Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has asked for the allocated time for exercise in public spaces to be extended.
Under Level 4 lockdown, people are allowed to cycle, jog and walk on their own in public areas from 6am to 9am within a 5km radius of their home.
But on Friday, the first day of Level 4 lockdown, popular beachfronts like Sea Point and Strand promenades were packed with thousands of people taking advantage of the easing of the nationwide lockdown.
Many parents brought their children along, and pet owners took their dogs for a run.
Cape Town residents were out in force. Picture: Twitter
However, many failed to adhere to social distancing while others either did not wear masks or wore them incorrectly around their necks.
Winde called for the national government to relook the three-hour exercise window, saying it did not take into consideration the onset of winter and the fact that sunrise occurs later during this period.
Sunrise is currently at about 7.20am and many people say they won’t leave their homes at 6am as it is still dark that time and they are wary of criminal elements.
Winde added: “In many of the country’s high-density cities, abiding by these regulations during a very set time has resulted in high levels of congregation in public spaces.
“This is the unfortunate result of regulations which I am afraid were not thought through and regrettably lack common sense.”
The premier himself took to the streets on his bicycle to see how the exercise plan was working out.
In addition, some people have complained that they are working or preparing for work in the given time slot and are thus losing out on getting “fresh air”.
“In a bid to reduce congestion during the exercise hours, we will be writing to the national government to request an additional afternoon exercise session,” the premier said.
He added that this will relieve congestion caused by the sun rising later and allows those who are at work in the mornings to exercise later in the day.