The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In South Africa - Joshua Wallman

The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In South Africa
                                  Joshua Wallman

The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In South Africa

               Joshua Wallman
          Professor Nina Khrushcheva
        Media, Culture & Global Politics
                 Spring 2020
                 April 28, 2020

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                 The current state of the pandemic in South Africa
•   Highest number of confirmed Covid-19 Cases in Africa- over 4793 confirmed cases
    and 90 deaths as of April 28, 2020.
•   While the number of new cases have dropped greatly, health experts fear that a new
    wave of infections will arrive along with the southern hemisphere’s winter.
•   Currently conducting approximately 10,000 tests per day, particularly in the
    townships. The hope is that a focus on testing will allow an easing of the lockdown
    so that those most effected can return to work.
•   This proactive approach, combining widespread testing and public temperature
    checks from the start (over 47,000 people tested and 67 drive-through sites created in
    the first week alone), outpaced most other countries around the world.
•   Along with a heavy police presence nationwide, 2,280 troops were deployed at the
    start of the lockdown. President Ramaphosa has now mobilized all 73,,000 members
    of the armed forces. As of April 22nd, over 118,000 people have been charged with
    breaking the lockdown restrictions.
•   A complete loss of income for millions coupled with limited access to necessities have
    led to increased clashes with police and soldiers in the townships, is what are being
    called riots.
•   The initial national lockdown, while enacted in an often ruthless fashion, appears to
    have largely been effective, as it considerably slowed the explosion of cases the
    country faced at the start of the crisis.
•   President Ramaphosa announced this past week that, while he plans on a gradual
    reopening of the economy, thousands of additional troops will be deployed.
•   A 26 billion dollar economic relief fund was also announced, totaling 10% of the
    countries GDP, to primarily aid businesses, and secondarily three million workers
    who have lost all income.
•   There has been a notable increase in confirmed cases among essential workers in
    recent weeks, leading to concerns that opening the economy will lead an explosion of
    infections among this large demographic.

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             Fertile ground for a national health & economic emergency

VAST SYSTEMATIC INEQUALITY & A WEAKENED INFASTRUCTURE
•   South Africa is considered the most “developed” nation on the African continent, with a more
    industrialized and diversified economy than any other country. However, this wealthy and
    resource-rich nation of 57 million is grappling with deep inequality and poverty. In 2019, the
    World Bank declared South Africa to be the most economically unequal country on earth.
•   26 years after apartheid there is still deeply entrenched systematic racism, and increasingly
    classism, in every facet of society.
•   Basic health care is provided by the government, but it has been stretched thin and millions
    lack full access to it. The townships in particular have few essential local health services.
•   The impoverished townships, where a third of the nation’s 57 million people live, lack the
    necessities available to those in the cities and suburbs. Residents also contend with high
    unemployment, lack of access to food and medicine, as well as no running water or toilets.
•   While the ANC has made efforts for years to build housing, provide basic services and rebuild
    the country’s infrastructure, millions still live with no electricity or sanitation and minimal
    schooling or healthcare.

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A FRAGILE ECONOMY, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT & A LACK OF RESOURCES
•   South Africa has an estimated 1 million domestic workers whose rights have historically been violated by
    employers. This is only being exacerbated by the pandemic. Many essential workers in wealthy urban
    and suburban areas are forced to travel long distances using public transportation in order to work,
    which had lead to this population becoming highly at risk.
•   Millions depend on work in the informal economy for survival. This system has been completely
    interrupted, leading to widespread concerns about a vast rise in hunger and lack of necessities.
•   Street violence, including what some officials are publicly labeling “burglary, looting, and vandalism” is
    on the rise as people run out of food and supplies.
•   There is a very large at-risk and vulnerable homeless population of over 200,000 living on the streets as
    well as in large encampments across the country.

CORRUPTION & ONE PARTY RULE
•   With one party rule essentially intact since the end apartheid, the ANC has controlled the country for a
    quarter century while having to contend with party corruption, power struggles and inner turmoil. Many
    critics believe this has impeded the party’s ability to function effectively, particularly at this perilous
    moment.
•   A recent BBC article blamed “cronyism, corruption and economic stagnation” for the decade long
    hollowing out of key institutions. Austerity measures, like in so many part so of the world, has
    aggravated this situation.

The media reacts:                     6

                    Fig. 1

     Fig. 2                  Fig. 1

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              Patient zero & the arrival of the Coronavirus

•   Covid-19 became national news when 114 South African exchange
    students were stranded in Wuhan, China at the start of the lockdown
    there. Heavy media coverage and a debate arose regarding their safe
    return to the country, and the possibility of the virus arriving with
    them. They were able to leave China and immediately entered
    quarantine upon entry to South Africa.
•   Despite a national controversy that erupted, the first cases were not
    related to China. Rather. the first confirmed case in the country on
    March 5th was of a 38 year old who had recently returned from Italy.
•   China, with very deep economic ties to S.A., went on a public relations
    campaign to counter any negative media coverage or public sentiment
    tied to the Wuhan incident and public perception blaming China for
    the pandemic.
•   As the first case was announced, amid rapidly growing fear among
    the public, President Ramaphosa promised adequate preparations,
    clear guidelines and maximum transparency regarding the virus’s
    spread. He admitted that the economy would suffer greatly due to the
    crisis but that the death rate would not explode as many warned it
    might.
•   The Media tapped into this fear and only exacerbated the frenzy,
    which increased pressure on the government to act swiftly and
    strongly.

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The government response

      Fig. 4              Fig. 5

     Fig. 6                Fig. 7

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                         Fig. 8                                                       Fig. 9

•   South Africa has benefitted from its decades long experience dealing with HIV
    and tuberculosis. Based on this, the government acted aggressively and early.
    A major focus on widespread testing from the start, one of the highest rates
    per capita in the world, combined with public temperature checks and
    draconian enforcement measures in “at risk” areas, appear to have paid off for
    the time being. But, there are concerns about another surge in the near future.
•   As the number of domestic cases reached 1,000, a national lockdown was
    announced and beginning on March 27th only essential service providers
    were allowed to continue working.
•   Particularly strong restrictions on citizens have included no outside exercise,
    no sale of alcohol or cigarettes, no dog walking and no leaving home unless
    there is a clear emergency.
•   Along with enacting some of the strictest lockdown restrictions in the world,
    the government is utilizing some of the harshest methods to enforce them as
    well. This often brutal implementation, which has been met with international
    criticism, has focused on impoverished townships and inner city
    neighborhoods.
•   The President, along with Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, have largely been
    lauded in the local media for what is being touted as a very no-nonsense,
    direct, honest and sober public approach to the pandemic. Due to his very
    public role, Minister Mkhize has turned into a “Dr. Fouci” like figure to many
    in South Africa.
•   Controversially, widespread phone-based contact tracing was enacted early in
    April, raising concerns among civil and human rights activists.

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Townships and inner-city neighborhoods face a lockdown by gun:

                     Fig. 10                                     Fig. 11

                       Fig. 12                                   Fig. 13

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               The brutality of South Africa’s
               lockdown gains international
                         coverage

          Fig. 14

Fig. 15

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           Violence & oppression as a method of compliance:

•   Public canings, beatings, shootings, and even
    bludgeoning a young man to death with a hammer, have
    all been tactics used by the police and military against
    the public when lockdown rules have been disobeyed in
    the townships.
•   Deep systematic inequality based on race and class have
    been particularly visible due to the lockdown. The
    violent tactics utilized against the poor have been absent
    in white neighborhoods and suburbs, as well as in
    prosperous black enclaves.
•   Along with public health and safety, officials insist that a
    rise in crime necessitate a “show of force to get people
    off the streets.”
•   Despite widespread criticism and condemnation, the
    president extended the lockdown until May 1st and
    doubled down on his methods, adding growing numbers
    of troops to the security forces overseeing the public.

The crackdown:
                                        13

                 Fig. 16      Fig. 17

                    Fig. 18   Fig. 19

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Long lines and machine guns in a township:

                                               Fig. 20                 Fig. 21

Hand sanitizer, free parking & full shelves in a prosperous suburb :

                                               Fig. 22                 Fig. 23

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                         Fig. 24   Fig. 25

Is a victory in sight?

                                     Fig. 26

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The crisis continues. A massive homeless population of 200,000 are currently at great risk:

                                                                   Fig. 27

                                      Fig. 28                                      Fig. 29

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                 How will South Africa fare moving forward?
•   While testing will be ramped up, an easing of the national lockdown from a level 5 (the
    highest) to a level 4 on May 1st was announced two weeks ago. However, the health
    minister stated on April 28th that, due to the increasing rate of infection among essential
    workers, this easing may be postponed. A major outbreak among vulnerable populations
    like the homeless is also a major concern.
•   The $26 billion economic package announced on April 21st will help to a degree, but far
    more aid is needed. Millions will fall through the cracks under the present plan. President
    Ramaphosa has acknowledged that further action must be taken.
•   An increasingly desperate population, growing angry at an extended national lockdown,
    work shutdowns, violent tactics by the military and police and a lack of necessities have
    lead to food riots, “looting” and violent clashes with security forces. Unless drastic action
    is taken, this will likely only become more common.
•   Contagious disease experts worry that, along with an increase in cases due to reopening
    the economy, the coming winter may also bring a wave of new cases to the country.

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                                 Questions
•   If South Africa ends up with far fewer cases or deaths than was initially feared
    while neighboring countries fare far worse, leading to the S.A. government
    claiming vindication for its brutal and militaristic approach to enforcing the
    lockdown, could this lead to further acceptance and normalization of such
    tactics both domestically and abroad?
•   What parallels or similarities are there between the societal and systematic
    issues being faced by South Africa and the U.S. during this crisis?
•   In a recent national speech on the holiday of Freedom Day, President
    Ramaphosa acknowledged that the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated
    the vast inequalities still present in the country. This is true in many other
    nations as well. Can systematic reforms be expected in the near future as a
    result of this inequity being laid bare for the world to see?

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                             Photo Credits
Cover- time.com

Figure 1- timeslive.co.za
Figure 2- aljazeera.com
Figure 3- bbc.com

Figure 4- pri.org
Figure 5- vice.com
Figure 6- scmp.com
Figure 7- bbc.com

Figure 8- cnbc.com
Figure 9- news24.com

Figure 10- rfi.fr
Figure 11- wsj.com
Figure 12- weforum.org
Figure 13- theguardian.com

Figure 14- ft.com
Figure 15- vice.com

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                              Photo Credits (continued)
Figure 16- bbc.com
Figure 17- straitstimes.com
Figure 18- bbc.com
Figure 19- bangkokpost.com

Figure 20- npr.org
Figure 21- theguardian.com
Figure 22- npr.org
Figure 23- npr.org

Figure 24- bbc.com
Figure 25- sciencemag.org
Figure 26- npr.org

Figure 27- cnn.com
Figure 28- npr.org
Figure 29- npr.org