Orange Farm residents reject testing: ‘I won’t believe virus exists here until someone dies from it’

The level 4 Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown period was supposed to be used for screening and testing, especially in disadvantaged communities.

But some residents of Orange Farm Region G refused to comply, rejecting screening and testing for the virus.

Although there are no clear signs of emerging hotspots in the township, it remains important that residents undergo testing to flatten the curve of the epidemic.

However, there is no doubt that Covid-19 denialism is rife there.

“I won’t believe this virus exists here until I see someone dying from it,” said one of the residents.

To this day, people roam the streets of Orange Farm for no reason and stand in long queues at supermarkets without wearing masks, going against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appeal for everyone to wear a mask when going out in public.

I won’t believe this virus exists here until I see someone dying from it in front of my eyes.Orange Farm Resident

Orange Farm resident Busani Dlomo* said he was not interested in being screened or tested.

“I am jobless today because of this stupid virus. We don’t even know where it came from. I haven’t seen anyone who has it, so to me there’s absolutely nothing like coronavirus. I won’t believe this virus exists here until I see someone dying from it in front of my eyes,” fumed the 34-year-old Dlomo. The government had failed them as it took jobs away from them, he said.

“Now the same government is repaying us with R350. What are we supposed to do with so little? I won’t be bribed. I don’t want it. I am confident that I’m going to repay it for the rest of my life,” he said, adding that he was making a living selling cigarettes, because they were in demand.

“This government is twisted and I won’t test,” he insisted.

Read: After lockdown things will not return to the way they were – Ramaphosa

Another resident, Sarah Ngobeni*, boldly said that she was not interested in testing either.

“I can’t stand in a long queue for food and another one for testing. I left my kids at home hungry.”

With only four people having tested willingly, and realising that people were going to the shops instead of coming to the testing session, health workers decided to take matters into their own hands and directly approach people to request them to be screened.

A few more obliged. But it was not a good day at the office for the health workers.

*Not their real names