AfriForum gives Cogta minister until Friday to end ‘irrational’ national curfew

Co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has until Friday to respond to a demand by AfriForum to end the “irrational” national curfew.

The lobby group said on Monday it will approach the courts if it receives no response from the minister. 

It said it sent a letter of demand to Dlamini-Zuma lamenting the continued curfew and national state of disaster as unjustified and irrational. 

It also demanded to be provided with expert documents which support the ongoing curfew and written reasons why SA still had curfews. It also asked for supporting evidence that curfews are an effective precautionary measure against Covid-19.

“The continued forcing of curfews upon the population is unacceptable and not grounded in fact-based evidence. Therefore, AfriForum has stepped in to put a stop to this irrational policy,” said AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk.

AfriForum also called on the public to sign a petition against the continued curfew. 

The department of Cogta had not responded to questions sent by TimesLIVE. This article will be updated once a response is received. 

Western Cape premier Alan Winde has made similar calls previously, saying the continued national state of disaster is having a negative impact on the economy. 

SA has been in a national state of disaster since March last year. Dlamini-Zuma extended it again last week to December 15. 

The extension took "into account the need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state to address the impact of the disaster," it said.