The DA’s lawyers have written to Co-Operative Governance & Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma seeking reasons for the ‘irrational and arbitrary’ ban on reopening personal care businesses such as hairdressers – threatening to go to court if no answer is forthcoming.

According to a TimesLIVE report, the party said the ‘continued criminalisation of the personal care services industry under level three is irrational, arbitrary and unlawful’.

The letter to Dlamini-Zuma questioned the exclusion of hairdressing, beauty treatments, make-up and nail salons and piercing and tattoo parlours from operating, saying there were more than 100 000 registered salons and a similar number of unregistered salons that employed hundreds of thousands of people.

Among the information sought by 2pm today (Wednesday) was clarity on who made a determination that it was not safe for the industry to resume work, when it was made and what the reasons for it were.

‘What criteria will be used by the relevant Minister for determining whether it is "safe to resume" work in the industry’ and ‘why the criteria which apply to religious gatherings under level three are not applicable to the personal care services industry’ were among the questions asked in the letter.

‘It is very clear that these businesses are able to comply with sanitation protocols; have the ability to track and trace any client or employee who may have come into contact with anyone infected by Covid-19; and are able to adopt social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the disease among clients and employees,’ said a statement issued by DA MP Dean Macpherson.

Full TimesLIVE report