Lockdown is ignored by desperate residents
Some Nkomazi residents are disobeying the lockdown regulations, citing lack of water and any form of social relief as the reason.
Nkomazi is a densely rural populated area with an influx of migrants from Swaziland and Mozambique.
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According to the Department of Health, this subregion currently has eight confirmed Covid-19 cases followed by Mbombela with five confirmed cases. The confirmed number of cases in the province currently stands 23.
It is business as usual with scores of people wondering the streets, with a number of township businesses and informal traders in full operation until late at night.
“We are intentionally defying the lockdown regulations because we don’t have water and now we were promised food parcels, but our children are still dying of hunger. So, how can we stay at home when no one cares about us,” said Mandla Masilela of Masibekela, a stone’s throw away from the Swaziland border gate.
He argued that water has always been a problem in this area and the poverty rate is high.
“We were told that there are food parcels meant for the needy such as us, but we haven’t seen a single family here with such food parcel. The only option for us is to go out and hustle for ourselves just like we have been doing before the lockdown,” continued Masilela.
It was the same thing in areas such as Mbuzini, Mangweni, Langeloop and Schuzendal, with community members roaming the streets and doing their normal daily chores.
Spokesperson for the Department of Social Development in the province, Comfort Ngobe, urged community members to make use of the department’s call centre for assistance.
“The department has just launched a call centre with the main aim of helping those in great need during this time. We would like to appeal to our communities to call our call centres and they will be assisted,” said Ngobe.
The call centre numbers are as follows: Ehlanzeni district, on 079-890-3471 or 013-757-2035, Nkangala district on 079-890-3886 or 013-757-2027, Gert Sibande district on 079-890-0067 or 013-757-2022 and Bushbuckridge on 079-890-0175 or 013-757-2036.
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