Update: The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Monday also announced “all scheduled byelections” as its response to the national fight to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The national legislature is in a bind: the Division of Revenue Bill must be passed this week so provinces and local government get the monies the Budget had allocated. This Bill and other urgent business, according to Monday’s official statement by Parliament, will be conducted on Wednesday when the House, unusually, will sit from 10am.

On Tuesday, National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson Amos Masondo will meet the chief whips of all political parties represented in the national legislature.

A “comprehensive announcement” is expected afterwards, according to Parliament’s statement.  For now, parliamentary committees continue as usual, although the NCOP’s Taking Parliament to the People’s report back sessions in Gauteng have been cancelled.

Also cancelled was the DA interim leader John Steenhuisen’s campaign for top post to be decided at the DA national congress scheduled for end of May.

“I will be suspending all planned campaign events with immediate effect until further notice. My campaign will continue to communicate with delegates in safe and appropriate ways,” said Steenhuisen in communication seen by Daily Maverick.

“This (Covid-19) is going to be an immense challenge for South Africa, and it is important that we stand together and do everything in our power to protect ourselves and those around us in order to mitigate the risks of spreading the virus.”

That May DA elective national congress is now in doubt, given the ban on meetings over 100 people. Already the DA has postponed its 6-7 April 2020 policy conference.

The declaration of a national disaster extends over three months, effectively ending on 15 June – unless it is extended. It could lapse before that date, if the conditions giving rise to the national disaster declaration have gone.

Communication went out on Sunday evening that the DA Federal Executive (FedEx) would discuss this. And the word came quickly on Monday morning – the policy conference was cancelled, and a decision on the national congress would be taken at a later stage, given that it must be held after the policy conference.

Said DA Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille in a statement: 

“We will use this opportunity to trial technology-based conferencing for identified aspects of the policy discussions. The policy steering committee is busy devising a plan for doing this”.

The DA, according to Zille, would “abide strictly” by the guidelines for meetings and social and professional interactions.

On Sunday evening President Cyril Ramaphosa in a wide-ranging address to the nation announced travel bans for those from high Covid-19 infection countries like Italy, the United Kingdom, United States, China and Iran, and partial border post closures. South Africans returning from these countries are to go into self-quarantine.

Also announced was the cancellation of government events, including Human Rights Day commemorations on 21 March, and the limitation of gatherings to no more than 100 people.

The ANC on Sunday shortly after the presidential announcement cancelled its planned engagements at Sharpeville led by the governing party’s top six officials, including a presidential memorial lecture.

“We take this opportunity to humbly apologise to the families of the victims of the massacre whom we were expected to visit…” said the ANC statement, adding later: “The ANC takes this opportunity to extend a message of solidarity to the whole of the global community and mankind”.

At Parliament, the ANC welcomed Ramaphosa’s announcement. “The ANC caucus in Parliament will continue to intensify its own internal arrangements pertaining to limiting contact between persons in its daily work and programmes,” said ANC Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina in a statement on Monday.

The ramifications of what Ramaphosa on Sunday evening described as “urgent and drastic measure” will continue to hit home. DM