The presidency issued a statement after a day of consultation with the National Economic, Development and Labor Council (Nedlac) on how and when the country could move from Level 4 of the Covid-19-related restriction.
Nedlac, the body where the government, business and labor sector negotiated issues, was the first platform to discuss the relaxation. On Saturday, the presidential coordinating council meets, involving Ramaphosa, senior ministers, the country’s nine premiers and representatives of the Local Government Association.
According to the statement, everyone in Nedlac is working hard to bring about the “earliest possible migration to level 3”.
“The government, labor, business and community sectors are doing detailed work to ensure that lives are saved and people’s livelihoods are safeguarded as the economy is progressively unlocked and society adapts to the reality of economic operations with Covid-19 as ever present. danger.”
The negotiations came after Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Wednesday evening and sought to ensure that the government understood the economic impact of the restriction. His speech was widely criticized as too vague because it gave no details on relaxations that may already be coming into effect in Level 4. However, he stressed that there is wide-ranging negotiations on both Level 4 and Level 3 regulations.
Meanwhile, e-commerce regulations have been relaxed and people can now buy anything – with the exception of liquor and cigarettes – online.
According to the presidency, Level 3 will more than double the number of people who can return to work. Level 3 will, among other things, legalize all retail, but still prohibit social, sports and cultural events.
According to the statement, unions are deeply concerned about workers’ safety when returning to work. “Business and labor will talk bilaterally” about the challenges.
