Mr President, it’s time to get your hands dirty

President Cyril Ramaphosa has become a familiar figure in his “family meetings” with South Africans since March last year.

Whether we agree with what he and the National Coronavirus Command Council decide to implement via various levels of lockdowns or not, you have to give it to the president for his effort to attempt to allay fears, by reiterating the need to sanitise, maintain social distancing and wear masks every time he speaks to the nation in a bid to curb further
Covid infections.

In recent months, he has added the call to get vaccinated so we can make a dent in the fight against the pandemic.

As Covid has plunged the country into hard times, and the various levels of lockdowns shifts up and down, his opening line, “my fellow South Africans”, sends out the reassurance to the nation that it’s going to be okay despite the numerous obstacles in our path.

He doesn’t have all the answers, nor can we expect him to.

The journey forward is fraught with stumbling blocks, but can be achieved if we work together. This is his message. Enter the blatant looting and violent protests that have gripped the country since Friday and we saw a different president in his family meeting on Monday – his second in two days.

It wasn’t the usual reassuring Ramaphosa. Other than deploying SA National Defence Force troops, he offered little detail on how we would put a stop to this unrest. His speech fell flat. People are scared and desperate.

In times of crises, strong leadership is needed. People need to be made to feel safe and convinced government and its law enforcement have matters under control. That’s not been the case the last few days.

We need decisive action. We need clear plans. We need our president and his ministers to get their hands dirty. These are anxious times.