Ground floor: scrambling for the start of confinement at the Gombe

Text by: RFI Follow

In Kinshasa, the commune of Gombe lives its first hours of confinement while this posh district is the center of the epidemic in the DRC. Certain categories of people had to have access to the town and continue working, but this Monday, April 6, even these people were unable to access the city center.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi

Pierre is a police officer and for 6 hours, he begs to be able to pass his colleagues posted in front of the bridge giving access to the town of Gombe. He should be in the team that secures the government building which houses several ministries, which building must be disinfected this Monday morning: “ We are police officers. We were given the service bulletin. We presented it to the major. The major presented the refusal. We no longer know how we will get into the building. It is now 8 o'clock . "

All blocked

Jean-Claude works for the National Electricity Company (Snel). He is forced to turn around. However, he has the badge which should give access to the commune of Gombe: “ We are agents of Snel, the National Electricity Company, of the distribution department of Kinshasa. They gave us these badges. But when we get to the barrier here, we don't accept them. Finally, we will leave our homes to go for a walk where there is illness. However, we have the will to serve the people ”.

►Read also: DRC: the effectiveness of confining the Gombe alone called into question

A small crowd forms and a line of vehicles stands. Jean-Claude is upset: " They could have put people. We will see if these badges are true. With a checking model , they check a bit and we move on. They don't waste our time like children. We even begin to beg for us to be brought in. It is not normal ”. In the meantime, the health workers, responsible for taking the temperature at the entrance and exit of the commune, were not on duty at 7 a.m.

Reduced access for the Congolese press

Tshilunde Kasonga, the president of the UNPC (National Union of the Congolese Press) already expressed before the establishment this Monday morning of the containment of his anger at the organization of the containment in Gombe. The National Union of the Congolese Press (UNPC) threatens to boycott all information relating to the coverage of this confinement. Each editorial office only obtained two badges for access to the Gombe, but some are installed in this district, others need more badges. The UNPC protests because it had negotiated another type of agreement with the governorate. Its president explains:

“ We asked that they give us badges because the journalists had to work. The governor accepted the principle. Then finally he told us that he had no money to print the badges and asked the UNPC to print the badges by demanding that when the badges are printed, that they bring them to the town hall to put the stamp before lamination. That's what we did. Today City Hall says that they do not recognize these badges. "

Tshilunde Kasonga, president of the Angry Congolese National Press Union

Sonia Rolley

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• Ground floor
• Coronavirus
• Containment
• Africa

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