The Year COVID- 19 Disrupted Our Lives
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday December 21, 2020 15:51
A person arriving from China aboard Ethiopian Airways showed symptoms consistent with the virus. The man was detained at Block 8 clinic soon after his flight from China landed at Gaborone's Sir Seretse Khama Airport. Staff Writer Innocent Selatlhwa and Correspondent Goitsemodimo Kaelo take us through COVID-19 pandemic
First case
On March 30, Health and Wellness Minister Lemogang Kwape announced: 'We have three Batswana who have tested positive for COVID-19. The three are two male and one female. They had travelled to the United Kingdom and Thailand. The three are kept in isolation at Sir Ketumile Teaching Hospital and other secure places. They are in good health.”
State Of Emergency & Lockdown
After the country registered its first positive cases President Mokgweetsi Masisi would the following day declare an indefinite State of Emergency and announce a period of extreme social distancing for 28 days from April 2. For the first time, people would not be allowed outside of their homes except for essential services, such as food and medicine. The lockdown would then be extended from May 1 to 7 and then relaxed through phases.
At first, it seemed many Batswana took this lightly as evidenced by the reactions on social media, unaware that this could turn into a long and miserable period as the government banned the sale of alcohol and tobacco.
Masisi then announced government’s interventions including the provision of psychosocial support to those affected, who would be funded from the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The President further announced that there would be a wage subsidy where businesses that were affected (almost everyone was) were given half of their staff salaries (up to P2,500) for three months. Some did the right thing, some claimed and did not pass the money on to employees, while others claimed for ghost employees.
‘Mma Boi’ Takes Centrestage
The most controversial would be the distribution of food hampers by social workers popularly known as Mma Boi (short for Mma Boipelego). The government had budgeted about P150 million for social protection packages for people affected by the imposed lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount catered for food baskets and their transportation as well as for remuneration of temporary social workers roped in to assist during the pandemic. The programme was besieged by controversy from the start. The assessment to determine who qualified raised questions as the criteria weren’t clear. There were reports of favouritism. The government had said the food would be distributed for three months. But it was done just once due to budgetary constraints. Politicians scored big, especially councillors as they were awarded tenders to supply food. This issue became a hot potato and very topical, especially on social media.
The Story Of The Jerry Can
As the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic took intensified, the country experienced a supply of goods such as food and more significant, fuel. The queues in fuel station courtyards seemed like the bread queue in a country ravaged by war experiencing economic turmoil. There was a common denominator about this queue though. The Jerry Can turned into a priceless commodity in these times of fuel shortages. Multitudes gathered at the fuel stations to fuel up their vehicles. Some slept at fuel stations and the phrase 'E kae ka koo' was coined and popularised. The government had to make interventions and introduced fuel rationing to deal with the shortage.
The New Normal
Nine months later, the people are tired of restrictions and are trying to live with the virus. Cases keep increasing with 38 people dead and over 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Though Gaborone has been labelled the epicentre, Batswana are yet to fully comply with regulations, especially with regards to wearing face masks and social distancing. Huge numbers have since left the city to home villages despite advice that they should avoid travelling to reduce the spread of the virus.