No, New Zealand can’t teach SA much in virus response

The world has been saluting New Zealand as one of the first countries to stop transmission of the coronavirus.

And the country’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has been hailed for her leadership role in the crisis.

In this country, there have been some who have said we could learn from her and the New Zealand example.

Has everyone missed the single, most important, factor in New Zealand’s success?

It is an island state. It closed down its borders early in the pandemic.

It has a small population – just over a third of that in Gauteng – and its people are generally law-abiding and responsible citizens.

Given those factors, it would actually be surprising if New Zealand did not manage to beat the virus.

In South Africa, we have porous land borders, a much bigger population – and generally people do not care about their fellow citizens, not to mention being reluctant to stick to recommendations or obey laws.

Every country affected in this global pandemic has its own peculiar issues so the course of the outbreaks, and their consequences, will differ widely.

And the world is a deeply connected place – so even countries like New Zealand cannot remain isolated, and safe, forever.

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