The Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality (DrKKDM) handed over personal protection equipment (PPE) to the J.B. Marks Local Municipality for its communities on Tuesday, 5 May, with preference to pensioners and people with disabilities. This initiative was part of its district-wide distribution, where officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation were also present.
According to Xolani Mndaweni, the DrKKDM spokesperson, the distribution started in Khuma on Monday, 4 May, where the District Municipality’s executive mayor, Alderman Barei Mosiane-Segotso visited its local pension pay-point and the Khuma Hostel.
“We have realised that many of our community members do not have face masks or sanitisers to protect themselves against Covid-19; hence we are rolling out this programme,” said Mosiane-Segotso.
The Department of Water and Sanitation delivered the PPE to the district.
The total of the equipment delivered included 58 boxes containing 500 ml sanitisers, 200 buckets of soaps and detergents and nine boxes, each containing 72 bars of soap.
In a statement, Kolokoto Rabasotho, the deputy director at the Department of Water and Sanitation said, “As part of the North West Provincial Joint Operations Committee, it is our little contribution towards ensuring that disadvan- taged communities have access to PPEs.” The district has augmented 5000 masks and has been distributing them to the communities within the district’s jurisdiction. “With this limited stock, we will prioritise the masks for older persons, persons with disabilities and the underprivileged,” said Mndaweni. Mandla Tawana, the mayoral spokesperson, says the PPE will be distributed in due time. “We plan to identify old age homes and those who are homeless in Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp and distribute the material to them respectively,” he said.
Alderman Mosiane-Segotso urges community members to abide by the Level 4 lockdown regulations, like staying at home, wearing face masks, practising good hygiene, and other preventative measures.
“By adhering to these basic principles, the government believes we can win the war against Covid-19 and stop the spread of the contagious virus,” Mndaweni added.
