Once again the country finds itself in the grips of an unsettling combination of fear and uncertainty: firm and decisive leadership has been absent.
For a while now there has been no “family meeting” — a colloquial reference to the addresses by President Cyril Ramaphosa on his administration’s management of the coronavirus pandemic.
His health minister, Zweli Mkhize, is embroiled in a tender scandal over public messaging of the pandemic, which might take his attention away from the two-pronged priority — ensuring traction of the vaccination programme and managing the country’s expectations about the unfolding third wave of the virus, which has already claimed almost 60,000 lives.
Mkhize’s press office has asked for space and time for the investigation by the Special Investigating Unit to conclude before he deals with this important side issue. But dinner tables are now dominated by these two issues — the speed of the vaccination programme (which has received a boost from the private sector) and the arrival of the third wave.
Fears are growing in the tourism, liquor and hospitality sectors, which have been worst affected by previous lockdowns, that another lockdown — with repeated bans on alcohol and tobacco sales — is being considered. In the absence of government guidance, the speculation is fuelling uncertainty about the future.
The wine industry is believed to have lost 25,000 jobs and about R8bn owing to the various lockdowns since last March. Meanwhile, the bans on alcohol and cigarette sales have been a blessing for the illicit industries, which have been colluding with criminal elements within the law enforcement agencies.
Proactively, the liquor lobby industry has requested a meeting with Ramaphosa, principally to warn him to adopt a science-based approach to future restrictions. Unlike other jurisdictions, this country has opted for imposing restrictions instead of providing guidance to enforce lockdowns. Also, it has tended to follow a sectorial approach instead of restricting or allowing certain activities that do not lend themselves to social distancing, availability of masks and washing of hands or sanitising them.
Consequently, failure to wear masks is now a criminal offence, except in the townships and villages where compliance is optional. Contrast that with the approach taken by countries such as the UK, which despite initially botching the handling of the pandemic last year, has since improved its approach. Its vaccination programme has been among the most effective in the world, and it is easing the country out of the latest lockdown through long-range guidance towards a semblance of normality.
Though it may be tempting to impose another lockdown, this should be resisted. This economy is too frail to take another hard lockdown; many jobs that were lost last year have not returned, and the labour market has not adapted enough to be flexible towards returning employees.
The public has been patient for the better part of a year about giving up their liberties in the name of saving lives and livelihoods, but people need their freedoms back. Worse, the temporary socio-economic relief measures are coming to an end. Without them, the country faces a humanitarian disaster.
Besides, lockdowns were never meant to be long-term solutions. They had a role to play as a temporary tool to contain the virus, but what is required now is a far more nuanced, multipronged approach — a combination of the existing nonpharmaceutical interventions (wearing of masks, sanitising of hands and social distancing), continued testing and an aggressive rollout of the vaccination programme. Until everyone is safe through herd immunity, the country cannot fool itself to thinking it is safe from this pandemic.
Instead of spending tens of millions on consultants to schedule media interviews for the health minister, the department of health should step up public education in how to contain this deadly virus. Scare-mongering and providing running commentary on variants of the virus are hardly what is required now. Instead of heightening vigilance, they merely sow confusion and anxiety.
Meanwhile, the government should consider maintaining the Covid-19 grant, a special R350 social grant for people who don’t qualify for any of the various other grants. This has played an important role in averting a crisis.
Lobbyists for the liquor industry have come up with some thoughtful proposals, including halting promotions of consumption during certain periods and restricting trading hours. At the least the government needs to offer it an urgent audience and keep an open mind to work collaboratively with industry role players.
It must do more to enforce existing restrictions such as the curfew, and not impose new ones. Further restrictions, especially another hard lockdown, will just delay the much-needed economic recovery.
• Dludlu, a former Sowetan editor, is executive for strategy and public affairs at the Small Business Institute.
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