Durban – The provincial ANC's final local government elections rally in Umlazi, south of Durban, on Thursday flouted almost all the key regulations of Covid-19, the main violation being overcrowding inside King Zwelithini Stadium.
At the rally which was to be later addressed by KZN ANC chairperson, Sihle Zikalala and ANC national executive committee member, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the other key regulation of social distancing was flouted as supporters were squashed inside the stadium.
Also flouted was the wearing of masks covering the mouth and nose as most supporters were not wearing them. That prompted Njabulo Nzuza, the elections committee convener of the region, to plead with the supporters to keep their masks on.
"Comrades, please keep your masks on, please. Forward with the wearing of masks, forward," Nzuza said from the podium.
Video: Sihle Mavuso/ IOL Politics
The Independent Media team on the ground also noticed that there was no hand sanitiser for supporters when entering the stadium. Almost all of them walked in without been sanitised and screened for Covid-19 as required by the regulations promulgated by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs which is ironically led by Dlamini Zuma.
Spokesperson for the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, Nhlakanipho Ntombela, who was at the rally, denied the flouting of the rules, by saying most of the supporters had their masks on – contrary to what was happening on the ground.
“If you look around, most of them are wearing their masks, just look over there," Ntombela said when Independent Media quizzed him about the flouting of the rules.
He also said the reason why there was over more than the stipulated number was because “the people love the ANC" hence they could not stick to the required number for outdoor gatherings.
Political Bureau