South Africans are anxious, worried and uncertain, frustrated and powerless — but they are resilient.

This was the message from President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday. He was speaking at Cape Town's St George's Cathedral's virtual Good Friday service.

He said the Easter weekend was “one of hope, of recovery, of triumph and of rebirth”, despite the current challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic and the associated national lockdown.

“Many of us are anxious about our health and the health of our children. We worry how we will be able to make ends meet or if we will have jobs to go back to. The poorest of the poor worry where their next meal will come from.

“Our young people are unsure that they will be able to finish their studies or graduate. Business owners are counting the cost of the closures and what it will mean for them and those who depend on them to earn a living.

“Many feel vulnerable. Others feel frustrated and powerless. Many are afraid.

“But we South Africans are a resilient people. We endured the worst excesses of a dark past and were able to emerge, united and strong. The virtues of courage, of optimism and of compassion carried us along the path to freedom, and they are what sustain us today,” he said.

Ramaphosa said that the Easter weekend was also a reminder of the greatest virtue of Jesus Christ: sacrifice.

“Despite the heavy burden that has been placed on our people over the past two weeks, we have understood that for the greater good these sacrifices have had to be made. Our people have endured the extreme restrictions on their daily lives with patience and fortitude.

“This is a time of great trial for our country. We will at times find ourselves and our very faith sorely tested. Yet we know that the harshest of tests pushes us to persevere and to prevail. Working together, side by side, we will weather this storm and we shall overcome. Humanity will rise again.

“I wish you all good health and spirit during this blessed time. May the Easter message unite us, nourish us and give us strength in the days ahead,” said Ramaphosa.

The full message is available here.

-TimesLIVE