Solidarity reports that the government has announced that it would be opposing the trade union’s court application to lift the state of disaster. The case is set to be heard on 20 April.

According to Solidarity, there is no reason for the state of disaster to remain in force because the conditions for the state of disaster have expired and it must therefore also be ended. In Solidarity’s view, the government’s indication that it would oppose the court application confirmed the necessity of continuing with the case despite promises that some of the lockdown measures would be eased. “On the one hand, President Ramaphosa claims in public that the government wants to lift the state of disaster, but on the other hand, they are fighting any attempt to lift the state of disaster in court. This creates the impression that promises about ending the state of disaster are just as empty as those of smart cities or the fight against corruption. Without external pressure, such promises will never realise,” said Dr Dirk Hermann, CEO of Solidarity. Earlier this year, Solidarity and AfriForum, respectively, submitted court documents in which these organisations requested the courts to declare the continuation of the current state of disaster invalid. Solidarity argued in its court documents that the continuous extension of the state of disaster was irrational and extremely harmful to the economy as well as to social and political norms in South Africa.

• Read Solidarity’s full statement on this matter at Solidarity News
• Lees ook, Regering baklei teen ophef van ramptoestand, by Maroela Media

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