Level 4 NCCC Lockdown Cele Dlamini-Zuma

Photo: GCIS / Flickr

Lockdown latest: Cele, Dlamini-Zuma ‘pushing for return to Level 4’ – report

Things seem to be escalating at a rapid pace within the NCCC, and it’s alleged that both Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Bheki Cele want a Level 4 lockdown.

Level 4 NCCC Lockdown Cele Dlamini-Zuma

Photo: GCIS / Flickr

New year, new… ah, never mind. According to multiple sources, there is now a real chance that SA could be plunged into Level 4 lockdown restrictions – with two prominent ministers allegedly angling for the return of this tougher phase.

Bheki Cele, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma ‘demand tougher regulations’

Bloomberg report that some senior members of the NCCC feel the only way forward is to take a step backward: Level 4 would have a major impact on which workplaces are allowed to remain open, and the balance between the economy and public health would rest on a tightrope in this scenario. According to the insiders…

  • Some participants in the NCCC meeting want the country to move to virus alert Level 4.
  • This phase would be implemented for an initial period of 30 days.
  • It’s understood both COGTA Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and Police Minister Bheki Cele, are ‘pushing for Level 4’.
  • Cele and Dlamini-Zuma are amongst the most powerful members of the Command Council.
  • There seems to be a split in Cabinet, with some officials worried about the ‘economic impact’ this move would have.
  • Proposals to relax the ban on alcohol sales – and reopen all closed beaches – have also been tabled.

What happens at Level 4 of lockdown?

It’s been eight months since South Africa was last in this stage of lockdown. Level 4 was only in place for five weeks, but it came with some pretty uncompromising regulations. Essentially a lighter version of Level 5, more severe economic measures are put in place, with a majority of industries instructed to ‘work from home’ wherever possible.

We’ve put together a table of all the regulations that made up our last stay in Level 4. Of course, things have changed since the beginning of May, and it’s likely that any ‘relegation’ to a stricter phase will come with a few tweaks and adjustments to what we saw in 2020. Here’s a reminder of what this stage of lockdown contained last time:

The regulations previously in placeWhat was – and wasn’t – allowed during Level 4
Essential items list– Only groceries, books, office items, IT equipment, beauty products,
winter clothes and fabric were allowed to go on sale.
Travel restrictions– Kids were allowed to move between co-parents’ homes.
– Inter-provincial and international travel was banned.
– Buses and trains had to run limited services.
Exercise limitations– We only had permission to walk, jog, or cycle between 6:00 – 9:00.
– The three-hour exercise window came with no exemptions.
– Citizens were only allowed to go somewhere within 5km of their homes.
How restaurants could operate– Restaurants, takeaway services were told they could only serve food via deliveries.
– No sit-in options were permitted, and deliveries were slapped with a 10-hour window (9:00 – 19:00).
Level 4 curfew– Curfew was in place for nine hours.
– People were banned from leaving their residence between 20:00 – 5:00.
Limited list of ‘non-home workers’– Only IT professionals, hardware operators, call centre teams, tradespeople, oil refineries,
and miners were told to attend their workplaces at Level 4.
Alcohol and cigarettes– The alcohol ban stayed in place, but exports could still go-ahead.
– Cigarettes were banned and stayed off the shelves for another four months.
Disruption to school plans– Schools, university campuses and academic centres all remained closed for a further five weeks.