Crowded Diepsloot teems with life during lockdown

The “deep ditch”, as the densely populated Diepsloot means in Afrikaans, was teeming with people involved in normal activities on Friday, except that no-one was going to work.

Driving in the sewage-filled streets of the township in the north of Johannesburg, the first day of the 21-day Covid-19 lockdown was just like any other Friday morning.

From residents having their hair done, learner drivers taking lessons and chesa nyamas (buy-and-braai) restaurants preparing for patrons, there was no lockdown in evidence in Diepsloot, aside from restrictions preventing people from leaving the township. “

“We will stay indoors and do what for 21 days in Diepsloot?” asked a taxi driver, as he took a sip of his quart of beer.

Groups of people were sitting on corners, children were running around the streets and hundreds of people were going to shopping centres. Keeping a distance of two metres was the last thing on their minds as they queued to get in, a 100 at a time, to the supermarkets.

“How can you stand apart in such a long queue? Where will it end? We are on a wing and prayer to not get infected, but there are more chances of catching the virus now because we have to all flock to shop at the same time,” said Koos Mahlangu, as he waited for his turn to be let into a supermarket.

In the queue of about 200 people, including some with babies on their backs, only two had masks on and no one was sanitising their hands. There was only a group of people in blue shirts handing out pamphlets about Covid-19.

Sarah Mekwe, 63, one of those queuing, was angry that the supermarket was apparently taking advantage of the coronavirus to rip poor people off and was patiently waiting for her turn to get in so she could “give them a piece of my mind and demand my money back”.

She said after the shop had published specials on certain goods, she sent her grandson to buy the items but was shocked when she saw the till slips.

“For instance, on the paper (advert) they said you get three French polonies for R99, but they charged me R160,” she said.

Taxis mostly abided by the permitted work times, from 5am to 9am and from 4pm to 8pm, with reduced passenger numbers. One of the township’s three biggest taxi ranks was eerily quiet and the stalls lining the pavements empty, except for some people playing dice.

The SA National Defence Force, deployed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on a “mercy mission” to save lives, was not to be seen, but there were police cars here and there.

– siphom@citizen.co.za

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