Some of the loudest voices against the unreasonable regulations are President Cyril Ramaphosa's supporters who are so concerned about the social impact, they are prepared to speak publicly rather than whisper the truth, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has said in an open letter.
"We must remember, Mr President, that public policies and conduct must not only pass the reasonableness test in a court of law, they should also pass that test in the court of public opinion.
Madonsela, the Law Trust chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University, wrote there "wasn't a murmur of dissent" when Ramaphosa announced the initial 21-day lockdown.
"It seems to me that the two key challenges to the lockdown are social justice and reasonableness - which are both protected in the Constitution."
All policies, including the coronavirus regulations, must comply with the Constitution's equality clause and, by implication, the dictates of social justice, Madonsela said.
