MEASURES TO BE TAKEN FOLLOWING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION
In response to the COVID-19 declaration as a National Emergency by His Majesty the King on 17 March, 2020 in the Kingdom of Eswatini with immediate effect, the Ministry of Home Affairs undertakes to act as follows:
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE GATHERINGS ATTRACTING 50 OR MORE PEOPLE
- As announced by the Right Honourable Prime Minister all combined Good Friday and Easter Sunday services remain suspended. As the situation improves the Good Friday service will be held on Ascension Day.
- Good Friday and Easter Monday holidays will continue to stand as such.
- The 52nd Birthday celebration of His Majesty King Mswati III scheduled for Shiselweni Region is cancelled as announced by The Right Honourable Prime Minister. The budget for the celebration will be reallocated to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Private and public gatherings should not exceed the number 50 of people in attendance.
CROSS-BORDER TRAVEL
- The six land border posts with the Republic of South Africa remain closed namely: Lundzi, Bulembu, Sandlane, Nsalitje, Sicunusa and Gege.
- According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the following there are countries identified as COVID-19 high risk, to that end the Kingdom of Eswatini will restrict entry to nationals of the above and/or to travelers from the same until the situation normalizes.
- Working with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Home Affairs will keep a record of travelers in order to identify people travelling from the high risk countries.
- Emaswati and residents of the country are also discouraged to visit the countries identified as high risk.
- Non-essential travel is prohibited. Emaswati engaging on non-essential travel shall be denied exit at the border posts. Non-essential travel includes but not limited to travel for leisure or holiday, shopping, sports, visits etc. Examples of essential travel includes travel for: official, company/organisational business and for medical reasons.
- Visas to enter Eswatini already issued to citizens of countries identified as COVID-19 high risk are hereby considered revoked with immediate effect.
MALINDZA REFUGEE RECEPTION CENTRE
- The Ministry will create a control management system for Refugees and Asylum seekers to restrict movement in and out of the Reception Centre.
- The Ministry will create sensitization/education programs for refugees and asylum seekers at the Malindza Centre.
- The Ministry will provide sanitization buckets in strategic points, residential blocks and toilets at the Centre.
- An isolation room will be reserved for those Refugees and Asylum seekers that present symptoms of COVID-19 at the Centre before they are referred for medical attention.
- All planned events at the center are hereby cancelled with immediate effect.
PREVENTION MEASURES FOR STAFF AND CLIENTS
- It is the Ministry’s top priority to safe guard health and safety of staff members as well as clients.
- The Ministry will continue to keep track of COVID-19 developments as advised by the Ministry of Health.
- Working with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry will provide training sessions on the importance of strict hygiene and other measures of controlling the spread of the virus.
- The Ministry shall provide sanitizers and disinfectants in the work place.
- Working desks and work stations will be constantly cleaned with sanitizers.
- Strategies will be employed to manage queues and avoid congestion at service centres. For example, the issuance of number tokens to clients.
- The public is advised to delay seeking the Ministry’s services if service required is not an emergency.
- The Ministry will continue to deliver excellent services to the public in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Released by:
Honorable Minister for Home Affairs - HRH Princess Lindiwe
Date: 20th March 2020
Media Enquires: Mlandvo A. Dlamini – Ministerial Communications Officer
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cell: +268 7606 3938/ 78051895