South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Friday 15 May

Stay up to date with the latest news in South Africa by reviewing our wrap of headlines on Friday 15 May.

With some big amendments having already been made to the lockdown regulations following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s mid-week address, the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), tasked with guiding South Africa through the risk-adjusted model, is expected to brief the nation on upcoming changes.

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Friday 15 MAY

Lockdown bonanza: Everything for sale, except cigarettes and booze

The world of e-commerce has received a monumental boost, with regulatory amendments, gazetted within the Disaster Management Act, terminating all restrictions on online sales. The sudden turn around, which was preceded by controversial proposals penned by Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel, comes just one day after President Ramaphosa addressed the nation.

Ramaphosa revealed that while the nation edged closer to Level 3 lockdown, the NCCC would be making amendments to lighten restrictions on “retail, e-commerce and exercising” while still at Level 4.

The latest economic boost is expected to be expanded upon in the coming days, with some analysts predicting a change to the current alcohol and tobacco laws.

Minister Mkhize details district-based approach

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has elaborated on government’s district-based approach to easing lockdown restrictions, building on assertions made by President Ramaphosa on Wednesday.

With the vision of a less restrictive lockdown becoming clearer by the day, Mkhize has explained that regions will need to prove the proficiency of their healthcare systems in order to be afforded reprieves held in lower levels. The health minister added that provincial cooperation with the NCCC would be paramount to the district-based approach’s success, saying:

“Depending on the average active cases per 100 000 people, districts will be individually assigned levels of lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus.

The case numbers will be monitored and the National Command Council will review the level of lockdown per district every two weeks.”

The above model is expected to roll out before the end of May.

President pleased with the Eastern Cape’s coronavirus response

President Cyril Ramaphosa has given the Eastern Cape’s preparations to deal with the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic the thumbs up.

“I’m particularly happy that you have awoken to the danger of this and are now putting in place a clear health strategy that is going to address this,” said the President.

The President paid a visit to Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape on Thursday to assess the provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Eastern Cape has 1534 confirmed COVID-19 cases and accounts for 13.3 % of infections nationally.

The oversight visit comes as government prepares to ease the lockdown and reopen the economy.

With consultations on easing the lockdown further to level 3 set to get underway on Friday, the President indicated the country could move to level 3 of the lockdown even before the end of May.

The visit forms part of a series of oversight visits by the President to Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal to evaluate the fight against COVID-19. (Source: SAnews)

Lockdown’s legal challenges mount

The current lockdown regulations, which have managed to flatten the virus’ curb at the expense of South Africa’s economic prospects, face a flurry of legal challenges at the hands of private organisations and political parties.

In addition to the ongoing legal battle to have the prohibition of tobacco revoked, both the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have in separate yet not unrelated lawsuits called for government to account. The FF Plus released a statement detailing its court bid, saying:

“The FF Plus will approach the High Court with an urgent application to challenge the validity of the National Disaster Management Act and to request the Court to find that the government is abusing the Act, which will mean that the announced state of disaster and the associated regulations are unconstitutional.”

Similarly, the DA has filed court papers challenging the rationality of three separate lockdown-related decisions: the night curfew, the restrictions on e-commerce and the limited 3-hour window for exercise.

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