SA political parties present a united front on tackling coronavirus

The South African Parliament is the last place that you would regard as a bastion of decorum and unity with constant bickering and interruptions, with the EFF using it as a platform for grandstanding. Many South Africans also appeared to have adopted the 'everyone for himself' attitude as people stockpiled on essentials in the last couple of days with supermarkets unable to keep up. But the outbreak of the coronavirus has resulted in an unusual display of unity in Parliament as South Africa is facing what President Cyril Ramaphosa described as 'the worst challenge of this generation with the coronavirus outbreak'. At a meeting at Tuynhuis in Cape Town the leaders of the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and the African Christian Democratic Party pledged their support for the government's national state of disaster. - Linda van Tilburg