Coronavirus: South Africa to Oppose an Undisclosed Foundation ConCourt Challenge

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola will oppose the Constitutional Court challenge launched by an undisclosed foundation which is against the 21-day lockdown, the Star newspaper reported on Saturday.

In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, The National Coronavirus Command Council has decided to enforce a 21-day nation-wide lockdown with effect from midnight on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday.

In a televised address to the nation, the President announced that the lockdown is necessary in order to save lives in light of the Coronavirus.

South Africa has 1 170 known cases of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind Covid-19, the health department said on Friday night – with only one recorded death. A total of 31 South African patients are now classified as having recovered from the virus, with 55 in hospital, and three of those on ventilation.

The Concourt challenge has been made by an undisclosed foundation which is against the 21-day lockdown which is part of the declaration of the national state of disaster announced by Ramaphosa.

“There is a foundation that has taken us to the ConCourt (Constitutional Court) directly, and we are awaiting directives from the ConCourt. The position we have taken is that we will oppose the papers and the application because we have followed the law in this process,” Lamola told The Star in Pretoria.

“That can be tested by the court, and the reality is that we are dealing with a novel complex matter which in terms of the regulatory frameworks, in terms of the common law and legal prescripts we are entering uncharted territories which from time to time we need check with practising lawyers in terms of the routes that we are taking to ensure that everything is done within the prescripts of the law.”

Under the lockdown, South Africans have and continue to be required to stay at home from midnight on Thursday 26 March 2020, until midnight on Thursday 16 April 2020.

Also read: Coronavirus: Motsepe Family & Associated Companies Pledges R1-bn to Fight COVID-19

The he Motsepe Family in partnership with companies and organisations that they are associated with have pledged R1 billion to assist with the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its related challenges that are confronting South Africa and the African Continent.

The Founder and Chairman of the Motsepe Foundation, Dr Patrice Motsepe said: “Several hundred million rands will immediately be made available with the primary objective of saving lives and slowing and restraining the spread of the Coronavirus.

“We are purchasing sanitisers, disinfectants, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and are in discussions with Government, health workers and other stakeholders to assist with acquiring other equipment and making resources available which are essential for dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic.

Also read: Coronavirus: Limpopo Man With COVID-19 Arrested

A man who tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been arrested at a village outside Tzaneen in Limpopo, SABC News reported on Saturday.

Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba says the man tested positive in Gauteng and instead of self-isolation he went back to his home village outside Tzaneen.

The man is believed to have had contact with other people when he went back home. After his results came out positive, the tracer teams in Gauteng struggled to locate him until he was found in Limpopo.

Also read: Call for South Africans to Work Together in Turning Economy Around

Government has urged all South Africans to unite, remain positive and continue to work hand-in-hand to turn the economy around.

This comes after Moody’s decision to downgrade South Africa’s long term foreign and local currency debt ratings to ‘Ba1’ from ‘Baa3’ and maintain the negative outlook.

South Africa’s credit ratings by Moody’s are now one notch below investment grade.