DA: Govt 'hell-bent' on normalising Covid-19 restrictions
The DA has reiterated its belief that government has kept the country in a state of disaster for too long.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday evening that the national state of disaster, which came into effect at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be lifted.
It was in place for 750 days.
READ: National state of disaster lifted after 750 days
“South Africa has suffered under this state of disaster for 750 days - one of the longest in the world,” says DA spokesperson Cilliers Brink.
“It is extremely worrying to us that, despite the formal lifting of this state of disaster, our government now seems hell-bent on normalising the restrictions that we faced for so long by introducing regulations to the Health Act that will effectively normalise this very abnormal state of affairs and shift the power to the minister of health.”
Brink says the official opposition has written a letter the Minister of Health Joe Phaala, asking him to remove the amendments.
ALSO READ: State of disaster has ended: What you need to know
“We believe that is it a transparent and opportunistic attempt to extend the unilateral power that the South African government afforded themselves during the state of disaster.”
The party has also urged South Africans to scrutinise the proposed amendments and to lodge their objection before April 15 when the period for public comments end.
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