Residents urged to comply with lockdown regulations
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday April 7, 2020 20:43
Radisigo expressed worry that some people appear to be leaving their homes unnecessarily and under the pretext that they have pressing activities, which they want to undertake.
The mayor was speaking during a press briefing this morning, where the Rotary Club of Francistown donated food hampers that will be donated to residents in the city, who are unable to fend for themselves as a result of the lockdown. The hampers are worth P14,450.
“I am deeply worried that if this trend continues (people breaching lockdown regulations) it will counter efforts meant to effectively fight the spread of the virus. People should try not to leave their homes unnecessarily. If we cannot take the necessary precautions to reduce the spread of the virus and it spreads across the country, the lockdown will continue and will have more serious repercussions for the local economy,” he said.
He added: “Today there is a lot of movement in the city, which is a very worrying factor”.
There was strong compliance of lockdown regulations on the first day of the lockdown. However, over the last three days residents in the city been been queuing at the District Commissioner’s office seeking permits for various purposes. This has raised concern that efforts to curb the spread of the virus might be a futile exercise.
Meanwhile, the mayor also pleaded with the private sector, non-government organisations and members of the public to emulate the Rotary Club and heed President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s call that they should donate funds and resources to enhance the fight against COVID-19.
“In Francistown we have several people who are unable to go out and fend for themselves because of the lockdown. We believe more donations can make a big difference to their lives,” he said.
Florence Makgarapa, a representative from the Rotary Club of Francistown said that the organisation felt that the best way to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19 was to donate food hampers to cushion families that cannot fend for themselves because of the lockdown. She added that the hampers would be donated to 50 families that would be identified by the city council.