Panic-buying: Twitter says calm down, but folks are gearing up for an apocalypse

17 March 2020 - 12:35

By Cebelihle Bhengu

If South Africans have one thing on their minds, it's the coronavirus, with more than 60 confirmed cases in SA.

However, there seem to be a division when it comes to stockpiling and "panic-buying" as some empty the shelves in supermarkets while others question the logic behind this.

On Monday, Makro and Woolworths were among the supermarkets almost emptied by consumers who bought goods in bulk because of fears about a possible lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday about control and preventive measures being taken by government to curb the further spread of the virus. These include school closures and some ports of entry for visitors who come from countries identified as high risk.

TimesLIVE reported on Tuesday that Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of the Shoprite Group, pleaded with consumers not buy more than they need. He said sanitary, hygiene and baby products, dry pasta, UHT milk and tinned vegetables are in high demand.

“May I appeal to our customers to please think before they buy, and only buy what their families need so others are not left without much-needed items.

“If we all shop as we usually do, our stores will soon return to normal and there will not be empty shelves,” he said.

Here's a glimpse into social media reactions:

Calm down, there's enough for everyone