Whoopee – South Africa Gets a New Holiday in December 2016!

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has declared 27 December 2016 a new public holiday for the country!

The President has granted the extra holiday in response to a request from the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA).

FEDUSA pointed out that this year workers in the country would only have 11 public holidays, instead of the usual 12, because Christmas Day (25 December) falls on a Sunday.

“According to section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act, 1994 ‘whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be a public holiday’,” said the Presidency, BUT “this year, the Monday following the 25th of December 2016 is another public holiday, being 26 December 2016, Day of Goodwill.

“This has resulted in the two public holidays overlapping,” said the Presidency.

Therefore – in terms of section 2A of the Act – President Zuma has declared that 27 December 2016 shall also be a public holiday!

The Presidency said this will ensure that workers are “not unduly disadvantaged because of this unusual event, and are still entitled to their 12 paid public holidays.”

#LetTheFestivitiesBegin #LetTheGoodTimesRoll