OPINION - Seven weeks into the lockdown, what did we expect President Cyril Ramaphosa to say? Surely not an immediate relaxation of lockdown regulations, including the free flow of booze and smokes?
There was much rationality in his words, embattled as he is, fighting termites in the woodwork seeking to undermine his authority and to replace him. He spoke with platonic wisdom, empathising with the masses subsisting under terrible conditions, their frustration compounded by excesses committed by overzealous police officials and army personnel enforcing lockdown regulations.
Their heavy-handed attitude, bolstered by the gung-ho approach of Police Minister Bheki Cele, incensed even law-abiding people towards challenging such unconstitutional conduct which, taking the incident in Ballito, reminded me of apartheid-era police action.
His address lacked the persuasive quality of previous addresses. While he said that mistakes made were being addressed, he wasn’t forceful enough, as Premier Sihle Zikalala was a few days before when he firmly warned KZNatalians that unless they began to take the deadly effect of the coronavirus seriously, there was a strong possibility that KZN would remain at level 5.
President Ramaphosa announced that save for hotspots, where the infection rate was exceedingly high, which will remain at level 4, the rest of SA could downgrade to level 3 on May 31. It has to happen. Travel to Chatsworth, Phoenix and Overport and you will observe that it’s business unusual like these areas were exempt from the lockdown rules and regulations.
I believe there is no other way to knock sense into those who ignore the lockdown regulations.
We will continue to suffer the pain because of those who break the law. There should be a greater monitoring by our police authorities, but not as they did in Ballito. There are less harmful but very effective ways, constitutionally sound, to enforce compliance and to persuade people to comply. Until they do, we will have to bear the brunt. We, the law-abiding that is, should do our bit to cajole those who break the law to comply, but we have to do that in a away that empowers relationships rather than leads to further tensions.
Come on people of KZN, let’s change our attitude.
Saber Ahmed Jazbhay Durban
Daily News