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COPS BREAK LOCKDOWN RULES, CATCH COVID-19

14/06/2020 05:59:00 BY WELCOME DLAMINI

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MBABANE – Police officers are supposed to uphold the law and stick to the rules but they have been caught doing exactly the opposite.
With the country having been on partial lockdown since March 27, which comes with stringent movement of people, to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, some police officers have been found to have violated rules put in place to ensure such.
In the process, the officers contracted the coronavirus.

The Times SUNDAY has seen internal communication from National Commissioner of Police William Tsintsibala Dlamini expressing disappointment at what had happened.
The police officers who contracted the virus were found to have gone against an order that they should stay within their camps and not visit home after they had their leave and days off suspended.

internal memo

The order or command was communicated to all police officers through an internal memo dated March 25, 2020 with the code NATCOM/99/16/V/8.
“This headquarters has learnt with dismay that some officers have tested positive to the COVID-19 epidemic. Despite this official command, further investigations, known as contact-tracing as done by Ministry of Health indicates that the positive cases were officers infected while in their homes yet they are expected to be at their respective camps in compliance to the above quoted signal,” reads the commissioner’s communication dated April 30, 2020 under the code NATCOM/99/16/V/10.
Through the communication, the NATCOM reminded officers not detailed to the partial lockdown operations to be on full standby at their respective police camps.

The police chief said this would be in compliance with government’s call that there should be no unnecessary movements – a measure designed to curb the spread of the virus.
“In the event an officer is having pressing business to attend at home, such officer shall first obtain permission from the national commissioner through their respective regional commissioners,” further stated the NATCOM.
He continued: “Through this medium, may we once again remind all officers to strictly adhere to the safety precautions and all preventative measures as pronounced in the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.”
All officers were told to comply with the mandatory requirement that everyone in the kingdom should always wear a face mask.
“This is also applicable to officers on duty whether in uniform or plain clothes,” added the NATCOM.

leave and days off were suspended

Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, said the leave and days off were suspended so that operations of the police service could not be compromised.
Defending the officers’ decision to go visit home, she said: “Furthermore, the communiqué which suspended all days off and leaves had a provision that officers with pressing business to attend at home cold obtain permission from the national commissioner trough regional commissioners.”

Vilakati said due to accommodation challenges facing government departments, a number of police officers, through an existing arrangement, reside in their homesteads and commute to work on a daily basis.
On the other hand, the NATCOM also sent an internal communication to all police officers informing them how they are to attend funeral services of their colleagues.
According to the communication, only 11 officers are supposed to be at the funeral of a colleague who has passed on.

social distance

The country’s COVID-19 regulations prohibit a gathering of more than 20 people and this includes funerals and memorial services.
On April 9, 2020, the NATCOM wrote the following communication: “In light of the measures to counter COVID-19, in particular the maximum number of people per gathering (20) and social distance, it became necessary that the national commissioner put in place an interim arrangement regarding the number of officers to attend the funerals as above stated.

“From now on until further notice, the complement of police officers attending funerals will be as follows: - four officers forming the Firing party; four officers forming the pall bearers; the police chaplain; the national commissioner’s representative; the police bugler. This is essence means that in any funeral involving a police officer there shall be only eleven officers in official attendance.”
Regional commissioners were commanded to ensure that this order is complied with.

However, this was not observed during the burial of 11 officers who passed on when they were involved in a freak traffic accident on April 30, 2020.
The officers died when the kombi they were travelling in collided with a truck between New Village and Ngwane Park along Mhlaleni-Nhlangano Yith’abantu Highway.
The driver of the truck also died in the accident while four other officers who were on board the kombi survived.

When Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, was asked on the failure to observer their own internal COVID-19 rules, she chose to refer to the regulations which she said applied equally across all spectrum of society without discriminating.
“However, it should be acknowledged that some situations are by nature unprecedented and peculiar. The public is urged to continue reporting those who do not comply with the COVID-19 regulations through the 112 toll-free line or the police emergency hotline at 999,” Vilakati said.

Avoiding answering directly on the precedent that has been set by the failure to adhere to their own rules, she said according to the COVID-19 Regulations, the stipulated limit in the number of people attending a funeral remained at 20 ‘and until these regulations are modified compliance in this regard is not optional’.

mental health advice

Meanwhile, the NATCOM also issued advice on mental health to officers during the coronavirus outbreak as he said the disease may be stressful for people.
“Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about and your community stronger,” he said.
He then listed a number of stress signs during infectious disease outbreaks and ways for the officers to cope with the situation.

The coping mechanisms include staying physically healthy; limiting the consumption of news; trying something new; staying connected; and not being afraid to get help. He even stated in the mechanism of staying connected that the restriction of movement order does not mean total isolation. “Modern technology keeps us connected even when we are physically apart. Call family and friends,” Dlamini said.
He added: “We might be in a situation of heightened tension where many of us have not faced. It is ok if you are more affected emotionally by this than others. It is real concern and you do not have this alone, talk with people you trust.”