Will South African co-parents be able to see their children during the lockdown?

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu yesterday addressed the citizens during a press briefing regarding the national lockdown. She answered questions presented by journalists, and one journalist asked about the arrangement co-parents have in place.

Since the lockdown allows people to only travel to grocery stores and to seek medical attention, how will co-parents materialise their visitation rules?

Some moms and dads can only see their kids during the weekend. And the rule of the lockdown will prohibit them to go collect or drop off the kids.

Zulu answered, “these extraordinary times need extraordinary action at this point in time”.

Zulu is calling for parents with joint parental rights to join in parental responsibility by ensuring that both they and their children are safe from being exposed to this virus.

This would then mean the children will stay with either one parent for the duration of the lockdown.

Zulu asks parents to use “available communication tools” to keep in touch with their children if they can’t physically be with them.

The minister does acknowledge what a sensitive matter this is. She is merely asking parents to appreciate the crisis that the country faces and join in flattening the curve and preventing a ‘second wave’.

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