Tito Mboweni calls for calm over coronavirus: We shall overcome this

Finance minister Tito Mboweni has called for calm and strong governance, after SA declared its first cases of coronavirus.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced on Thursday that a 38-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal had tested positive for the deadly virus, after he returned from Italy. At the weekend, two more cases were reported — a woman who had travelled with the man's group to the European country and the man's wife.

As South Africans flooded social media with messages about the virus, Mboweni urged his followers to unite against it and follow advice given by experts and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“When I was growing up, we were told about the 'wise people from the East'. We did not know what the hell was this! Well, these 'wise people' would say, 'treat the coronavirus strategically, avoid contact with possible infected people'. Don’t discriminate, we are in this together.

“As a global community, together with our health professionals and scientists, we shall overcome this, as we have done with previous health challenges! Let us be calm but responsible. Follow health protocols.

“We require global leadership to be in sync with the World Health Organisation (WHO) directives. This is a serious challenge of global leadership. I rest my case.” he added.

He joked that should he succumb to the virus, his tombstone would read: “My family will write on my tombstone: Here is our brother, father and cousin. He was a good man. And on the back, the ANC writes: He was a good comrade. Faithful and just to the cause. On the sides: Bloody stubborn b**tard. Always having contrarian views!”