Communities urged not to panic buy
This as thousands descend on various shopping centres in the hopes of stocking up on groceries and other essential items
Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says government is working with the National Consumer Goods Council to ensure food security, urging communities not to panic buy.
This as thousands descend on various shopping centres in the hopes of stocking up on groceries and other essential items.
Ntshavheni, who was updating the nation on Wednesday on unrest in KZN and Gauteng, has called for calm in communities. ‘As the situation stands, there are 208 incidents that have been reported overnight in Gauteng (52) and KwaZulu-Natal (156) where shopping malls and centres have been looted and vandalised.
‘With the looting of shopping malls and centres, community members are raising concerns of food shortages and stoppage of key economic activities.
‘We urge members of the public to exercise restraint during these trying times.
‘If we have members of the public flocking into the shops and malls to buy food stuff we also risk spreading the Covid-19 virus into uncontrollable levels,’ she said.
Adjusted Lockdown regulations
Meanwhile, the minister also announced the easing of Adjusted Alert Level 4 regulations in relation to gatherings to allow government, political, traditional and religious leaders to quell tensions in communities.
This amendment has been gazetted by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
‘The amendment will only apply to gatherings and community engagements to deal with emergency matters that impact on the management, treatment, and prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Such gatherings are limited to 50 people and if the relevant space is too small to hold the prescribed number of persons observing a distance of at least 1.5 metres from each other, then not more than 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used. The curfew still remains in place from 9pm until 4am.’
