South Africa's 'Irrational' Lockdown Rules Face Legal Challenge
The South African government introduced a lockdown amid the COVID-19 outbreak. But detractors have suggested the rules are too restrictive.
May 20, 2020 at 11:27 AM
2 minute read
Johannesburg
South Africa's opposition parties have launched a legal challenge to the government's lockdown regulations.
The main South African opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has announced its intention to take the ANC government to court to fight what it describes on its website as "irrational" lockdown regulations that are "doing more harm than good."
In his announcement, DA interim leader John Steenhuisen vowed that his party would fight to overturn every lockdown regulation that he considers irrational.
These regulations have been enforced by "petty authoritarians, hopped up on power, who are allowed to run amock," he said.
The managing partner of a law firm in South Africa said of the impending court actions: "It's good to test the validity of the regulations and hold the government accountable."
Another lawyer said: "Thankfully, South Africa has a world-class constitution, including a provision for the courts to issue instructions to government."
The restrictions also include a ban on the sale of several products such as cigarettes and alcohol, a military-enforced nighttime curfew, and outdoor exercising restricted to three hours a day on pavements only.
Recent research by the University of Cape Town indicates that the ban on cigarette sales is "feeding an illicit market that will be increasingly difficult to eradicate" once the lockdown is over.
Research last week showed that the lockdown had created significant hardships for a number of smaller South African law firms.
Read more:
South Africa's Smaller Firms Face Ruin as Nation Extends COVID-19 Lockdown
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