The Ekurhuleni metro has outlined a list of measures to continue providing essential services during the lockdown declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa on March 23.
According to the metro spokesperson, Themba Gadebe, these measures are to ensure that all basic and essential services are provided to the residents, including services to informal settlements, such as health-care services, waste removal, provision of electricity as well as water and sanitation.
Health
• All clinics will remain operational and will be working in collaboration with Gauteng Provincial Health Department.
• The following health-care sites have been identified for quarantine of Covid-19 cases, namely Nokuthela Ngwenya Community Health Centre, Old Natalspruit Hospital and Old Thokoza Fire Station.
• Six teams from Ekurhuleni and Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) are activated to do contact tracing.
Each team consists of environmental health practitioners, doctors, professional nurses, surveillance officers and health promoters.
• All early childhood development centres have been closed.
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Energy
Only non-essential staff within the Energy Department are released during this period.
Customer care centres and finance
The customer care centres and finance offices will be operational with skeleton staff.
Environment and waste management
• Waste collection services will continue according to the approved schedule.
• Transfer stations and mini-disposal sites will be closed as from March 25 to afford the service providers the opportunity to clear waste within the facilities to avoid rodents.
Residents may not use the transfer stations.
• Officials responsible for environmental compliance and enforcement will be on standby to respond to environmental incidents.
• Officials responsible for snake catching will be on standby to respond to snake call-outs.
• Clean the City programme will be affected by the lockdown.
Parks
Four nurseries will have a total of four employees on duty, for plant maintenance.
Cemeteries
• The metro will endeavour to spread the bookings within seven days of the week. Bookings will be approved on weekdays to avoid weekend congestion.
• Furthermore, graves will be allocated in a scattered manner to avoid congestion of different processions.
• Each funeral procession is expected to run for not more than an hour.
• The burial bookings will only be accommodated between 10am and 3.30pm for both weekdays and weekends.
• Twenty active cemeteries will have a total of 30 employees on duty for burials only, no operations and unveilings.
Recreational services
All sports, recreation, arts and culture (SRAC) facilities will be closed (swimming pools, halls and recreation facilities, libraries) and refunds for booked venues will be processed by the finance office.
All SRAC events will be cancelled.
Disaster and Emergency Management Services
• Fire and ambulance services personnel, call centre agents, and all support and essential staff are working during this period.
• EMPD as well as security services will be operational during this period.
ICT
Only non-essential staff are released during this period.
Water and sanitation
• Water and sanitation will continue with quality testing of water as well as discharge quality controls within the City.
• Maintenance contractors for water will be working, as well as depots supplying materials for the department.
Licensing
All licensing offices will be closed during the lockdown period.
Real estate
The metro has waived rental payments for tenants using council properties whose entities do not fall under essential services.
The metro deems it unfair to collect rent because these businesses will not yield any income for the duration of the lockdown.
