While the majority of the residents will spend the lockdown in the comfort of their homes with access to technology and food, Ward 114 councillor Victor Mafinya feels perturbed about compliance by the residents of Zandspruit.
Trying to keep people indoors in a single shack, crammed with more than four family members, is the reality faced by many Zandspruit dwellers, who the councillor doesn’t think will cope with the new set of conditions.
“Zandspruit is a very big and congested informal settlement. Monitoring all four corners of the area won’t be an easy task,” he highlighted.
Adhering to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, he said he had planned to meet with tavern and other business owners to discuss the issue of compliance during this period.
He further explained that although it is difficult to prevent the children from playing outside, they have at least prohibited them from playing along the Marina Road and Beyers Naudé Drive sections.
Another challenge according to Mafinya was that the community was in desperate need of hygiene essentials. “We know this pandemic wasn’t planned, but we’ve been promised hygiene products, although I don’t think they will get to each household,” he explained.
