Who would ever have guessed that on 23 March 2020 the whole of SA would be shocked to hear about a total lockdown of our country.
Less than 21 days later, it was extended. Almost a month of staying at home, those fortunate enough to have a ‘stay at home’ job will still be earning a salary.
Well … for myself, a hard-working labourer, a qualified hairstylist, the news hit hard! How do we earn a salary?
Most stylists earn commission only. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the cancellations came flooding in; people are afraid of contamination in a confined space. Every day is stressful for me and my colleagues, and having discussions on how tradesman will make a living we know we would not earn enough even for our monthly expenses.
Today, I just realised how selfish man can be. Out of respect and being an honest person, I went to ask my landlord to understand that for at least two to three months we would not earn a salary, and I asked for them to be lenient with paying rent for the sake of my family during this scary time.
But, I was clearly told that if we don’t pay the rent, we will have to pack up and go! I was even told that the reason that things are going so bad now is that we don’t belong to a certain church group. I understand that millions of people will be affected and also have less than we have as a family.
However, is this not the time to help each other? If you have more, aren’t you supposed to give to those who don’t have?
I might not be a ‘regular’ church-goer, but I can recall the seven deadly sins. Some have to do with gluttony, pride, and greed.
