Update leads:
- COVID 19 crisis overshadows International Youth Day
- The Plight of Mat-South and COVID 19
The country has recorded 4990 confirmed cases, 1927 recoveries leaving 2935 active cases and 128 deaths as at 13 August 2020. Mat-South has contributed a total of 507 cases to the overall positive cases.
The recent spike in Covid-19 deaths is concerning. They are a reflection of our ailing health sector that needs urgent and critical attention. On Wednesday only, the country recorded 18 deaths due to the virus. Many Hospitals do not match the conditions of COVID 19 for instance there are no ventilators in many health institutions, let alone proper PPE for medical personnel to use. In addition, there is still not enough testing being done as most of the cases are confirmed in post mortems. These are some of the issues that maybe causing a surge in COVID 19 deaths.
COVID 19 Crisis Overshadows International Youth Day
The International Youth Day; a significant day of celebrating youthful exuberance came to pass this week. With the world currently involved in a fierce battle against COVID 19 virus, attention towards this fundamental day was far different than in the previous years.
Although there were no youths on the streets celebrating their big day as well as bringing to awareness the challenges they are facing, it is imperative to unpack the significance of this year` International Youth Day theme.
At a time when youth participation in decision making and service provision is essential the International Youth Day theme “Youth Engagement for Global Action” is relevant and timely in that it campaigns for the inclusion of youths in issues of local, national and international governance. The minds of youths are necessary in putting forward critical ideas for the development of our communities.
Youths are the leaders of today and tomorrow; the future lies in the hands of the able bodied youths who are capable of being both office and field workers.
Youths are relevant players for the creation of ideas that will uplift the lives of the marginalised and ultimately hold leaders accountable, especially those involved in corruption. By including voices of youths in political and economic spheres, society lays a reinforced foundation of a long lasting community.
It is time for companies, organisation and governments to recruit vibrant youths for leadership purposes; their fresh ideas are with no doubt necessary in protecting and saving the world from extinction especially when it is currently under the threat of the deadly pandemic.
The Plight of Mat-South and COVID 19
Rainfall shortages in the previous season in Mat South has left majority of people drowning in poverty. Most families are faced with food shortages which in turn have exacerbated domestic violence and crime.
The outbreak of COVID 19 has worsened the situation. The pandemic has increased the unemployment rate while informal sector no longer operates in a free environment as security officers are always after them.
The closure of borders has greatly contributed to the plight of many families as they cannot continue with cross border trading, Mat-South is home to Plumtree and Beitbridge border posts to Botswana and South Africa respectively, these border posts had high cross border trading activities, but all this has been affected by the pandemic which has seen the closure of this line of business.
The closure of borders not only affects cross border traders but all the families who largely rely on their families in the neighboring countries for provision and upkeep as they can no longer send them groceries. This has further made the lives of young girls even more difficult as they cannot afford to buy sanitary wear that now costs between R40 to R50 yet they used to receive these from their relatives in the neighboring countries.
Food distributions that are meant to alleviate the hunger crisis have also been largely politicized. There have been reports of unfair distribution of food aid with local processes proving to promote discrimination and partisan access to food aid.
Government needs to look into the hunger crisis and provide food aid that will also be fairly distributed to the citizens. Also government has to look into the plight of informal cross border traders and create strategies to assist them to resume their operations following the Covid-19 preventive measures. Hunger if not attended to ends up being a catalyst for all manner of criminal activities, the politics of the stomach may lead one to do unlawful activities so as to put food on the table for their families.
Remember to follow these tips proposed by the WHO to prevent getting infected with COVID-19;
- clean your hands more often using alcohol based hand rub or soap and water
- Maintain social distancing
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
- Contact emergency COVID-19 numbers near you, if experiencing any symptoms related to the pandemic
Social Distancing Tips
- Shop alone, do not shop in groups
- Stay/Stand two metres away from other customers (especially in mealie meal queues)
TOGETHER WE CAN DEFEAT COVID-19!
Dial 2019 if suspecting any COVID-19 Symptoms!
STAY SAFE!!!!!!!!!!
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