ETHEKWINI NEWS FLASH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

25 March 2020

City to Continue Providing Essential Services To Residents During 21-Day Lockdown

EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda has reassured eThekwini residents that essential services would continue to be provided during the nationwide 21-day lockdown effective from midnight on Thursday, 29 March. 

Mayor Kaunda was speaking at an Executive Committee meeting held yesterday, 24 March. In another first, and in adherence to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for social distancing, the Executive Committee meeting was held remotely with participants using Microsoft Teams to participate.

Mayor Kaunda called the “virtual meeting” a success with the Full Council meeting planned for tomorrow to be held in a similar manner.

With regards to service delivery, Mayor Kaunda said all essential Municipal services would be operational during the next three weeks.

However, Sizakala centres and banking halls will be operating with limited services. The public is urged to preferably use online payment methods and supermarkets to pay their Municipal accounts. The City’s call centres will also be operational during the lockdown for the public to log calls.

A limited bus service will also be operational to provide transport for personnel providing essential services. Access to cemeteries is restricted. Burial is restricted to members of the deceased and will not exceed maximum of 20 people. 

Bookings and use of community halls, parks and nature reserves will remain closed to the public during the lockdown period.

It is important to note that essential services such as lifeguards at the beach, crematoria, Mitchell Park Zoo, tree cutting and grass cutting will function with minimal staff.

Mayor Kaunda urged eThekwini residents to abide to the conditions laid out for the lockdown.

“The City will ensure that residents comply with the directive of President Ramaphosa to combat the spread of the coronavirus. As a city that accounts for more than three million of the KwaZulu-Natal population, we have put tough measures in place to ensure that we save lives,” he said.

Some of these measures include the establishment of a war room which is constituted by political leadership and senior management of the Municipality. This war room meets twice a week to take decisions on Covid-19 interventions and monitors the implementation of these decisions. 

“We have also created a Joint Operations Committee of doctors and other technical officials to provide advice and regular updates from the Department of Health and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Over and above these structures we have put in place to curb the spread of the virus, we are also assisting communities to adhere to personal hygiene,” he added.

Mayor Kaunda said the Covid-19 war room took a decision last week to implement further safety measures in public spaces and facilities. These include the prohibiting of swimming at beaches and the closure of swimming pools, libraries, museums as well as restricting the number of people visiting parks. 

However, due to the beach ban being ignored by some, Mayor Kaunda said Metro Police has been asked to enforce these measures in order to save lives. He thanked those who have abided to the restrictions as they fully understand the consequences of this scourge.

He said plans were also in place to assist the approximate 240 000 families living in 590 informal settlements across the City.

“To ensure that people can exercise personal hygiene and wash their hands regularly, we are providing water storage tanks in all informal settlements where no communal ablution facilities exists,” Mayor Kaunda said. “We have also implemented safety measures at transit camps, hostels and mass care centres where we are accommodating victims of storm disasters. In all these areas we are installing liquid soap dispensers and hand sanitisers.”

The homeless in the City would also be assisted, he said.

“Working with non-governmental organisations, we will be providing similar services to homeless people and are investigating possible locations where they can be housed. Systems have also been put in place to mitigate the threat of outbreak in public transport facilities. We are collaborating with bus and taxi operators to create awareness and distribute hand sanitisers in taxi ranks and buses. The Municipality is also improving the cleaning of ablution facilities in all public transport amenities.” 

Mayor Kaunda urged eThekwini residents to comply with regulations announced by the cabinet. 

“We need to pray for our City and the nation as a whole. Stay safe and remember by working together we can overcome this challenge,” he concluded.

ENDS 

Issued by the eThekwini Municipality’s Acting Head of Communications Mandla Nsele.