Female lawyers voice their concerns on Covid-19 impact
Sawla will continue to adhere to the regulations of the Disaster Management Act as declared.
Committed and dedicated to advancing human rights and equal justice for all, the South African Women Lawyers Association (Sawla) voiced their concerns with the impact the Covid-19 coronavirus have on both the public health and the economy of the country.
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Speaking through its president, Nomaswazi Shabangu-Mndawe, a renowned citizen of Mbombela, the association said, “We are particularly concerned by the pattern of increasing reports in relation to gender-based violence during the lockdown, and call on law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts in protecting citizens of the country, especially the vulnerable groups.
“We welcome the visible reduction in serious and violent crimes since the lockdown started,” she added.
Shabangu-Mndawe urged members of the public to learn from other countries, as well as Wuhan, in tackling the deadly coronavirus.
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“We are aware of and appreciate the uncertainty and fears among our people, and are mindful of our mandate and legal duty to serve justice. We pledge to fully support and implement President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directives during these trying times,” continued Shabangu-Mndawe.
She added that as an women lawyers, they had always known that their methods of doing business would change, and they prepared accordingly, even for changes brought by the fourth industrial revolution.
“We were, however, never ready and prepared for a virus of this magnitude and the related health risks. This virus has aggressively invaded our world and forced many governments to resort to limitation of human rights as a way to save the human race. We therefore plead with every person currently in South Africa to work with authorities in the spirit of unity and ubuntu,” she said.
Shabangu-Mndawe added that in the interest of flattening the curve of Covid-19, Sawla will continue to adhere to the regulations of the Disaster Management Act as declared.
“It is time to be reminded that a person is not free to please themselves at the expense of harming others. A person is liberated to build, grow, unite and heal through the spirit of ubuntu. In that vein, may we be kind to others and never knowingly expose them to the coronavirus,” she concluded.
