02 Aug 2020

Francistown Town Clerk, Mr Lopang Pule has expressed concern over failure to comply with COVID-19 protocols by some businesses.

Speaking during a special full council meeting on Thursday, Mr Pule noted that from the total of 2  632 trading shops in Francistown, about 482 were not complying with COVID-19 protocols.

He said common noncompliance issues were lack of infrared thermometers, substandard sanitisers and unavailability of registers.

Mr Pule explained that compliance rate among the 3 456 facilities that had been visited to date stood at 82.5 per cent.

He said between May and June, a total of 862 people were quarantined and that all of them tested negative for COVID-19.

Furthermore, he said the lone district isolation centre had admitted 14 cases. 

“Out of these 14 cases, seven tested positive and were repatriated to their countries save for two who are still at the centre,” he said.

On food relief packages, Mr Pule explained that the council had used over P22 million on the food relief packages during the lockdown period.

He said the overall target households to be assessed was 28 432 and only 17 981 were identified as distressed thus provided with food packages.

He said as part of local empowerment initiative, the council procured food staff from citizen owned local general dealers as well as local wholesalers.

In addition, Mr Pule said a total of 30 unemployed social workers were hired to help during the assessment and distribution of food packages period, adding that 45 local mini truck owners were engaged to augment the district fleet.

However, he explained that challenges encountered during the food distribution were dishonesty by some public members resulting in double dipping.

Another challenge, he said, was shortage of food items from wholesalers as well as overpricing by traders.

For his part, Francistown City Mayor, Mr Godisang Radisigo said the pandemic disrupted people’s livelihood adding that up until now some sectors were yet to fully operationalise while some had ceased their operations.

He said also that there was also a surge in gender based violence as well as unemployment.

Mr Radisigo said of serious concern was the likelihood of an economic recession that would further amplify the hardships. Ends