Thu, 4 June 2020 - Staff Writer

A special virtual Cabinet meeting was held on Thursday to discuss the North Gauteng High Court judgment delivered by Justice Norman Davis earlier in the week which declared the COVID-19 lockdown regulations unconstitutional and invalid.

Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu told a media briefing that after obtaining legal advice and listening to numerous comments made by members of the legal fraternity, the government believed that another court might come to a different conclusion and they would therefore appeal the judgment.

The government says it will ask that its appeal be heard on an urgent basis in order to obtain certainty on the regulations.

The government statement noted that the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma would be joined in the appeal by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

The Cabinet also approved the extension of the National State of Disaster by another month until 15 July 2020, since the law limited the declaration of a national state of disaster to 90 days.

While it appeals the court judgment, the government said that current regulations remain in force and they have asked the public to observe all the health protocols that have been put in place.

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