DA objects to proposed new health regulations: An open letter to Minister Phaahla
4 April 2022
Dear Minister Phaahla,
Over the last two years, many South Africans have lost their jobs, had their businesses closed and many were restricted from seeing their families and friends due to the various lockdown levels associated with the National State of Disaster.
When President Ramaphosa announced that the National State of Disaster would come to an end, many South Africans breathed a sigh of relief. However, on 15 March 2022, draft regulations to the National Health Act 61 of 2003, namely the regulations relating to the surveillance and the control of notifiable medical conditions were published in the Government Gazette for public comment.
I am writing this letter to you to raise my concerns about these draft regulations as I fear that these regulations will be used as a continuation of the lockdown regulations after the official National State of Disaster has ended. My concerns with these regulations are as follows: