- Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has petitioned the national government to lift lockdown regulations so the economy can recover.
- Winde says there is no clear roadmap to end the national state of disaster.
- Health Minister Joe Phaala has warned South Africans to expect a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections between mid-December and mid-January.
The Western Cape government is still forging ahead with its efforts to get the national government to lift the state of disaster and lockdown regulations.
This comes as the country heads into the festive season with the possibility of a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections.
The national state of disaster was extended by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Saturday. According to the gazetted extension, the state of disaster will now run until 15 December.
Premier Alan Winde has long advocated for the state of disaster to be lifted for the economy to recover.
Winde’s spokesperson Cayla Murray told News24 that national government’s response had been concerning.
"On 13 October, Premier Winde received a response to his letter from the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The response received indicated that [there are] ongoing assessments by the National Coronavirus Command Council, and that Cabinet will determine the satisfaction of conditions for terminating or allowing the state of disaster to lapse," she said.
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Murray added that Winde was on record expressing his dissatisfaction with this response, which was silent on the question of consultation, and which they believed indicated that there was no clear roadmap to end the national state of disaster.
"This is worrying. It is important that there is full transparency as to what the plans are. The public, and especially the economy – which is now being battered by load shedding – needs this certainty to recover," she said.
In September, Ramaphosa said that, although he would like to see the state of disaster ended, the government was guided by science and the science on the pandemic, and that the ministerial advisory committee had advised the government on this.
Health Minister Joe Phaala warned that South Africans can expect a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections between mid-December and mid-January.
Phaala recently said the government was preparing the country’s health system for a resurgence in infections by stocking up on oxygen supply, ventilators, beds and PPEs for health workers.
Meanwhile, AfriForum’s legal team sent a letter of demand to Dlamini-Zuma, stating that the continued implementation of national curfews as part of the state of disaster was irrational and unjustified.
AfriForum campaigns mamager Jacques Broodryk said the continued forcing of curfews on the population was unacceptable and not grounded in fact-based evidence.
"Therefore, AfriForum has stepped in to put a stop to this irrational policy. Should AfriForum not receive a response by the above-mentioned date it will be compelled to approach the High Court for relief, pending the Department and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs providing the above requested data, supporting evidence and reason," he said.
Comment from Dlamini-Zuma’s spokesperson will be added once received.