80 mourners stranded amidst lockdown

ABERDEEN NEWS - More than 80 Cape Town residents, who had travelled in small groups to different areas in the former Transkei for funerals on Saturday, are currently stranded together just outside Aberdeen.

Despite the motorists having permits to travel and affidavits, the police manning the roadblocks on the R61 towards Beaufort West would not allow the vehicles through.

About 15 vehicles, ranging from taxis to private cars, are parked on the verge near the hospital, on the road into Aberdeen. The mourners, including several young children, spent the night in their vehicles, and this morning they are tired, hungry, and extremely frustrated.

Pastor Wilson Siko had travelled from his home in Cape Town to bury his son in Lady Frere, near Komani (Queenstown). He showed the Advertiser the burial order, giving permission for his son, who had died in Strand, to be buried in the Eastern Cape.

Samkelo Krwegu, the driver of one of the taxis transporting the mourners, explained that most of the people had travelled from Cape Town after the start of the lockdown, and had made sure that they had the necessary documentation to travel to bury their family members. “The last roadblock we passed was in Queenstown – why didn’t they stop us there, where we were at least near our family homes?” he asked. “The police here told us we must go back to the Transkei, but we don’t have money to do that.”

A young woman, who did not want to give her name, was also very angry. “We have many old people and children with us. There are no toilets here, we are very tired, and the children are crying because they are hungry,” she said. “What do the police expect us to do?” She added that she had left her young baby at home, as she thought she would only be away for two nights, and is desperate to get back to Cape Town.

Many of the people were rather bewildered, and felt that they had been misled, as they had complied with the requirements when they left home. “The police told us they had received new orders yesterday, but how can they change things once they have given us permission” said one man, who was clutching his permit.

“The police told us we cannot even stand close together,” said Krwequ, when some of the group posed for a photo.

Aberdeen Station Commander Captain de Beer was unable to comment when approached by the Advertiser, but was on his way to meet with the stranded motorists.

Some of the angry mourners, with their permits.