On 23 March 2020, the President declared a national lockdown from 26 March to 16 April 2020. As the leadership of Makana Municipality we have taken the following decisions:
- People must stay at home unless strictly to perform essential services or to buy essential goods, lifesaving goods or to collect social grants.
- People must avoid public places and all social activities must be cancelled.
- No jogging or walking of dogs is allowed during the lockdown.
- All sport, arts, religious and cultural activities must be put on hold. This includes circumcision (ulwaluko) and other traditional rites (imisebenzi).
- All taverns and sheebeens must be closed during the lockdown.
- No more than 50 people are allowed to gather in one place for more than an hour. This also applies to funerals.
- No visitors are allowed for inmates at Correctional Services Centres except attorneys and social workers.
- Only one visitor will be allowed per visiting hour at Settlers Hospital.
- Settlers Hospital is well prepared to deal with the Coronavirus.
- Caregivers from 19 clinics and five care facilities have been well trained to deal with the pandemic.
- Military doctors will accompany soldiers during lockdown.
- Taxis are only allowed to operate between 5am to 9am and between 4pm and 8pm.
- Taxis must only carry half the number of passengers per trip during these times.
- All businesses and shops must be closed except those that provide essential services and sell essential goods. These include pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services, supermarkets, petrol stations and health care providers.
SAPS is empowered to strictly enforce these measures without fear or favour. They will be supported by SANDF in carrying out these duties.
These stringent measures are intended to save our lives from the global pandemic of the Coronavirus Covid-19. I call on all residents to co -operate with law-enforcement agents
Thank you for your cooperation.
Executive Mayor
Cllr Mzukisi Mpahlwa
This article is published by Grocott’s Mail as part of a Covid-19 information-sharing collaboration with the Rhodes University DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Biotechnology Innovation and Engagement and several Rhodes University departments who make up the RU COVID-19 Science Engagement team: www.ru.ac.za/covidscicomm as well as government departments and the Makhanda Circle of Unity.
