Nelson Mandela Bay mayor launches community response forums for Covid-19

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality interim mayor Thsonono Buyeye. Picture: Supplied

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality interim mayor Thsonono Buyeye. Picture: Supplied

Published Jun 1, 2020

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Cape Town – In an effort to decrease the spread of the deadly virus in the city, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) interim mayor, Thsonono Buyeye, launched new Covid-19 Community Response Forums comprising different stakeholders in Motherwell on Monday.

This comes after the NMBM was once again highlighted as the epicentre of the coronavirus in the Eastern Cape after recording 1109 confirmed cases and 36 deaths on Saturday. The City has recorded 568 recoveries to date.

Buyeye, addressing residents at the Boxer Complex and Motherwell Shopping Centre, said: “This is not the first time we are coming to Motherwell and it will not be the last time. 

"We will not get tired of coming here until the situation in Motherwell changes for the better.”

“We have come with the team from our Public Health Department to launch a programme in the wards of Motherwell. 

"Hence the ward committees and volunteers of Motherwell will be the eyes and ears of government in the wards going forward,” Buyeye said.

He said they would be working closely with the police, religious leaders and business owners and municipal officials – with the common goal of defeating Covid-19.

Buyeye said the new approach was in response to a plea from residents who were concerned that political and administrative leaders were not informed about what was really happening at ward level.

"We are here to beg for your assistance. We believe that this will yield positive results. On Sunday we received the good news that the curve of the coronavirus in Nelson Mandela Metro is starting to flatten,” he said.

“With your support, we can overcome the challenge we are faced with so we call upon all of us to work together. We want to move from flattening the curve to decreasing the cases.”

Reverend Mbulelo Beyi urged residents to stop playing cat-and-mouse games with the police and soldiers in relation to respecting Covid-19 regulations.

“Let us not need to be policed, let us listen when asked to stay indoors, as law enforcers are dispatched to save our lives. 

"As we enter level 3, that does not mean all is open, it means the government is trusting residents to be responsible for their own lives,” Beyi said.

Insisting they do not want to bury people, he added: “We plead with residents to take responsibility for their lives. 

"As religious leaders and the government, we are pleading with our people to take the Covid-19 pandemic seriously," Beyi said.

Public health portfolio head Yolisa Pali said that the municipality believed the community-based approach would yield positive results as stakeholders would hold residents accountable.

"We want community leaders to take ownership of the Covid-19 message. We are here to plead with you and to help you. 

"We are also urging our residents to stop the stigma that is associated with the virus, tomorrow it could be you," Pali said.

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Caper Argus

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