Personal care services

• Following last week’s announcement of Cabinet’s decision to lift restrictions in place since the State of Disaster was declared, a ministerial directive gazetted on 19 June has prescribed protocols for reopening businesses, focusing on:
  • hairdressing and barbering
  • nail and toe treatment
  • facial treatment and make-up
  • body massage
  • tattooing, and
  • body piercing.

Other economic sectors reopening

• Once the necessary ministerial directives have been issued, other businesses on which restrictions will be lifted once the necessary preparations have been made include:
  • restaurants (for sit-down meals)
  • those providing accredited and licensed accommodation (excluding home-sharing)
  • business conference and meeting venues
  • cinemas and theatres, and
  • casinos.

Sporting activities

• According to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation last Wednesday, golf, tennis and cricket will be added to the list of non-contact sports featured in the 11 June ministerial directive.
• Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has since issued a statement indicating his willingness to consider the reopening plan of any sports body – including one representing a contact sport.
• 25 June is the deadline for submitting reopening plans.

Schools

• Guidelines for schools on ‘maintaining hygiene during the Covid-19 pandemic’ were published on 17 June, spelling out measures included in last month’s ministerial directive, which was amended on 1 June.

Financial institutions

• A joint communication issued on 17 June by the South African Reserve Bank and the Prudential and Financial Sector Conduct Authorities drew attention to the increasing responsibility placed on financial and payments institutions for ensuring that the working environment is safe, among other things noting:
  • The 4 June ministerial directive on workplace health and safety
  • a national payment system directive in place since 15 April, and
  • the 28 May disaster management regulations.

Upstream petroleum operations

• A ministerial directive gazetted on 19 June:
  • added more construction- and maintenance-related essential services to the list of those necessary for ‘the continuous supply of energy and petroleum products’
  • drew attention to the workplace health and safety plans required before commencing operations, and
  • noted an employer’s screening, testing and quarantining obligations when personnel from other countries arrive in SA.

 

Liquor and tobacco products

• Details of temporary tax relief measures deferring May and June excise duty payments on certain products by 90 days were gazetted on 12 June. This is in line with:
  • April’s announcement of economic support for businesses affected by the lockdown.
• The temporary measures also:
  • waive penalties on late payments and related interest, and
  • allow deferred amounts to be paid by instalment.

 

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS UNRELATED TO THE COVID-19 STATE OF DISASTER

Gender-based violence and femicide

• On 17 June, a national strategic plan for tackling the issues concerned was published, among other things drawing attention to:
  • five key interventions …over the next six months’ that, according to a foreword from President Cyril Ramaphosa, will include:
    • ‘broadening access to justice for survivors’
    • creating ‘more economic opportunities for women who are vulnerable to abuse because of poverty’, and
    • ‘changing social norms and behaviour through high-level awareness-raising and prevention campaigns’.
• R1,6bn has been ‘sourced through budget reprioritisation’ for programmes expected to focus on:
  • ‘accountability, coordination and leadership’
  • prevention (among other things by ‘rebuilding … social cohesion’)
  • ‘safety and protection’
  • ‘response, care, support and healing’, and
  • research and information management.

Public transport

• The Competition Commission has postponed releasing a final report on its market inquiry into land-based passenger transport until December.

Air pollution

• A draft second-generation air quality management plan for the Vaal triangle airshed was released on 15 June for comment by 14 August.

Nuclear power

• Draft regulations were gazetted on 19 June prescribing the criteria to be used in determining the feasibility of continuing to operate an aging nuclear installation.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby