From the Bottom of Africa
Editor’s Note: We want to thank our writers for contributing unique, moving, and personal stories related to the new reality of a world besieged by the virulent coronavirus. We will be sharing those stories with you, along with our usual articles. We hope they bring you comfort, camaraderie, and company during difficult times.
By Irene (Rinki) Cohn
I am continually amazed that my friends in the USA (most especially those who grew up on these shores and then emigrated) have no idea what is happening in South Africa. Daily we South Africans watch CNN, SKY, BBC, Aljazeera and RT, and every so often there is a snippet of news about Africa and at times specifically South Africa...but to the best of my knowledge not on CNN.
So to catch you up…
Thus far South Africa has been utterly exemplary- our President Ramaphosa called an early lockdown that was firm and expansive. No one is permitted to leave their homes except to purchase absolute essentials from supermarkets or pharmacies. The sale of tobacco and all related products, including alcohol is banned. No cosmetics may be bought as they are not essential items. We are not permitted to walk our dogs or jog in our streets- we may walk or drive to the shops but must carry identification and proof that we are buying essentials. Our early lockdown has "flattened the curve" considerably; thus far, nationwide (we have a population of over 50 million people), there have been around 60 related deaths to date. We have been praised universally for our extreme and fast response- heeding WHO protocols and then some! However, our Government keeps reminding us that as we are currently unable to do mass testing, it is impossible to know with any accuracy how many people are currently infected. The stats record 3000 for the entire country so far. They have only managed to test 8% of the population.
In short, one of President Trump’s referenced "shit-hole" countries, thus far has been blessed. Whilst it’s always dodgy to tempt the Fates, whatever "The Donald" has said or done- we have made sure to do the opposite.
We live with one of the largest Gini-coefficients in the world (second to India I am told)- we have managed to create shelters for homeless, which is no small feat, Islamic Relief - a charitable organization - and many others have worked tirelessly to support and provide food, hand sanitizers, and masks to the poor.
Bear in mind that many of our poor population are rural dwellers who have no running water, no sanitation, no electricity... and very soon will have no food and are in the millions. Many urban dwellers live in over-crowded tin shanties and abject conditions. These iniquities are both historical and circumstantial.
If the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world (the USA) does not have enough resources to manage this Pandemic then you can just begin to imagine how terrified we are in SA. Our schools have been closed for the past 27 days (we are on day 27 of lockdown). We have been told that we will have a “staggered” return to school on May 4 (I’m frankly ridden with anxiety at the prospect). Yet, when we watch the horrors of what other countries are currently enduring, we are amazed and awed by our current leaders.
This is by no means to say that this Lockdown has not been without some awful hiccups such as police heavy-handedness in the townships and the poor informal settlements with high population density. Our army and police force were forged during the totalitarian rule and indeed whilst you can take the totalitarian rule out of the Constitution, you can't really remove that grotesque mind-set from the agencies of a state that were historically used to reinforce apartheid and oppress their own people. Consequently, there have been instances of gross violation of human rights and currently Human Rights lawyers are on these cases.
All dressed up to buy essential groceries!
Our health minister Dr Zweli Mkize has been magnificent and measured but what I appreciate most of all is the utter honesty and humility with which, both he and our President have responded. They keep reminding us that the plan changes daily because they simply do not know... we are sailing in unchartered waters ... So for the affluent in our society, the Titanic has not yet hit the iceberg and we live with the frustration of not being able to order take out or visit a coffee shop (yup- no restaurants are permitted to open, only essential food producers!). Our measures are extreme but thus far they have worked... at issue here is that the early lockdown has given us a breathing space but it is fundamentally unsustainable and in two weeks time we will embark on a partial relaxation as industry will restart and schools will possibly begin their staggered opening.
The idea is that all this will happen whilst maintaining social distance! I am a school teacher... trust me there's no such thing possible in a school environment! Because my husband and I are older, and my lungs are already compromised from years of smoking, I find myself paralyzed with fear at the thought of returning to school! I have lived a good full life with all its ups and downs... so it is not so much that I fear dying... it's more about my fears for providing for my daughter, who although she is 29 and ought to be self-sufficient, has lost her income due to the closure of the entertainment industry. She is a musician and a DJ and also works as a stylist in the Film Industry. It is doubtful whether any of those industries will be permitted to reopen any time soon; they do not lend themselves to social distancing, but then neither do schools.
