Celebs react to lockdown

The rising coronavirus (Covid-19) infection rates in South Africa yesterday saw President Cyril Ramaphosa, issue a nationwide lockdown in a televised live speech that caused the head of state to slightly choke up at the tail-end of his broadcast.

Although the presence of Covid-19 has until now been met with mixed reaction from the population, it’s safe to say that the lockdown highlights the seriousness of the pandemic.

With the latest national infection rate sitting at 402, people are increasingly taking to their Facebook community chat groups and social media platforms to spread messages of hope and caution – and our local celebrities are no exception.

From TV presenters to musicians and actors, under the hashtags #LockDownSouthAfrica #CoronavirusInSA, celebrities are urging solidarity and diligence in the trying times that lie ahead.

Media personality, emcee and restauranteur Sizwe Dhlomo took to his Twitter feed to appeal to everyone, especially business people, to play their part.

He wrote: “Guys, it’s time for all employers and industrialists to step up. The government has done their bit, it’s now time for us to do ours.”

Cognisant of the reality that people would rush out to stock up on supplies from today until Thursday, Dhlomo urged his followers to practise caution when doing and to only do the bare minimum.

“If you’re going out to get food, do that and come back home. Don’t now hit a shot’ left to so and so’s house. The aim is to stop the spread of the virus and the more we ignore the guidelines that the government has set for us, the more we will put our society in jeopardy,” he said.

https://twitter.com/SizweDhlomo/status/1242344569515188226

Although this post by Dhlomo came after the presidential moratorium, he and other celebrities had already started debating on Sunday about how soon the president should affect the national clampdown.

Sports presenter Robert Marawa even went so far as to use Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s lockdown after just 17 reported Covid-19 infection as the gold standard and a blueprint for other countries to follow.

Dhlomo went on to remind fans that this was not the time for posturing or political point-scoring.

“This is real life guys and people are in danger. Everyone is affected, so let’s try and make the best of a bad situation. It’s far from ideal, yes, but it is where we are now.”

Meanwhile, with the pandemic already impacting every aspect of the entertainment industry, local multi-award-winning stage and screen actress Ilse Klink expressed deep sadness at the plight of actors affected by the outbreak.

Ilse Klink. Picture: Facebook

“This is terribly sad for the artists, technical staff, the livelihood of people in the town of Oudtshoorn. I really thought at least this festival may happen. However, we have to take every precaution,” she said on Facebook about a week ago in reaction to the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival being postponed.

Since then, and in spite of the uncertain and desperate time ahead for actors and technical staff, Klink has been posting almost daily with messages of hope and encouragement not just for her peers but for the general public, whose effort she acknowledged.

One of her recent posts, in addition to appealing to industry players to urgently pay actors so they could feed themselves, encourages actors to consider starting their vegetable gardens.

“Dear fellow industry friends. Many of us may not have the reserves we wish we had. Now is a good time to start planting your vegetable garden, if you haven’t yet started. #WeDontKnowHowLongThePandemicMayLast. Stay safe,” she wrote on Sunday.

As other celebs took flack for being impatient as the nation waited for the presidential address and other were lambasted for over-shopping and grocery hoarding, DJ Black Coffee kept it short and sweet and asked: “God bless us all.”

The nationwide lockdown kicks in from Thursday, 26 March at midnight until Tuesday, 16 April at midnight.

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