Government should establish legislation and regulations to deal with pandemics without incorporating them in the Disaster Management Act. This is according to a Social Security and Health Policy specialist from the Wits School of Governance, Professor Alex van den Heveer.
Van den Heveer was reacting to a statement by the World Health Organisation in Africa that governments should probably only resort to lockdowns as a short-term measure while strengthening capacity to contain the variant.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, some political parties have criticised the government for extending the National State of Disaster to the 15th of next month.
Professor Van den Heveer believes the aim of the extension is not to restrict but to tighten loose ends.
“I don’t expect it to continue for much longer. I think we are out of the period of managing this pandemic through the Disaster Management Act. What we will probably also see is that certain parts of the regulations that were used for the health interventions are going to be incorporated into the National Health Act, and therefore you’ve sort of law routinely available instrument. Essentially, we should have enabling legislation and regulations for dealing with pandemics, it doesn’t have to be incorporated into the Disaster Management Act.”
State of Disaster extended for another month
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini -Zuma has extended the National State of Disaster by another month until the 15th of February.
The extension is granted in terms of the Disaster Management Act. The Act empowers the Minister to extend the State of Disaster on a month-to-month basis once the first three months have expired.
The Department says the extension has taken into account the need to continue augmenting the existing legislation. It says it also considered the contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state and all other role players to respond to the impact of the National State of Disaster on lives and livelihoods.
The Department says it’s calling on citizens to continue following all the COVID-19 regulations by wearing a face mask at all times, maintaining social distance, avoiding closed and poorly ventilated spaces and large gatherings as well as the washing of hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
It says it’s also calling on all South Africans to heed the government’s call to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity and ultimately protect lives and livelihoods.
The new month-to-month extension officially kicks in on Saturday when the current one expires.
It will now be the 20th time that the State of Disaster is extended on a month-to-month basis.
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