Calls are intensifying for President Cyril Ramaphosa to end the national state of disaster introduced in 2020 in the wake of Covid-19. Tomorrow marks two years since the government put in place the Covid-19 regulations.
This as the National Coronavirus Command Council is expected to meet today to plot the way forward in the management of the pandemic.
Alderman Williams, executive mayor of Tshwane, is leading the charge saying there is no longer a tangible reason for continued use of the legislation to manage the pandemic.
“All indicators are pointing to Covid-19 infections reaching a general plateau with a continuous low infection rate. This calls for the national government to drop unnecessary restrictions that are still in place,” said Wiiliams, adding it was time for live events and stadiums to open fully so these sectors can also recover financially.
Williams questioned the necessity of PCR tests and how they are affecting the tourism sector, noting that a vaccine certificate should suffice for travellers. He added that the mask mandate should also be reviewed, especially for outdoor events.
The DearSA and Afriforum have turned to court in an attempt to have the national state of disaster scrapped.
“On March 1, DearSA received notice from the minister of cooperative governance stating that the government tends to oppose our application. This response indicates that the government has no intention of lifting the national state of disaster,” reads a statement from DearSA.
“Two years of civil rights erosion have had an unacceptable adverse impact on our economy, livelihoods and wellbeing.”
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