The DA has instructed its lawyers to bring an urgent court application to challenge an “irrational and unreasonable” extension of the state of disaster in SA.
“It’s not enough to end the state of disaster. The lockdown itself must end. It can’t just become permanent legislation as the government is trying to do," he said on Thursday.
Steenhuisen said his party would not allow the state of disaster to be “glibly” extended month after month. “There is also no need to move lockdown restrictions into permanent legislation. If the Covid-19 risk goes up the state of disaster can be reinstated.” Severe Covid-19 illness and hospitalisation rates were low across the country and so were transmission rates, “and even if they go up, they won’t necessarily drive severe illness and hospitalisation rates with them”, said Steenhuisen,
Under level 1 regulations, gatherings are restricted to 2,000 people outdoors and 1,000 indoors. The curfew has been lifted. The decision to extend the state of disaster was no longer about fighting the spread of Covid-19 but rather the ANC's desperation to cling to power.