Lesser restrictions beckoning

…as NACOSEC relegates Phenithi to the shadows

Ntsoaki Motaung

The National Covid-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC) says the country will soon likely move to the next Covid-19 induced lockdown alert level with better-eased restrictions.

According to the newly appointed Communications and Publicity Manager at NACOSEC, ‘Mateboho Mosebekoa, they will soon address cabinet wherein they will advise for less restrictions seeing as the covid-19 scourge has abated.

Mosebekoa who is also Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, indicated that it has also come to NACOSEC’s attention that the number of positive cases of Covid-19 in the country has decreased and also more than 20,000 people have already been vaccinated against it.

“For that matter, NACOSEC will meet all the stakeholders that can be affected by the changes brought by Covid-19 and then the Minister of Health will be sensitised on the situation in order to address Cabinet which will advise the Prime Minister to then address the nation to announce the new measures. What will then follow is the gazette that will work as law to implement the decisions,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mosebekoa confirmed that moving forward she shall be the one handling the Secretariat’s publicity and communication element.

Which means Risk Communication and Community Manager Baroane Phenithi will no longer be serving as NACOSEC’s mouthpiece.

“Everything of public concern or for public consumption that affects NACOSEC will be communicated with me. Even when any other stakeholders need to talk to NACOSEC, that is if they feel there is something that needs to be corrected or are not pleased with some changes that affect them, from now on they will communicate with my office,” she said.

Asked to comment on why Phenethi will no longer be the one speaking on the behalf of the Secretariat, Mosebekoa indicated that she was still a newbie in office and was yet to find out some issues from her bosses. However, at the time of going to press last night she had not reverted with an answer.

Phenithi is infamous for his vainglorious demeanour, often rubbing off stakeholders including the media the wrong way in his attempt of representing NACOSEC in the public eye. He is the one who once told musicians and deejays that their equipment would not rot even if it remained stuck without being used, and recently said sporting activities were barred because of being rogue and with “no order”.