Lift ban on salons or face legal action – DA writes to Dlamini-Zuma

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will take legal action against the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma if the ban on personal care services, like hairdressers, continued.

The comes after the party’s lawyers wrote to Dlamini-Zuma regarding the matter.

In a statement, DA MP Dean Macpherson said the ban under Alert Level 3 was irrational, arbitrary and unlawful, and should the minister not answer the letter from the party’s lawyers by 2pm on Wednesday, 3 June, the DA will litigate.

“The fact is that Minister Dlamini-Zuma has not provided a shred of evidence as to why this industry can not return to work. It is completely unacceptable as thousands of people in this country earn a monthly income in this industry.

“Our litigation will especially be for the sake of the single mothers and the young entrepreneurs who have no other source of income than the personal care services they provide, often from their homes and other low-rent venues,” he said on Tuesday.

Macpherson said the minister was “ensuring” that 50% of South Africans lose their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic with the continued ban after the National Treasury projected the matter.

“It is very clear that these businesses are able to comply with sanitation protocols; have the ability to track and trace any client or employee who may have come into contact with anyone infected by Covid-19; and are able to adopt social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the disease amongst clients and employees.

“It simply makes no sense that the personal care industry is excluded from taking part in the economy in a safe manner with proper Covid-19 hygiene protocols in place, when so many other industries are allowed to open during Level 3 of the lockdown,” he added.

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