Remember when SA couldn’t smoke or drink during lockdown? NDZ ordered to reveal why that was the case

Co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has been ordered to reveal the reasons behind decisions taken by government during Covid-19 lockdowns.

This comes after business group Sakeliga won its two-year court battle against government which called for lockdown decision processes to be made public.

Government was criticised for the decisions implemented under the Disaster Management Act during the Covid-19 lockdown, including the banning of cigarette and alcohol sales.

With restrictions no longer in place, Dlamini-Zuma was ordered to hand over records of the lockdown decision processes to Sakeliga.

Sakeliga requested a variety of records from Dlamini-Zuma back in 2020.

“The veil of secrecy over the government’s decision-making processes regarding Covid disaster management regulations will be lifted,” said Sakeliga in a statement.

“The court victory concludes a two-year litigation battle, and the records Dlamini-Zuma must now produce relate to decision-making processes followed in 2020 to place the country under lockdown and make the erratic extensions thereof. These lockdowns and other measures did unprecedented harm to economic and social activity.”

In terms of the court order in Sakeliga’s favour, Dlamini-Zuma must hand over the records by December 9.

The group said the records will be made public and hoped they will be used as an impetus and grounding to hold the government to account for harmful decisions of the past and to prevent such abuses of power reoccurring in the future.

“This includes all records, reasons, reports, findings, deliberations, communications, memoranda and/or further documentation relied upon by the minister when she repeatedly exercised far-reaching powers under the Disaster Management Act to keep the country in the grip of erratic lockdown measures,” it said.

The group said should Dlamini-Zuma fail to hand over the records it will proceed with an application to hold her guilty of contempt of court.

“It is possible Dlamini-Zuma will claim, in large part, the records to be provided do not exist. Such a reaction would confirm suspicions that improper and arbitrary decision-making processes were followed in making Covid regulations. Even more so, in that case, it would mean that the government can now be called to account for gravely irresponsible actions.”