[Source: Daily Maverick by Richard Poplak.]
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his executive technocracy, facing off against a Soviet of Fools — is that the appropriate collective noun? — has afforded himself seven weeks to deal with steadily increasing Covid-19 infection rates. He’s done so cosseted in an atmosphere of deep secrecy and anti-democratic tendencies. Whether you’re pro-lockdown or anti-lockdown—let’s be honest, there is no actual lockdown—fear and hatred are starting to take over. Ramaphosa, who is a (sort of) elected official, needs to start answering some questions.
The lockdown, in its umpteenth day, is taking on some typically South African characteristics: it’s turning into a low-grade race war. It took longer than I imagined it would, and the run-up was largely confined to snipes over roast chicken on one hand and acts of police and army brutality on the other.
But now, we can return to our regular programming: divided by race, we blah blah Twitter Facebook etc. etc.
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