23 April 2020

Thursday · Day 28 of lockdown

On the 28th day of lockdown in South Africa, President Ramaphosa announced the implementation of a five-level alert system to be used to determine future restrictions. In Cape Town, police struggled to control looters who attacked food delivery vehicles and shops. The World Health Organisation announced that the world was ‘weeks to months’ from finding a drug to fight Covid-19. The preliminary results of a large-scale study showed that the drug hydroxychloroquine was not effective for those who were very sick with the coronavirus. It’s estimated that, at this stage, a third of the world’s population is under coronavirus movement restrictions.

Increase of ten deaths. 1 000 tests conducted today. Western Cape has become the new epicentre of the virus, overtaking Gauteng.

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Personally I do not like Mondays, but who does! The usual, I woke up late, did the basics. I had a brunch together with the other ladies from res [student accommodation]. There are just eight of us left. We thought it would be a nice thing to do, as some of the ladies haven’t been eating well. […] We had an interesting conversation. The international students are worried. They are facing a lot of uncertainties and the all rumours and fake news are making things worse. Many students are also worried that if this pandemic continues, they might lose their bursary. That’s also my worry.

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This morning I struggled. Statistics is difficult to self-study. I am stressed because all my test and assignments are scheduled for in two weeks time. This means that I must make sure that I watch all my classes during the day and study for my tests at night. I am usually tired at night, but I feel a lot more tired now than I would have had if I attended ‘real’ classes. I think it is because, with real classes I can just go to the class and listen but with virtual classes I must listen, read and teach myself. It is quite difficult to be my own lecturer and a student at the same time.

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(Covid) 19 Reasons to NOT shoot my brains out before the end of lockdown: 1. I don’t own a gun. 2. I miss my friends. 3. My fashion design career hasn’t taken off yet. 4. I need at least one last sit-in McDonald’s meal after 1:00 am. 5. My dog deserves his late afternoon walks to the park for being such a good boy. 6. I want to rock my new hairstyle outside. 7. My Economics 281 class average will drop. 8. I miss the smell of stale urine in Stellenbosch on a Thursday morning. 9. I haven’t seen life outside of SA borders. 10. The drugs will hit that much harder after months of sobriety. 11. I want to sleep through traffic. 12. I got a Pulp membership after years of protest. 13. I haven’t been mugged in the Joburg CBD yet. 14. I want to skate again. 15. I didn’t put all this effort into my academics not to get a degree. 16. I need to continue my annual tradition of paying for a gym membership and not go. 17. The Anime Society owes me a refund. 18. I must write an inappropriate name on my RocoMama’s menu for the waiter to announce, for old time’s sake. 19. I’ll have kept this diary for nothing.

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I watched the president’s speech again tonight. I’m really glad that around this time next week, measures will be put in place to initiate the gradual recovery of our economy. I was chatting to my mom the other day, and she mentioned how these lockdown restrictions are most likely just delaying the spread of the virus, and that South Africa’s curve will probably only peak in September. Therefore, I really hope that the incremental actions taken to lift the lockdown are done with extreme caution.

The more I think about it, though, while the aim of lockdown is to protect lives, the truth is that it mainly protects the livelihood of those who can afford it, while threatening the livelihood of those who are vulnerable. The current condition of the country is really such a catch 22 situation. On the one hand, there is the recognition and understanding of the seriousness of the virus and that we need to be in lockdown to protect our livelihoods. On the other hand, the livelihoods of vulnerable individuals and families are being threatened because unemployment is higher and money is even tighter (because of the lockdown). At least the amount allocated to social grants has increased – I just hope it enables purchasing power to be maintained.

