Heed Ramaphosa’s call… and listen to the Queen

Millions of people in Britain and around the world watched the Queen’s televised address this week about the coronavirus.

It was only the fifth time that the 91-year-old monarch has made this type of speech. As a young Princess during World War II, she spoke words of encouragement to the youth of the Commonwealth.

When the UK joined the Gulf War in 1991, she also addressed the nation and did so again when grief gripped the world after the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

She also spoke just before the funeral of her own mother, the Queen Mother.

This time, with Covid-19 the new national enemy, she said: “Better days will return. We will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”

In evoking the spirit of war in those last words – from the famous song, We’ll Meet Again – the Queen touched national emotion and patriotism … what many consider to be vital weapons in the fight against the virus.

President Cyril Ramaphosa hasn’t quite reached the gravitas of Queen Elizabeth, but he has done a good job of rallying the nation in a common cause.

If only more people would listen to him and stay at home…

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