Mabuyane worries about Covid19 spread at pension paypoints

Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane admitted on Monday the provincial government was worried by the thousands of people flocking to paypoints to receive their social grant money this week.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province stands at 12, up by two from Sunday's 10, and Mabuyane said it was inevitable more people would become infected.

Mabuyane, together with social development MEC Siphokazi Mani-Lusithi, provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga and provincial Sassa head Bandile Maqethuka, monitored paypoints at the King William's Town post office and OR Tambo hall in Zwelitstha on Monday.

At venues around the province, elderly people queued in large numbers, some keeping the recommended one-metre distance apart while others openly ignored the directive.

Social grants will be paid until Friday, something that concerns Mabuyane.

“That is our fear. What is happening now reverses the lockdown and we cannot not do it because people need the money. It is beyond our control but we are here to monitor the measures and see to it that they are adhered to,” he said.

“Currently the spread is across the province. It's easy to control it in the affluent areas. It's going to be difficult to deal with it in the informal settlements and rural areas. We are trying our level best to contain it. We are trying to disseminate information as much as we can.” 

He said the virus affected everyone, regardless of race.

“In the 12 Eastern Cape cases, four are black people who acquired it because of travel. We ask our people not to be misled. When we say people must stay in their homes, we say this to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The approach has been about those who show signs. It's expensive to do testing. It's more than R1,000. The government was not ready. That is why we quarantined all those who have travelled,” Mabuyane said.

Paypoints in Mthatha and Flagstaff were overwhelmed. 

There were long queues, with few people observing the social distance rule. Some people were shaking hands and talking close to each others' faces.

OR Tambo mayor Thokozile Sokhanyile, who visited a number of stations, was "shocked and disappointed" by what she encountered. 

"This is chaos, I have never seen something like this,'' she said.

One queue in Mthatha snaked for almost a kilometre around the Botha Sigcau government building in Leeds Road, down Durham Street and to Sutherland Road.

Authorities eventually decided to turn Mthatha's city hall into a makeshift paypoint, which eased the long queues.

Flagstaff was chaos, said Sokhanyile. "We were going to use two paypoints – the post office and the Flagstaff clubhouse. But the clubhouse was not approved so we ended up having only one paypoint, the post office. There were only two cashiers  paying out the grants. Then the post office ran out of cash.''

Qaqambile Mandela, 73, and his wife Nothusile Mandela, 69, from Qunu started queuing at 5am but by 9am they had still not been paid their grants.

''We have never seen this chaos. All this is confusing us and making us scared," said Mandela.

Mani-Lusithi said the department of social development would continue to issue food parcels to families from the informal sector.

“We want to reach out to them to provide some relief. We ask anyone who knows a family that is in distress to call us. There is relief available for people such as hawkers and people working in car washes,” she said.

Ntshinga said police had been deployed at all paypoints to monitor people's movements.

“We are trying our best to keep the social distance. So far, we have not heard of any hassles. The local supermarkets are doing their bit as well in keeping the social distance."

Maqethuka said Sassa had deployed officials at all 498 paypoints in the province to assist beneficiaries and supply sanitisers and face masks.

Mgqebevu Mzimasi, 72, from Mdingi village, said he had woken up at 3am to prepare for the day.

“I was at the bus stop by 5am and arrived at the post office before 7am. It is a long day. When I arrived here the queue was very long.

“I endured the queue because there was no food at home and I needed the money. We were told to keep our distance and protect ourselves. My children bought me a mask and gloves. I will protect myself with them,” he said.

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