St Francis Bay fronts up to a new crisis

St Francis Bay, where raging fires have destroyed dozens of houses over the years, is no stranger to a crisis — or to its people joining hands to overcome adversity.

During past calamities, residents of the resort town would drive up and down to help each other; this time around, with one confirmed case of Covid-19 infection in the town, the streets are eerily quiet.  

Only the odd jogger defying the nationwide lockdown ordered by President Cyril Ramaphosa causes a stir on social media.

The number of Covid-19 cases rose to 12 in the Eastern Cape at the weekend, with five small towns recording a single case each.

The Sarah Baartman district recorded three cases —  one in Aberdeen, one in St Francis Bay and another in Paterson.

Komani also recorded its first positive case, along with Willowvale, located in the Amathole District Municipality.

The move from normality to lockdown was rapid in St Francis Bay, after the quarantine kicked in at midnight on Thursday.

Businesses quickly closed their doors and sent their staff home, leaving the town virtually empty.

Cycads on Sea Guest House owner Dee Cranswick said her family had hunkered down on their sprawling property in Lovemore Crescent.

“We are concerned about everyone in the town, mainly the elderly.

“Luckily, we have a very active community group,” she said.

Cranswick said life in St Francis Bay had ground to a halt since the lockdown, but behind the scenes people were pulling together.

“On a positive note, it is family time and we have to learn to get on together,” she said.

Franchisee and principal of Pam Golding Properties St Francis Bay, Richard Arderne,  recently tested negative for the virus, along with his wife, Jane.

“We went to a wedding on March 14 in the Western Cape, though we were a bit anxious.

“There were lots of foreigners,” he said.

Arderne said he and Jane had started feeling really ill 48 hours after the wedding, prompting them to get tested a few days later.

“We were feeling very tired but I guess we just had a flu. We went straight from the wedding into self-isolation, just in case.”

He said at least six people had tested positive for Covid-19 after the wedding.

Arderne said the people of St Francis were rallying together in a number of ways, including raising funds for poorer residents.

Craig Aylesbury, the owner of the Rambling Rose Tea Garden and Coffee Shop, said everyone was abiding by the rules — apart from the occasional jogger.

“People are getting irritated over that but everyone is rallying together.”

At the nearby Sea Vista informal settlement, the streets were also empty, with most people remaining indoors.

Kouga mayor Horatio Hendrick said in the St Francis Bay area the municipality was working with the Disaster Volunteer Group, a registered NPO formed in 2013 after the devastating 2012 fire.

Hendrick said an awareness campaign and soap drive had been held across the Kouga region last week.

“About 7,000 households were reached, including 1,500 in Sea Vista and other informal settlements of St Francis.”

He said one person had been fined R5,000 for being outside “running” in the town.

Aberdeen

With just one confirmed Covid-19 case in Aberdeen, the health department was checking up on residents inside their homes.

Health-care volunteers were seen going door-to-door to check people’s temperatures and fill out questionnaires, to determine who had come in contact with whom in the town.

The biggest gripe in Aberdeen came from families living in RDP houses who were struggling to abide by the social distancing rule — staying 1m apart —  in the cramped living conditions.

Samantha van Zyl, who lives in Thembalesizwe, said her priority was ensuring her daughter remained safe.

“We are not allowing any visitors to come to the house. We don’t know what could happen.

“The virus is outside so we will stay inside just like we were told.”

Aberdeen, along with nearby Jansenville and Graaff-Reinet, have been hit hard in recent months by the drought that has ravaged the area.

But Francis van Zyl said that for the past week the town had had an uninterrupted water supply.

“We haven’t had any water disruptions for a couple of days now, which is good for us.

“It’s in God’s hands now, which is why I don’t believe I’ll get any virus.”

On the other side of Aberdeen, Claudine Louw — who lives with six other people in a two-bedroom house — said her family members were concerned they would not be able to sustain themselves during the lockdown.

“A lot of us have been told to stay at home by our employers, so that means there’s no money coming in.

“My mom stopped working and receives her old age grant so now we’ll be looking to her to buy food for however long this lasts,” Louw said.

Outside Aberdeen, health department officials and the police had set up roadblocks on the R61.

Vehicles were inspected, the occupants’ temperatures taken and documents for travelling during the lockdown verified.

Dr Beyers Naude mayor Deon de Vos said a joint operations committee meeting would take place on Tuesday.

Paterson

A Paterson resident, who declined to be named, said lockdown protocols in the small town just outside Nelson Mandela Bay were not being followed.

“Children are playing outside, with lots of people walking in groups.

“There is not much difference to a normal day, especially with the Sassa [social grant] payments this week,” she said.

Sundays River Valley municipality mayor Nombulelo Hawu said many residents in Paterson were ignoring the lockdown laws.

Paterson falls under the municipality, which is part of the Sarah Baartman district.

Komani

Komani, in the ‎Chris Hani District, has one confirmed case of the virus. However, the streets were filled with pedestrians and a number of vehicles were seen.

Corne Roeloffse, who owns the Tranquil House B&B, said he had driven to the pharmacy on Monday morning but turned back because of the crowds.

“It was like the weekend leading up to Easter. People were everywhere,” he said.

Enoch Mgijima Municipality mayor Luleka Gubhula could not be reached for comment.

Willowvale

In Willowvale, Bassie Ngozwana, who owns The Willow Inn on the main road, said the town was deserted from Friday.

“Most people packed up and left. There were a lot of construction workers for the roads but they just vanished,” she said.