COPS MOUNT 24-HOUR ROADBLOCKS IN EPICENTRE MANZINI

MANZINI – The police mean business. This follows that the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), in partnership with the other security agencies, is now mounting 24-hour roadblocks in the country’s COVID-19 epicentre – Manzini. This is meant to curb any loitering and vagabonding by members of the public at any time of the day and night. 

The other security agencies that have partnered with the police are His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) and Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), who are also joined by personnel from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and Eswatini Baphalali Red Cross Society.
The roadblocks are said to be intensified in the hub of the country, but will cascade to other parts of the kingdom in order to stop any possibility of transferring the virus between the regions.

Surging

As of yesterday, there were 48 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Manzini Region. The region is currently under a lockdown to deal with the daily surge of new cases.
Worth noting is that the Manzini Region is the most populated region. Its population is said to be over 355 000 people.

This publication had noted that there has been an increase in roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and movement checks of persons at high commuter areas.
According to an impeccable source, the law enforcers had been given a directive to apply the law in its strictest form, and make sure that there were no compromises.

The source said the law enforcers were informed to make sure that the violation of the lockdown by people who were supposed to be at home was met with concomitant punishment as set out by the regulations.

In that regard, the source said this resulted in the strategising team of the law enforcement agencies setting teams that would mount the roadblocks at various strategic points that lead traffic in or out of Manzini.
Furthermore, the officer said the strategic points were altered to make sure that motorists at night did not use alternative routes. During the day, the police have been mounting fully-fledged roadblocks along the freeway and major routes leading into the city.
For motorists driving towards Manzini, the roadblocks were mounted at Elangeni and Mhlaleni. Motorists driving from the western parts of the region like Bhunya and Mankayane found roadblocks next to St Andrew’s and at Malkerns (Mahlanya route).

Direction

Other roadblocks, for motorists driving into Manzini from the eastern direction are held at Mafutseni and Gum Tree. For those headed to the CBD from the northern part of the town, from townships like Fairview, SterkStroom and Njunja, the roadblock was along Central Distributor Road, popularly known as Central. Another barricade was next to the William Pitcher Teachers’ Training College.

Also, they are held at Zakhele Remand Centre Four-Way Stop to scrutinise the reasons for driving into town for motorists coming from the southern part of the Manzini city Centre. The law enforcers also mounted another at KaHlobile in Matsapha along the road leading into the industrial site.
Meanwhile, Chief Police Information, and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that the police were having 24-hour barricades.
She said the pandemic had seen government announcing a national emergency.

Disaster

This, she said, meant that the country was on disaster mode and the roadblocks were not meant to frustrate the public but to protect them.
“The roadblocks at night might not be fully-fledged but the police will be all over making sure that the public adheres to the regulations.”
Vilakati said the shifts of the security personnel were already structured in the manner that allowed them to operate 24 hours. She pleaded with the public to stay at home and respect the law.

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