With the rapidly changing circumstances, FISA will attempt to keep you updated as often as necessary.
The Minister of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, published the lockdown regulations in the Government Gazette on 25 March 2020. Click here for the regulations.
In paragraph B16 of Annexure B to the regulations, the Master of the High Court is classified as an essential service. However, this does not mean that all areas of the Master’s Offices will continue to function during the lockdown. The protocol published by the Office of the Chief Master on Monday, 23 March 2020, is suspended until the lockdown is lifted. At this stage it is envisaged that only emergency appointments as executor will be processed in circumstances where there is a real and dire need for income for the deceased’s spouse and children. The Office of the Chief Master is working with officials of the Department of Justice to finalise the extent of the services that will be rendered by Master’s Offices. FISA is in constant contact with the Acting Chief Master about this and will communicate with members as and when more information becomes available.
FISA activities will continue during the lockdown, as all FISA functionaries can work remotely from any location with an internet connection. As indicated earlier, a decision about the FISA second quarter regional meetings will be taken around the third week of April.
The FISA regional meeting in Bloemfontein scheduled for 16 April 2020 is postponed until further notice.
For further remarks made by the Minister of Justice, Mr Ronald Lamola, on 25 March 2020, click here.