The Democratic Alliance (DA) has today [May 14] filed papers in the High Court challenging the rationality of various lockdown-related issues.
Speaking in a live briefing, DA leader John Steenhuisen announced the latest court action against the extended lockdown regulations.
“Much of the hardship we are going through is unnecessary,” said Steenhuisen in his address. “In our efforts to fight of the very real threat of the virus, we’ve replaced it with an even bigger threat of our own making.”
“The real tragedy playing out here is no longer the coronavirus, but the lockdown itself, because this lockdown is going to cost many more lives than it can possibly save.”
Steenhuisen calls many of the decisions made by ministers “petty and irrational”. He also calls out ministers for being exclusionary and discriminatory towards certain South Africans. Steenhuisen also believes there is no justification to keep the lockdown in place.
As a result, the DA is taking three key issues to court to challenge them.
The three separate lockdown-related issues being taken to court are:
– the night curfew
– the ban on e-commerce
– the restriction on exercise hours
Picture: screenshot from livestream