Minister hails tourism relief fund ruling
The High Court in Pretoria has ruled in favour of the Department of Tourism in its battle over the criteria used to allocate funds from its Covid-19 relief fund.
Lobby group AfriForum and trade union Solidarity took the department to court in a bid to have the empowerment-based criteria declared unlawful.
The fund is meant to assist businesses who have been affected by the coronavirus lockdown and subsequent national lockdown.
Afriforum and Solidarity described the requirement as discriminatory.
Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Nguabane believes the ruling is a victory for the people of South Africa.
"Finally, this judgment will set the wheels in motion to allow those who applied and qualified, to now start receiving grants.
"I am satisfied that the court has reaffirmed our position that even during this crisis, we cannot ignore the fault lines that exists in our society."
AfriForum and Solidarity have indicated that they would be approaching the Constitutional Court to challenge the ruling.