NCCC looking into efficacy of state of disaster - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday responded to questions around the
repeated extension of the National State of Disaster.
Ramaphosa attended the launch of a vaccine manufacturing campus in Cape Town – the first in Africa to produce Covid-19 vaccines from start to finish.
During a question-and-answer session, President Ramaphosa said the National Coronavirus Command Council is looking into the question of the state of disaster – and whether current legislation would be able to sufficiently manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
The National State of Disaster was initially introduced in March 2020 in response to Covid-19 and was recently extended to mid-February,
Government is coming under increasing pressure to end the state of disaster.
“We are on record as having said we are examining how best we should handle the state of disaster in this period where the infections have tampered down and to see the efficacy of using the state of disaster legislation or utilising other measure,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa said the NCCC is examining whether government can use ordinary health regulations to manage the pandemic.
“Many have challenged, even in the courts ,the utilisation of the state of disaster, but I think since the disaster descended on our country we have managed the process rather well, while utilising this instrument.
“We at government have to be every rational in everything we do. So we are examining that and maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones that your desires will be fulfilled soon if in the end the NCCC recommends to Cabinet that we should drop that.”
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