Pretoria – The South African government on Thursday said learners who commute daily across borders to attend school in South Africa will be allowed to commute during the level 3 of the lockdown which begins on 1 June.
“As you may be aware, the South African borders are still closed for travel except for evacuation of stranded and distressed RSA citizens, evacuation of foreign nationals by respective foreign missions and movement of medical-ill treatment cases and transportation of goods to and from neighbouring states,” Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula addressed media.
“Daily commuters from neighbouring countries who attend school will be allowed to enter our borders with a special permit subject to all Covid-19 regulations on transport and health.”
Mapisa-Nqakula was addressing media as part of government’s justice, crime prevention, and security cluster of ministries following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement at the weekend that South Africa will move to Covid-19 alert level 3 from 1 June.
Under level 3 regulations, several restrictions on the movement of people will be eased.
“During level 3, home affairs [department] is offering these essential services, registration of births, reissue of birth certificates, late registration of birth (by appointment), marriage services, death certificates, issuing temporary ID certificates, collection of IDs applied for prior to the lockdown, and issuing passports only for people involved in the cross border transportation of essential goods and medicines,” she said.
“The inspectorate, which forms part of coordinated security operations, will ensure that any undocumented or illegal nationals who are detained will be subject to deportation. No visa or permitting functions will be open to the public in South Africa and at missions abroad during level 3.”
Asylum and refugee services will remain closed. All asylum seeker permits lawfully issued which have expired or are to expire during the period of the national state of disaster are deemed to have been extended up to and including 31 July 2020.
Regarding non-South Africans stranded outside the country’s borders but with permits to work in South Africa, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the immigrants cannot return during level 3 of the lockdown.
“The borders remain closed and the minister [Mapisa-Nqakula] named the few people that are allowed to go through the borders. This category of people who want to come to work in South Africa is not one of those categories she has mentioned.
"The borders are still closed, and there is no decision from the national command council or from the cabinet of the Republic of South Africa to open the borders for all groups of people yet,” he said.
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