News24 reports that civil rights organisation AfriForum, which started legal action last month to nullify the national state of disaster, on Tuesday condemned the government's decision to extend it by a month.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma earlier announced the extension. The current state of disaster was set to expire on Wednesday. AfriForum's campaigns manager Jacques Broodryk reacted: "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." The organisation said there was "currently no disaster and hence no need for a state of disaster". According to Dlamini-Zuma, the decision was taken so that the government and organs of state could have enough time to "continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements" to ensure that new legislation was in place for the continued management of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic after the termination of the state of disaster.

• Read the original of the report in the above regard compiled by Jeanette Chabalala at News24

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