25 July 2020

We, the undersigned organisations, share great concern over the massive spike of Covid-19 infections in Gauteng.

By July 24, the province had over 153 000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 1326 deaths. This was out of some 421 000 cases and 6343 deaths nationally.

South Africa finds itself - along with the United States, Brazil and India - in the category of countries with the highest daily rate of infection.

Even as hospital beds fill up, there isn’t an overwhelming sense that society at large is taking the message seriously enough. While many have adopted the mask, there are still large religious gatherings, funerals and family get-togethers, along with poor public transport arrangements, inadequate controls at workplaces and other instances in which no proper measures have been put in place.

There are others yet, who continue dismissing the virus as a conspiracy theory.

People are still inviting each other over for tea, children are still playing outside with their neighbourhood friends and young people are still ‘hanging out’ in large groups.

Simultaneously, we’re beginning to see a stigma associated with the virus, resulting in fears around acknowledging that one may be ill, in a failure to get tested, and in not disclosing one’s status to those whom one may have interacted with.

We are calling on society to take this virus seriously. Our appeal is to each individual to comply with restrictions, to wash one’s hands and sanitise, maintain social distancing and, to the extent that one’s circumstances allow for, adhere to a voluntary lockdown.

We are also calling on government, business and civil society, including the faith-based sector and unions, to better their efforts at mitigating the impact of the virus.

Inequalities in society deepen

Covid-19 has not only exposed existing inequalities, but it has deepened them.

In South Africa, our inadequate health system now finds itself having to cope with an influx of people in dire need of ventilators and oxygen masks. In addition to the burdens of HIV, TB, pneumonia, existing malnutrition and diabetes, we now have to contend with the pandemic.

Our education system, which limped along at the best of times, has been left unable to effectively find a solution to the crisis, with schools having had to reopen and close almost weekly, as pupils and teachers tested positive. The recent announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa to shut public schools for a month, provides a degree of certainty, though there is no indication as yet about what mechanisms are being put in place as part of a longer term solution. That private schools are allowed to continue operating is again an indication of the deep disparities that exist in our society.

Millions of children, who rely on school feeding schemes, went hungry during the lockdown. Families were placed under enormous strain. The National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) shows that poor households tried to ‘shield’ children from hunger, with adults often foregoing meals so that children could eat. A recent court victory for several civil society organisations, has now forced the Department of Basic Education to restart school nutrition programmes.

The rapid mobile survey also shows that one in three people who earned an income in February, did not do so in April. What’s more, job losses were concentrated amongst already disadvantaged groups in the labour market.

The snaking queues of people seeking the R350 grant outside SASSA offices, with barely any social distancing in between, is an indication of both the levels of desperation faced by people, as well as the inaptitude of the state to cope with the scale of the problem.

Prior to Covid-19, the country was in its second recession in two years. In June 2020, Stats SA published that the economy had contracted by a further 2 percent in the last quarter, impacted by both the lockdown and renewed load-shedding.

Years of capture and corruption at state owned enterprises and in municipalities have already substantially weakened the ability of government to deliver basic services. Recent reports exposing the looting of emergency funding made available to deal with the pandemic has deepened public mistrust in government. President Ramaphosa’s proclamation allowing the SIU to investigate the misuse of Covid-19 funds across all entities, and warnings of severe repercussions for corruption, is a step in the right direction. However, there must be tangible results before the public will accept that government is committed to tackling the problem.

Over and above our economic troubles, we have seen existing social tensions flare up. Gender- based violence, xenophobic sentiment, threats of taxi-industry defiance of Covid-19 restrictions, racial abuse, land grabs and evictions and the destruction of public infrastructure are indications that society is fragmenting.

As we try and cope with what is certainly one of the most difficult periods in our democratic history, we think that there are certain immediate measures that government, civil society, businesses and individuals must take to ensure that we do in fact ‘weather this storm’.

Action must be taken

Government should:

• Ensure that those eligible to receive the R350 grant get their money as a matter of urgency. Cases should be efficiently reviewed to allow more people to access the grant. Processes at government controlled SASSA pay points, such as the South African Post Office, must be better managed. SASSA must also answer for its inability to ensure full functionality of its food parcel programme during lockdown. It must furthermore revoke its decision to stop issuing new disability grants during the pandemic.
• Listen to COSATU’s call to reconsider the concession to the taxi industry to load at full capacity for local travel purposes. At present, measures advertently place the profits of taxi owners above the lives and safety of commuters.
• Listen to the concerns of parents, teachers and unions. The Department of Basic Education must engage more coherently with education stakeholders, and present a long term plan for the remainder of the academic year that does not disadvantage those in public schools and in lower income or rural areas.
• Take urgent measures to enhance oversight mechanisms and prevent wasteful expenditure and the looting of state resources, and ensure the speedy prosecution of those guilty of Covid-19 corruption.
• Have better intelligence systems in place to prevent the destruction of public infrastructure such as railway lines and hospitals.
• Ensure that police stations are effectively able to deal with cases of gender-based violence, and that women and child shelters are sufficiently resourced.
• Be more accessible and open to communicating with the public about the scale of the crisis, and to working collaboratively with all sectors of society. Day by day it is becoming clearer that government action alone, which at times has led to unwarranted use of excessive force by the security agencies, is not adequate to meet the challenges confronting the country.

Businesses should:

• Ensure effective implementation of safety regulations at all shopping malls, including smaller stores and retail outlets.
• Allow employees to return to the work space only if absolutely necessary and when work cannot be undertaken from home.
• Ensure that regulatory bodies take a tough stance against private sector corruption, and inflation of prices for essential goods and services and health equipment.

Individuals should:

• Adhere to a voluntary lockdown if possible.
• Ensure that shopping for grocery items is limited to a minimum number of trips to shopping areas.
• Shop for what is necessary only, and do not spend additional time browsing through items, and touching items one does not intend to buy.
• Sanitise when entering and leaving a shop.
• Not remove one’s mask to eat/drink in a store or shopping centre.
• Maintain and respect social distancing in public spaces.
• Not visit family and friends for social purposes.
• Abide by Covid-19 regulations set by government.
• Follow the rules relating to self-isolation and quarantine.
• Take the Covid-19 pledge to do help stop the spread of the virus (click here).

Civil society should:

• Support those within communities who have tested positive for Covid-19 and encourage others to be forthright with their results, lessening the stigma around testing positive.
• Engage in conversation and action within communities and society in general, on issues including, but not limited to:
  
  1. Education;
  2. Community quarantine sites;
  3. Monitoring of government Covid-19 budget expenditure; and
  4. Food relief and sustainability measures, and
• Share accurate information related to Covid-19, including the latest statistics, lessons in precaution, and methods of curbing the spread.
• Monitor price inflation and the flouting of basic precautionary measures. Communities should mobilise and be prepared to name and shame businesses, religious institutes, schools, transport operators or other entities who refuse to comply with restrictions and continue placing people’s lives at risk.
• The faith based sector forms part of civil society and has an important role to play. Religious leaders should ensure that fake news, conspiracy theories and misinformation is actively challenged. Religious gatherings should be fully compliant with restrictions.
• Unions have an important role in ensuring education and awareness amongst workers, as well as a duty to responsibly consider strike action and other demands that will place even further strain on society’s ability to deal with the crisis.

As the rate of infection increases, it is up to each of us as individuals, as well as collectively within our communities, to take responsibility and to take charge. It is our duty to stop the spread of the virus and mitigate its impact!

Signed by: