Women live in fear after being stigmatised for ‘attending’ funeral linked to Covid-19 cases

Ostracised by the community and stigmatised because of their links to a KwaDwesi funeral that has produced a large number of Nelson Mandela Bay’s Covid-19 cases, three Motherwell women are now worried about their safety, and that of their families, after their names, faces and addresses were plastered all over social media.

One of the women, whose home address was among many on a list circulated on social media on Sunday in which it was alleged that those named had either tested positive for the coronavirus or were refusing to be tested, said the list cautioned people to stay away from her family.

It alleged that they were refusing to be tested after attending the KwaDwesi funeral of a retired nurse on March 21, a few days before President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the national lockdown.

On Saturday, The Herald’s sister publication, Weekend Post, reported that a third of all cases of Covid-19 in the Bay stemmed from the funeral.

At the time, the number of Bay cases stood at 84 and 28 of the mourners  had tested positive for the virus.

The woman said she and her husband had attended prayer services held prior to the funeral in honour of the woman who had died and they had not been at the actual funeral.

But after seeing messages from the department of health and the Bay municipality encouraging those who had been at the funeral to come forward and get tested, they thought it best that they also be tested.

“We didn’t want to be ignorant and not get tested, so we called the toll-free number because the week leading [up] to the funeral we had been in contact with some of the people who attended the funeral,” she said.

“We called the number, eventually were tested at a clinic and were told that if we didn’t receive a call then we’re negative.

“My husband received a message that he had tested negative and I assumed so did I because of what we’d been told.

“We went to the clinic on our own accord — and now our details are spread all over social media and this thing is getting out of hand.

“My son received a call from his friends questioning him about it, and now there’s a stigma attached to him and it’s depressing.”

The municipality’s Covid-19 disaster management forum has set up a toll-free number for all those who were at the funeral to call so that they can be screened and tested.

The official number of registered Covid-19 cases in the metro stood at 130 on Monday.

Nationally, there are now officially 3,465 cases in SA, and 58 deaths.​

Nosanga Vara, also from Motherwell, said she had called the toll-free line willingly and was screened.

“I was asked a lot of questions and, from my responses, the person on the other end of the line said there was no need to be tested as 14 days had already passed since I attended the funeral and I’d exhibited no symptoms and still don’t.

“People in my area have been making jokes at my and my children’s expense, telling people that I’m positive and that our house is the coronavirus house,” she said.

“I keep getting phone calls and text messages, with some asking if the rumours are true.

“Others are angry at me because they [wrongly] believe I don’t want to get tested.”

The other Motherwell woman, Nelisa Jonas, questioned how her details had ended up on social media when she had only given the information  to municipal officials.

Jonas said that, in one incident, when she had gone to a shop, someone walking in the street  had warned another person not to get close to her, saying that she might contract the virus.

“I was tested at the Motherwell Health Care Centre on Friday, and on Sunday my details were included in what was circulating on social media — yet I hadn’t even received my results by then,” she said.

Jonas was informed on Monday that she had tested negative.

She has been trying since then to find out how her name landed up on the list.

“I’ve been trying to get a response from the call centre but nothing so far, yet when we wanted to be screened and tested, they were quick to return our calls.

“In my house, I’m the only one that attended the funeral but the four other people living here are also being stigmatised,” Jonas said.

Because KwaDwesi, with 28,  has the highest number of infections in the city, social media users have now dubbed the township suburb “Chinatown”.

Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said acting city manager Noxolo Nqwazi condemned the circulation of people’s names and addresses in the strongest possible terms.

“This is a serious breach and a serious violation of human rights,” he quoted her as saying.

“The municipality is doing its own internal investigation.

“She also expresses her appreciation that [the department of] health is also doing its own investigation,” Mniki said.

Ward 36 councillor Nomonde Mhlobiso said it was unacceptable for people to attach a stigma to KwaDwesi.

“As ward councillors, we don’t have the authority to speak on Covid-19, there are designated people to do that. 

“All precautionary awareness campaigns were made and as we speak these are ongoing.

“There are tests being conducted.

“People know what is right and what’s wrong and should refrain from spreading fake news that may be harmful to certain families,” she said.

Ward 17 (New Brighton) councillor Ncediso Captain said he had been contacted by people who suspected other community members were Covid-19 positive after the list was circulated. 

“Since the KwaDwesi funeral, Covid-19 has spread in townships and I’ve been called by people suspecting others of being positive.

“You can’t accuse people of having the coronavirus just because of what you’re seeing on social media.

“That is dangerous, rather encourage people to get tested,” he said.

Captain said such lists, and the way those named in the list were treated, would discourage other people from coming forward to be tested.

“This is not going to help the efforts of the government and the municipality,” he said.

Provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said:  “We would like to caution against this as it contributes to the stigmatisation of the coronavirus.

“We need everyone to play their part in helping to curb the spread of this virus instead of fuelling the stigma around this pandemic.

“Testing positive for Covid-19 is not a death penalty as it can be managed.

“Currently, 15 people have successfully recovered in the Eastern Cape.”