South Africa has extended the duration of the National State of Disaster for the coronavirus pandemic to 15 July, Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, said on Thursday.
The minister announced this when he briefed the media on the outcome of a Cabinet meeting held on Thursday as the country’s death toll reached 792 deaths from 37,525 confirmed positive cases of the virus.
“Cabinet has approved the extension of the National State of Disaster by another month from 15 June until 15 July 2020,” Mthembu said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa officially declared a National State of Disaster in March as part of the country’s efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus which originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan last December.
This week, however, the lockdown measures the government put in place in March were met with a court disapproval for infringing on the human rights of citizens after a local citizen complained that the restrictions were unconstitutional.
The high court agreed with the complainant.
In this regard, the government was given two weeks to come up with alternative measures that live up to the country’s laws as spelled out in the Bill of Rights in the country’s constitution.
The government would appeal the court ruling against it soonest, the minister said.
NM/jn/APA