LOCALS are preparing to join the rest of the country in the 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.
President Cyril Ramphosa announced on Monday that citizens are to be confined to their homes from midnight today (Thursday) to midnight on April 16, a decision some economists say the country will not recover from.
‘The president made the best decision under very tough circumstances. Many people are forced to take leave and thousands, if not millions of people will lose their jobs.
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‘We can expect to be in a recession for a very long time. We should also be preparing for a possible tax increase when the shutdown ends.’ said economist Dawie Roodt.
Exempted during the lockdown are those employed or in need of essential services such as pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential finance systems, the JSE, supermarkets, spaza shops, vets, petrol stations, health care providers and companies involved in producing or distributing food, basic goods and medical supplies.
The rules are that citizens are only allowed to leave their homes to buy groceries, fuel, seek medication. Jogging or walking pets is prohibited.
While some have welcomed the downtime, others were already struggling to keep up with the cost of families being at home for prolonged periods.
Richards Bay resident Lisa Sookdao said ordinary South African families are being pushed into debt.
‘My husband has been put on ‘short-time’ and my salary is not enough to run a household. As much as we love spending time with our three children, having the entire family home means we use more electricity, water and internet services.
‘We also tend to eat more out of boredom, so at the end of the day, the bills increase. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for grandmothers who have many children to take care off and feed, as some of them rely on school feeding schemes.’
The Restaurant Association of South Africa were notified on Tuesday by the mister of tourism that all outlets, including cafes, bars and coffee shops, have to close during the lockdown.
Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, said special provisions will be implemented to accommodate essential workers.
‘No trains will run. Essential workers will be allowed to travel to work by taxi during morning and afternoon peak times and all employers are expected to provide permits to those who has to work during the lockdown.’
The lockdown will be regulated by police and the South African National Defence Force. In KZN soldiers of 121 Batallion Military Base in St Lucia will be deployed.
Local SAPS units have not yet been provided with a directive on their role and protocol by the time of going to print on Wednesday. However, it has been made clear that the defence force was to support the police in maintaining order.
The directive is that soldiers exercise minimum force and that the police will handle arrests. Soldiers will undertake patrols and conduct roadblocks.
Failure to abide by the rules could lead to a month in jail, or a hefty fine.
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