The non-compliance to social distancing by beneficiaries of the R350 Covid-19 special relief grant queuing outside Lydenburg Post Office has sparked concerns.

According to one of several residents who contacted Steelburger/Lydenburg News, they fear that if the lockdown measures are not followed, the spread of Covid-19 might increase.

The general measures to contain the spread of the virus according to the South African government, include implementing relevant health protocols and social distancing measures.

For the past weeks, there have been more than 100 beneficiaries queuing outside the local office every day. All those in line at the offices are from Lydenburg and Burgersfort.

Some arrive at the post office as early as 04:00 and those from Burgersfort sleep outside so that they can be first in line next day.

When Steelburger/Lydenburg News  visited the area, the beneficiaries said they were forced to queue because they were unemployed. They added that the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress will only be paid for a period from May until October.

“There is no back pay. If we miss this opportunity we will never get the money again. We need it because we are struggling to make ends meet,” one said.

The manager of Lydenburg Post Office, Mthobisi Duba, said the sudden influx is the reason why compliance appears to be a challenge.

“As manager of the post office, I have been working with the beneficiaries and it appears as though it is difficult for them to follow the regulations. When I go outside I explain what is expected of them and encourage them to do it.

However, they do it when I am there, but the moment I turn around they do exactly the opposite.

“We have tried our level best, but with the large number of people queuing it is a challenge. When we explained our situation to the national office, they advised us to close the doors if the public does not want to comply,” he said.

Duba added that they will continue to do their part of following the regulations of level 2 without failure, and also encouraged the public to do the same.

According to www.gov.za, beneficiaries can change from receiving their grant at the post office to a bank account of their choice or vice versa.