‘Lest we forget’: Five years post Covid-19 and lockdown
What do you remember about lockdown and the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa? Five years later on Thursday March 27, we remember the lives lost, the survivors and the after-effects of the pandemic on our health, lives, and the economy.
MARCH 27, 2020, is an important day in South Africa’s history, one that many will never forget.
The day marked the start of SA’s Covid-19 (Coronavirus) journey which saw the nation being placed under lockdown due to the pandemic becoming a real threat. It left many children orphaned, parents hospitalised or too ill to bury their own children and loved ones, and countless others unemployed as the country came to a standstill.
At this point, many of us had never even heard of such a thing as lockdown, better yet that it could be instituted “with immediate effect”. With the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus reported on March 5, 2020, it set the wheels in motion for one of SA’s darkest times, claiming the lives of 100 000 people.
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The first local death from Covid-19 was reported on March 27, 2020. Soon after, quarantine, the wearing of masks and sanitisers became part of everyday life and routine. “You could not enter a shop without a mask, let alone go out in public without one and a sanitiser,” said Michelle Naidoo as she recalled the start of the pandemic.
“You could not even visit your family and friends out of fear of getting you or them sick and the travel ban that was also in place, you needed a permit to be on the road. I was even scared to sneeze out loud because people would side eye you. It was bad, hopefully we never have to go through that again. It was an awful and confusing time,” said Naidoo.
This Thursday, March 27, will mark five years since that fateful day, and to honour those who lost their lives to Covid-19 a remembrance event will hosted at Durban’s North Beach. Award-winning writer, director and producer, Dr Eubulus Timothy, said, “On Thursday, at 12:00, let us maintain a minute of silence to remember our loved ones.”
He added that later at 19:30 on the North Beach Pier, a memorial will be held. “Join us and drop a flower into the ocean as we mourn and remember those we loved and lost, who are no longer with us. Many had died alone in solitude, separated from their families and friends. Lest we forget.”
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Despite all the grief and pain that came with the pandemic, South Africans managed to rise above it all by finding new hobbies, conquering homeschooling, becoming alcoholic beverage manufacturers, entrepreneurs and chefs as they remained confined to their homes with restrictions placed on the sale of certain items and in-house dining at restaurants.
“I became a teacher and a master chef overnight,” said Zama Zondi, a mother of two from Glenwood. “It is all thanks to the internet, otherwise we would not have coped with the confinement and our lives being uprooted. One good thing that came out of the pandemic is that it taught you about yourself, made you appreciate the little things that we take for granted and brought families and loved ones together. If it wasn’t for my strong support system, Covid-19 and lockdown would have broken me.”
For more information on the memorial event, email: timothy@eubulus.com or WhatsApp 081 571 7331.
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