If I sound negative, I don't mean to be. Lockdown has been a pleasant experience for me personally. We currently rent a house with large grounds, grow many of our own vegetables and other than the daily grind of washing, wiping, sanitizing, vacuuming obsessively, attempting to teach via WhatsApp groups because many of our students do not have computers or wifi, it has been a lovely moment to reconnect with friends and family all over the world! How beautifully small and connected our expansive world has suddenly become: I love the phone calls with friends from Australia, USA, Israel, England and having time to really chat instead of the crazy whizz-bang of daily routine and to share ideas on how we are all coping with the same situation...
I am often gobsmacked though, at how unaware; specifically, Americans are of other countries. I understand how frightening it must be to have an unstable psychopath as a leader, believe me, we've had our share of those in Africa, yet it seems to me that this has led to Americans being even more obsessed with their own condition than usual and blissfully unaware of countries like South Africa. If Trump sneezes and isn't it extraordinary that the Devil protects his own (i.e. no Coronavirus for the Donald) Trump's sneeze will cause a ripple effect throughout the world; we will know all about it. Yet Americans remain in their bubble, not giving the continent of Africa a second glance!
South Africans are known for their warmth and hospitality, although we are one nation, we are constituted by many diverse parts, we have eleven official languages! I’m tempted to say we spit passionately in all of them! We are loud and fun-loving. We have endured colonialism, apartheid, riots, civil war, the greatness of Mandela, and the evil of greed and corruption of the Jacob Zuma era. Now we tentatively and nervously listen to each iteration and broadcast of our new President, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Personally, I have been awed and amazed. I shifted gear from being frustrated and hypercritical. Coronavirus has presented South Africa with an extraordinary moment. We cannot close our eyes and pretend that we do not live in one of the most unequal societies in the world. Our President promised that he would find shelter for the homeless and warned the agencies of state not to be heavy-handed with their fellow countrymen. This undertaking is not humanly possible given the dynamics of our society but by and large, the level of compliance has been extraordinary. Every evening at 7 pm, good citizens dutifully bang pots and blow vuvuzelas (large trumpets) to show their appreciation for our nurses and doctors. It’s a good moment, but I want to yell out ‘The Tsunami has yet to hit us!”
A symbol of pride from a bedroom window.
This evening our President will address the nation, he does this every few days, and perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me yet with each broadcast, he seems to resemble Winston Churchill more and more. With each missive, he advises us on new decisions made. He apologizes for the mistakes made. He reminds us that we now live in a new world and our world will never be the same again. He praises front line workers and his fellow South Africans in general for their compliance. There are many nay-sayers in our new democracy who are irritated and frustrated by him. I celebrate their right to express their opinion even if it is contrary to my own because our new Constitution gives them the right to freedom of expression. I think Americans call this The First Amendment? I think Americans have had a Constitution for over 200 years now? I know America is a nation divided and not only at war with itself but fighting a new battle that has revealed its myopia and self-centeredness. South Africa became a democracy in 1994. We are young and many civil liberties taken for granted in other countries are new to us. We celebrate and savor the crispness of the flavor of newfound freedom. Yet we have by and large complied with new stringent restrictions which have altered our world in one fell swoop and reminded us in shuddery echoes of the days not that long ago when we were forced through evil regulations to live in a separate and unequal world. We recognize all too well the language of authoritarianism and our ears are hyper-vigilant to its call. We follow the new stringent laws with vigor and faith that they are in all our best interests. We have come together before in extraordinary moments, such as the release from prison of Nelson Mandela. Now we smile nervously with our eyes and masked faces. We watch President Trump, he is familiar to us. We’ve seen his type of leadership before!
I’m waving at you, from the bottom of Africa and I’m saying “we’re also here”. We may seem small and insignificant by comparison but perhaps you could take a moment to look at us. Our leader is not perfect, nor is he “the best” or ‘the greatest” but he is authentic and real and doing his best. I’m frightened of what is to come but I am also optimistic. In South Africa, our lingua franca has the gritty flavor of honesty.
We’re here! Can you see us?
Irene (Rinki) Cohn currently teaches English at Greenside Primary School. She has contributed to a variety of educational and children’s magazines. She has a BA, H dip Ed and Bed from Wits University. She has lived, laughed and loved in Johannesburg her entire life.
