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It’s official: Thousands of workers are being told to resume their business during lockdown on Thursday. Here’s who made the cut for an early return.
Image via Adobe Stock
With the extended lockdown now in place until the last minute of Thursday 30 April, some industries have been clamouring for an early return to work. A total of nine individual sectors have been granted their wish, after Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma amended some of the current regulations.
According to NDZ, this marks the start of a gradual “re-introduction” phase for our businesses. The first nine out of the block today are still tightly linked to the “essential services” category. Dlamini-Zuma also revealed why the government want to get the wheels of the economy turning once more:
“We won’t lift these regulations all in one go. There are measures that will remain after lockdown. Not everything will go back to normal. Some things will remain for the future. Weekly, we will announce which industries will be re-opened and detail how they will be allowed to operate.
“As we get ready to lift the lockdown in an orderly fashion, we must decongest our ports. Our items already there must then be exported. As lockdown eases, we don’t want our ports to be full before we get going. Some restrictions will remain in place for a long time, but we will bring workers back step-by-step.”
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
There are some obvious inclusions, as oil and mining get the green-light (with caveats). However, we also have a couple of obscure additions to the list, but the government are adamant all services are essential to keep the country going. Those returning to work, include the following:
Dlamini-Zuma says screening and testing for miners must be arranged as well as quarantine facilities for miners that may need it. Mining companies must also arrange for transport for local employees. #Covid19SA #LockdownSA
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) April 16, 2020