Repatriated South Africans once again accommodated in sub-par quarantine facility

The Democratic Alliance (DA) continues to demand appropriate quarantine facilities for all repatriated citizens returning to the country. This after yet another group of South Africans were subjected to sub-standard accommodation on return from Botswana on 11 July 2020.

The group was split up and sent to three different locations for their mandatory 14-day quarantine observation. Responding to a frantic call from one of a group of 12 people accommodated at the Lowatle Guest House in Mahikeng, the DA called upon the National Department of Health to address the unhygienic conditions prevalent at the guest house.

1. The facility had not been cleaned;
2. There were no curtains in the rooms;
3. No lightbulbs or light stands;
4. Beds were stained and unmade;
5. Human hair, dirt and dust were all over the chalets;
6. Ants were crawling all over the surfaces in the kitchen;
7. The bathrooms were filthy.

Also, food served to the guests was ice cold, and served without any cutlery. The excuse given to the astounded guests was that “the lodge was not alerted to the guests’ arrival, and they did not have time to buy appropriate cutlery”.

This is the third horror quarantine site repatriated South Africans have been forced into in as many months. The first was the Zithabeseni Lodge in Mpumalanga; the second was Coastlands Self Catering Apartment in Durban; and now Lowatle Guest House in Mahikeng.

All quarantine sites in South Africa – whether private or public – are identified by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and recommended to the Department of Health (DoH) for evaluation and activation.

It was abundantly clear that the facility was totally unprepared for the arrival of the guests – who were part of a group of 50 people repatriated from Botswana.

The DA intervened immediately and within 24 hours the guests were relocated to the Manyane Lodge in the Pilansberg.

With the anticipated arrival of a large contingent of South Africans stranded in both Mozambique and Eswatini expected this coming weekend, the DA will be on the alert to ensure that the rights of South African citizens in quarantine sites are not trampled upon.

The DA refuses to accept the inefficiencies of the DPWI or the DoH and guarantees repatriated South Africans that we will fight to ensure they are accommodated in clean, safe and appropriate facilities.

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