Maybe it’s time for Fixit to F***off?

It was an open-air coronavirus incubating session in a crowded taxi rank. Hemmed in by smirking taxi bosses, the self-styled “Mr Fixit” of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet gave a public demonstration of government resolve in the face of the plague.

Ever since the promulgation of the lockdown regulations, close on 58 million South Africans have been pleading for the prohibition on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol to be lifted. Yet when regulations need to be relaxed to benefit powerful constituencies that are well connected to the ANC, it’s a different story.

The to-and-fro saga of how many commuters are allowed to travel in a minibus taxi is a telling example of how the ANC takes important decisions. And, it has less to do with the public good than the party’s advantage.

From the outset, the government had identified minibus taxis, which convey about two-thirds of the country’s commuters, as the mode of transport most likely to spread the virus. Consequently, taxis would not be allowed to transport full loads, minimising the risk.

Loading was restricted to 60% of capacity – “anything above that undermines what government is trying to achieve,” said Mr Fixit, who also preens behind the handle “Mr FearFokkol” – which by questionably government arithmetic, meant that a 22-seater minibus was restricted to 11 people and a 15-seater to eight.

Angry over the loss of income from their 24/7 pack-and-stack model, the taxi owners threatened to close down, potentially making impossible the movement of essential services workers. Government capitulation was quick.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mbalula announced that the legal loading would be eased to 70%. Then, in a slow reveal, the full extent of the climb-down became apparent. Taxis would, however, carry full capacity if passengers wore surgical masks or respirators.

His about-turn was greeted with howls of derision. Was he aware what “full capacity” means to the average minibus taxi driver? Where would commuters get personal protection gear?

By Thursday morning breakfast, Mbalula had U-turned again, now making FearFokkol the owner of more flip-flops than are found in the closet of the average Jeffreys Bay surfer. Full-capacity trips were forbidden.

Mbalula’s incompetence risks the credibility of what mostly has been an excellent government response to the pandemic. Ramaphosa acted swiftly and convincingly. Health Minister Mkhize has been competent and calm.

Generally, public support for the measures, despite the niggles, has been remarkably high. The government must not erode that.

It’s not only Cabinet clowns like Mbalula who are endangering the lockdown’s objectives. There are also heavy-handed actions by some in the police and military.

We’re barely a third of the way through the lockdown. Our racial and class fault lines are showing increased strain. All our historical tendencies towards state thuggery are surfacing.

Ours is a country where economic and physical survival are poised in precarious balance. Things could go spectacularly wrong unless Ramaphosa improves the calibre of governance at this fraught moment.

Maybe time for Fixit to F***off?

William Saunderson-Meyer.

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