PICS: Payday shopping mania in Cape Town ahead of national Covid-19 lockdown

Customers made their way en masse to shopping centres on payday to stock up before the countrywide lockdown that will start at midnight. Picture: Bongani Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)

Customers made their way en masse to shopping centres on payday to stock up before the countrywide lockdown that will start at midnight. Picture: Bongani Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Mar 26, 2020

Share

Cape Town - Customers made their way en masse to shopping centres on payday to stock up before the countrywide lockdown that will start at midnight.

Customer Eddy Jacobs, from Mitchells Plain, said: “If this problem persists, retailers might push up their prices and I don’t have any income for that. I bought everything I was supposed to buy, meat, fish, oil, milk, rice - all of that. I bought for myself for emergencies but I have some brothers and sisters, so maybe they’ll come and say I’m hungry, I need this.

“I looked at what was happening in Italy, China, Oman and Saudi Arabia, they have more than one month lockdown or curfews. No one is going out. Ours just started now and maybe it’s going to be more.”

Patricia Kagweda from Green Point said the reason she was stockpiling essential items was because she did not want to leave her home during the lockdown.

“I’m getting just normal stuff. Usually, I’ll buy mealie meal, rice, cooking oil, and fruits. I found everything I need. Nothing is missing. Everything that I need, I got.”

Armed with a well-written list, Khuselo Dipha, from Wallacede in Kraaifontein, said: “For me panic-buying is a selfish act and really unnecessary, which is why I am not doing it. I am only purchasing what I need, guided by my grocery list for the month, the same list I use at the end of every month.”

Customers made their way en masse to shopping centres on payday to stock up before the countrywide lockdown that will start at midnight. Hundreds of people are queuing in long lines at Giant Hyper in Brackenfell to buy goods ahead of the National Lockdown. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency

Customers made their way en masse to shopping centres on payday to stock up before the countrywide lockdown that will start at midnight. Hundreds of people are queuing in long lines at Giant Hyper in Brackenfell to buy goods ahead of the National Lockdown. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency

Hundreds of people are queuing in long lines at Giant Hyper in Brackenfell to buy goods ahead of the National Lockdown. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)

Staff member pushing trolleys at Spar at lions Square in Somerset. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency (ANA)

Woman leaves Spar at lions Square in Somerset. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency (ANA)

Woman leaves Spar at lions Square in Somerset. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency (ANA)

A bit far from his home,

Vuyolwethu Mavundla, from Woodstock, Cape Town, said that he had found his way to Cape Gate Mall, in Kraaifontein, only because his partner had asked him to purchase weights

for him, which he thought he would find at the mall.

“My partner needed a few items that I could only purchase from this side, and while on this shopping trip we decided that I might as well pick up a few essential items for the upcoming 21 days,” said Mavundla.

For Scottsdene resident Latisha Arries, however, her shopping trip was somewhat of a necessity, as she came to the mall to buy a few things she noted her family was running out of such as toilet paper, bread and a couple more items.

Arries said: “I’m only here to

buy essential items. Unfortunately, I have not been paid yet, so I cannot even stock up for the lockdown, I’m just here to get a few items for my family to see us through until we get money.”

Athenkosi Gantsha, from Kraaifontein, said she was at the mall to do her monthly grocery shopping.

“This is my end of the month shopping. I do it around this time every month, I do not see why I need to panic and stock up on food that might go bad. I’ll just get what we normally buy and what we need,” said

Gantsha.

Fairfield Meat Centre in Parow ahead of lockdown. Video: Ian Landsberg/African News Agency (ANA)

Cape Argus

Related Topics: