- Cabinet has approved the extension of the national state of disaster.
- The approval was given during Cabinet's first virtual meeting of the year on Wednesday.
- Cabinet gave its support to South Africa's vaccination rollout plan.
The national state of disaster has been extended to 15 March following Cabinet approval on Wednesday.
The approval was given during the Cabinet's first virtual meeting of the year.
The state of disaster was originally set to lapse on 15 June, but the Disaster Management Act provides that it can be extended for one month at a time before it lapses.
"Cabinet approved the extension of the National State of Disaster to 15 March 2021, in terms of Section 27(5) (c) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (57 of 2002)," Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said.
The Cabinet also discussed the country's vaccination rollout plan.
"Government has prioritised the country's vaccination programme to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Cabinet reassures South Africans that this programme remains on track," Williams said.
The Cabinet expressed confidence in the planned vaccine rollout that will commence with the more than 1.2 million frontline healthcare workers, despite recent findings that the AstraZeneca vaccine recently delivered to South Africa was less effective against the Covid-19 strain prevalent in the country. The rollout plan will now make use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Also tabled at the Cabinet meeting was the appointment of advocate Doctor Mashabane as director-general of justice and constitutional development.
Mashabane will move from his role as special advisor to Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola.
Mashabane has served as a representative on the United Nations (UN), having held the position of UN political head of international peace and security. He also served as a director at the Department of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2009.
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