“Things are definitely getting real and we need to be safe!” This was the response of a resident of Louis Trichardt on a local social media group upon hearing that Louis Trichardt recorded its first positive Covid-19 case.

While the nationwide lockdown is nearing the end of its first week, reports of incidents of domestic violence are increasing. Dr Bardwell Mufunwaini, well-known director of Munna Ndi Nnyi, said that an unprecedented number of domestic violence cases had been reported in the past week.

“As ek vir die mense in Suid-Afrika ‘n boodskap kan stuur, sal dit wees om hierdie ding ernstig op te vat. Dit is nie ‘n grappie nie … Bly by die huis! Was jou hande en moenie met die virus mors nie. Hy sal jou doodmaak as jy met hom speel!”

More than two hundred refugees staying at the Matswale men's shelter were on Thursday moved to the Musina Showgrounds.

In yet another incident of mob violence, a suspect was beaten to death, while another one is fighting for his life in a hospital, after an incident at Mawoni in the Nzhelele area.

Well-known family-owned business Limpopo Dairy outside Louis Trichardt added more accolades to their already impressive list of achievements the past few decades by scooping up two top awards during the annual Agri-Expo Qualité Awards.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has donated four water trucks and 132 water tanks (10 000 litres each) to the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) in order to fight Covid-19.

Limpopo Province has suspended initiation school programmes scheduled to start during the winter season, saying the step was part of curbing COVID -19.

One of the first victims of the coronavirus, Prof Gita Ramjee, has several family links to Louis Trichardt. Her husband, Praveen Ramjee, was born here and grew up in the town.

Towns and business centres in the Vhembe District were busy on Monday morning, with taxis ferrying commuters to and from various areas. At face value, no lockdown was in place, and long rows of people could be spotted in Louis Trichardt and Thohoyandou’s central business district. Most of the activity was, however, caused by the earlier South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) pay-outs.

The new chief financial officer (CFO) of the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), Ms Mulatwa Thangavhuelelo, assured the public that she would be working towards the improvement of a clean audit as she assumed duty on 16 March.

The spokesperson of the Musina Local Municipality, Mr Wilson Dzebu, said essential services would not be interrupted during the entire lockdown period.

A young woman from Makwarela outside Sibasa, Ms Tondani Sikhwari, has initiated a project of adding value to the lives of those less fortunate around her, and she is doing this out of the goodness of her heart.

Khosikhulu Vho-Toni Mphephu Ramabulana warned communities against vandalising government buildings such as tribal councils, community halls, clinics and schools, even if they are angry with the poor delivery of services.

The leader of the United African Apostolic Church (UAAC), archbishop David Mureri, stated his support for the total lockdown announced by the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Monday night.