‘Pandemic weariness’ is real, but luckily Mkhize isn’t affected

Pandemic weariness is a real thing. It takes away all sense of caution from citizens in the midst of an even potentially more deadly second wave of the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Hand sanitising stations that were the focal points at entrances of public places during the hard lockdown are now viewed as optional, and masks, over which raging debates were had, have become a second thought for many, even when spending time in the company of strangers. Thank God for Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s refusal to fall into the same weariness because that would spell doom.

It is this weariness that has led sensible parents to send out their 17-year-old matriculants to the traditional year-end Rage parties that have since been proven to be superspreaders of the virus. Parents who have become so weary that their common sense let them send 1 322 young souls from Gauteng to the KwaZulu-Natal event, with over 940 of them coming back infected with the virus. And Mkhize’s department must clean up the mess.

The government’s response to the pandemic may be sullied by the widespread Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) finance scandal but the health department’s refusal to be cowed by the colossal task in front of it is commendable. There were a few murmurs of discontent following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s latest “family meeting” announcements, but that is to be expected. In a country as unequal as SA it is impossible to please everyone.

The closing of beaches in parts of the country on days that they are traditionally overcrowded is a case in point. Businesses along the coastal areas are clearly going to suffer. But how many superspreader activities were going to be held on those beaches over the festive period? Following the documented evidence of the Rage matric parties, how responsible would the government have been to simply let things be?

Things could be worse. The government could have chosen to go with its earlier version of hard lockdown similar to the one in April and May. They could have simply copied the UK, which has instituted a lockdown that is much harder than SA’s over the festive period because the dangers faced by the two countries are the same. The strain of the virus identified to be making even younger people sick has been identified in both countries. But South Africa has opted for the more pragmatic approach, and rightly so.

South Africa might be one territory, but economically it is two-countries-in-one. The people who flock to the overcrowded beaches during this season are mainly from the poorer economy, and those whose businesses are affected are mostly affected from the more affluent economy.

It is an unenviable task to pit the saving of lives against saving the economy. But caution and common sense forces the government to err towards the saving of lives. As one social media commentator put it, “dead people can’t shop”. But economies can be revived, however hard that might turn out to be.

The pandemic weariness that has set in requires that the leaders continue to keep level heads and keep a clear focus so that by the time a medical solution is found, there is a country to save. South Africans will have to dig deeper into their mental and emotional reserves to help government along.

Sydney Majoko.

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