Department of Health is acting without evidence – IRR
5 May 2022
Yesterday Health Minister Joe Phaahla issued regulations under the National Health Act (NHA) that reimpose measures that were until recently lockdown Level 1 restrictions – including mask mandates for all non-domestic indoor locations, vaccine passes for large outdoor events, and restrictions to 50% of venue capacity indoors and outdoors for businesses and places of worship.
The regulations allow the Minister to “determine” when these measures “are no longer necessary” and also allow him, “at any time”, to determine that it is necessary to reimpose them. No standards or guidelines are provided for this ministerial determination to change South African lives fundamentally as if at the flick of a switch.
The regulations amount, in practice, to imposing the same lockdown measures the Minister tabled on 15 March. But those regulations were postponed, and public comment has been extended until 5 July. The newly imposed regulations have the same effect while totally bypassing public comment.
Regarding the postponed regulations the IRR has submitted that the Minister is acting ultra vires, beyond the powers conferred upon him by the National Health Act (NHA), which is urgently applicable to the imposed regulations.