Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that personal care services - such as beauty bars and hair salons will be allowed to reopen under strict safety conditions.
However, it is not known when this will be as the president said a date had yet to be decided.
“Specific and stringent safety requirements have been agreed on and will need to be put in place before a business can re-open, and protocols will need to be strictly adhered to for businesses to remain open.
“Announcements will be made in due course to detail these measures and indicate the date from which these activities will be permitted.
“We have taken this decision with due care and seriousness, appreciating the risks associated with each activity and the measures needed to manage those risks,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa said the decision to reopen sit-in restaurants, accredited and licensed accommodation facilities (excluding home sharing accommodation like AirBnB), conference centres and meetings for business purposes, cinemas and theatres, casino, non-contact sports such as golf, tennis and cricket and personal care services - including hair dressers.
On Twitter, South Africans reacted mostly with joy, but some remained cautious, saying they would continue to stay home.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/TLB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TLB
— Legends Barbershop ™️ (@legends_barber_)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19 #LockdownSA
— #BlackLivesMatter (@Mthembekwayo)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/20h00?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#20h00 pic.twitter.com/S6gpqmBssA
— Mvikeli Hlophe (@MviHlophe)
All I know is I need a haircut but I don’t wanna rush things. 😭
undefinedYay!!!! We can have our hair and nails done! And go out for a meal. At the casino. Happy New Year!!
— 🐾Estelle🐾 (@Ladylepurrrrd) June 17, 2020
I have no desire to do anything except getting my hair done. Everything else can miss me mntkbw.
— YT: Sandisiwe M ♡ (@SandisiweM_) June 17, 2020