Divorced parents can move their kids around during lockdown: Lindiwe Zulu

07 April 2020 - 21:47
By Matthew Savides
Social development minister Lindiwe Zulu has backtracked on lockdown orders prohibiting the movement of children between parents who live separately.
Image: Trevor Samson Social development minister Lindiwe Zulu has backtracked on lockdown orders prohibiting the movement of children between parents who live separately.

Provided certain conditions are met, divorced parents can move their children to their respective partners' homes, despite the national lockdown.

In what is another change to the original set of lockdown rules, a government gazette published on Tuesday sets out the new requirements.

It states that a child can be moved between the parents, provided there are "arrangements in place". These include having a court order, or that a "parental responsibilities and rights agreement" or a "parenting plan" exists. That plan must be registered with the family advocate.

The gazette, signed by social development minister Lindiwe Zulu, states that the parent transporting the child must have the relevant documentation with them at all times.

It also states that nobody in the home that the child is being moved to can have Covid-19 or have come into contact with someone suspected of having the respiratory illness.