By Kaya 959 Reporter
South Africans are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to end the COVID-19 curfew so they can ring in the New Year with friends and family.
#NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve trended on Twitter this week. SA currently has a curfew in place from midnight to 4am as part of an adjusted level 1 lockdown.
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#NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve @CyrilRamaphosa @PresidencyZA @DlaminiZuma @DDMabuza @MYANC we tired of being controlled with curfews that restrict our movements. pic.twitter.com/6AvWFKtl8h
— Emanuel mafokwane (@Manu65734042) December 28, 2021
#NoCurfewOnNewYearsEve https://t.co/x0eay6gbGe
— Salani makhubele (@Salanimakhubel1) December 28, 2021
AfriForum, DA challenge the curfew
Earlier this month, AfriForum’s legal team filed an urgent application in the Northern Gauteng High Court to set the curfew aside.
DA leader, John Steenhuisen, said it has never supported the curfew.
“We have never found it to be a rational or justifiable denial of freedom. But now more than ever, we believe it should be lifted once and for all, and before New Year’s Eve,” he said.
Steenhuisen said hospitalisation rates are low across the country.
He said Omicron has proved to be far milder than past variants. Steenhuisen added that vaccines have proven to be extremely effective at protecting against severe disease and death.
“…those in the high-risk group have had ample opportunity to opt for personal protection,” he said.
Meantime, vaccines have proven to be extremely effective at protecting against severe disease and death, so those in the high-risk group have had ample opportunity to opt for personal protection. – @jsteenhuisen #EndCurfewNow
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) December 27, 2021
“The real crisis now is the state of the economy and widespread suffering from loss of livelihoods. Ending the curfew is an easy and logical way to boost the economy, particularly the restaurant and events industry, which are major employers and have taken huge strain and made immense sacrifices during the pandemic,” Steenhuisen added.
He said people should be able to legally come together with friends and family to celebrate the start of 2022 and the end of an incredibly tough 2021.
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