THE Gauteng government has expressed concern over the impact the recent sporadic acts of violence and lawlessness in parts of the province have on the provision of services across the province.
The volatile environment has seen the people of Gauteng struggling to get to their places of employment due to limited access, and services being disrupted across the province.
A paramedic, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they are unable to attend to emergencies in parts of Johannesburg because of the sporadic protests.
“We are receiving calls from the public but we are unable to respond because it is not safe to do so following the violent protests. We don’t feel safe,” he said.
A Twitter user by the name of _mazondo posted: “My uncle passed away yesterday around 11pm, his body is still at home. The funeral parlour said they can't come because the roads are closed.”
My uncle assed away yesterday around 11pm, his body is still at home. The funeral parlor said they cant come because the roads are closed 😭😭
— IG: __mazondo (@__mazondo) July 12, 2021
People reacted to her post and advised her to call the police.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga, said to this end, some provincial government services, including vaccination sites in the affected areas, have had to temporarily close due to safety concerns by both staff and members of the public.
Mhaga said Emergency Medical Services (EMS) teams are equally experiencing difficulty in responding to distress calls in communities due to limited access.
The situation is being assessed by provincial law enforcement agencies that are now being assisted by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), he said.
“As Gauteng and the country are still in the midst of a deadly pandemic, the provincial government remains concerned at the potential spread of Covid-19 during such super-spreader events.
“Hospital admissions continue to increase and are placing a heavy strain on the healthcare system in both the public and private sectors,” said Mhaga.
“The provincial government appeals to the people of Gauteng to act responsibly and desist from lawless acts that result in disruptions of much-needed services by the citizens of Gauteng,” said Mhaga.