Hairdressers head to court today over level 3 restrictions

With level 3 regulations set to come into effect next week, those in the hair and beauty industry are still not being allowed to fully operate.

CAPE TOWN - Hairdressers want to be allowed to trade again and are planning to take their fight to the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.

With level 3 regulations set to come into effect next week, those in the hair and beauty industry are still not being allowed to fully operate.

Despite the industry being offered some reprieve under level 4 regulations to sell beauty and hair products, they argued this was not enough to stay afloat.

• OPINION: To the president, from a hairdresser struggling during COVID-19

Level 3 lockdown will see something close to normality with all wholesale and retail outlets allowed to open once more, and manufacturing operations able to get moving again.

But, for hairdressers, there's still a long wait before they will be able to earn a living again with the draft framework only allowing them back at level 1.

So, they opted to approach the High Court.

Jade Tome spoke for the lawyer who would be leading their argument. She said there was no reason they should be excluded from making a living.

“We are fully capable to uphold all necessary COVID-19 safety protocols and have practiced sanitising, wearing gloves and masks and upholding extremely high measures of health and safety as part of our training from the beginning of our trade,” Tome said.

She said the industry supported a large number of people.

“Approximately one million people depend on the hairdressing industry and stand to be severely prejudiced economically should the lockdown continue any further,” Tome said.

“If we do not lift the ban now, we could lose up to 40% of its industry. This will have a ripple effect across millions of households,” she added.

The lockdown and the severe economic depression that was expected to follow is likely to eradicate between four and seven million jobs across all sectors of the South African economy.

For official information about COVID-19 from the Department of Health, please click here.