Of lockdowns, extensions and phases

The President explained that it was necessary to extend the lockdown so that work underway in Metsimotlhabe, Molepolole, Ramotswa, Mahalapye, Bobonong and Siviya, where contact tracing and testing is being done could be completed. Giving justification for the extension Masisi said: “It is now evident that Covid-19 has taken hold in our communities and in this regard more effort and time needs to be directed to breaking the local transmission of the virus”.

To me what was profound about the president’s address to the nation on Monday was not what he said, but what he did not say. The first thing that President Masisi should have done was to remind the nation why the lockdown was declared in the first place. After his speech the nation is left wondering why they are in a lockdown except that it was meant to contain and slow down the spread of Covid-19.