Opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) interim leader John Steenhuisen on Thursday criticised government for failing to implement sound logic when it announced coronavirus (Covid-19) level 4 regulations from May 1.

In a virtual media briefing, Steenhusein said the level 4 restrictions were like a cut and paste of level 5. He said some of the regulations, such as allowing citizens to jog for only three hours in the morning when many have to be at work, and the military curfew, did not make sense.

“One of the big surprises was the about turn on the sale of tobacco. A few days ago President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated that tobacco sales will proceed in level 4 and yet last night COGTA Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced that tobacco sales would still be prohibited. This doesn’t make economic sense from a health perspective if the Minister thinks for instance South Africans who smoke are not still smoking. She is not grounded in reality. What has happened is that tobacco trade has been pushed completely underground. The only beneficiaries of this ban on tobacco are those people that have ties or who are involved in the illicit cigarette trade in South Africa,” Steenhuisen said.

He added: “The South African government, the South African Revenue (Sars) and customs have spent a huge amount of money and energy over the course of the last few decades clamping down hard on the illegal cigarette manufacturers and the illegal distribution networks in the country. They are the only winners in this situation.”

He said the big losers were South Africans because the ‘sin taxes’ went directly into government coffers. Steenhuisen said that money was used for social services, capital expenditure and providing healthcare to ordinary South Africans.

He said government has forfeited billions of rands and opened up a huge incentive for a black market from which no one will benefit other than the underground mafia and those connected to them.

He announced that the DA’s approach incentivises businesses and individuals to abide by the regulations going forward and in reward for that to be able to open up work places to protect live and livelihoods going forward.

Steenhuisen said some of the regulations are irrational.

“ While we welcome that people are allowed to exercise, it simply does not make sense that jogging has been limited to three hours in the morning. Some people have to work during that time but also from a health perspective, it doesn’t make sense to get every South African that wants to exercise out on the streets in that narrow time where they are likely to bump into each other or run past each other, “ he explained.

He said some of the regulations announced last night did not make sense and also questioned if government really considered the submissions.

“We support the means to curb the spread but we are against some of the level 4 regulations. This needs buy-in from citizens. This has worked in other countries. If you get buy-in from the citizens, you get far. We remain the only country that has banned alcohol and cigarettes.

He added that the DA will be approaching the courts on the use of black economic empowerment criteria in the tourism industry relief scheme, saying they wished to test whether In a disaster situation any form of discrimination was permitted.

DA Shadow Minister of Health, Siviwe Gwarube said government should ramp up Covid-19 screening like in the Western Cape.

She said we need to understand why the Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize is building field hospitals and he has to trust the citizens with the information on why his department is doing certain things, adding that buy-in from citizens is vital.

“South Africans are partners in dealing with a pandemic. This is not a parent-child relationship,” she explained.

She said screening in communities in the Western Cape has been working well to cover as many people as possible.

“The province has also tried to target areas where they believe there is likely to be a hotspot. People can self-screen, community screening by about 3 800 health workers is ongoing, facility screenings are easily accessible and there are workplace screenings. That is why they have been able to close factories and companies that have many people who are testing positive. Government has to emulate that across the country. The more testing you do, it informs your strategy, “ she highlighted.