Civil group to challenge state of disaster in court
Civil group Dear SA has approached the High Court in Pretoria to declare the latest extension of the state of disaster unlawful and have it set aside.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last week that the state of disaster has been extended to December 15 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The organisation's director Rod Hutchison says they wrote a letter to Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to ask her to clarify the extension.
However, Dlamini-Zuma failed to respond to the letter by the deadline of October 30.
"So now we are seeking relief in the high court, to get the information that was used to extend the state of disaster and hoping to end the state of disaster in its current form,” says Hutchison.
"We feel that government has far too power or power rests with one person at this stage and there is lack of parliamentary oversight in deciding these matters.”
Hutchison believes the latest decision to extend the state of disaster was based on initial information ahead of the initial lockdown, but since then there has been a change in circumstances and data.
