Cabinet resolved this week to move towards the end of the national state of disaster, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Tuesday.

"As you would remember, a week ago, the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] addressed the nation, indicating that, as a country, we are ready to enter a new phase in the management of the pandemic.

"Though the pandemic is not yet over, it was the desire of government for the country, as much as it is possible, to return to normality, but in a manner that recognises the changing nature of the pandemic," Dlamini-Zuma said during the virtual address.

She was briefing the media about the proposed amendments to the regulations pertaining to the Covid-19 national state of disaster.

Last week, Ramaphosa announced that he would lift the state of disaster once the public participation process on future Covid-19 health regulations was completed.

Dlamini-Zuma said that following the president's announcement, and given that the pandemic is monitored on a daily basis, it was decided that "the country must go towards the end of the national state of disaster".

"Of course, we cannot do that in a reckless and abrupt manner, so what we are going to do is to publish some regulations that should remain," she explained.

Dlamini-Zuma said regulations would be gazetted on Tuesday night, and the public could comment for at least 48 hours.

"Then we will see what the comments will say. Those will be analysed, then the final decision will be taken to end the national state of disaster, and the president will announce when that time comes," she said.

The regulations will include, among other things,  the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which will remain in place.

"We also know that there are certain things that were introduced through the Disaster Management Act, which need to continue for some time... like the payment of the R350. We will continue, but it will be removed from the national disaster after 30 days has lapsed, and we will continue through other means," she said.

The grant was part of a range of measures to support the recovery of the economy and to provide relief to the poor and those left vulnerable as a result of Covid-19, News24 reported.