As millions lose their jobs, the risk of an escalation in food riots in the coming weeks will mount unless the government acts urgently.
This is the message from volunteers across the country working round the clock to feed millions of poor South Africans, according to the latest episode of News24’s The Covid-19 Chronicles podcast series.
It reports that many communities are already in crisis and food riots are expected to increase in the coming weeks.
‘Those on the ground say people are desperate, and not enough is being done to deliver food parcels to everyone in need. Non-profit organisations say ordinary South Africans have opened their hearts and are helping in whatever way they can, but it’s not enough. The government will need to step up its efforts to reach everyone in need.’
It said volunteers working in poor communities ‘have warned the country could descend into chaos unless more is done – urgently’.
The news platform also reported yesterday that frustration was building among scientists ‘over the government’s apparent lack of willingness to make key, detailed Covid-19 data accessible’ ahead of a meeting of the Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee (MAC) yesterday.
News24 said it understood questions had arisen over the apparent stranglehold by the Department of Health on access to spatial data (geo-located confirmed coronavirus cases), data around testing, screening, contact tracing and hospitalisation data – which includes availability levels of medical supplies and high-care beds.
It is reported that several members of the advisory body had spoken out in previous meetings against the apparent lockdown on data.
Dr Glenda Gray, head of the South African Medical Research Council, one of the country’s foremost HIV/Aids researchers and a member of the MAC, slammed the government’s lockdown, calling much of it “unscientific” and “nonsensical”.
She was reportedly reprimanded at the weekend for speaking out.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize insisted in an interview that ‘(we) have been so transparent and upfront with everything that we haven’t got anything to hide, we haven’t hidden anything. So when we get accused sometimes, we don’t know how to deal with the accusation because we don’t understand what people are now trying to do’.
Positive cases in South Africa rose by 918 to 16 433, and there were 22 more deaths, bringing the toll to 286.
The BBC reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa ‘has been criticised for posing for photos with strangers despite telling people to keep their distance to reduce the spread of coronavirus’.
It referred to a video showing Mr Ramaphosa joking about breaking social distancing rules after two women asked him for the photo. He is heard saying ‘come, before we get arrested’, prompting laughter.
In other virus-related news
- An antibody from a patient who recovered from SARS, a respiratory illness, has been shown to block Covid-19 infection in a laboratory setting, researchers said on Monday in another potential breakthrough in the search for coronavirus treatment;
- China faces a potential second wave of coronavirus infections due to a lack of immunity among its population, its government’s senior medical advisor has warned. After months of lockdowns and curbs on travel, China has largely brought the virus under control, but fears of a second wave have risen as clusters have emerged in northeast provinces and in the central city of Wuhan. “The majority of… Chinese at the moment are still susceptible of the Covid-19 infection, because (of) a lack of immunity,” Zhong Nanshan, the public face of government’s response to the pandemic, told CNN;
- Taiwan’s success in battling coronavirus – it has recorded only 440 cases and seven deaths in a population of 23 million, attributed largely to early border controls, a ban on foreign visitors and mandatory quarantine for all Taiwanese people returning home – is reportedly behind its renewed zeal to be included in decision-making about global health. While China – which says Taiwan is part of its territory – has blocked Taiwan’s attendance since 2016, nearly 15 countries have written to the World Health Organisation asking that the question of Taiwan’s participation be added to the agenda; and
- More than 4.7 million people across the world have now been infected with the coronavirus outbreak, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US accounts for the staggering majority of this with over 1.4 million cases, or almost one-third. Russia comes in at second with 281 752, followed closely by the United Kingdom at 244 995. A surge cases means the number of cases in Brazil have surpassed the total in Italy, with 241 080 recorded infections. Spain has recorded 230 698 cases, followed by Italy, France and Germany.