The Covid-19 pandemic is set to change the way we see life. This pandemic has revealed the structural inequalities that exist in our society. South Africa has been forced to a lockdown that has been widely criticised for being anti-poor. Critics have slammed the government for not putting measures in place that would benefit the majority of the country. But in times of unprecedented events, what should Governments do?
South Africa is the world’s most unequal country. This can directly be traced to Apartheid where the few controlled the economy. Weak policies and rampant corruption keep South Africa unequal to this very day. Despite this, South Africa ranks 113 on the Human Development Report. This, on paper, is a good thing. But South Africa still has a glaring inequality problem and this pandemic is showing us how.
While the privileged, who have disposable income, rushed to the shops to panic buy, the poor were waiting for their social grants to be paid before they could go buy the essentials. By the time they did, the lockdown had been announced and what was shown was images of packed shops and long queues. Amidst this, there are images of soldiers humiliating and assaulting township dwellers who aren’t adhering to the lockdown regulations. These images trigger memories in some of the apartheid regime and how they’d humiliate the majority. In essence, the government did not think the lockdown through properly. Yes, we need it. But how do we make it fair?
There can never one simple solution to the country’s predicament at the moment. Perhaps decisive leadership and economic practices that favour the poor instead of the privileged could ensure that come to the next crisis, South Africa does not need to make the few comfortable at the expense of the majority.
*Cde Daniel Lediga is a
SASCO Activist & ISRC TUT, he writes in his personal capacity.*