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Social media users slam decision to use Limpopo resort as quarantine site

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Social media users have reacted with shock and anger following government’s announcement that The Ranch Resort near Polokwane in Limpopo has been identified as the place to accommodate a group of South Africans that will be repatriated from the coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan, China.

On Thursday, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize officially announced that the resort has been picked as the quarantine centre.

In the video below, the Inter-Ministerial Committee briefs media on coronavirus:

Mkhize’s announcement has been met with harsh criticism on social media.

The #LimpopoIsNotADumpingSite hashtag has been trending since Thursday evening into Friday morning.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has taken control of The Ranch Resort to ensure that the place in under tight security at all times.

Social media reacts to The Ranch Resort being the quarantine site for  South Africans from China

 

 

 

 

 

Number of confirmed cases decreases from 17 to 16

Minister Mkhize has retracted earlier reports of a coronavirus case in the Free State and has announced that the 14 Limpopo students who returned from China recently have all tested negative.

Mkhize has apologised for the wrong statistics following an earlier reported case in the Free State.

The number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in South Africa decreased from 17 to 16 on Thursday.

ANCYL promises action if South Africans from China are brought to Limpopo:

In a statement, the ANC Youth League in Peter Mokaba region said it was gravely concerned about The Ranch Hotel becoming the ‘host venue’ for the more than 100 people being repatriated from China.

The provincial Youth League has promised to ‘disturb this arrangement and organise the mother of all marches’ if The Ranch and government ‘continue to be arrogant’.

The league says choosing Limpopo as a quarantine facility, would send shock waves in communities, and is likely to give bad publicity to the vulnerable tourism economy of the province.

“While acknowledging the work done by government of educating the people of South Africa about coronavirus, we are worried about the socio-economic conditions that the majority of our people find themselves in. For example, if one of the employees at The Ranch were to contract the virus, they would transmit it to the multitudes of people that they interact with, in the public transport, their homes and other places where black people socialise,” read the statement.

The league has suggested that every province should have its own quarantine facility.

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