Nearly two years ago, on 15 March 2020, the South African government declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act. The national state of disaster was put in place to implement Covid-19 restrictions and manage the spread of the virus.
Two years later, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma extended the state of disaster to 15 February regardless of the advice received from senior scientists and the DA to end it.
As South Africa exits its fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the question lingers, should the national state of disaster end?
Professor Alex Welte, from the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) told News24, “I can’t see the point in having a continued state of disaster just in case we want to take drastic action at some point in the future”. He believes restrictions are enough to protect citizens and prevent further waves.
On the contrary, Professor Mosa Moshabela of the research and innovation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal disagrees. In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, he stated that ending the state of disaster is not a simple process. “Our regulations are linked to the Disaster Management Act. If we end it then we don’t really have the legislation that is going to anchor those regulations. If anyone were to challenge the regulations in court, they would win.”
Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions, analyses, and editorials:
Covid-19: ‘Little point’ in continuing with state of disaster – News24 (for subscribers)
Experts: End South Africa’s national state of disaster – Daily Maverick
Experts warn against quick ending of Covid state of disaster – Times Live
Believe me, Helen, apartheid and those Broederbond cadres were the alternative that was too ghastly to contemplate – Daily Maverick
What can the government do to limit cyber threats? – Business Day (for subscribers)
Desmond Tutu’s legacy: Eight compass points for living and dying – News24
Regulators and rising interest rates will determine crypto future – Daily Maverick
The clown show that is the ANC – Business Day
Image credit: Pixabay
