Help is on the way for business, stranded travellers and the arts

31 Mar 2020

Things changed overnight in South Africa on 15 March, and it won’t be the last time it does. Daily Maverick’s Daily Digest will provide the essential bits of information about Covid-19 in South Africa and the world each day. Please do read on to understand these issues more deeply.

It’s been one week since President Cyril Ramaphosa broke the news to South African residents that they would be under lockdown for 21 days.

Last night, he updated the country on its progress. Adherence to the new regulations hasn’t been smooth sailing and uniform, and neither has the behaviour of the SAPS and SANDF. Yes, there has been another death. Indeed, there was a Moody’s downgrade. But help is on its way. Greg Nicolson reports on the major highlights from Ramaphosa’s address.

Covid-19 in South Africa
Infogram

Against the backdrop of the Moody’s downgrade and the lockdown, President Cyril Ramaphosa has given the finance ministry the go-ahead to pursue structural reforms. This is something Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has been advocating in order to boost investment, economic growth and job creation. As Ed Stoddard points out, it remains to be seen what materialises of this.

Mboweni has also clarified his statement about possibly approaching the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He said it would be to get support for the health sector if the help is needed.

A group of economists, most of whom are academics, have weighed in on how they think the country can avoid an economic meltdown. They wrote to Ramaphosa setting out their policy suggestions for supporting households, communities, workers, businesses and the economy as a whole. Sasha Planting has the details.

Business Unity South Africa has said that South Africa is “headed into a deep structural depression” after the Moody’s downgrade and in the wake of the lockdown. Ferial Haffajee sat down with Busa’s deputy president Martin Kingston to get an insight into how business is responding to the situation.

Meanwhile, the Solidarity Response Fund is raking in billions to assist the government in containing Covid-19 and provide support to the economy, business and individuals. Notable contributions are those made by the Muslim Community of South Africa, Huawei, aQuellé, the African Development Bank Group, the Motsepe family and associates, the Rupert family, the Oppenheimer family and many more. However, more is needed.

The Department of Health’s WhatsApp Covid-19 Helpline is now available in more South African languages. (Source: Department of Health)

Social grant recipients have been given some breathing room this week. They will be allowed to use taxis and buses between 5am and 8pm in order to collect their funds, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced. Suné Payne reports that this comes after industry bodies and Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu made this request.

This is all good and well, but the experience of a Mitchells Plain resident highlights that ministerial decrees do not always translate into reality. Ebrahim Hartley was arrested on his way to buy electricity at a local spaza shop when he was arrested for being in public during the lockdown, despite having evidence to show where he was going. As Sandisiwe Shoba writes, this was not the only incident of police being heavy-handed.

The South African evacuees from Wuhan are finally able to step out of quarantine and into, well, another quarantine of sorts, but in their own homes. Their 14-day quarantine is complete and all 146 tested negative for Covid-19. As Ramaphosa saw them off on Sunday he told them they are “the best evangelists of a lockdown” in their communities because they had experienced one first-hand. Chester Makana got the chance to speak to two evacuees about their experiences.

Meanwhile, just over a thousand South Africans are stuck abroad because travel bans restrict their movements every which way. Some are stranded in hotels, others in airports. Ambassadors around the world are trying to help them, but with patchy success. Peter Fabricius and Pieter-Louis Myburgh managed to speak to a handful of them as they try to find a way home.

One of our very own, Shani Reddy, has gone through the Covid-19 testing process after being in contact with someone who tested positive. She has written about what you can expect when you go for a test.

An infographic explaining what it means to isolate during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Source: Department of Health)

An infographic explaining how to isolate in a home where having a separate ‘sick room’ is not possible during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Source: Department of Health)

Now, for some good news: South African art is going online. For instance, the National Arts Festival will be a virtual festival this year. They are working with artists to translate their work into something that can perhaps be live-streamed or experienced through virtual reality. Malibongwe Tyilo spoke to the festival’s new director about how this will be possible.

As from today, poet Ingrid de Kok will choose a South African poem twice a week to share on Maverick Citizen. This week she begins by explaining why poetry matters at a critical time such as this and shares two of her own poems.

She starts by writing:

“People have always turned to poetry at critical times, whether in periods of personal sorrow and stress or at times of great public upheaval, disquiet and dread. Perhaps this is because, at its finest, poetic language provides unique insights into shared human experience.” DM

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