We have to keep our ‘ubuntu’ going at all costs

When invoking war rhetoric against Covid-19, Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump both fall short of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who mobilised the English language and sent it into battle.

While Churchill statues are under threat from those who denounce the UK World War II leader as racist and colonialist, the Nobel literature laureate’s words will endure.

Even while confirming truths about Britain’s darkest wartime hours, Churchill was able to inspire confidence and courage.

What we face is not a war in any conventional sense. Comparisons would be odious. And “truths” are not as clear as in WW II.

We are regaled with ever-increasing figures about test results, recoveries and deaths.

If we delve, some stats don’t make sense.

For example, last year the National Institute of Communicable Diseases of SA said: “The World Health Organisation estimates that 124 000 people died of TB [tuberculosis] in South Africa in 2016 [about 330 daily]”.

So, in 100 days, TB kills 33 000 South Africans. In the first 100 days of lockdown, Covid-19, plus comorbidities, killed 3 026. That’s about 30 000 short of the TB toll for the same period.

Arguably, the economic damage caused by lockdown is greater than the harm inflicted by Covid-19.

However, another dimension is underreported – the psychological effects. Lockdown is depriving many of us of our humanity. We are not fully people in the ubuntu sense if we can’t interact more freely.

This is especially true in times of grief or joy. You can’t hold someone’s hand even if they are dying, or hug them in celebration or comfort.

In this context, it was fascinating to see management guru Tom Peters’ advice on Twitter: “My Leadership Six in the face of Covid-19: Be kind. Be caring. Be patient. Be forgiving. Be positive. Walk in the other person’s shoes.”

He’s spot on. These “soft” qualities may not be what many would expect in the upper echelons of business, but they are appropriate when dealing with lockdown side-effects.

Among the many replies to Peters, two stood out. First: “Be Creative. We can’t keep acting the same way. We need to transform how we think, work and act.”

And: “Project Optimism, which may be different to Be Positive.”

Indeed, projecting optimism is key to surviving lockdown’s psychological perils.

In today’s climate, Churchill would be excoriated as a sexist warmonger for saying: “I like a man who grins when he fights.”

In war, he motivated people to face battle with courage and good cheer. We need such qualities now in the eye of the storm.

A modern equivalent of Churchillian bulldog tenacity is required. We must fight the virus on every front. “We shall never surrender.”

One thing we must not surrender is our ubuntu. Virtual meetings, lessons, lectures and so on have merit, especially in these times.

But do we really want to adapt to a touted new normal where human contact is reduced to the barest minimum?

What kind to life is that?

Martin Williams, DA councillor and former editor of The Citizen.

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