On Friday, 20 March, the Gert Sibande District Municipality released a statement to all restaurants, gyms, hotels etc.
The opening statement of the notice stated:
THE GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY THROUGH MUNICIPAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES HEREBY ISSUE A GENERAL NOTICE No. 02-2020 ISSUED IN TERMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS ACT, 2000 (ACT 32 OF 2000) CHAPTER 4 SECTION 21A READ IN CONJUCTION WITH THE GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL BY-LAWS NOTICE NO. 2300 OF 21 MAY 2014 INCLUDING THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT, 2002 REGULATION NO. 318 OF 2020.
I, Muzi Gibson Chirwa the Executive Mayor of Gert Sibande District Municipality designated as the Head of Disaster Management in the District, following the declaration of the National State of Disaster published in government gazette No. 43096 on 15 March 2020, hereby make the following Public General Notice regarding the steps necessary to prevent an escalation of the disaster or to alleviate, contain and minimise the effects of the disaster.
In the notice, Executive Mayor Muzi Gibson Chirwa stated the following:
1. Places of instruction
THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE TEMPORARILY PREVENTED AND PROHIBITED FROM OPERATION AND ANY ACTIVITY WITHIN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Public and private TVET colleges
- Universities of technology (centres)
- Public and private colleges
- Training centres
- Public and private primary, secondary and combined schools
- Any other learning or training centre/institution
- Further, access of libraries to the public is restricted, until further notice
2. Early childhood development centres
THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE TEMPORARILY PREVENTED AND PROHIBITED FROM OPERATION AND ANY ACTIVITY WITHIN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Full-time day-care centres or preschools
- Part-time day-care centres or preschools
- Child minders or day mothers
- Play groups
- Drop off centres
- After care centres
- Any other childcare facility or centre
3. Accommodation establishments
THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES ARE PROHIBITED FROM HOSTING AND ACCOMODATING MORE THAN 100 PERSONS AT A GIVEN TIME, OR FUNCTIONS, CELEBRATIONS OR ANY ENTERTAINMENT OR COMPETITION WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY IN OPEN AIR OR IN A BUILDING OR PREMISES, WITHIN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Hotels
- Guest houses
- Lodges
- B n B’s
- Hostels
- School hostels
- Any other facility, centre or establishment used for the mass accommodation of people
4. Indoor and outdoor recreational facilities
THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE TEMPORARILY PREVENTED AND PROHIBITED FROM OPERATION OR HOSTING ANY ACTIVITY OR FUNCTION WITHIN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Swimming pools and spa baths
- Indoor and outdoor sport facilities (gymnasia, stadiums, pavilions, sport arenas)
- Casinos
- Movie theatres
- Amusement arcades
- Amusement Parks
- Any other places where members of the general public assemble to engage in physical exercise or participate in athletic competition, or witness sporting events as well as any other place where the general public assembles for recreational purposes
5. Mass Social Gathering Activities and Meetings
THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE TEMPORARILY PREVENTED AND PROHIBITED WITHIN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Concerts
- Weddings
- Places of worship and ministry functions
- Carnivals
- Conferences
- Auctions
- Community meetings
- Stokvels
- Social clubs and gatherings
- Imbizos, cultural or traditional events or celebrations
- National, provincial and local calendar events
- Any other mass gathering, wholly or partially in open air or in a building or premises, except where authorisation has been granted by the District Municipality
6. Funerals
THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO FUNERAL SERVICES AND PROCESSIONS WITHIN THE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
- No night vigils or overnight church services are allowed
- No church services are allowed in any social gathering centres (community centres, temporal physical structures, schools and fixed church buildings)
- Funeral services must only be held at the home of the deceased
- Only the immediate family members of the deceased are to be in attendance of the funeral service, including processions to the burial site
- The funeral service and procession must be finalised within a period of 1 hour
- Catering during this period of the outbreak in funerals must only be take-aways an no sit-down will be allowed
- The funeral undertaker must ensure that funeral services and processions are conducted in such a manner that hygiene principles are in place and provide for proper hand washing and disinfection
7. On-Consumption Liquor Establishments
THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE TO BE CLOSED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, WHERE OPERATIONS ARE AUTHORISED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICES, ONLY TAKE-AWAY SALE OF LIQUOR IS ALLOWED, WITHIN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Nightclubs
- Bars
- Pubs
- Taverns
- Lounges
- Gaming premises
- Any food establishments with on consumption Liquor facilities
- Any other on-consumption Liquor Establishment Further all on-consumption premises selling liquor must only operate between 09:01 and 17:59 on weekdays and Saturdays and on Sundays and public holidays between 09:01 and 12:59 strictly. No special or events liquor license applications will be considered for approval.
8. Off-Consumption Liquor Establishments
- All off-consumption establishments selling liquor must only operate between 09:01 and 17:59 on weekdays and Saturdays, and on Sundays and public holidays between 09:01 and 12:59 strictly.
9. Suspension of visits
ALL VISITS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED WITHIN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- Correctional Centres (Prisons and Community Correctional Centres)
- Holding cells
- Juvenile centres
- Rehabilitation centres
- Private and Public Centres of Care including shelters, orphanages, disability centres, victim empowerment centres, mental health institutions, stimulation centres, victim centres and crises centres, old age homes.
- Any other place where people are treated or housed
10. Any other prohibition and restrictions tabled in the regulation issued in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act 2002, No. 318 of 18 March 2020 and as may be deemed by the Head of Disaster Management by form of a general public notice
The Bulletin has spoken to the Municipal Manager of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Felani Mndebele. He said that the municipality has been consulted with this but during the coming week there will be further consultations with the Gert Sibande District Municipality (GSDM) to align with GSDM.
As for now, the recommendation is to follow the National Directive until further notice.
Following the National Directive, restaurants can still operate normal operating hours. No more than 50 people (including staff) at one time in the restaurant and no alcohol is allowed to be served after 18:00 and Saturday and Sundays only until 13:00. Casinos have the same restrictions.
The above is what we have to adhere to until further notice.
Go out, keep your social distancing and if the restaurant is too full, try the next one or order takeaways!
