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Government relaxes some regulations amid lockdown

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Government relaxes some regulations amid lockdown

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

3rd April 2020

By: Sane Dhlamini
Creamer Media Senior Contributing Editor and Researcher

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The South African Government has apologised to citizens for the effects of the 21-day national lock down regulations put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), and has eased some of the regulations.

Addressing the media on Thursday evening Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma gave details of the relaxed measures.

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Travelling between provinces and districts has been relaxed for people who wish to attend funerals but the number of people attending the funeral is still capped at 50. Night vigils are still prohibited.   

“Funerals are not prohibited if the number is kept at 50 but we had not said anything in the regulations about how people should move to the funeral. Relatives of a deceased [person] are allowed to attend but they have to get permits from magistrates or station commanders to allow them permission to travel,” said Dlamini-Zuma.

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Only the following may attend a funeral:

  • spouse or partner of the deceased;
  • children of the deceased, whether biological, adopted or stepchildren.
  • children-in-law of the deceased;
  • parents of the deceased whether biological, adopted or step-parents;
  • siblings, whether biological, adopted or stepbrother or sister of the deceased;
  • grandparents of the deceased; and
  • persons closely affiliated to the deceased.

A death certificate or a certified copy of a death certificate must also be provided

Dr Dlamini-Zuma said for those who will travel between provinces, South Africans can stay in hotels, lodges or guesthouses if they cannot stay with the relatives.

"It is important to note that a permit holder may stay at a hotel, lodge or guest house for the duration of the funeral or cremation. The permit must be presented to the owner or manager of the hotel, lodge or guest house," Dlamini-Zuma said.

Informal traders and tuck shops are also allowed to trade but need permission from their ward councillors to travel to buy their supplies.

She clarified that the country’s borders are closed, except for essential goods transported to neighbouring countries, medical emergencies and to South Africans who were outside the country when the lockdown started.

She added that foreign nationals who are in the country will also be permitted to go back to their countries will also be allowed to be repatriated to their countries with proper documentation, which must be presented to Home Affairs officials.

Transport & Tracing Contacts

She went on to note that government was faced with challenges in the taxi industry as initial regulations required taxis to carry half its passenger capacity.

“The regulations have been relaxed to 70% full, with the encouragement of masks,” Dlamini-Zuma said.

She explained that it has been a challenge for the Department of Health to trace the contacts of those people who are Covid-19 positive as some health officials did not capture the necessary details of patients.

The regulations require the names, identity numbers, addresses, cellphone numbers and copies of identity documents of patients to trace their contacts.

“In addition to that there is a regulation that allows the tracers to trace the geolocation of where the person who may test positive [has been] by using the cellphone numbers of the people who were around the person,” she explained.  

Communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams assured South Africans that the regulation has been amended to assist the Department of Health only. She said no one will be listening in on the conversations of people in the process.

“It is in our interest, not only as government but also as South Africans, to make sure that we can minimise the spread of the virus. We all have a responsibility to look at any environment that can enable us to minimise the spread of the virus and amongst them is to look as contact tracing using cellphone numbers. We will only take the numbers of those who have tested positive,” said Ndabeni-Abrahams.

She added that the Department of Health will seek permission from the Electronic Communications Network Service licences to get access to geolocations.

“We do respect that everyone has a right to privacy but in a situation like this our individual rights do not supersede the country’s rights. The most important right we are all working towards is ensuring safety for South Africans so that the spread does not continue,” said Ndabeni-Abrahams. 

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said South Africans can expect stricter rules for those who travel to malls unnecessarily, instead of using the shops in their areas.

Dlamini-Zuma said the amended regulations have also been relaxed to allow the transportation of essential cargo from ships.  

Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel said amended regulations will ensure that ports are not backlogged so that essential goods can reach South Africans.

“We have clarified the procedure with the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula that the planes bringing cargo will land and the crew will be allowed to disembark and be kept in hotels around the airports. The airfreight companies have welcomed this clarification,” he said.

Patel also said that call centres that provide essential services will be allowed to resume their operations, subject to social distancing rules.

He said supermarkets have been asked to adjust their operating hours in line with taxi operating times, which are from 5am to 10am and again from 4pm to 9pm.

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