One-way ticket back to home or work for those stuck during lockdown – without a permit

The government has gazetted provisions for people who were not at home or at work when the national lockdown was effected on 26 March, so that they can return and stay there until the end of Level 4 of the lockdown, which kicked in on Friday.

Those affected will have until 7 May to do so.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma published the provisions in the Government Gazette on Thursday.

The regulation states: “Any person who was not at their place of residence, or work before the lockdown period and who could not travel between provinces, metropolitan and district areas during the lockdown, will be permitted, on a once-off basis, to return to their places of residence or work and will be required to stay in such place until the end to the Alert Level 4.”

Dlamini-Zuma said people who wished to make use of the provision in terms of regulation, would be permitted to do so from 1 May to 7 May.

No need for a permit

“For this purpose, there will be no need for people to obtain and produce a permit in order to cross-provincial, metropolitan or district boundaries,” the regulation states.

However, security structures will put measures in place to ensure those who make use of the window do so once and one way only. Dlamini-Zuma urged all South Africans “to recognise the unprecedented crisis facing the country due to Covid-19 and to use the opportunity provided for once-off travel responsibly by still adhering to the lockdown regulations”.

President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier introduced a risk-adjusted strategy, comprising five levels of lockdown, to allow for the reopening of the economy while at the same time, managing the spread of Covid-19.

South Africa shifted from Level 5 to Level 4 on Friday, which entails a slight easing of some restrictions.