DA seeks legal counsel on race criteria for COVID-19 business relief fund

South African political party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has announced that it will be seeking legal advice regarding the South African government’s preferential criteria for the COVID-19 business relief fund.

In a statement on Wednesday, 8 April 2020, the DA acknowledged the Department of Tourism’s announcement that it would be following B-BBEE codes in allocating emergency relief for businesses financially affected by COVID-19. The DA also noted a letter by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, encouraging only Black, Coloured and Indian farmers to apply for assistance. The political party has strongly disagreed with the said criteria, claiming that the coronavirus affects people of all races and the relief fund should not only benefit a specified group.

The statement read, “The DA will not allow the ANC (African National Congress) to use this crisis to further divide our nation, and we will use every avenue available to us to fight for the right of all South Africans, Black and White, to benefit from emergency assistance.”

See the full statement here.

We will not allow the ANC to use this crisis to further divide our nation, and we will use every avenue available to us to fight for the right of all South Africans, black and white, to benefit from emergency assistance. – @jsteenhuisen https://t.co/yAuoxXJ0hG

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) April 8, 2020

Sayushka Naidoo
[email protected]