As SA marked 300 days of the agonising milestone of the coronavirus lockdown since it was implemented in March 2020, it is now defining the new normal that the country must embrace. Our 300 days of lockdown coincide with a new era in the US where the president-elect, Joe Biden, and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as the 46th president and vice-president of the United States of America respectively.
This marks a new era in the politics of the US, which has been characterised by racism, hate, bigotry and the surge of violence by the proponent of white supremacy.
The storming of Capitol Hill also marked a new low in American history. Donald Trump supporters were galvanised and incited by him to storm Capitol Hill under the pretext that the election victory was stolen from him. The inauguration of Biden and Harris will also mark the return to normalcy in the US and allow them to move forward as a country to repair all the damage the Trump administration has done to domestic politics and to international geo-politics.
On the home front as we mark our 300 days, we need to also take stock on how far we have gone as the country in our fight against the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic. We need to look at all the coronavirus regulations that encapsulate the Disaster Management Act. Our government has been hailed and praised as one of the governments that was able to be decisive and resolute when we initially implemented the level 5 lockdown in March 2020.
All political parties were on board and all hands were on deck in fighting against the demon called Covid-19. Part of the introspection as we take stock is to look at all the Disaster Management Act regulations and whether they make sense as we scramble to save lives and livelihoods. Are there no regulations that strangled and stifled our economic growth and livelihoods?
What should the government implement as we embrace the new normal that will make our economy rebound from the ashes of coronavirus? This is crucial because most industries are suffering and closing down. The SMMEs and informal sector are the biggest casualties since we implemented lockdown. More than two million people have lost their jobs and more people are now reliant on government relief packages.
While we fight the coronavirus pandemic, we must guard against another struggle – which is the struggle for survival because of the abject poverty that our people are experiencing. We need to find ways to mitigate the issue of unemployment and poverty on one hand while on the other fighting the coronavirus.
We need an urgent review of some of our Disaster Management Act regulations that impact on the lives and livelihoods of our people. Our government must consult with all the stakeholders as we mark the 300 days, including all political parties, to look at ways and means of intensifying our fight against coronavirus and to revive our economy, which is paramount.
This must be coupled by urgent discussions on the rollout strategy of the vaccines that must be supported by all stakeholders and political parties.
• Mgcina is a Sowetan reader and a regular contributor to our opinion and letters pages
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