Times Of Swaziland: ‘WASH HANDS OR DON’T BOARD OUR VEHICLES’

‘WASH HANDS OR DON’T BOARD OUR VEHICLES’
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BY SITHEMBILE HLATSHWAYO on 27/03/2020 01:16:00


MBABANE – Public transport operators were met with resistance from commuters
following their soap and water mixture disinfectants.
All customers boarding public transport were disinfected in Mbabane yesterday.
Commuters are, however, of the view that the soap and water adds germs instead
of protecting them. They were forced to use the water and soap mixture after
being threatened that they would not be allowed to board the vehicles.
Through support from the Ministry of Health, the public transport operators have
been provided with the disinfectants to assist in curbing the spread of the
coronavirus in the country.
In an interview with some of the commuters they raised concern that the mixture
of soap and water did not work for them as it instead dirtied their hands even
more since there was no running water to rinse.
They said they believed that soap should be applied on the hands when there was
running water.
Comment
When reached for comment, Rank Marshal Cashion Dlamini said customers were
refusing to use their soap and water mix. Dlamini said the customers came with
many excuses including that they had sanitised their hands in the shops after
shopping. He said they had been advised by the Ministry of Health to use soap
and water to disinfect their customers before boarding. Dlamini said they had
reported the matter to the police who advised that if a customer refuses to
sanitise, they should not be allowed inside the public transport vehicles.
“This has helped a lot as the commuters end up complying,” he said.
Meanwhile, Eswatini National Road Transportation Council (NRTC) Chairperson
Sihlangu Nhlabatsi said they were still engaged in talks with government to
provide them with hand sanitisers.
Nhlabatsi said they were warned of fake hand sanitisers, following that some
people were taking advantage of the situation to strike it rich with such
products.
He said there was a current stock-out of hand sanitiser in the shops. According
to Nhlabatsi, the issue of hand sanitisers had been discussed at length with the
Ministry of Health, which warned them on the fake products, encouraging them to
use soap and water.