Covid-19: Truckers miss their marital beds
Since the coronavirus landed on the shores of Namibia, many truck drivers have hardly had a chance to go to their homes as they are forced to swing between the exhausting roads and quarantine facilities.
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Current Covid-19 related regulations have made it hard for Namibian truck drivers to see their families, because often after their mandatory two-week quarantine, they must return behind the wheel and embark on lengthy roads again.
Their marriages and families are now under pressure, as their jobs see them being unable to sleep in their marital beds, while their wives and children suffer from depression and abandonment issues.
After the outbreak of coronavirus Namibia imposed aggressive restrictions including a travel ban.
This is complemented by a mandatory two-week mandatory quarantine for essential services such as cross-border truck drivers.
Truck drivers have now essentially become the nation’s lifeline as they transport food and medical supplies on a daily basis.
However, their treatment at border posts and from authorities is less than that of heroes.
An investigation by Namibian Sun has found that Covid-19 has exerted such an immense burden on families of cross-border truck drivers that it now threatens to destroy once loving homes or send relatives into the abyss of depression.
Where is daddy?
Anna (not her real name) a wife of a truck driver, tearfully related how her husband left home for work, barely a month after their son was born.
“My kids are miserable; I am also sick because of the extra pressure that is on me. We have a three-month-old baby and because of my mental state, I cannot breastfeed my baby. My five-year-old cannot understand why daddy cannot come home,” she sobbed.
Anna is just one of many wives who are forced to hold together families that are threatening to fall apart from all the emotional strain.
Mina, another wife of a truck driver, questions why their husbands are forced to stay in quarantine but loading staff are allowed to go home.
“They come in very close contact with the schedulers, the service station staff where they buy food, but we are not even allowed to go and give them food or clothing,” she said.
Mina last saw her husband in March this year, and their children are accusing her of keeping their father from them.
“Our eldest child is accusing me of lying to them, she believes that I am divorcing the father and I am keeping it from them. And the fact that I cannot take them to see him at the depot is making it difficult for me to convince her otherwise,” she said.
Another woman, identified as Sara, also insists their husbands are unfairly treated.
“They come from Johannesburg and they hand over their Covid-19 test results to the scanners at the border posts. They go into shopping malls and service stations where they exchange money. I just want to know why those people are not considered to be same kind of threat to society?” she asked.
Increasing stigma
Meanwhile, truck driver Alexander Bauleth says they return to Namibia with credible test results from Botswana but are not allowed to go home.
“Botswana has one of the best labs in SADC and they are very strict there. Even their cases are not as high as in Namibia and South Africa. It is sad, here you come with results but at the end of day it is useless getting swabbed,” he said.
He added that they have not been given substantial explanations why they cannot go home to their families.
“They will say this is Namibia and those results are from Botswana and we do not accept those results. Three times that happened to me, one in Keetmanshoop, one Katima Mulilo and one at Buitepos. They just tell us that we know truck drivers do not go home,” he said.
He added that many truck drivers are depressed and contemplating quitting their jobs.
Bad police behaviour
He added that police officers in Namibia are unprofessional and must be trained.
“We actually have problems with Namibian police; they would even approach us with a confused attitude. If he is with a colleague they would even say ‘Ah don’t go too close to that guy, he is coming from South Africa.’ Imagine. We did not bring corona,” he said.
Rules are rules
Health minister Kalumbi Shangula said anybody who returns to Namibia from another country must go into mandatory quarantine.
He added that they cannot rely on the test results the truck drivers present.
“We have seen people coming with those tests and during their time in quarantine they test positive. Whether you come with your 72-day negative Covid-19 result; we will not rely on that. You will have to go into quarantine,” said Shangula.
He also said it is not advisable to allow truck drivers to quarantine at their homes.
“We do not encourage that because we have to send people there to investigate the circumstances at home. You cannot quarantine at home when you have ten people staying in one house,” he said.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Current Covid-19 related regulations have made it hard for Namibian truck drivers to see their families, because often after their mandatory two-week quarantine, they must return behind the wheel and embark on lengthy roads again.
Their marriages and families are now under pressure, as their jobs see them being unable to sleep in their marital beds, while their wives and children suffer from depression and abandonment issues.
After the outbreak of coronavirus Namibia imposed aggressive restrictions including a travel ban.
This is complemented by a mandatory two-week mandatory quarantine for essential services such as cross-border truck drivers.
Truck drivers have now essentially become the nation’s lifeline as they transport food and medical supplies on a daily basis.
However, their treatment at border posts and from authorities is less than that of heroes.
An investigation by Namibian Sun has found that Covid-19 has exerted such an immense burden on families of cross-border truck drivers that it now threatens to destroy once loving homes or send relatives into the abyss of depression.
Where is daddy?
Anna (not her real name) a wife of a truck driver, tearfully related how her husband left home for work, barely a month after their son was born.
“My kids are miserable; I am also sick because of the extra pressure that is on me. We have a three-month-old baby and because of my mental state, I cannot breastfeed my baby. My five-year-old cannot understand why daddy cannot come home,” she sobbed.
Anna is just one of many wives who are forced to hold together families that are threatening to fall apart from all the emotional strain.
Mina, another wife of a truck driver, questions why their husbands are forced to stay in quarantine but loading staff are allowed to go home.
“They come in very close contact with the schedulers, the service station staff where they buy food, but we are not even allowed to go and give them food or clothing,” she said.
Mina last saw her husband in March this year, and their children are accusing her of keeping their father from them.
“Our eldest child is accusing me of lying to them, she believes that I am divorcing the father and I am keeping it from them. And the fact that I cannot take them to see him at the depot is making it difficult for me to convince her otherwise,” she said.
Another woman, identified as Sara, also insists their husbands are unfairly treated.
“They come from Johannesburg and they hand over their Covid-19 test results to the scanners at the border posts. They go into shopping malls and service stations where they exchange money. I just want to know why those people are not considered to be same kind of threat to society?” she asked.
Increasing stigma
Meanwhile, truck driver Alexander Bauleth says they return to Namibia with credible test results from Botswana but are not allowed to go home.
“Botswana has one of the best labs in SADC and they are very strict there. Even their cases are not as high as in Namibia and South Africa. It is sad, here you come with results but at the end of day it is useless getting swabbed,” he said.
He added that they have not been given substantial explanations why they cannot go home to their families.
“They will say this is Namibia and those results are from Botswana and we do not accept those results. Three times that happened to me, one in Keetmanshoop, one Katima Mulilo and one at Buitepos. They just tell us that we know truck drivers do not go home,” he said.
He added that many truck drivers are depressed and contemplating quitting their jobs.
Bad police behaviour
He added that police officers in Namibia are unprofessional and must be trained.
“We actually have problems with Namibian police; they would even approach us with a confused attitude. If he is with a colleague they would even say ‘Ah don’t go too close to that guy, he is coming from South Africa.’ Imagine. We did not bring corona,” he said.
Rules are rules
Health minister Kalumbi Shangula said anybody who returns to Namibia from another country must go into mandatory quarantine.
He added that they cannot rely on the test results the truck drivers present.
“We have seen people coming with those tests and during their time in quarantine they test positive. Whether you come with your 72-day negative Covid-19 result; we will not rely on that. You will have to go into quarantine,” said Shangula.
He also said it is not advisable to allow truck drivers to quarantine at their homes.
“We do not encourage that because we have to send people there to investigate the circumstances at home. You cannot quarantine at home when you have ten people staying in one house,” he said.
[email protected]
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