Durban – For a Durban police officer and mother, the most challenging part of the past year was getting people to comply with Covid-19 regulations.
March 5 is the first anniversary of the first Covid-19 case identified in South Africa. Constable Nothando Makhanya told IOL that it has been “a long year”.
“But as woman we can do anything. I know how fearful I used to be as a frontline worker and a mother, thinking about taking the virus home to my elderly mother and child, but I still persevered and we came through.”
Makhanya said for her the most challenging part was dealing with public members who refused to comply with Covid-19 regulations.
“Some people just continued to do their own thing. It was really stressful. I think in the beginning, people were in denial about the pandemic.
“In my hometown of Umlazi, people would walk around without their masks. I would hear people say that there is no such thing as coronavirus.”
She said she became increasingly fearful for her own safety as the numbers increased and the different waves of the virus claimed lives.
“I began actively looking at myself as a carrier. Because I was the only one exposing my family during hard lockdown.”
Makhanya says this is the reason she has huge respect for all front-line workers.
“I applaud them, they were really hands-on and for all those who are mothers, I know that we really pulled through this.
“For me it was God’s grace that carried me through the pandemic until now.”
Senior Superintedent Parbhoo Sewpersad, spokesperson for Durban Metro, applauded all metro policemen, saying it was a joint effort that saw many regulations put in place.
“Our only aim was to flatten the curve.”
Sewpersad said managing the coastline all the way from Tongaat in the North Coast to Umkomaas on the South Coast posed the biggest challenges during this year.
“But that was one part, Durban metro still had to conduct road blocks, ensure the public was wearing masks, and the regulations kept changing.”
As a media spokesperson, Sewpersad said communication during lockdown was key.
“The media had to disseminate the information to the public and I had to ensure that all the information I shared was correct.”
He said sadly they had lost a lot of members to Covid-19 and saluted them for their efforts.
Sewpersad said that while the country was still at threat of the pandemic, he hoped the next rollout for vaccines would be for policemen.
IOL