Mayor asks churches and chiefs to help as Ntabankulu villagers defy lockdown

Residents in rural parts of Ntabankulu are openly flouting the 21-day lockdown regulations, forcing municipal bosses to appeal to traditional and religious leaders to step in and help change people’s mindsets.

Mayor Tsileng Sobuthongo told the Dispatch on Thursday that some rural villagers were still hosting sports events which drew big crowds, despite regulations prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people.

Sobuthongo said authorities had had their hands full since the start of the lockdown, raiding villages to disperse large crowds.

Funerals have also been strictly monitored.

“There is general resistance [regarding lockdown compliance] across Ntabankulu,” she said.

“Since Thursday last week, we have been visiting Amakomkhulu [Great Places] to speak to chiefs, headmen and sub-headmen.

“We have also approached religious leaders as we believe they have a big role to play in helping raise awareness about Covid-19 and the lockdown itself.”

Concerned community leader Yonela Gxothiwe said rural residents in six villages were not adhering to the regulations. Gxothiwe said villagers in ward 6 did not have access to electricity after an Eskom power supply pole was deliberately cut down before the lockdown. This meant people were not privy to information relating to the lockdown.

“Sivuka siye emqombithini

[we wake up and go drink mqombothi].

“People here are not observing any laws about social distancing, it’s just life as normal without a care in the world,” Gxothiwe said.

He said villagers who had cellphones were not able to recharge them and search the internet for information.

“I have to recharge my own phone from my own car,” he said.

Sobuthongo confirmed some villages in ward 6 had been disconnected from the power grid by Eskom.

“Eskom switches off the supply to ensure there are no live cables lying on the ground which could endanger the lives of the people.”

She said it was the third time an electricity pole had been cut down in the ward.

It was suspected that people in other villages whose homes are yet to be connected to the grid were behind this.

As per Eskom processes, when its infrastructure has been deliberately vandalised, the municipality has to engage with that particular community to find a lasting solution and for the community to make a commitment not to do it again.

But this has not been able to happen because of the lockdown.

A report has been prepared about the cutting down of a pole and will be handed to Eskom after the lockdown.

But it was reported on Wednesday that the power utility had warned it would not attend to repeated power failures caused by illegal connections and vandalism during the lockdown.