Johannesburg - The National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) is on Thursday spelling out the new regulations which will come into place when the country moves to Level 3 of the national lockdown on June 1.
Earlier this week, the council repeatedly postponed their scheduled briefings as discussions continued with various stakeholders.
The country were kept anxiously waiting for information on regulations of the liquor industry and faith-based groups, which have been given the green light to open places of worship despite concerns over their potential to fuel Covid-19 infections.
Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu told SABC News on Wednesday that the briefing was delayed to allow for the inclusion of the religious sector and special measures for declared Covid-19 hot spots across the country.
“There are many hot spots that we are dealing with in the country that are infected by the coronavirus.
"You need different regulations that are directed and that are targeting those hot spots,” Mthembu added.
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The DA, meanwhile, has criticised the government for the manner in which it has handled the Level 3 regulations, labelling them shambolic.
DA spokesperson on trade and industry Dean Macpherson accused the government of leaving businesses and workers in the dark about how they were supposed to conduct their operations in terms of the regulations when they resumed their operations from Monday.
“These protocols may be complex and require time to implement in many industries.
"To give such short notice (if any) may render many sectors unable to open due to lack of compliance," he said.
"It is very clear that there is a low-grade civil war playing out in the NCCC and the Cabinet over these regulations, which has resulted in the consecutive cancellations,” Macpherson added.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the mounting legal challenges, including by the DA, against some of the regulations of level 5 and 4 were the likely reason behind the postponements.
“What I suspect is that they are still consulting with legal counsel and some of the regulations because there are already court threats. They are being cautious now, unlike before when they were just making regulations and implementing them,” he said.
Holomisa said the NCCC was also likely besieged by the many proposals received from various social partners, including political parties, during consultations.
Political Bureau
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