Durban - The Mthonjaneni Local Municipality has been forced to close down after 19 employees, including councillors, tested positive for Covid-19.
The provincial government has urged employees, political office-bearers and residents of the northern KZN municipality to remain calm while measures were being implemented to contain the spread of the virus.
The outbreak comes as the neighbouring Ulundi municipality announced that it was funding the testing of all 400 of its employees and councillors for Covid-19.
In response to the closure of the municipality, health authorities have been fumigating the buildings while staff members await results.
KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sipho Hlomuka, assured residents that there would be minimal impact on
service delivery within the municipality.
He said staff were continuing to work remotely while proper measures were being implemented to sanitise the buildings.
Hlomuka called for communities within the municipality to remain calm while health practitioners were assisting in tracking and tracing any Covid-19 contacts.
“We are appealing for calm at this important time when our country is being tested,” he said.
A communiqué issued by municipal manager Philani Sibiya said the municipality would remain closed until further notice.
He said all municipal employees and councillors who had been in close contact with the infected employees and councillors should advise the municipality and self-isolate for 14 days. “The municipality has informed the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and relevant health departments of this outbreak.
“Anyone who has visited the municipality within the last three weeks is advised to contact the municipality,” he said.
Melmoth resident Sizwe Cebekhulu said since the announcement by the municipality about the virus hitting the area, residents were fearing for their lives.
Cebekhuku said there were fears that the virus had already spread in communities, as most infected workers made use of public transport.
“We do most of the things in
those municipal offices, like collecting proof of residence and other things, that means more people enter those offices.
“Most of the people who work there live among the communities, so it might be possible that they have infected a large number of people,” he said.
According to the municipal manager of Ulundi municipality, Nkosenye Zulu, on returning to the workplace last month all staff members were tested and screened by the KZN Department of Health.
“However, not even those results are out yet, more than a month later.
“Therefore it’s only logical that rather than re-testing only those who were tested by (the Health Department) in vain on May4, we test the entire workforce,” he said.
Zulu also advised that all employees and officials, inclusive of those with comorbidities and those over 60 years old, present themselves today for private testing.
Ulundi mayor Wilson Ntshangase and 46 other councillors would be among those tested.