Cape Town - Premier Alan Winde has welcomed the news announced last night that there will be a return to full schooling for all grades in South Africa, but he is still calling for an end to lockdown.
Cabinet has approved a number of adjustments with immediate effect to the country’s Alert Level 1 Covid-19 regulations based on the trajectory of the pandemic and the levels of vaccination, following a special Cabinet meeting on Monday.
Amendments that pertain to Covid-19 protocols included changes to isolation guidelines and ending social distancing at schools.
Winde said the continuation of a rotational timetable would have hurt the poorest communities the most, resulting in a generational catastrophe.
“We need our children in class for as long as possible if we are to reverse the detrimental impact that the pandemic has had on their learning.”
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer added she was pleased with the announcement on Monday.
“The time lost in school has implications not only for academic progress, but also aggravates societal issues such as learner pregnancies and the risk of dropping out of school.
“Parents have had to make alternative arrangements whilst trying to work, or if they cannot, their children are left unattended, adding to safety risks.
“We met this morning with Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, and the plan is that schools should be ready to receive all learners from Monday next week. This will give them time to make all the necessary arrangements,” Schäfer said.
Winde added that he was, however, still concerned there was still no clarity on ending the national state of disaster.
“In October last year, I called on the president to table a ‘road-map’ that would set out a clear process to end this very extreme measure.
“Since then, our health data has made it clear that we have reached an ‘endemic’ stage, with significant immunity in our country. This means that we can respond through existing public health measures,” Winde said.
“Understandably, normalising this response does require preparation - but one must ask why it is taking so long to do when this was first brought to the attention of the president three months ago.
“It will be completely unacceptable to renew the declaration on 15 February 2022, when it is set to expire because the national government is not yet ready.”
He said the time had come for Ramaphosa to make his plan to end the national state of disaster public, so that “we can see exactly where we are in the process”.