In a bid to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus, Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Housing in the City of Johannesburg Cllr Mlungisi Mabaso, accompanied by the Chairperson of SCOPA and Member of Parliament, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, and other City officials, visited a several areas to hand out sanitisers, gloves and other essential products to the less fortunate.
MMC Mabaso kicked off his oversight visit at Donavan McDonald Retirement Village in Roodepoort, where he distributed gloves and soap to hundreds of vulnerable elderly citizens.
This follows shortages at most shops due to stockpiling as a result of the nationwide lockdown.
The elderly, who were heeding President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to self-isolate, expressed their gratitude to Cllr Mabaso, who proceeded to Mapetla Hostel in Soweto as well as Ezimbuzini Informal Settlement near Orlando East, which is dominated by low-income earners, to distribute hand sanitisers and gloves.
The two areas have limited access to water and dignified ablution facilities. Hand washing is paramount given this pandemic and especially in areas that are overcrowded.
MMC Mabaso said inadequate water resources and the sharing of toilets have a direct impact on the spread of the disease.
“We have taken a decision to supply hand sanitisers to the less fortunate as they are more at risk of getting infected by Covid-19 due to overcrowded spaces. We call on our communities to adhere to government’s directives to wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, and to keep social distancing.
“This is not to punish our people, but this is to prevent a further spread of the virus that has claimed thousands of lives globally. As the MMC of Housing in the City of Joburg, I will be visiting other overcrowded areas during the lockdown to ensure that we educate our people about social distancing and to distribute more essentials to those who cannot afford,” said Cllr Mabaso.
Hlengwa applauded MMC Mabaso for the great initiative and added that more needed to be done. “At this time of crisis, our people need reassurance from their leaders that we are in the trenches with. Therefore, we must push back on the frontiers of ignorance. Public education is very important particularly to the black community who seem not to fully understand the implications of this pandemic.
“What the MMC and his team have done is a welcome move. It’s good to see that the resources - as minimal as they are - are being stretched to reach almost the entire spectrum of South Africa,” said Hlengwa, who added that he expected public funds to reach people daily, not just during a pandemic.
