow government to take stakeholders into its confidence regarding progress and challenges in the management of the pandemic, and provides stakeholders with a platform for making proposals and articulating challenges identified in different communities or sectors.


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President at media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency 
Pretoria