Religious and traditional leaders have urged people who will take Easter holidays trips and gather for activities to continue to comply with Covid-19 protocols.
Easter generally sees people travelling to different destinations to be with their families while others embark on religious pilgrimages or perform traditional rituals. There have been concerns that Easter gatherings could cause a spike in Covid-19 infections as people move about.
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) general secretary, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, has urged church leaders to be responsible when planning for the upcoming Easter services. He reminded congregants that it would not be business as usual for this year’s gatherings.
“There are many norms and traditions associated with the commemoration of Easter. In addition to this being the most sacred festival, it also represents a time when community, family and loved ones come together. In this context, celebrating religious holidays while social distancing and wearing masks has been surreal,” said Mpumlwana.
“We may have thought that we would be ‘back to normal’ in 2021. This is clearly not the case and we have to reconcile ourselves with once again celebrating a socially distanced Easter. We have known for some time that these restrictions, particularly on people coming together to worship, has had a negative impact on mental health. The sense of isolation from the community that people rely on for emotional sustenance has given rise to what is being referred to as the second pandemic – that of a mental health crisis. We must recognise however, that the Covid-19 safety protocols aimed at safeguarding oneself from infection, also ensure that people around you are safe,” he added.
Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, the chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders in KwaZulu-Natal, expressed concern about the cultural ceremonies often held during the Easter holidays.
“We are on alert level 1 [lockdown], but we must not forget that Covid-19 is still here. We have called for our headmen to make sure that they don’t allow any unnecessary cultural gatherings in the villages. People should continue to sanitise and wear masks because they are not doing this for the government but to save their lives,” he said.
Mthembiseni Thusi, spokesperson for Ubunye bamaHostela, an organisation for hostel dwellers in KwaZulu-Natal, said that no activities were expected in hostels.
“The only concern giving us sleepless nights are the taverns in our hostels – they don’t observe the curfew,” he said.
Thokozani Mncwabe, the spokesperson for the eBuhleni faction of the Nazareth Baptist Church commonly known as Shembe, said they would continue to hold their normal Saturday services under strict Covid-19 restrictions. The church does not observe Easter.
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