[ad_1]
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has extended the national state of disaster for another month.
The government declared a national state of disaster under Section 27 (1) and Section 27 (2) of the Disaster Management Act on March 15, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the state of disaster originally expired on June 15, the law states that the Cogta minister can extend it by notice in the bulletin for a month before it expires.
In a directive published on Wednesday (October 14), Dlamini-Zuma said the extension takes into account the need to continue to augment existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by state bodies to address the impact of the Covid disaster. 19.
The state of disaster will now expire on November 15.
Push back
The state of widespread national disaster has faced increased scrutiny from business groups and political parties who want the protracted coronavirus lockdown to end.
Earlier this week, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said that the state of disaster undermines democracy, oversight and policy certainty, and bolsters what it called “bad science,” promoting a climate of fear in the world. country.
“Extending (the state of disaster) will be nothing more than a continuation of the government’s attempt to use bad science to promote a climate of fear that gives false legitimacy to the growing authoritarianism of the ANC,” he said.
The party said that under South Africa’s level 1 lockdown rules, damages are still being inflicted on certain sectors of the economy, notably tourism and the alcohol industry. The blockade also continues to disrupt education, with no benefit to society, he said.
Power shift
The state of disaster is what gives power and effect to all current closure regulations, all of which are being addressed under the Disaster Management Act. With the end of the state of disaster, all current regulations, such as curfew and restrictions on assembly and movement, would also end.
However, a late night presentation from the Health Department on Tuesday (October 13) has made a move to move some of these powers into the Health Law, giving the minister a similar ability to implement these. restrictions.
These amendments to the Regulations on the Surveillance and Control of Reportable Medical Conditions would allow Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize to impose “the necessary restrictions related to such reportable medical condition” by simply publishing an official gazette.
Restrictions can include:
- Total or partial closure of any public place, including a place used for public receptions, tourist activities or events, or recreational, amusement or entertainment public activities or events;
- Prohibition of movement between districts and provinces of people;
- Prohibitions on the use of ports of entry;
- Impose curfews to keep people indoors; Y
- Closure of educational institutions.
The district attorney said that it can be argued that regulations need to be improved in this area, going down the path of handing over power to the cabinet with little or no oversight and giving them freedom to infringe on rights at whatever arbitrary whim they may have, it is not the way forward.
“During the last seven months we have seen the South African government tighten its grip on citizens with some irrational and unnecessary limitations on their rights. This was done arbitrarily through a Covid Command Council that was not accountable to anyone other than the executive.
“We have seen Parliament marginalized and relegated to a mere spectator while massive decisions were made regarding the rights of citizens. This was done in aid of our fight against Covid-19, a legitimate global health disaster, ”he said.
“We cannot allow this state of affairs to normalize as if we did not live in a constitutional democracy.”
Read: South Africa’s state of disaster will end this week, but another extension is coming
[ad_2]
