Cape Town – South Africans have taken to social media to ask that President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government lift the curfew on New Year’s Eve so that they can welcome the new year “freely”.
South Africa is currently under adjusted alert level 1, which has among other regulations, a curfew that starts from 00:00 to 04:00.
It also means that non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres need to close by 23:00 to allow their employees and patrons to travel home before the start of the curfew.
ALSO READ: SA to stay on Level 1 lockdown… Minister urges travellers to get vaccinated
The maximum number of people permitted to gather indoors is 750, and the maximum number of people permitted to gather outdoors is 2 000. Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50% of the venue’s capacity may be used. This includes religious services, political events and social gatherings as well as restaurants, bars, taverns and similar places.
Many South Africans have grown accustomed to organising crossover church services and huge festivities to welcome the new year.
With these Covid-19 regulations in place, many fear they might break the rules.
The hashtag #NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve topped the Twitter trends list on Wednesday, with many pleading with Ramaphosa to grant the nation a “New Year’s Eve pass”.
Take a look at some of the reactions on Twitter:
I am sure ONE NIGHT of no Curfew, for now, will not be detrimental. I mean Covid-19 almost didn’t exist for about 3 months during elections with no one really enforcing the protocols cos politicians were also not complying. So ONE NIGHT WON’T KILL US!
#NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve pic.twitter.com/YHUSatSNwS
— Lydia Teleki (@lydia__teleki) December 22, 2021
At this point we are aware that these Covid-19 regulations were put in place just to control us. That is why political parties can break them and nothing happens. So please allow us to have our crossover to the new year without a curfew. #NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve
— Lydia Teleki (@lydia__teleki) December 22, 2021
2be honest nje this does not make sense that we made to think or believe that this flu during the day☀️ is not effective that much when we outdoors in numbers but is more dangerous at night? n in the early mornings of the day.Yaz ezinye Izinto ukuthi u???♂️ #NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve
— Neo Jama (@JAMA_NM) December 22, 2021
IF ANC and EFF could hold these massive gatherings that are ?during election campaigns and nothing happened.There was no surge in Covid-19 infections, and “no one died”.Im sure orderly church folks can handle a NIGHT VIGIL at church on New Year’s eve. #NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve pic.twitter.com/c1wNRWMYh5
— Lydia Teleki (@lydia__teleki) December 22, 2021
#NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve@PresidencyZA @CyrilRamaphosa
Can you also remove curfew from covid restrictions? It’s not scientific and it doesn’t work. We want to cross over to 2022 in the house of God. South Africa needs nothing but God to remove all evil criminalities happening.— Winnie Rammbuda (@winnie_rambs) December 22, 2021
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
