Level 4: You can travel to another province – but only under these rules

The government have introduced exemptions on inter-provincial travel laws for South Africans during Level 4 of lockdown. The rules, which came into effect on Friday, will give citizens a week to decide where they want to spend this current period behind closed doors – but you will need a valid reason to cross the borders.

Level 4 latest: What are the travel rules in South Africa?

Let’s be perfectly clear: This rule only applies to our domestic travellers. Should you meet the criteria, one could only travel between the nine provinces of South Africa. For example, you absolutely cannot pass from Limpopo into Zimbabwe, or North West in Botswana. All international borders remain closed.

For those of you wanting to know what the rules are, we’ve summed them up in six points:

• Anyone who wasn’t at their place of residence or work before lockdown can travel across a provincial border, if they are heading to said residence or workplace.
• If you were forced to stay within the confines of another province, you’ll only be allowed to go back to where you need to be. This isn’t an excuse for a road trip…
• But, we must stress, you can only do this once during Level 4 – and it is a one-way trip. You can’t go back and forth.
• If you do cross into another province, that’s where you will stay until the next level of lockdown is introduced.
• This window of travel opened on Friday 1 May, and closes on Saturday 8 May.
• You do not need a permit to cross provincial lines, but police will ensure you are compliant with the rules.

Dlamini-Zuma addresses provincial travel issues

Despite being accused of producing a “copy and paste” of the previous lockdown, the government has defended its cautious approach. In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, COGTA Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma explained the logic behind this amendment – and asked the public to respect the Level 4 lockdown laws:

“The purpose of these directions is to regulate the once-off movement of persons who were not at their place of residence or work before the lockdown period and who could not travel between provinces, metropolitan and district areas during the lockdown.”

“They are permitted in terms of regulation 16(5), on a once-off basis during Level 4, to return to their places of residence or work. We urge all South Africans to recognise the unprecedented crisis facing the country and to use the opportunity provided for once-off travel responsibly by still adhering to the lockdown regulations.”

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma