Some informal traders in the city centre fear for their lives as some customers in the area are allegedly not bothering to wear masks despite strict regulations.
Informal trader Oscar Ngema revealed this during an interview with Rekord this week.
“We fear of contracting coronavirus and ultimately lose our lives because some people do not obey lockdown regulations,” Ngema said.
He said the lockdown regulations play a pivotal role in curbing the spread of Covid-19 pandemic to save lives.
The 53-year-old said it was unfortunate that some people ignore regulations putting their lives and that of others at risk.
“Several people I know have died of Covid-19 related complications – this virus is not a joke.”
He said lack of wearing masks undermined the government efforts to fight against the spread of the disease.
“They end up coming to my stall without masks or wearing them improperly and they do not even care about social distancing.”
Ngema, also known as Madlokovu, said he had made it his responsibility to encourage his customers to adhere to lockdown regulations.
“I urge them to wear marks and keep a social distance.”
He said non-compliance was not the only problem as informal traders’ businesses were also performing badly amid level 3 lockdown.
The significant decrease of people visiting the city centre was one of the reasons their businesses struggled to make profit.
“In a day, I use to sell all bananas, packed in two boxes, but now selling bananas in each box takes up to three days.”
Madlokovu believed the poor business performance was as a result of less people going to their workplaces in the city centre, less commuters travelling by taxis and buses and closed schools.
“Government employees and private sector employees, bus and taxi commuters and learners are all our customers, and if they do not come to the city centre we do not make money.”
Informal traders, Christina Mantlhwa and Elizabeth Shisana shared the same sentiment as Ngema.
“Some people do not wear masks,” said Mantlhwa.
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She urged all people to wear masks in order to prevent contracting and spreading the pandemic.
Shisana started to sell masks after noticing a number of people were not wearing masks in the area.
“I sell masks to all those coming to my stall without masks,” Shisana said, citing that she realised that the number of people not wearing masks had been big enough for her masks business to be sustainable.
Tshwane metro police said they were not available for comment on the matter.
Central police spokesperson Captain Augustin Selepe warned all those failing to wear masks that they would be arrested.
She said police were currently conducting compliance operation in terms of disaster management act to bring those failing to comply with lockdown regulations to book.
“People found not wearing masks will be arrested for non-compliance in terms of disaster management act and fined or taken to court for it to decide on their case,” Captain Selepe said.
Captain Selepe then urged members of the public to continue wearing masks even when adjusted national level 3 lockodown regulations had been eased.
She warned business owners that they would be arrested if their customers were found not complying with lockdown regulations inside their businesses or buildings.
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