By Happy Khambule
After over four months of of lockdown and increasing inequality, it’s clear that the national reaction to the global pandemic is grossly misguided and insufficient in addressing the socio-economic challenges that are a reality for more over half of the South African population.
Covid-19 has exacerbated and accelerated another wave of disenfranchisement and impoverishment.
This while the 1% remain unaffected and continue to amass profits under these unimaginable circumstances.
On the other hand, the most basic of needs like sufficient provision of water, energy, food, shelter, education, medical care and means of Information and Communiction Technology (ICT) are a pipe dream in this 21st century for most.
The shocking contrast of a billionaire accumulating over $13 billion (R228 000 000 000) in just a day is a stark reminder of inconceivable measure of value that one individual can own and be completely shielded from ordinary human concerns.
The virus, through our own doing, is beginning to have political ramifications and is being used by those in positions of influence to increase their power and profit.
The Zondo Commission of Inquiry has set a stage to put a spotlight on the unabashed appetite of those in positions of power to flaunt their contempt at accountability to the public, with no oversight by our democratic institutions.
The lessons from the Zondo commission are that governance matters and value- based decision-making is key in building strong institutions and developing fit for purpose responses. Resilient institutions strengthen fiscal management, promote transparency and private sector growth as well as undertake foundational reforms.
These are critical to building fiscal resilience and stimulate recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Civil society and cooperative initiatives have had to find means to fulfil the state’s mandate because our decision makers’ biggest concern is controlling freedom of movement where they should use levers of the state such as law enforcement to help in relief efforts of providing essential services in areas that are high risk.
The Life Esidimeni tragedy was a clear indicator of system failure, where the government abandoned its most vulnerable citizens and no one was held responsible. The bigger tragedy is the expectation we have of same government to be agile enough not to repeat such a tragedy in a large-scale global crisis. There is no evidence of interventions that have succeeded with results that have been transformative, with system-wide benefits.
South Africa should be at the forefront of sustainable solutions that can be replicated across the board, but we are unable anticipate situations and use the lessons learnt from recent and other historical experiences.
Another thing is that if our digital transformation had been implemented, learners would have been able to complete their curriculum in the expected time frame while at home during lockdown.
Covid-19 is a compounding crisis. There is climate crisis, biodiversity crisis, economic and political crises, job crisis and a gender-based violence crisis. It is no coincidence that the virus has proven disproportionally fatal for a specific group of people as determined by age, class, gender, and in this case, race.
We know that some people are in circumstances beyond their control and even by design such as by separatist race-based policies yet they absorb a disproportionate amount of negative impact when the very contribute the least to the problem.
One thing that is clear and cannot be debated is public health must be guaranteed and protected. We cannot have a situation where we collectively work against development gains or allow unwise political principals to weaken air pollution standards in order to prop up highly exploitative, dirty and violent industries.
If air pollution is maintained at scientifically recommended levels for the achievement of clean air, then a respiratory virus has less of a chance of decimating the population.
Air is a public good, the atmosphere is shared and owned by none, not by companies who feel as though citizens, actual people, are renting it from them. The government has to uphold clean air regulations and laws based on scientific and constitutional standards.
Corporations must adhere to those rules of clean air. The standards are there for a reason, but an indirect consequence is that in attempting to adhere to the rules, new industries of compliance and technical innovation are created where opportunities arise and jobs are created. And yet, at the base of this, the public is in a better position to deal with things such as Covid-19 because the starting point for the average South African should be good health.
The Covid-19 response is not a turning point unless we make it one. Since our average age is relatively young, we must learn from history and absorb as much institutional knowledge as possible before history repeats itself.
Happy Khambule is the Director of Politics and Policy Mansa Advisory.