Look beyond your frustrations and fears: The ugly face of inequality in SA during Covid-19 pandemic.

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South Africa

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Author: Jabu Zwane

Some people have been posting videos lambasting people who stocked up on Thursday. This highlights the sad reality of inequality in South Africa is that many people in this country, continue to live in denial of what these inequalities mean, practically for the majority of the people.

It is very easy to talk about doing the right thing when you’re speaking from a position of safety, comfort, and power.

You have access to the infrastructure at will, with institutional power in your environment and remain blind to the struggles of those who don’t.

That’s how privilege works, you’re safe economically, you are comfortable in your surroundings and you can freely make decisions that benefit you and that’s your power. The majority of South African people don’t have the first privilege, safety economically, they have no chance of reaching comfort in their environment and certainly no institutional power to make decisions that come with those privileges.

Comparing SA with Europe is a clear indication of being disconnected from SA’s social and economic landscape. Posting videos and lambasting people who went to stock up on Thursday, the day they got paid is inconsiderate of the vulnerabilities a huge section of our population face. But when you have access to 5 malls within a 5 km radius, it makes sense why it would be hard to fathom why tens of thousands of people who share 2 malls within a 20 km radius are crammed up together panic shopping a day before the lockdown.

Let’s rather continue to educate and inform others within our reach about the dangers of Covid-19. Being angry lashing out and name calling is the last thing we need right now.

In your concern and about this pandemic, remember to be considerate of others who are not as privileged as you.