Government services, including ambulance and vaccine operations in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, have been hindered by violent protests over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma.
Gauteng has been engulfed by sporadic violence which began on Saturday evening in which shops have been looted and vandalised and malls and cars burnt. Protesters are calling for the release of Zuma, who's serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court.
Premier David Makhura's spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga said the recent sporadic acts of violence and lawlessness in parts of the province have also affected vaccination sites.
Mhaga said the services were affected because of, among others, limited access to some parts of the province due to protests.
"To this end, some provincial government services, including vaccination sites in the affected areas, have had to temporarily close due to safety concerns by both the staff and members of the public.
"Emergency Medical Services (EMS) teams are equally experiencing difficulty in responding to distress calls in communities due to limited access," Mhaga said.
He said the situation is being assessed by law enforcement agencies who are being helped by the SA National Defence Force.
Amid the Covid-19 third wave, more than 30 private ambulance services in KwaZulu-Natal stopped operating to protect their vehicles from rampaging protesters on Monday.
KwaZulu-Natal Private Ambulances Services secretary-general Mario Booysen said the decision followed an attack on a government ambulance on Sunday night.
“Last night a government ambulance was set alight on the N2 in northern KwaZulu-Natal. At this stage, we don’t know if a patient was being transported or if there have been any injuries,” he said.
He said ambulances have been blocked by protesters since the unrest started.
Police and private security companies battled to disperse protesters from Friday when the protest action, themed #FreeJacobZuma and #KZNShutdown on social media, saw violence erupting across the province.
Clinics and community vaccination sites in Durban were closed yesterday as protesters continued to go on the rampage in and around the city.
The eThekwini municipality said it closed its clinics due to threats directed at health facilities in the city.
“The ongoing civil unrest has also affected community vaccination sites which have been unable to operate today. The municipality will reassess the situation during the day and advise the public accordingly.”
Residents who qualify for phase 2 of the vaccination rollout, which includes those aged 50 and above, were urged to continue to register to receive the vaccine.
Mhaga said the provincial government was concerned about the potential spread of Covid-19 during such super-spreader events.
"Hospital admissions continue to increase and are placing a heavy strain on the healthcare system."
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