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RECKLESSNESS AT COVID-19 POLICE CAMPS

19/06/2020 23:44:00 By Bonsile Makhubu

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MBABANE – It has been observed that most people living within the COVID-19 hot spot police camps are negligent.

The camps that have been identified as hot spots include Zakhele Police Camp, Ngwane Park Police Camp and Matsapha 999 Camp.
It is said that despite the places having high cases of COVID-19, some parents have continued to fetch their children from homes where COVID-19 cases have not been identified to stay with them within the camps.

Making this revelation were some of the regional health management (RHM) leaders who are tasked with monitoring some of these areas.
Some of the leaders whose identities will not be revealed for security reasons, stated that most people were handling themselves as if the virus did not exist.
“We have a serious problem at these police camps. There are just too many children who are idling around and they are being exposed to the disease,” said one leader.

The leaders said instead of taking the children home since schools were closed, some parents were even fetching them from their parental homes where they live when schools are open to stay with them at the camp.

Wonder

“In some of these houses there are elderly relatives who have just come to pay a visit and you wonder if that could not have been done some other time when it was safer to do so.”

The leaders said they knew for a fact that most of the children and extended relatives who were crowded at the camps were not there for pressing reasons.
“We work here and we go around and conduct interviews within the camp so that is how we get to know why and how most of these people are here.”
The leaders said people continued to mingle anyhow without observing social distancing.

When asked if the residents of the camps were aware that they were staying within high-risk zones, the leaders said from the way the people were handling themselves it seemed as if they were not aware.

“People should observe the regulations wherever they are. It doesn’t mean that one has to be in a high-risk area before they can start taking the necessary precautions.”
The leaders said their duties included the practical monitoring and controlling of people around the areas where they have been assigned.
“We come across very resistant people on a daily basis. They refuse to heed to our advice and they even threaten to beat us up.”
The leaders said they have also reported some of the challenges they were facing to the local community authorities, even though nothing much had been done.
Enforcing
Chief Police Information Communication Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said there was nothing much they could say or do as all issues relating to COVID-19 were being taken care of by the Ministry of Health.
“We don’t know much about COVID-19 but we simply focus on enforcing the guidelines. However, as an institution we accept any advice from the Ministry of Health.”
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane said there were ongoing engagements between the ministry and the police.
He said these were meant to figure out the risks that existed and the possible mitigation measures.
“We have started at the police stations and workplaces with a hope of proceeding to residences.”
Dr Zwane said there were factors that needed to be considered before certain recommendations and decisions could be implemented.
He said what remained key was for people to practise social distancing, to practise good hand hygiene and good coughing etiquette.
When told about some parents who were fetching children from homes to the camp, Dr Zwane said, “I do believe that this is happening. That is why people need to learn so that they know what the best thing to do is.”
He said the ministry was also revamping its communication approach after it realised that there were information gaps.
“We are improving our Risk Communication and Country Engagement to make people understand the COVID-19 risk on individual basis and on cluster set up, like family and community.”
The Manzini Region has the highest number of COVID-19 cases at 353. About 237 of these cases are attributed to the highlighted hot spots.