More details have been released of the regulations that will be gazetted for Level 4 of the lockdown by Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Zuma said that the government received 70,000 submissions, more than 800 came from the business sector. She said most of the submissions were from people asking that exercise should be allowed. Included in the regulations are the following:
- People would be allowed to exercise including cycling, running or walking but only in the morning from 6am – 9am in their own neighbourhoods within a 5km radius.
- Workers will be allowed to travel to work but have to be home from 8pm to 5 am the next morning. It they need to travel outside of these hours, they would need a permit.
- Commuting with buses, trains and taxis to get to work will be permitted but no movement to provinces.
- Movement between the provinces remain prohibited, except for people who have been caught away from their home province who would be granted a one-off allowance to return.
- Agriculture products like wine and wool can be transported to ports for export and imports can resume.
- Foreigners who have been stuck in South Africa, would now be allowed to be repatriated.
- For workers of the industries that would now open; strict health protocols must be put in place, which should be communicated to workers and the number of workers that arrive, should be phased in.
- The Government has decided to ban the sale of cigarettes again because of safety concerns around sharing what the minister called a ‘zol’ which increases the chance of transmission.
- The prohibition against alcohol sales remain in place “as very few people enjoy drinking alone and selling home brews to neighbours is banned.”
The easing of movement will only be allowed with strict safety precautions in place. – Linda van Tilburg
Comment from Biznews community member Dr Johann Uys:
Hi Alec
I am writing this mail to you since I think that political platforms are really not as powerful as the press since they are just construed by the ANC as the opposition “complaining because it is in their genes to do so anyway,  so why listen?”
From a societal perspective, the Big Brother attitude taken by Government is disturbing to say the least. A curfew? Really? And then what? Or is this an admission that the bullying tactics of the police on the streets are not effective? Or is it perhaps licensing the defence force combatants to legally be brutal during curfews. What they are saying is that South Africans are really stupid and cannot think for themselves so now we are being parented and grounded?
I am not a smoker but dictating to millions of people because two thousand public responses? And then the president stating that he has consulted with all political parties? Well that is one thing but another is did they agree?! It seems not! Is Cyril really in charge or is it Dlamini-Zuma? If people want to share a cigarette they will do so! Now we take cigarettes away – they will merely share anything else they are going to smoke! Illegal tobacco trade is rife now and the dagga smuggling business have never been better!
The ANC is bent on potentially sacrificing millions of unemployed and hungry people in the street so that their COVID – 19 stats are exemplary! So to prevent let’s say 10 000 deaths there may be 30 000 deaths due to hunger, rioting and looting and long term demise of the unemployed.
This excludes the risk that goes with illegal brewing and I believe the traditional skokiaan (the meth spirits and even battery acid) is happening again! As John Robbie tweeted some time ago: Was the prohibition not responsible for the rise of the mafia in the US? Don’t they understand human behaviour? If people want it they will get it and now the Government is criminalising human habits!!!
Which scientific models to they follow? Purely virology and no social sciences? Crime looks good according to the mafia like Cele because hijackings and assaults are down. Well I have news for him – there are no cars to hijack and there are no markets – the borders are closed meneer! Assaults are still taking place. It is not in the taverns and shebeens anymore. It is now called domestic violence and has become invisible Mr Cele. And the net result of domestic violence- hundreds if not thousands children are now traumatised or; through modelling this behaviour to beat up people as a solution to problems at home,  are merely cultivating our new and future generation of abusers!
I am leaving this crèche as soon as my children complete their respective 6th and 5th years med school studies. It is not long now…..
I would be very interested to get your views on this circus.
Best.