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President Ramaphosa finally gave the country an update regarding the virus situation tonight, but his message was rather cryptic. Stage 5 lockdown will officially end next Thursday (I only became aware of the fact that there are different stages of lockdown during his speech). I still do not understand what exactly we are allowed to do and what we still cannot do after next Thursday. Certain businesses will be allowed to operate (which will hopefully prevent the economy from completely collapsing), like clothing stores. Stores will be allowed to sell cigarettes once again, but the alcohol policy was not directly addressed, which suggests that the ban will probably stay in place. For now, the situation does not look much different than what we have been dealing with up to now and I must say that my spirits are very low. I think the world’s collectively in a bad position. My mother heard that her salary will be reduced for the next few months, which is putting a lot of strain on my parents’ building project. I do not feel very motivated to work on my university projects, but that is the only productive thing I have to do at the moment. Hopefully the situation will improve.

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Today’s main discussion has been about President Ramaphosa’s address and NO not the part where he got his mask stuck. It was in true South African fashion that our president gave us something to meme about. However, the content of his speech was crucial and important for each and every citizen. Ramaphosa addressed us on lifting lockdown restrictions. He stated that he did not want a rushed re-opening as nobody wants another outbreak! Just as there are stages for loadshedding, new levels will be introduced to deal with the coronavirus. At level 5 we will be under full lockdown, at level 3 there will be an easing of restrictions, and finally at level 1 normal activity can resume.

I feel this was a masterstroke from Cyril! I think as citizens when we see a plan in place with certain goals to be achieved, we will strive automatically to achieve them. Economically, this is also extremely important. Not only am I excited to hopefully having fast food soon (I have been craving Nandos) as restrictions are slowly lifted, businesses will also finally open and many people will return to work.

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The highlight of my day was definitely seeing President Ramaphosa attempt to put a mask on his face after briefing the country. I was part of the group who did laugh and who may or may not have shared a few memes of him doing so on social media.

Despite the mask incident, I found the briefing really hopeful and informative. I am really interested to see how the phasing of lifting the lockdown will turn out and for how long we will remain in each phase – considering that now, it will be dependent on specific municipalities.

I look at the way other countries have handled lifting their lockdowns and I feel like South Africa is going about it the right way. Thus far, there hasn’t been any intense protesting against the lockdown and hopefully that will continue until the lockdown is completely lifted. I look at the UK where people defiantly went to the beaches when the sun came out, and the US where there are intense protests and I think to myself: at least we didn’t turn out like that.

But this lockdown has also made me question how quickly we fell into line and allowed for our right to movement to be taken away from us. I keep trying to think back to when lockdown first got announced, why wasn’t I in some way hesitant to have this right taken away from me? Why I didn’t wonder: why don’t I get to choose? Thinking about these questions opens a whole other can of worms that I’m not even sure I want to get into.

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My father continues to complain about the data usage that some of my courses are taking up and therefore I can’t always attend some of the online learning sessions that take place. It stresses me out. Gosh. I am ahead in some of my courses, and in others not. I stayed up until three studying last night. Despite all of these late nights, though, I still feel like I am not doing enough. This feeling of incompleteness was not present when I was attending my lectures physically.

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The time has come to end South Africa’s nationwide lockdown. President Ramaphosa has explained the phasing out of the harsh lockdown conditions in 5 levels. We will be downgrading from level 5 to 4 on 1 May 2020, which means more service providers being able to work, more products available in stores, a phased return of students to schools (not universities), limited time for exercise (6:00 am to 9:00 am) and a seven-day period allowing one-way travel (via automobiles) for people who spent lockdown in another province to return to their homes.

While members of the upper-middle class are all excited about clothing stores opening and a Seattle Coffee take away revival, some people, due to their lack of information, still don’t know what exactly has happened in the last couple of weeks or why.

While some are washing their dogs’ leashes and cycling equipment, ready for their first exercise excursion in weeks, police are still patrolling along the long queues where people line up to receive their social grants.

This is a paraphrased version of a tweet that I saw.

Some people are convinced that the government is catering for the privileged and ignoring the vulnerable, while others feel that they are overcompensating for the poor and brushing off the effect that the lockdown has had on the rest. And once again, an issue that affects everyone has very subtly become racialised.

One certain truth is that the coronavirus has shed uncomfortable light on South Africa’s vastly unequal society.