Sakeliga puts Minister Patel before ultimatum on food production 

18 April 2020

Business group Sakeliga will be taking the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition to court unless he ceases and reverses his Department’s unlawful, irrational, and harmful obstructions to food production. 

Sakeliga has on Friday given Minister Ebrahim Patel until 9am on Monday to provide an undertaking to cease and reverse his pronouncements on the production and sale of “prepared”, “warm” and “cooked” food.  

“We have been advised that there is no lawful restriction on the production of ‘warm’, ‘cooked’ or ‘prepared’ food as the Minister and his Department continues to insist. We have also been advised by senior counsel that there is no lawful basis on which the CIPC can certify whether products and services are essential or not. Officials keep issuing these arbitrary directives in press statements and tweets, but nothing of the sort has been promulgated,” says Piet le Roux, CEO of Sakeliga. 

“The DTI’s attempts to legislate by mere pronouncement are, irrespective of the merits of its instructions, a danger to the rule of law. Even in the face of our unusual circumstances, the principles of constitutionality and legality must be followed.” 

“Not only has it not been promulgated,” says Le Roux, “but the very idea of prohibiting the sale of cooked, warm or prepared food is irrational and harmful to public health: every food item on shop shelves is cooked, or has been warmed, or is prepared in some way. From pastas to canned food to bread to vegetables to cold meats to dairy products and so one can go on. It is an impossibility in law to define what the Minister and his officials are declaring ‘illegal’ and there is simply no way to comply with it. It serves only to intimidate informal traders and small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as to decrease food supply, and increase prices.” 

While restaurant operation has been prohibited, no regulation disallows the sale of cooked or pre-cooked foods. Moreover, no regulation prohibits restaurants to convert themselves to essential service providers like delis, bakeries, supermarkets, and other food production entities that sell and do deliveries but is not open to public seating and serving. 

Danger to the rule of law 

The current situation – where Ministers, government officials and public servants simply announce directives without due process and outside the bounds of law – is unacceptable. It conflicts with the rule of law and is an abuse of power. It detracts from public health, rather than adding to it.  

The arbitrary directives in a time of social uncertainty also jeopardises the safety of well-meaning citizens. Businesspersons and customers acting in good faith now face law-enforcement officers acting upon ultra vires public pronouncements of Ministers as if their directives are lawful, understandable, and enforceable. 

Legal aid to NGOs and businesses 

Given how many businesses and NGOs are needlessly being ground to a halt, Sakeliga is expanding its offer to subsidise personalised legal opinions for “essential service” providers. The purpose of the legal opinion is to offer businesses legal certainty and with something to present in good faith to law-enforcement officers who might be acting upon unclear or even unlawful instructions. 

The expanded legal aid offer entails that Sakeliga will now also pay 100% of the fee for a personalised legal opinion to the first 50 not-for-profit organisations that apply. All businesses that can make a bona fide prima facie case for being an “essential service” provider or having to conduct “essential” care and maintenance already qualify for a 50% subsidy by Sakeliga for their legal opinion. 

Businesses and NGOs can apply at www.sakeliga.co.za/en/covid19.  

The role of civil society and businesses 

Le Roux says it is crucial in a time like this that civil society takes the lead in solving its own problems: “It is both impossible and undesirable for government to be everywhere at once and in control. Social crises are solved through community institutions. We need to free them from the obstruction of contradictory legislation and unlawful conduct, so that they too may provide “essential” services.” 

“Why should only government distribute food, but not NGOs? Is it now illegal to operate soup kitchens – even if the delivery of that soup is done with all hygienic measures in place? Why is everything that citizens can to do to help each other apparently illegal, unless granted permission for by bureaucrats? This is not the hallmark of a society that trusts its members to help each other solve problems – it is central planning, the pretence of knowledge, and the ruin of communities.” 

Restraint on taking legal action 

Given the exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 situation, Sakeliga has so far refrained from seeking relief in court despite grave illegalities and irrational conduct on the side of public servants and government officials. Sakeliga has instead opted to interact through public participation and has sent several letters on various issues over the course of the last three weeks. 

Considering the Minister’s failure to even acknowledge our letters and the needless harm being done now to businesses and consumers of food production – without any health benefits – we are obliged to take further action.  

Extract from Sakeliga’s letter to the Minister 

Sakeliga’s letter on 17 April to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition includes the following demands:  

That your ministry immediately ceases any attempts to prevent, prohibit or otherwise interfere with the production, sale, delivery and/or supply of warm prepared food to the public.  

That your ministry desists from making statements regarding the enforcement of the lockdown regulations which do not comply with the promulgated regulations and/or directives.  

That your ministry immediately instruct law enforcement to refrain from harassing, interfering, closing or otherwise arresting any businesses or business owners who have previously conducted business as restaurants but who have properly under the regulations converted their business activities in order to comply with the current regulations regarding the supply and/or sale of warm and/or prepared food. 

Letters and legal opinion 

Click here for the letter sent to Minister Patel on 17 April, regarding the ultra vires directives on warm and/or cooked and/or prepared food. 

Click here for the letter sent to Minister Patel on 31 March, regarding the ultra vires directives on CIPC certification. 

Click here for an extract from a legal opinion offered to Sakeliga on 27 March 2020 by advocate P Ellis SC and B Bester regarding the ultra vires directives on CIPC certification. 

Issued by Piet le Roux, CEO: Sakeliga, 18 April 2020