With brutality, the pandemic crippled our aspirations, shattered our ambitions, and inflicted devastation on our economy and livelihoods.
While addressing the nation on Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa comments: “Never before in the history of our democracy has our country been confronted with such a severe threat – a situation that has demanded an extraordinary response and much sacrifice. It has been an immensely difficult five months, and the pandemic has taken a heavy toll – on the health of our people, on families and communities, on the public health system, on the economy and on people’s everyday lives.”
But presently, there are scientific modelling abstractions which attest that the aggregate transmission rate of the virus is steadily decreasing countrywide. A promising glimmer of hope is noticeably dawning on our nation. Articulating on the progress made by government, the president continues: “We have made progress in our fight against Covid-19. Over the last three weeks, the number of new confirmed cases has dropped from a peak of over 12 000 a day to an average over the past week of around 5 000 a day. The recovery rate has risen from 48% at the time of my last address and now stands at 80%.”
Truthfully and evidently, the president and his government have made some phenomenal strides and advances in the battle against Covid-19. In the same breath, there were also some blunders which were committed by government in their systemic response to the pandemic.
As South Africans, we are a great nation of undiminished resilience, courage and tenacity of spirit.
Come what may, we will persistently soldier on and eventually triumph over Covid-19. We need to change our thinking, behaviour and lifestyle in order to combat and defeat this monstrous pandemic. As citizens, we must faithfully adhere to the president’s clarion plea: “We must continue to wear a cloth mask that covers our nose and mouth every time we leave home. We must continue to practice social distancing and ensure proper ventilation indoors. We must continue to limit our travel to only that which is absolutely necessary, to avoid social gatherings and to remember to regularly wash or sanitise our hands.”
