Jabulani Mkhonza (Communications Manager – uThukela District Municipality)
As the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic intensifies, the District Command Centre (led by its chairperson, Mayor Siphiwe Mazibuko) joined the Inkosi Langalibalele Local Command Covid-19 screening programme held in Wembezi recently.
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During the briefing held at the Wembezi Multi-Purpose Centre, Ward Councillor Dladla appreciated the fact that such a programme has come to his ward. He briefly mentioned some of the challenges faced by the community of Wembezi with regards to their welfare.
“We encourage our children and elders alike to stay at home during this period. Lockdown can only be lifted quickly if we continue to observe the lockdown regulations,” pleaded Cllr Dladla.
District Mayor Mazibuko warned that the president said that the relaxing of the lockdown relies much on our behaviour. He said that if people observe the lockdown regulations, then things can get back to normal sooner.
“The numbers are not decreasing drastically, but we are managing to flatten the curve. We have to intensify our education campaigns through various media platforms in order to educate and inform our people,” the mayor explained.
He also passed his gratitude to all field workers, saying that the work done by the district is highly appreciated by the province.
“One critical issue that we always come across everywhere we go is food parcels. A message is being sent around, accusing councillors of being corrupt when it comes to food parcel distribution, which is not true,” concluded the mayor.
It was then time for the business of the day after teams were allocated places to visit. During these visits, an element of mistrust was noticed in some of the households.
Some people were not willing to co-operate with the field workers, while others had no problem at all. Having finished with the screening programme, the mayor had another engagement with stakeholders in Lindela. According to Ward 17 Cllr Mvelase, Lindela shelter facilities temporarily house people from three sections in Wembezi, as well as two wards. The people are generally unemployed and their houses were identified for rehabilitation, hence they were moved into the shelter. It’s a 30-unit shelter consisting of two rooms each.
The families were handed hygiene packs donated by the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and National Lottery Fund. Mayor Mazibuko, Cllr Mvelase, Uthukela Disaster Management, Public Participation, Civil Society and Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality were on hand to distribute these donations to beneficiaries, much to their delight. Social relief remains a huge challenge in the area.
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