THE DECISION to end the National State of Disaster has been met with mixed reactions.
While many political parties have welcomed the move, others have raised concerns about the impact of new regulations proposed under the National Health Act.
In a national address on Monday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the end of the National State of Disaster.
However, some regulations will remain in place – including wearing masks in indoor spaces and venues running at 50% capacity. There will be a 30-day transition period, to allow for draft health regulations to be promulgated under the National Health Act.
Ramaphosa said the special R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant payment will remain in place.
The IFP welcomed the ending of the state of disaster and called on all South Africans to adhere to the restrictions that will remain in place for the next 30 days, such as the wearing of masks indoors and restrictions on gatherings.
“As the IFP, we will continue to support measures that are guided by international best practice, as well as the advice of scientists and the many experts that have guided us over the past two years.
The health and safety of our fellow South Africans will always be our priority. We are further in full support of measures that are designed to give our ailing economy a much-needed ‘jab’ of its own,” said IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
The ending of the state of disaster was “largely symbolic”, as most “South Africans have learnt to live with the virus”, said GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron.
“Despite some criticism about the restrictions that have been imposed, our government has managed the pandemic following the science and in line with the way the vast majority of countries have done so.
The imposition of restrictions and the regulations have brought us to this significant point where the state of disaster can be lifted, and South Africans can now live with the virus with increased immunity and a readily available vaccine,” said Herron.
Cosatu also welcomed the announcement but cautioned that “Covid-19 remains a real threat to the lives and livelihoods of millions and that a fifth wave is expected as winter approaches.”
The union said it would be engaging government and businesses on workplace health and safety measures. It also welcomed measures to allow sports and events to resume, saying increased activity in these sectors will provide relief for workers.
Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said: “As we emerge from the state of disaster, it is critical that government and business address the multiple economic crises facing the workers and the country… Saving and creating jobs must be at the heart of our economic recovery and the national agenda.”
However, FF Plus spokesperson Philip van Staden said the government was merely “shifting power” by replacing the state of disaster with new regulations under the National Health Act. He said the new health regulations would allow the government to continue with strenuous economic restrictions.
The DA has been calling for the lifting of the state of disaster for several months, said spokesperson Cilliers Brink. The party raised concerns over the new health regulations.
Brink said:” It is extremely worrying to us that, despite the formal lifting of this state of disaster, our government now seems to be hell-bent on normalising the restrictions that we faced for so long by introducing regulations to the Health Act that will effectively normalise this very abnormal state of affairs and shift the power of unnatural regulations to the Minister of Health.”
The EFF said the government had engaged in a series of “unscientific, irrational and inconsistent applications of lockdown regulations”, but had failed to build new hospitals and motivate South Africans to vaccinate. The party also pointed to “massive PPE corruption” that had taken place during the state of disaster.
“The pandemic has exposed an incompetent government which is committed to corruption, even in the face of death. It must be a realisation for all South Africans that there is no future under the leadership of people who could not, in a global pandemic, manufacture a vaccine or produce a single hospital dedicated to manage the virus,” said EFF spokesperson Sinawo Tambo.
The party vowed to scrutinise the regulations under the National Health Act.
Image (Although the National State of Disaster has been lifted in SA, citizens are still encouraged to vaccinate).
