One more push

Mmegi Editor | Friday December 4, 2020 15:34

In the age of COVID-19, where public health authorities have to thread between savings lives and preserving livelihoods, the stakes are clearly higher.

Batswana, like other citizens of the world, have endured a difficult, unprecedented year where many liberties we take for granted, or never even thought about, were taken away. Earlier this year, even the right to walk to outside one’s gate became subject to government authority. The freedom to smoke a cigarette or indulge in one’s favourite alcoholic beverage was suspended for months as a way of restraining the pandemic.

Even when certain restrictions were lifted, the vice-grip remained in place on certain activities and areas. It was not until mid-year that Batswana could freely return to hairdressers or cinemas. Even today, faith, sport and entertainment activities remain limited, while restrictions on inter-zonal travel are the order of the day.

Indeed, the citizenry has been patient, largely adhering to the strange new normal and complying or cooperating with public health authorities in the fight to restrain the pandemic.

Each holiday since the lockdowns, however, citizens have faced off against their government on the most emotive of liberties: the right to family. The right to travel, meet and in the year of COVID-19, commiserate and commune with kith and kin.

Family is the cornerstone of Setswana culture and as rural-urban migration has split families apart along the lines offered drawn by economic opportunities, the holidays have provided seasonal breaks to return to the comfort offered by family.

(Annually, urban areas like Gaborone become ghost towns with the residents have gone to be with their kith and kin in the villages for the festive season)

Public health authorities are keenly aware of how touchy the issue of denying Batswana this most basic of liberties is, as seen by the decision over the Independence holidays to reverse travel restrictions imposed.

Another face-off is looming this festive season, with Christmas and New Year representing the pinnacle holiday for family gatherings and rituals. Public health authorities have already cautioned Batswana against travelling, especially from Greater Gaborone, where the virus is most widespread.

At this point, authorities are using persuasion, appealing to Batswana’s sense of national responsibility and duty.

It must be acknowledged that with cases averaging more than 100 per day, there are very high chances for the pandemic to swing out of control in the aftermath of the festive season. Indeed, Greater Gaborone with 500, 000 residents, a lion share of whom originate in other zones, is a ticking bomb or what health experts call a potential ‘super-spreader’.

Botswana was built on the principle of therisanyo and to their credit, the authorities have generally listened to the pleas of Batswana on the various interventions introduced to rein in COVID-19.

We appeal therefore to Batswana to heed the call and reduce holiday travel this year. This is one more sacrifice required in a year full of sacrifices. The vaccine is closer, hope is on the horizon, if we could just give it one more push.

Today’s thought

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

– John F. Kennedy