Putting all in place

Because government had to include regulations around the opening of places of worship, briefings about regulations set to come into effect on Monday as Level 3 kicks in are continuously postponed, Jackson Mthembu, minister in the Presidency and acting communications minister said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday acceded to requests from churches to allow them to gather and for church leaders to be classified as providing essential services so they could continue with emotional, psychological and spiritual support in communities.

“We therefore needed to craft regulations that allowed churches to operate. We needed to include those regulations so that we are in keeping with the pronouncements that have been made by the president,” said Mthembu.

He said the National Coronavirus Command Council’s briefing would go ahead today, led by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

While the government was carving out the Level 3 regulations to include the churches, there was no worry about legal challenges, Mthembu said.

“We don’t see any legal action. Many industries will be opening. We are prepared to enter into any discussions. As we speak, restaurants, tourism and other sectors are speaking to the minister of tourism.

“Government is open to persuasion on condition of ensuring that people are not infected by this virus,” he said as SA is navigating its way through a 10-week lockdown. – News24 Wire