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Businesses in South Africa are launching a fundraising campaign today, to crowd-fund R250 000 by 15 November. This fund aims to make South African-based advocacy group, Pandemic Data and Analytics (PANDA) the world-leading organisation against lockdowns. 

The crowd-fund comes at a time when several European countries are reimposing lockdowns and in the same week as South African Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize, mooted new restrictions locally. 

“Lockdowns are proving to be contagious. Despite deaths due to Covid-19 being at least an order of magnitude below what was initially used to justify lockdowns, several governments around the world are now bringing them back. We need PANDA – as an interdisciplinary advocacy group – to counter this second wave of lockdowns now inflicted upon many countries and the increasing talk of a ‘new normal’. It has become evident that the return to sound health management and economic stability requires international co-ordination and there is no organisation better placed for this than PANDA.” 

“With their own money and time, PANDA have become the number one advocacy and research organisation against lockdowns in South Africa. They took it to the next level in recent weeks, when they recruited top experts from Oxford, Harvard, Stanford and around the world. They are now the top team globally.” 

“To kickstart their internationalisation, they need R250 000 by November 15. Naturally, this will not come close to going all the way for what needs to be done, but it will give them the foothold they need to turn the tide against lockdowns on an international level and in South Africa. It will cover initial operational, research, logistical and communications expenditure.” 

The crowdfund is hosted by Business for Ending Lockdown, a group of prominent business organisations in South Africa. Business for Ending Lockdown’s demands include ending lockdown, lifting the state of disaster, and converting all regulations to voluntary recommendations. Its signatory organisations represent more than 50 000 businesses, with several thousand more having signed up individually. For more on Business for Ending Lockdown, or to donate, visit www.endlockdown.co.za. 

Issued by Sakeliga