Level 4 comes with strict conditions, EC premier Oscar Mabuyane says

As the Eastern Cape gears up to move to level 4 on Friday, premier Oscar Mabuyane said this would be done under strict conditions.

“This is aimed at curbing transmission of the virus that may come with the easing of restrictions from level 5 to level 4,” Mabuyane said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last week that level 4 restrictions would be put in place on Friday.

According to the disaster management regulations, decisions on the restriction of levels are made by the national government and not the provinces.

Mabuyane said the province would beef up the management of lockdowns in areas that had high Covid-19 infections.

This includes increased law enforcement, wearing of cloth masks at all times when people leave their homes and ensuring workplaces implement occupational health and safety regulations aimed at ensuring a safe environment for workers.

“National and provincial government departments will work with all the sectors of the economy to ensure compliance with the applicable regulations to effectively minimise transmission of the virus during level 4 of the national lockdown.”

He said regular inspection of companies by the department of labour would continue.

“The Eastern Cape provincial government pleads with employers, especially big manufacturing businesses, to work with government for the reopening of their businesses and the economy.”

With regard to the high traffic inflow into the province from the Western Cape, Mabuyane has directed the joint law enforcement teams to intensify law enforcement at the points of entry into the province.

Mabuyane met with Western Cape premier Alan Winde and they agreed that law enforcement from both provinces would set up joint operations at the points of entry connecting both provinces.

“These have started at the points of entry in both the Tsitsikama and Aberdeen entry points,” Mabuyane said.

It is hoped that this will prevent the use of fake permits.

“The provincial government is worried that there are many people travelling from the Western Cape with fake permits in the possession of taxi drivers and not the passengers, who are supposed to have their individual permits. National lockdown permits are given to individuals and not taxi drivers.”

Between March 27 and April 30, about 157 vehicles from the Western Cape were returned by law enforcement agencies for not having proper national lockdown travelling permits.

“Both provincial departments have agreed to beef up security at the Aberdeen, Tsitsikama and Middelburg points of entry into and out of the Eastern Cape.”

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