LETTER TO PREMIER SIHLE ZIKALALA
21 April 2020 – A Letter Was Sent from SAMNET to The Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Government Premier, Mr. Sihle Zikalala
And The MEC For Health, Ms Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu
Concerning Self-Isolation during Lockdown period.
SAMNET notes with pleasure your clarification of initial media reports suggesting that your
office and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health had instructed that all self-isolation should be
done in State facilities and that home or private institutional self isolation would not be permitted
in our province. We believe and are relieved at your clarificiation, given the fact that the State
facilities are already overburdened financially, logistically and under staffed with human
resources.
Had the policy of isolation in state facilities, as initially reported, been implemented, it would
have overburdened already stretched state facilities, state resources and funding to care for
asymptomatic or well patients in isolation, whereas this can adequately be done at home or
another controlled setting. People would also have been discouraged by such a policy, to test and
report.
Our extensive information campaigns in association with organisations like the Islamic Medical
Association of South Africa (IMASA), have been directed towards health education and
compliance with national disaster management act regulations and provisions of the lockdown.
Our community has for the overwhelming majority, responded very positively and proactively to
help “flatten the curve”.
We continue to urge our communities and those who have tested Covid 19 positive, to strictly
follow self quarantine regulations and to abide by our laws and general medical advice.
Muslims are going to start the holy month of Ramadhan on Friday, the 24th April 2020, which
entails many additional requirements over and above the normal requirements of prayer as well as
enhanced spirituality and praying time, and the ability to self-isolate will certainly allow fasting
Muslims, not withstanding the inability to go to mosque to pray, the ability to carry out the
requirements of the month of Ramadhan within their homes with adequate support structures
while still self-isolating and strictly abiding by quarantine regulations.
We will continue to promote our information campaigns and look forward to working with you to
ensure that we all beat the disease together.
We should not be burdening state facilities, nor punishing the entire public, because a few people
have not abided by quarantine regulations.
Our community will continue, even during the fasting, to be at the forefront of delivering food
and PPE to vulnerable communities, as we have been since the pandemic started.
We attach a report detailing the spend of our community in food provisions for the deserving
since the start of the lockdown.
