The Constitutional Court on Wednesday dismissed the DA's application for direct access in challenging the constitutionality of the Disaster Management Act.

The DA argued to the court that its application raised "fundamental questions" about the separation of powers between Parliament and the executive.

"The nation is living through extraordinary times, and the executive's response to the pandemic, making use of Section 27 of the Act, raises urgent issues of profound constitutional importance about whether that section is constitutionally compliant."

In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa and government asked the court to not grant the DA direct access.

In court papers filed on 19 May, Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma argued that the DA's application was not urgent and did not warrant the Constitutional Court's truncated time periods.