Town packed during day four of national lockdown

A person would be forgiven for wondering if the fourth day of the national lockdown was still in place, considering the chaos in town today. Newcastle was abuzz with traffic and people.

Shoppers, passengers and those attempting to access their social grants, queued and crowded together with very little social distancing taking place. The queue outside the grant office snaked down Harding Street.

Many Madadeni and Osizweni residents had travelled some distance to get to Newcastle, to claim their grants. Although the grant office tried to limit the number of people allowed inside at any given time, people outside were bunched together.

“I am so scared. I had to travel so far in order to get my social grant and stock up on a few groceries to feed my family. I first thought the Government had done everything in their power to help us, but from today I am no longer sure,” said Madadeni resident, Khethiee Mphuthe.

Some residents claimed they had been waiting in line for their social grants from as early as 6am in the morning.

“We’ve been standing in this heat for half the day. We had to leave home very early to secure a spot in the line, but unfortunately things are going very slowly. I took a risk to come to town and be surrounded by so many people, for my grandmother who is not capable of traveling and who desperately needs her grant,” explained Bongiwe Manyathione from Osizweni.

Mlungisi Khumalo, municipal Head of Communications commented, “We as the Newcastle Municipality understand the urgency for residents to receive their social grants, but we also call upon all our residents to respect the rules and regulations which have been put in place by the South African Government, regarding the national lockdown.”

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