21 Apr 2020

District Veterinary Officer in the Central District Dr Jaone Sebina has warned Orapa residents against travelling to areas outside their locality, saying travelling could expose them to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Sebina said this recently during a meeting with the mining town residents who decried lack of help by government officials with regard to issuance of permits to leave the town.
 
He said they were fortunate to be residing in an area, which other members of the public from outside required permits to gain access into.

Dr Sebina also stated that those whose boreholes were in a dysfunctional state and needed to be attended to would be assisted with permits but would be expected to provide evidence, emphasising that it would not be everyone who would be given a permit.

He also indicated that those intending to go to the cattle-posts would be assisted but would not be allowed to travel back to the town during the lockdown.

The residents had complained that they had been neglected, with some saying they needed to do banking in Letlhakane as there was only one bank in Orapa.

Some decried that their boreholes were dysfunctional and had to be attended to while others said they needed to buy groceries for their herdsmen.

The deputy District Commissioner Mr Ewetse Selelo said those doing banking in Letlhakane would be regulated and those requesting permits to attend to family matters would not be granted permits while suppliers would be requested to provide evidence in order to be given permits.

He advised those who had been retrenched from work due to the COVID-19 pandemic to register their cases with the labour department. Ends