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The government has released more than a dozen new directives on South African blockade regulations since the official introduction of the level 4 restrictions on Friday (May 1).
These directives seek to clarify problems around the new restrictions, as well as how the new rules will affect specific sectors such as transport and the new curfew.
Below is an overview of the major changes announced and what they mean for ordinary South Africans.
Rules around curfew
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released six separate directives on Monday (April 4), clarifying a number of key issues related to public and private travel.
Two of the directives focused on the introduction of the new night curfew and travel times.
As part of the country’s new Level 4 lockdown, a new night curfew prohibits all South Africans from leaving their homes between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless they are an essential service worker or have to deal with an emergency.
However, the new directives state that South Africans will have an “grace period” of one hour per night as follows:
- Public transport within the provinces, metropolitan areas and districts can operate from 05:00 to 20:00 with a grace period of one hour to complete the trip and leave it at 21:00;
- Intraprovincial and metropolitan areas and districts that travel by private vehicle can operate from 05:00 to 20:00 with a grace period of one hour to complete the trip at 21:00;
In a separate directive, Mbalula clarified that this curfew does not apply to South Africans who make long-distance travel between provinces between May 1 and 7.
Licensing rules
Mbalula extended the grace period for South African motorists with expired documentation.
This means that the validity of all learner licenses, driver’s licenses, motor vehicle license discs, temporary permits, and road certificates that expired during the shutdown has been extended for another 30 days (as of May 4) .
Tax Collection Rules
On Monday, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) released a new directive that expressly states that tax officials can return to work as part of the financial services sector.
In simple terms, the directive confirms that the tax professionals and other providers that offer these services can operate normally, explained Jean du Toit, a chief tax lawyer for Tax Consulting SA.
“It is not surprising that tax services fall under the umbrella of essential financial services, so it is quite interesting that the Minister has decided to issue a directive to confirm this categorically.”
The same day, SARS officials communicated that they will return to the office on May 5, 2020, du Toit said.
“Perhaps this is purely fortuitous, or perhaps the Minister issued the directive out of necessity, aware that SARS will fire at full blast from this week onward. This aligns with what we have experienced in practice, where there is a definite increase in SARS activity. “
IT worker rules
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies published a new directive describing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) workers who will be able to work under the country’s new Level 4 blocking regulations.
The directive, which was released on Sunday (May 3), provides a breakdown of the ICT jobs that were allowed under the Tier 5 restrictions and the jobs that would be allowed under the revised Tier 4 restrictions.
The regulations also describe the strict mitigation measure that must be followed before work is allowed to resume.
This includes the cloth face masks that are requirements for all workers, but also the introduction of perspex dividers, space requirements, and strict cleaning regimes for certain industries.
Rules around the courts
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Ronald Lamola, published a directive indicating which functions of the court and other parts of the legal system will be able to return to work under level 4 restrictions.
The directives restrict access to the courts to people who have a material interest in a case, and allow the postponement of criminal cases in certain circumstances.
Additionally, the directive states that small claims court matters and civil matters that are not considered “urgent” will not be heard during the level 4 block.
Rules on artists and performers.
The Department of Arts and Culture described the artists and performers who will be allowed to return to work under the Tier 4 blocking restrictions.
These include:
- Performing arts institutions or theaters can broadcast live without audiences;
- Film and television productions with local cast, living legends, and equipment are subject to strict conditions;
- Commercial and entertainment productions. These productions should somehow add arguments in support of Covid-19’s security measures.
Rules on television quotas
South Africa’s Independent Communications Authority released a new gazette that relaxes regulations for certain broadcasters in the country.
One of the most important changes is that broadcasters (such as SABC) will not have to follow quotas around local content.
Stations have also been exempt from some advertising and programming requirements.
Read: 7,572 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa when the death toll reaches 148
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