Precautionary measures put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature
Following the confirmation of the Coronavirus in the country, and after the State President’s announcement yesterday on measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, the Legislature has taken a decision to postpone House sittings and Committee meetings for 30 days as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the Coronavirus. The tabling of Policy Speeches by the Government Departments and the Provincial Legislature that were scheduled to take place from 17 to 19 March has also been postponed to April. The House is always full of guests who are invited by sector departments. One of the considerations that we had to look at was public involvement and attendance during the tabling of policy speeches, as public participation is one of the key constitutional imperatives of the Legislature. The postponement of the tabling of Policy Speeches affords us an opportunity for the public to be able to attend the tabling. This decision will be reviewed after 30 days.
The Raymond Mhlaba Centenary Memorial Lecture, which had a targeted audience of 2000 citizens, has also been postponed and will be held later towards the end of the year. The Raymond Mhlaba family has been advised of the changes and is supportive of the decision taken to safeguard the well-being of the people of the province.
The Programming Committee of the Legislature is meeting tomorrow to revise the programme and reschedule the postponed House sittings and committee meetings impacted upon by the precautionary measures. All the decisions have been taken as precautionary measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus. Administratively the management of the Legislature should ensure that relevant health professionals address the Legislature staff on good personal hygiene habits to help stem the spread of the virus. We need to emphasize to our staff that if they feel the onset of flu to rather take leave and work from home. We will place surgical handwash- and sanitisers which will be available in all ablution areas, dining rooms and all Legislature entry points. Hand sanitisers will also be available for Members in the lobby and all entrances leading into the Raymond Mhlaba Chamber. We will ensure all surfaces in the building are regularly cleaned with surgical disinfectants. Members are also expected to use their respective Constituency Offices to mobilise and raise community awareness about the virus.
Issued by: Speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature
MPL, Helen Sauls-August
