Gauteng premier visits mall in Ebony Park to monitor the compliance of lockdown regulations
EBONY PARK – Gauteng premier visited various retail stores in the province to assess the compliance of Level 4 regulations.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura, together with members of council, visited various shopping centres in the province.
The visits were conducted to assess the compliance of lockdown regulations, check for over-priced items and maintain food security standards.
Makhura said he chose to visit Ebony Park as it has been identified as an emerging hotspot for Covid-19. “We visited Ebony Park and Ivory Park as they are among the identified areas that are at high risk of the virus. We have people from Ivory Park who are currently in quarantine facilities.”
The premier revealed the recorded number of Covid-19 cases in Ivory Park on 13 May. “We have more than 40 cases in the area [as of 13 May] and we are afraid the cases will rise should we not intervene. We are working with shop owners to ensure that the stores are safe as they accommodate many people daily.”
Makhura was not impressed with a few of the observations recorded during his visit. “Various shops are not complying with the lockdown regulations and I would like the shops to add new rules to ensure that social distancing is practised.”
Ebony Park Pick n Pay store manager, Bongane Ngwenya said the retailer will improve the regulations placed in the store. “Customers that come to our shop will be sanitised and we will also advise them to take safety precautions before they enter the store. As the premier has given us his judgement, we will improve from it going forward.”
Although Makhura was harsh on exposing the lack of regulations in some spots, he deemed the tour a success as stores are now aware of what must be done to ensure the safety of customers and staff.
