This only applies to those who already have a court order agreement in place.
Johannesburg – Parents who have joint custody may now move their children between them during the lockdown, according to an amendment signed by Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.
However, this will not be extended to all co-parenting parents, only those who already have a court order agreement in place.
The amendment states that co-parents are allowed to transport children, provided they have a court care order and the child did not come into contact with any person who could be infected, or potentially infected, with Covid-19.
Parents and caregivers must have the court order or agreement, or certified copies, in their possession while transporting the child.
The amendment to the national disaster state regulations came into effect on Tuesday after being published in the Government Gazette.
The Department of Social Development had been inundated with calls from parents with joint custody agreements, with Zulu previously insisting that to reduce movement and protect children from exposure to Covid-19, they should not be transported between parents.
“Movement of children between co-holders of parental responsibilities and rights or a caregiver, as defined in section 1(1) of the Children’s Act,2005 (Act No. 38 of 2005), during the lockdown period is prohibited.
“Except where arrangements are in place for a child to move from one parent to another, in terms of (aa) a court order; or (bb) where a parental responsibilities and rights agreement or parenting plan, registered with the family advocate, is in existence, provided that, in the household to which the child is to move, there is no person who is known to have come into contact with, or is reasonably suspected to have come into contact with, a person known to have contracted, or reasonably suspected to have contracted, Covid-19,” the amendment states.
After Day 12 of a 21-day lockdown, the country had more than 1 700 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 13 deaths recorded. The coronavirus has claimed over 81 000 lives worldwide, infecting upwards of 1.4 million people.
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