Covid 19 Zimbabwe Advice from Year 2020 to Year 2021

 By Takura Zhangazha*

Some things are not expected to happen by default. For example, travelling by aeroplane from one place to the other from Africa is supposed to be a status symbol.  Especially getting a Visa to attend a conference in the Global North. Particularly Europe or North America.  Until a pandemic such as Covid 19 makes you think twice about status or symbol.  Let alone the arduous paper work for travel for a black African.  

And in so doing give pause for reflection as to what contemporary reality truly means on this side of the world. 

There were some things that 2020 was never going to warn us of.  Let alone ask us to remember.  Even as key a question as ‘Whose Humanity is it?”, in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic.  Even though known to have emerged from Wuhan-China, Covid 19 was always expected to reach enormous proportions by way of morbid impact in what has (colonially) historically been viewed as the source of all pandemics, the continent of Africa. Particularly South of the Sahara. It did not.Instead it chose Europe, North America and the rest of South East Asia to demonstrate the dilemmas of underfunded public health systems versus their privatized for the rich corporate counterparts.  

But we were not really expected to think of it that way.  We were expected to think the worst of our circumstances and of possibly ourselves. Friends, family especially those based in Africa tremendous Diaspora kept asking via social media, almost in given anticipation, ‘Has it hit yet’? Waiting for the images akin to those of when the Ebola virus in West and Central Africa arrived and where thousands of black bodies would be buried in mass graves as the global (Murdoch and others) media paid handsomely for the images.  Well, that did not happen.  Not that it makes it any better. Death, after all is death.  Regardless of race, colour but of course except for ‘class’.  

The latter point being reflective of the false assumption that "no way could the ‘rich could die of the ‘Rona’ " (said in an American accent).  It was assumed to be a disease, be it in the global east, west, south or north, of those without access to health care.  Especially the expensive, private kind which is not accessible to all by way of privileged cost. 

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) pronouncements on Covid 19 were taken to be the usual ones couched in either what Said referred to as Orientalism or Conradian, where it came to considerations on Africa, particularly again South of the Sahara and the impact of the same. 

Again it turned out to be neither. 

Here in Zimbabwe we sort of followed the WHO’s guidelines.  Again as somewhat led by our regional hegemony South Africa which behaved like a global urban superpower in what still remains and perceived of as proverbial ‘heart of darkness’ and in defence of private capital.  Lockdown orders were issued and we, in Zimbabwe with some understanding of regional immigration/emigration patterns to ‘Egoli’ (South Africa)  sort of followed suit.  Even if we remained thoroughly but a-historically unwanted there. 

But let us not overthink this.  Because ‘thinking’ on social media does not get eyeballs or clicks.  Lets lay it down as simply as we can. Particularly for many Zimbabweans within our borders, the Diaspora or those that would court the ears of global superpowers. 

The year 2020 as it writes a letter to 2021 will advise the latter of the fact that Covid 19 made it(self) as eventful as it would be non-dramatic.  Whereas it (2020) assumed there would be emerging key questions about the capitalist system and its inability to deal equitably with an urgent public health crisis caused by the ‘Rona’, it turns out those directly affected never found time to question the fundamentals of the pandemic.  They tried to continue their normal lives until it knocked on their doorsteps but regrettably and tragically also moved on afterwards. Having learnt little and tried to normalize tragically affected lives of especially young ones.

Almost like main actors in Hollywood films do when their close supporting act (in the script and visually also do) ‘dies’.  Except that sadly in reality people have been dying. In our Zimbabwean context untested or tested for Covid 19. But the main actor mentality falsely keeps us confident that one way or the other we will get through this.  Especially now that ‘hope’ has emerged with the introduction of a vaccine for Covid 19. 

Ironically in our Zimbabwean context, we have tried to do our politics as usual. As did many other countries.  In fact some like Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, the United States of America (USA) have proceeded or are proceeding with constitutionally bound elections.  In our case we are still trying to demonstrate a specific ability to permit specific human freedoms except where and when it is not convenient to the ruling establishment (warts and all).

What 2020 definitely will metaphorically advise 2021 is that its occupants, actors and survivors were not thinking straight.  Not only about the past, the present but more significantly about the future.  This being an issue that this blog on behalf of 2021 may respond to before the end of the week prior to its newfound existence. Almost as involuntary lessons learnt.  

*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity (takura-zhangazha.blogspot.cm)