03 Apr 2020

Day one of lockdown calm in Kasane

The usually buzzing tourism township of Kasane, where food outlets are often teeming with customers having coffee, chatting or reading the newspaper was on day one of the state of emergency( April 03) as calm as the Chobe River passing through the village.
 
Places including Taundurei Indian restaurant, Nandos, KFC, as well as Thebe Lodge were unusually quiet on the first day of the 28-day lockdown.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi recently told the over two million population of Botswana to ‘stay at home’ as the government introduced measures unprecedented in peacetime to contain pandemic.

A day before the lockdown at midnight, Kasane, a town heavily dependent on tourism, was already quiet.

 
The mood on Thursday evening was somber but unlike in other places across Botswana, there was no sense of panic. People were walking around, some wearing masks or something wrapped around their mouths.
 
“People are definitely taking it more seriously,” said Kasane Police Station Commander, Superintendent James Maabong said in an interview adding, ‘they are staying home and only going out if necessary.’

The police are also urging people to be more disciplined and stay indoors to stop the spread and in places such as Kasane, Kazungula, and Kachikau, officers have been recalled and deployed to enforce the restrictions.

“We urge people to be more disciplined and stay at their homes to stop the spread of the deadly virus,” said Superintendent Maabong.

A resident, Mr Gagoitsiwe Sinvula was very worried about the future of a little town like Kasane, as most of the businesses survive on tourism. 

Another resident Ms Chuma Mazira of Plateau, was rather perplexed by the lockdown rules. “It is very confusing,” she said. 

“You have to stay home, but you can go to a shop or a tuck-shop. Transportation is running, but you are not supposed to go anywhere,” she added.
 

Meanwhile, the Office of the District Commissioner was in the morning congested with people looking for permits for exceptional movements during the state of public emergency.

The District Commissioner, Ms Sekgabo Makgosa said that there were some hick-ups in the process to facilitate such forms from Gaborone but everything was now moving at a smooth pace. 
Ends