Solidarity, Afriforum Launches Legal challenge to end South Africa’s state of disaster

TRADE union Solidarity and civil rights group Afriforum have announced a legal challenge to South Africa’s state of disaster.

The national state of disaster was initially introduced in March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was most recently extended by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma until 15 February. The minister said that the extension was necessary to augment the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by the organs of state to address the impact of the disaster.

However, Afriforum and Solidarity argue that the pandemic is now entering an endemic phase and that the state of disaster is no longer fit for purpose.

“The fact that the virus is now endemic means the virus won’t disappear, but we will have to learn to live with the virus. It also means that exceptional measures by the state, such as those that can be instituted under a