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Published: August 4th 2021
Covid-19
Only Zapiro could sum up the circus inflicted on South AfricaC-19 continues to defy any form of linear progression and rages on relentlessly testing just about every scientific and medical theory that our so-called global experts have spewed forth into a highly confused populace. This can be neatly revealed by a quick scan of the current state of heightened chaos in countries around the world. What better place to start than
China where they are experiencing their broadest outbreak since the shenanigans in the wet markets of Wuhan one and a half years ago. To compound their problems, it is the Delta variant which is racing across the country with 32 provinces reporting rising infections. They have very strict anti-virus measures including mass testing as soon as a case appears, aggressive contract tracing and use of quarantines and lockdowns which has helped them crush 30 previous flareups. Even Wuhan city, notorious as the alleged springboard for C-19, is being smacked with infections. The Chinese allege
Covid-19
A looting frenzy probably probably trumping anything seen ever before on planet earth that the delta variant arrived via a flight from Moscow in July this year and spread to airport staff. The country has achieved a vaccination rate of 60 percent but its still unknown how effective their locally developed vaccine will fare against the delta beast. The Chinese Government, in typical fashion, reports low numbers which make no sense but what more can one expect from a country whose leaders continue to refuse any form of international investigation into the origins of coronavirus.
Japan is currently in the global spotlight due to the current Olympic Games taking place there. Watching the various events on TV evokes a range of emotions which are shaped by empty stadiums, surreal medal award ceremonies and the never-ending C-19 impact. As at 2
nd August, 276 positive cases had been confirmed in people connected in some way or the other to the Olympics including 24 athletes out of 11,000 expected to participate. Some 400,00 tests have been conducted so far with a positivity rate of 0,02 percent. The real alarm is the surge in infections across the broader population of Tokyo and specifically the Tokyo 2020 contractors working in various services. Athletes in the villages are required
Covid-19
C-19 testing human resolve to the very limit to test daily. Interesting that polls prior to the Olympics confirmed that most Japanese citizens didn’t think the event could be held safely. Nevertheless, it is a very different experience watching events at these games against the C-19 background and it must be heart-breaking for athletes, who have devoted years to reaching their individual pinnacles, to be denied the opportunity of participating in a “normal” Olympic environment. And then, inevitably, there is an outlier country, meaning one which played by very different rules yielding very different results. Look no further than
Sweden. What did they do differently? Well, for starters, they never imposed any strict lockdowns on their citizens and they were severely criticised for their cavalier approach to the virus. By mid-2020 they had a higher death rate than their Nordic neighbours but, a year later their approach has recently seen a 7-day period with zero C-19 deaths. Their leaders stated upfront that the pandemic was a “marathon not a sprint” and took a longer-term view. They will be one of very few countries not faced with the huge cost to human liberty such as suicide and depression amongst the youth, in particular. Importantly, the economic damage was minimal
Covid-19
A young GG Alcock growing up in rural Zululand. Author of many outstanding books. unlike most countries which have imposed lockdowns and other punitive restrictions. Numbers often shed light on contentious issues; Sweden to date has experienced a C-19 death rate of 0.15 percent of their population,
Germany 0,10 percent and France 0.16 percent. The latter two countries opted for lockdowns and other measures so the question lingers; do lockdowns have any impact on slowing the spread of the virus? Talking about the trashing of civil liberties, the
French are getting seriously pissed off with their politicians. Over 100,000 people took to the streets recently and a number of vaccinations stations across the country were vandalised. Reason? Citizens have had enough of President Macron’s latest lockdown and decree that unvaccinated people will not be allowed entry to cafes, public transport and theatres. Contrast this with Sweden where there is no mandate to wear masks, businesses and schools have remained open with virtually no restrictions and they are welcoming tourists. So much for the so-called “experts” who maligned Sweden which is currently healthier and freer than any other country in Europe. There are countless theories about what will happen beyond C-19 but one outcome may well be wholescale citizen rejection at the polls against Governments in power during the crisis. In
America, the grand “re-opening” of their economy is stalling as the Delta variant rips across the country. This was simply not expected and was not meant to happen. Suddenly key economic metrics are coming in below expectation and their major stock markets are starting to factor in a new virus impact. The famous American “feel good factor” is on hold for the time being. Similarly, the
United Kingdom, had stepped into a sort of post C-19 pantomime in mid-July but Boris (I still desperately need a haircut) Johnson is tap dancing and deciding what the next steps need to be to contain a resurging Delta variant infection rate.
Australia has introduced strict lockdowns in some of their major cities. To digress for a second; these self-same Australians are outraged because our Director of Rugby has the audacity to question and demonstrate via video, something in the region of 30 dodgy and seriously inconsistent decisions referee Nic Berry, one of their own, made in the recent 1
st Springboks versus British Lions test match. In the video Rassie pinpoints each of these “decisions” and interpretations and requested answers from Berry who basically chose to ignore him or provide flippant answers which made little sense. Rassie Erasmus has now been “cited” by World Rugby for standing up and questioning the ongoing inconsistency of international rugby referees which very often affect the outcome of a match. Someone had to take this bold stand and bizarrely Rassie may be fired for his actions. Fortunately, SA Rugby has decided to confront World Rugby in what could be an intriguing saga. This is a screwed-up world we live in!
