Government backtracks again: no you can't stay in hotels, B&Bs or lodges

The government has yet again backtracked on a directive dealing with the 21-day lockdown.

On Friday, justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola backtracked on government's relaxation of one element of cross-province travel for funerals.

During a joint briefing just the night before, co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that as part of the relaxation of regulations to allow relatives to travel to other provinces for funerals, the regulations would allow them to book into B&Bs or hotels to sleep over.

But on Friday Lamola said this was an error.

“There was an inclusion of a statement that people, when they go to funerals, can stay with their relatives or friends, and that is still in the regulations.

“What will now be deleted is the part that says that you may also book yourself into a lodge, hotel or B&B. That one is deleted because it is an error. It was not supposed to be there,” said Lamola.

He said tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane's directives on the matter remained.

This was the second time in just three days that the government has retracted directives which relaxed lockdown regulations.

On Wednesday, transport minister Fikile Mbalula was forced to make a retraction just a few hours after he announced  taxis could carry full loads provided that passengers wore masks.

At the time Mbalula came under heavy criticism, including from taxi operators, who said they were not in favour of the regulation.

Following his retraction, taxis are now allowed to be only 70% full.