The authorities have been left dumbstruck by a high volume of prank calls made to South Africa’s coronavirus helpline, which was set up at the advent of the outbreak. A host of figures – including the health minister – have piled in on the nuisance callers, demanding that they stop undermining the country during a time of crisis.
Prank callers abuse coronavirus hotline
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) first raised the issue earlier this month. The emergency contact was set up to help South Africans deal with any coronavirus-related issues, and to ask for expert advice with regards to symptoms and potential illnesses. However, their genorisity has been abused.
The NICD Tweeted their dissatisfaction, and have again vented their fury towards the time-wasters of Mzansi:
“We’re dealing with a high volume of serious calls. However, there are people who are blocking these calls by calling unnecessarily to check the lines – and, in some cases, prank the staff working on the hotline. We wish to urge the public to desist from such behaviour as it takes away resources from those who need them.”
NICD on Twitter
Earlier this week, Zweli Mkhize also had a pop at the inconsiderate crankers (there might be a “W” missing from that last word), and pleaded with them to stop “overloading the hotlines”:
Crank callers are overloading hotlines, says @DrZweliMkhize and that is overloading the system.
— Ferial Haffajee (@ferialhaffajee) March 16, 2020
“Please grow up”, says frustrated MP
The DA’s Siviwe Gwarube has really stuck the boot in on the pranksters. The MP and party spokesperson for health told the hotline-botherers to ‘stop being insufferable and grow-up’. It’s hard to disagree, there…
Source: The South African Read More“People can be insufferable. I have received so many calls from genuinely concerned South Africans who can’t get through to the hotline. People who need to assistance. And yet there are bored people who are prank-calling the NICD. Please, please grow-up!”
Siviwe Gwarube, DA MP
