Gauteng’s acting Social Development MEC Panyaza Lesufi says the department underestimated the number of homeless people in the province. Lesufi visited a site in Pretoria on Wednesday where homeless people are being accommodated for the lockdown.
The MEC said the provincial government are determined to get everyone off the streets in a bid to fight the spread of COVID-19. In Johannesburg, about 2,000 vulnerable people are being housed in shelters and relocated to temporary accommodation but, this is a far bigger problem to grapple with. An estimated 13,000 homeless people still need to be found and relocated to temporary shelters.
As part of the national response to contain the spread and mitigate the impact of #COVID19, @The_DSD has activated shelters and in some cases established new shelters to provide meals and accommodation to homeless people and children during the #LockdownSA pic.twitter.com/unUaChlf9y
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) April 1, 2020
The NICD has another Clinician Hotline to improve #COVID19 communication and support for healthcare providers. The Clinician Hotline is 0800 11 1131, operating 24 hrs. The Public Hotline is 0800 029 999 also operating 24hrs.
In other news – Coronavirus in SA: WhatsApp line to report abuses by police, military during lockdown launched
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday launched a dedicated WhatsApp line and an email address where members of the public can report acts of assault, abuse or bribery by law-enforcement officers during the current lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). DA leader John Steenhuisen said these platforms will also be used to advise citizens on their rights and to raise and lodge complaints with the relevant authorities and oversight bodies.
The nation is only six days into this lockdown and we have already seen increased violence at the hands of those who were tasked with protecting and serving us. On Tuesday reports indicated that the police shot two nurses at the Bongani Regional Hospital in Welkom and on Monday an Ekurhuleni metro police officer was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a Vosloorus man while enforcing the lockdown,” said Steenhuisen. Read more
Source: eNCA