State of Disaster Ramaphosa positive stampede

President Ramaphosa chairing the 1st in-person cabinet meeting since the COVID-19 Lockdown regulations in 2020, 21/4/2021 – Photo: Flickr/GCIS

Concerns raised as government considers EXTENDING State of Disaster

What’s a promise from the ANC worth? Despite pledging to let the State of Disaster expire last month, the government might now change course.

State of Disaster Ramaphosa positive stampede

President Ramaphosa chairing the 1st in-person cabinet meeting since the COVID-19 Lockdown regulations in 2020, 21/4/2021 – Photo: Flickr/GCIS

This doesn’t sit right, we’re afraid. The ANC might already be looking to wriggle out of a promise they made back in February, after they stated the most recent extension of the State of Disaster ‘would be the last’.

Will the State of Disaster be extended?

Insiders at BusinessDay claim that the government is now considering stepping back from that vow, because they haven’t got their official legislation for managing COVID-19 written up yet.

It would be a flimsy and particularly weak way to weasel out of a deal struck with the South African people just a few weeks ago. Though virus restrictions remain mild at this point, the spectre of the State of Disaster framework still gives those in charge the power to implement damaging and unpopular lockdown laws.

‘They cannot stop lying’ – Shadow Minister fumes at ANC

The emergency act, which has been in place for two years, is set to expire on Tuesday 15 March. However, the government’s lack of urgency to restore normality in South Africa could see the State of Disaster remain with us for at least another month. Needless to say, the opposition isn’t happy.

Shadow Minister Dean Macpherson is aghast with the revelations – and he believes that any decision to extend the State of Disaster would go far beyond routine ANC dawdling. The DA representative has accused the ruling party’s top brass of wanting to cling on to their mandate of ‘unfettered control’:

“They can’t stop lying! Once you give government unfettered control, they are going to fight like hell before they give it up. The most disturbing part about this is they seem hung up on STILL being able to institute alcohol bans and curfews. This government has lost its mind.”

Dean Macpherson

State of Disaster ‘could be with us for a while longer’

Similar complaints have been raised by Rob Hutchinson, the chair of lobby group Dear SA. His organisation has launched a legal challenge against the State of Disaster – but they’ve faced stern opposition from the government: