LHR to Challenge Discriminatory Impact of COVID-19 Regs on Waste Reclaimers

Date: 07/04/2020


Lawyers for Human Rights will appear before the Pretoria High Court today on behalf of five groups of informal waste reclaimers and recyclers based around the city, seeking to challenge the lockdown regulations that do not include waste reclaimers as essential service providers.

Lawyers for Human Rights will appear before the Pretoria High Court today on behalf of five groups of informal waste reclaimers and recyclers based around the city, seeking to challenge the lockdown regulations that do not include waste reclaimers as essential service providers.

“While we have engaged with both local and national government on this issue, informal reclaimers have been explicitly left out of the definition of “essential service providers” in the lockdown regulations”, said Thandeka Chauke, a lawyer at LHR.  “The impact of this omission on our clients is severe, as they are prohibited by the police and SANDF from leaving their homes, and have no ability to feed their families, purchase medicine, or access health services”.

LHR will argue that the reclaimers do provide an essential service to the country, and that their exclusion from the relevant definition in the lockdown regulations when “waste and refuse removal” is acknowledged as an essential service, is unjust.

“We are hopeful that the court understands the critical nature of the application for the very survival of our clients,” said Chauke.  “We believe that as important as the fight against COVID-19 is, the regulations must ensure that the most vulnerable among us do not suffer disproportionately as a result”.

For further information, please contact:

  • Thandeka Chauke, Legal Counsellor, Land and Housing Programme on 012 320 2943
  • Louise du Plessis on 012 320 2943, Land and Housing Programme Manager on 012 320 2943
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