Lockdown In Cape Town Day 85 - Advanced Level 3

morkrock (70)in #lockdown • 4 years ago

Welcome To Venezuela 2.0

South Africa, as of a few days ago, now holds the world record for the country that has been the longest in a lockdown status. You might think this is some how a good, but it's very far from anything good, because the truth is that South Africa is a third world nation, with about 70% of the population living under the bread line, and almost half the country on social welfare. A government enforced lockdown might have worked in places where folks are able to survive a month without work, but that's not the case here.

The president made an announcement on Wednesday that instead of moving the country to level 2, where more businesses are able to get back to work, they have decided to rather keep to status as is and now allow the beauty industry to onpen along with the hotel industry. Unfortunately this does not include Airbnb or informal traders and street traders, which ironically makes up something like 70% of the GDP for the entire continent of Africa. To give you an example, people selling fruit and basic goods on the side of the road in the townships are being forced to close due to the virus, but those same people are then allowed to beg for food in mass. The rational thinking here is absolutely insanity.

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - John Dalberg-Acton

The government has banned tobacco products since the start of the lockdown, at a staggering cost of R35 million a day in taxes, because apparently they fear smokers who get infected could put strain on the hospitals. The fact that the head of the National Covid Task Force, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who's son is the CEO of the company responsible for the majority of black market cigarettes, apparently is nothing to be concerned about. These black market cigarettes are currently selling for 3005-400% above normal retail prices and is available everywhere. The level of just outright blatant corruption is just sickening, they never let a crisis go to waste.

To add insult to injury, the KwaZulu-Natal department of education spent R422 million on masks and protective equipment for schools in the province. Unfortunately not only did they paid highly inflated prices, 400% more than the retail value, but all of that equipment then went missing. I also wouldn't be surprised if the contract to supply that equipment went to a trusted family member.

Which bring us to the VBS cluster fuck, check out below.