Cape Town – United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa has criticised the latest move by the government to extend the National State of Disaster, saying his party will join a court battle over the extension.
“The UDM will be joining others as friends of the court as we challenge the constitutionality of the extension of the Covid-19 state of disaster.
“The sport, tourism and hospitality industries must be relieved,” Holomisa said in a tweet.
The UDM will be joining others as friends of the court as we challenge the constitutionality of the extension of the Covid-19 state of disaster.
The sport, tourism and hospitality industries must be relieved.
— Bantu Holomisa (@BantuHolomisa) March 16, 2022
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs last week extended the National State of Disaster by a further month.
In a statement, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced that the National State of Disaster would be extended until April 15.
This, she said, was designed to allow government and organs of state to have enough time to “continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements” so as to implement measures that would further curb the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking during an interview on 702, Holomisa said there was currently no disaster, and, therefore, there was no need for the government to continue with the National State of Disaster.
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“This is nothing else but an abuse of power… because scientific results on the ground indicate that there is no disaster,” said Holomisa.
Earlier in the week, AfriForum said the organisation would go ahead with court action against the government over the state of disaster.
“This again proves AfriForum’s point that the government has no plans of ever giving up the powers they have grabbed under the guise of an emergency over the last two years.
“There is no reason to continue the state of disaster unless you’re a power-hungry politician or the countless corrupt individuals who are profiting from emergency procurement irregularities,” Afrforum’s campaign manager Jacques Broodryk said.
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Meanwhile, Times Live quoted DA leader John Steenhuisen, as saying that the extension was a disaster.
