Cape Town – Lobby group AfriForum has given Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma until Friday to respond to its call for an end to national curfews.
In a statement, the civil rights organisation said it has sent a letter to Dlamini-Zuma through its legal team stating that the continued implementation of curfews as part of the national state of disaster is irrational and unjustified.
The fight to end unjustified and irrational curfews during the national state of disaster has started. We’ve written to the Minister of COGTA on behalf of @AfriForum and will approach the court in December if we do not receive a positive response. https://t.co/XFKLqqEqbp pic.twitter.com/UXNYF28WqS
— Daniël Eloff (@DJEloff) November 15, 2021
In the letter to the minister, AfriForum has requested to be provided with written reasons why there are curfews as well as supporting evidence that curfews are an effective precautionary measure against Covid-19.
The organisation further wants to be provided with the documents and supporting documents, expert reports, evidence, and data which support the decision to enact curfews.
It wants the implementation of national curfews to be ceased with immediate effect.
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“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. Should AfriForum not receive a response by the above-mentioned date it will be compelled to approach the High Court for relief, pending the Department and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs providing the above requested data, supporting evidence and reasons,” the statement reads.
According to The Citizen, during his address to the nation on September 30, President Cyril Ramaphosa moved the country to adjusted lockdown level 1 following meetings with the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Coordinating Council and Cabinet.
Ramaphosa implemented a 00:00 to 04:00 curfew, later gazetted by Dlamini-Zuma.
South Africa has been in a state of disaster since March 15, 2020.
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