GOOD NEWS: Grieving families can now apply for permits to travel for funerals

The bereaved will now be allowed to travel to and from funerals for the remainder of the national shutdown.

The minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma yesterday gazetted new regulations that provides for people to apply for permits to be on the road during this time.

The first set of lockdown regulations, which were put by the minister last week placed a moratorium on all public gatherings except for funerals but didn’t provide for any sort of exemption from the 21-day forced stay at home in order to travel to and from funerals. As a result , the Mpumalanga High court was left with no option but to dismiss an urgent application by a man in Mbombela to be allowed to travel from the province to the Eastern cape to bury his father.

The new regulations which were published yesterday however allowed for the movement of grieving children, siblings, parents, grandparents and partners along with people closely affiliated to the deceased person.

Only 50 people per gathering rule still applies as well as the ban on night vigils and those traveling would need a permit from either the magistrate’s office or a police station.