[WATCH] Covid-19: Queues re-emerge in Alex on day four of the lockdown

Worry is growing that overcrowded places, such as Alexandra, may become the epicentre of the coronavirus if decisive steps are not taken to ensure full compliance with the national lockdown regulations.

Warning from the City speaker

City of Joburg Speaker Nonceba Molwele added to this concern in a statement saying, “With most of Johannesburg’s population residing in densely populated informal settlements and townships, they provide a perfect ground for the virus to spread quicker. It means that if people do not take the call of social distancing seriously, the virus will spread like wildfire.”

Long queues

This as long queues at shops and for grant payouts were seen on day four of the lockdown, 30 March. Taxis were also in business after the announcement by transport minister Fikile Mbalula that they could operate from 5am to 9am and 4pm to 8pm.

Proportional representative councillor Shadrack Mkhonto said, “While security guards manning gates at Alex Mall where all alone in the earlier part of the morning, the opposite was at Pan Africa and Alex Plaza malls, and at nearby Freedom Square Centre and Yarona Building where grant recipients also queued from early morning before they joined queues of shoppers at the malls.”

Take a look at the queue outside Alex Mall.

Proportional representative councillor shares concerns

Mkhonto was worried about the absence of the police and army. “Lessons should have been learnt from day one of the shutdown when crowds [gathered], and deployments should be made early to control anticipated throngs,” he added as again, social distancing was not upheld.

This, he said, was in addition to people loitering which continued despite the combined police and army effort on day three (29 March) to get residents indoors.

Mkhonto was also concerned that people’s awareness of the danger of the virus may not be adequate.

“It may sink in if numbers of the infected and deaths that will occur among residents are made public.” He was concerned that some were seen drinking on the streets, and despite bottle stores being closed, people were seen exiting from the stores’ back doors and some were seen lighting cigarettes next to spaza shops where they most likely bought them from.

“In the absence of consistent and decisive police and army patrols, many will continue to take this thing [coronavirus] as a joke.”

The army arrives on the afternoon of day two of the lockdown

The afternoon of the second day of the lockdown (28 March) saw exasperated local leaders welcoming the arrival of soldiers who ordered reluctant residents back into their crowded homes.

This, after many residents did not comply with the lockdown regulations.

The troops, who were backed by the police, immediately filed into the dilapidated Madala hostel, home to thousands of residents, while other residents milled around, seemingly oblivious of their continued violation of the restriction to remain indoors.

https://twitter.com/SANDFCorpEvents/status/1243896591309774849?s=20

Also read: Covid-19: Alex streets in pictures during first two days of lockdown

Mkhonto said, “There is no space for comfort for residents of congested and unbearable shacks, except on the streets and pavements.

“Their health and hygiene is also compromised by their sharing of unreliable water supplies and bucket toilets that are not treated with chemicals.”

A sympathetic Mkhonto said some residents who, despite their difficulties, tried to comply with the lockdown regulations.

Read more: Alex councillors, police worried about residents’ poor compliance with lockdown rules

Appeal for compliance

He was concerned about them sustaining the required social distancing for the entire period without a temporary depopulation of the area. “Also, they crowd at shops in the last week of the month-end as they don’t have savings to use on other days.”

Also read: Covid-19: Gauteng deploys community patrollers to ensure citizens comply with lockdown regulations

He suggested that government should provide food parcels, particularly to the most vulnerable, the elderly who rely on grants, and for the police and army to be deployed at the shops early for crowd control.

City of Joburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo, who was on a monitoring visit to Setjwetla informal settlement, also witnessed the loitering and urged residents to comply with the regulations.

Ward 105 councillor Teffo Raphadu also appealed for compliance with the order. “It’s the only way to curb the virus,” he said warning those who drank beer on the streets.

“The police should act decisively with those who sell the beer illegally.”

He discouraged residents from panic buying, saying shops that sell food would remain open on specific hours during the lockdown period.

Also read: Crowds, traffic return to Alex streets on day two of national lockdown