Informal food traders get a thumbs up to operate during lockdown

Minister of Cooperate Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has announced that all informal traders have been given the go ahead to operate during the 21 days lockdown.

This includes spaza shops, hawkers and informal food traders in communities.

Dlamini-Zuma alongside various ministers in the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) expanded on the latest revised lockdown regulations.

South Africa has been under lockdown since March 26 in effort to curb the rapid spread of Covid-19. The lockdown is expected to come to an end on April 16.

Dlamini-Zuma said the revised regulations on informal businesses will ease the pressure experienced by retailers since the implementation of the nationwide lockdown.

This follows the chaos at supermarkets in the past few days, with customers gathering in large numbers to purchase essential goods.

“We have now included informal traders, so those who trade in food informally will now be allowed, but the owners must get a permit from their councillor or from their municipality and they are free to trade,” Dlamini-Zuma added.

Prior to the relaxation of regulations only retail supermarkets and spaza shops were permitted to operate during the 21 days lockdown.

Supermarkets will now operate from 07h00am.

In the same breath Dlamini-Zuma announced the new funeral regulations stating that only close relatives are now permitted to cross provincial boarders to attend a funeral, however the rule of no more than 50 people at any gathering remains unchanged.

“No night vigils are permitted. Everyone must have a permit to cross a provincial border to, together with a death certificate to attend. This can be obtained at the magistrate or police station,” said Dlamini-Zuma.

She further stated that should relatives have no place to stay for the duration of the funeral, they may stay at a guesthouse, lodge or hotel and adhere to their regulations.

The latest covid-19 cases in South Africa have increased to 1462 and the number of related deaths remains at 5.