And last but not least,
South Africa. Against the recent background of indescribable anarchy, looting and barbaric destruction of properties in KZN and Gauteng, the C-19 third wave is waning but I doubt whether this is a front-line issue in many minds at this point in time. This countries leadership could quite comfortably replace the very best clowns in the Boswell-Willkie circus line up. Our so called “Security Agencies” had “intelligence information” a week before the wave of anarchy which engulfed the country. They chose to do NOTHING and left huge communities of ordinary citizens to defend themselves whilst the police in some instances stood by largely watching the looting locusts plunder and destroy. The President called it an insurrection but the defence minister said it wasn’t; in her words just a little “protest action.” We were told that the instigators were known and would be arrested and named. The nation remains largely in the dark on this issue. The President has said very little since his address to the nation three weeks ago. Bizarrely, he seems to believe that the “vigilantiasm” which occurred in Phoenix, KZN deserves far more attention than the epic failures of his government over many years which undoubtedly fed in to this frenzied destruction. Classic ANC reaction; when in a corner play the race card.
Alan Paton, author of “Cry the beloved country” made the following statement in 1985; “South Africa is a place where you despair on Monday and hope on Thursday.” How prophetic! We have this mentality that “alles sal regkom.” I guess this never-failing belief that our precarious situation will heal itself is what sustains the nation and helps us keep our heads up. In the words of journalist William Saunderson-Meyer,
“we yawn, rub our eyes and life goes on pretty much as it did before.” Never mind the almost unquantifiable economic costs; damage of between R50bn and R80bn and job losses estimated as high as 150,000. Foreign investors were sitting on the fence and I guess they are now sprinting for the hills. Government reaction largely centred on a relief package of R39bn funded by the tax generated by the commodities boom. There you have it; hunt out a silver lining and all is kind of back to normal." When do we get real, roll up our sleeves and get to the underlying causes of this anarchy? We have seen the effects. This is where it gets tricky because every man and his dog has proffered their reasons for what happened with many stating “we knew it was coming.” I don’t have the answers but I believe GG Alcock wrote one of the best articles on this subject entitled; “It’s not about poverty or unemployment -stop the hand wringing and still the violins.” (GG Alcock grew up in a mud hut in Msinga, a violent and poverty-stricken rural area in KZN.) In a nutshell, he argues very convincingly that it is not the convenient trifecta of issues viz. poverty, inequality and unemployment which were the key cause of the looting and mayhem. Rather, it is “the culture of lawlessness” which lies at the very heart of what happened. His words;
“This lawlessness is epitomised by corruption without consequence or trial by the rich, the jumping of red lights by taxis and actually us all at some stageor another, no number plates, bribing the metro cop with cold drinks, driving home after a few drinks, petty theft with no consequence, smash and grabs at the robots with no action, just a big danger sign, hijackings with another hijacking hotspot sign. It’s that we have a lawless society, let’s call it for what it is.” He also points out a fact we all witnessed; it wasn’t poverty-stricken people looting but well-off people arriving in cars and selectively helping themselves to whatever they desired in the knowledge that they would get away with it.
They gazed at cameras, gave the middle finger and in many cases, actually taunted the police believing that they could plunder because their political masters are doing it as well. I leave it to those reading to draw their own conclusions.
Our reputation as a country? Does it bother most South Africans? The Financial Times attempted to cover this topic in an article on 21
st July entitled; “Timid Ramapahosa MUST take battle to Zuma loyalists.” The article clearly demonstrates an understanding of the destruction of the Zuma presidency and his allies influence in the recent wave of anarchy;
“The aim was doubtless to rattle the state so hard that Zuma was released and Cyril Ramaphosa, the embattled president, forced to resign. Bigwigs from the ANC face prosecution for alleged corruption. But the president has not done nearly enough. The lack of timely measures to counter violence and the fact that some police stood by as property was ransacked points to continued pockets of state capture. Rampahosa has a bad habit of timidity, particularly during the years that he stood silently by as Zuma’s deputy. Now that the former president’s loyalists have shown their teeth, Rampahosa must take the battle to them. If Rampahosa cannot act swiftly, this month’s outpouring of violence will not be the last.” A timely, external reminder of just how precarious our situation is and in the three weeks following the anarchic explosion, an obvious question may just be; so, what has Ramaphosa actually done to convince South Africans and the world at large, that he is in charge and is taking decisive steps to deal with the Zuma scourge? Again, I leave it to the reader to answer this vitally important question. Many South Africans will simply yawn, rub their eyes and believe “alles sal regkom.”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
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Megan
non-member comment
Cry, the beloved country ??. Cry, the world in crisis ??. We look to the youth to sort this out..... Thank you, Tim, for your incisive analysis....as always.