Family meetings.
This is how President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Covid-19 addresses to the nation are colloquially referred to by South Africans.
It’s a term coined in jest, perhaps expressing the typically SA spirit of collectivism that somewhat gets us by, especially in difficult times.
Almost a year into this pandemic these family meetings have become both a dreaded and anticipated part of our life.
This is because they make known to us decisions that have far reaching consequences for our lives and livelihoods.
Naturally, what Ramaphosa says during his addresses sparks heated debates across the nation on the appropriateness of one or other aspect of the government’s response to this crisis.
More often than not, these debates are fuelled by a lack of proper understanding of why certain decisions are made, particularly those that seem questionable or are inconsistently applied.
Importantly, a common thread in all public reaction to the president’s addresses is our expectation of him to engage with us after delivering his speech.
It is an expectation of him to account for decisions made by his cabinet as we all scramble to put up the fight of our lives.
Only, that opportunity is never available.
The format of Ramaphosa’s addresses is one that elevates the president to an instructor rather than a leader accountable to the nation.
Thus, he inexplicably does not take questions from the media.
When confronted on this, bureaucrats point to the ministerial briefings that often follow Ramaphosa’s speeches.
While these are important to understand some of the intricacies of the government’s decisions, they do not justify the president’s apparent preference to talk at us rather than engage.
Ramaphosa himself has previously indicated that he understood the importance of personally answering questions related to the government’s response to the pandemic.
During a discussion with the county’s editors last year, Ramaphosa said he was more than willing to answer questions, indicating that the challenge had been a logistical one rather than reluctance on his part.
Yet, months and several family meetings later, the president appears content with giving us the line of march and disappearing into the night.
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