The Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality in Estcourt in Kwazulu-Natal are enforcing stricter lockdown regulations in a bid to clamp down on the illegal movement of people.
This after Premier Sihle Zikalala earlier announced that lockdown measures will be intensified in the province.
More than 110 people arrested in eThekwini as KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala leads law enforcement intensified campaign.
More information & photos at https://t.co/T0hROra9pn#COVID19SouthAfrica #LockdownSA #StayAtHome pic.twitter.com/aA2Ip4tioo
— KZN Transport (@KZNTransport) April 20, 2020
Entry roads to Estcourt’s CBD have been closed and police are only allowing people through who have permits and those with hospital appointments.
Emadelobheni resident Mandisa Ntshalintshali says she was going to town to buy groceries this morning, but was instructed to return home at a roadblock.
“I left my house to go and buy food in town. Before we reached town, police stopped our vehicle and asked if there were people who were going to buy food. They then told us that only people who have an appointment in hospital will proceed then we had take a taxi back home. They said we have to buy food from local spaza shops. I told them that I need to first withdraw money but they refused. Instead they instructed us to wait for the taxi to us back home. They should allow us to go to buy food and only deal with people who are roaming in town.”
Meanwhile, the mayor Jabu Mbhele says people initially adhered to the lockdown when it was implemented.
However, Mbhele says since the payment of grants, people started to move around and lingered in town like they would normally do.
“Some of our people you find them roaming around the town. Some of them in the park. I am requesting the law enforcement to just have the check especially on people who are elderly who want to but their needs or groceries for their families they must release those people and I think we must have another law enforcement in town who will guard against the roaming around of people in the streets.”
Mbhele has called on people to stay at home as door-to-door screening and testing for COVID-19 is being done.
In the video below, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala outlines measures the province is taking to enforce stricter lockdown regulations:
