Loyiso Sidimba
POLITICIANS will now be allowed to hold gatherings and community engagements to deal with emergency matters after alert level 4 regulations prohibiting them were amended.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has amended the regulations issued after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the extension of alert level 4 restrictions by an additional two weeks.
According to the regulations published on Sunday, gatherings at political events and traditional council meetings are prohibited.
Dlamini Zuma undertook that these restrictions on gatherings will be in place until July 25 after which they will be reviewed.
However, following widespread #FreeJacobZuma protests and looting of businesses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, Dlamini Zuma amended the regulations on Wednesday to allow gatherings for the exercise of oversight responsibilities and community engagements by members of Parliament and provincial legislatures, councillors, leaders of political parties, religious and traditional leaders.
In terms of the amended regulations, which come into operation on Wednesday, gatherings at community engagements hosted by MPs, MPLs, councillors, political, religious and traditional leaders to deal with emergency matters are now permitted.
On Monday, Ramaphosa announced that as part of his administration’s ongoing engagement with key sectors of society, he would be meeting with leaders of political parties to discuss the current situation engulfing the country.
The meeting with leaders of political parties is scheduled for Wednesday.
Ramaphosa also called upon other leaders of political parties, taxi associations, business organisations and unions to do everything in their means to calm the situation.
Several members of Ramaphosa’s executive visited areas worst-hit by the violence and looting in Gauteng including ANC national chairperson and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, his Cabinet counterparts Ronald Lamola, Bheki Cele, Fikile Mbalula, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni as well as Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa.
KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala and his MECs also visited some of the affected areas in the province on Wednesday.