More economic freedom, the plight of asylum seekers, and faith leaders’ dilemma

29 May 2020

On Thursday, it was announced that most of the economy would reopen under lockdown Level 3 but that movement between areas would remain restricted. Places of worship may reopen from 1 June, but faith leaders are divided on whether or not it is safe to do so. Meanwhile, a case has been filed with the high court to compel the government to extend social relief to asylum seekers.

Covid-19 in South Africa
Infogram

Swipe through the gallery below to view the latest Covid-19 numbers available on 28 May at the district level. All maps are sourced from provincial health departments; however, KwaZulu-Natal did not provide updates by the time of publishing:

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After a number of delays, a media briefing was held on Thursday to explain lockdown Level 3. It was reiterated that the entire country will move to Level 3 on 1 June. However, it was added that additional restrictions might be put in place in hotspots.

Most of the economy will be reopened. Professional non-contact sports can be played and domestic air travel will be allowed for business travel. All construction and clothing sales can go ahead. Permits will still be needed for people travelling between provinces, metros, districts and hotspots in order to begin work, studies, move house or care for a family member. Evictions are still banned.

Although religious counselling is now considered an essential service and places of worship can reopen, not everyone in the religious community is convinced it is a wise decision. Places of worship can accept a maximum of 50 people as long as they wear masks and observe social distancing. They must also sanitise venues before and after services, and rituals that flout the rules must be avoided. Sandisiwe Shoba spoke to various faith leaders about their plans come 1 June.

The government is facing legal challenges on a few fronts.

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town has approached the Johannesburg High Court to compel the government to extend the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant to asylum seekers and special permit holders. This comes after they received over 1,000 calls from asylum seekers asking for money to pay for food, rent and electricity because they cannot access social relief, can’t work and cannot leave the country. As Estelle Ellis reports, the matter is expected in court on 17 June.

A legal challenge by the Parents Against Opening of Schools against the return of some pupils to school on 1 June has been paused. The organisation made the decision because Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga is yet to gazette the decision. Vincent Cruywagen reports that the organisation is supported by more than 80,000 parents nationwide.

The lawyers representing the family of Collins Khosa have rejected an inquiry by the SANDF as “rubbish”. The inquiry cleared soldiers of causing Khosa’s death. They say the family was not interviewed for the report and that it was a way for the SANDF to tick boxes to comply with a high court ruling.

The South African Private Practitioners Forum has expressed frustration over its stalled negotiations with the national Department of Health over providing care for Covid-19 patients. The conflict centres on payment and legal immunity. Rebecca Davis unpacks what this means for the public-private partnership in handling the pandemic.

The mining sector is facing its own challenges. The Mineral Council South Africa predicts that mining production will contract by 6%-10% in 2020 because of the impact of the pandemic. The industry is preparing to resume full production from 1 June and is confident that screening and testing measures are working. As Ed Stoddard writes, trade unions disagree.

Meanwhile, some judges are refusing to use their own computers for virtual hearings. This is tripping up efforts to keep justice accessible during lockdown and the issue has risen to the attention of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. Tania Broughton reports that this issue is causing disparities in how courts are functioning.

In China, 270 South Africans are still trying to find a way back to South Africa. After two months of trying, some have lodged complaints with the SA Human Rights Commission. Peter Fabricius spoke to them about their battle. DM

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