adminPaul Mugari
Correspondent
The whole world continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed and infected many people. The global data has recorded over 346 000 deaths and over 5,5 million infected so far. As of last week Zimbabwe had recorded four deaths and 149 infected people. This pandemic has led to nationwide lockdowns around the world, and Zimbabwe’s lockdown has been extended indefinitely with a review every two weeks.
This intervention is necessary given the scale of potential deaths and infection Covid-19 can inflict. And this calls for patience and perseverance if we are to win the fight against Covid-19. It is true that the lockdown has created new challenges for families who have been forced to stay indoors. Coming out the lockdown isn’t going to be without its problems and anxieties. A different mind-set has become necessary in this fight.
There are some lessons to draw out from the First Lady’s recent work around our country. Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa identified knowledge gaps with regards to Covid-19 in her tour of the Midlands. A report from the First Lady’s work in rural Midlands shows that some people in rural Zimbabwe have no basic knowledge of the Covid-19 pandemic. Common sense is common only when everyone has the basic information.
A study was carried out by healthcare professionals after the Ebola virus outbreak with an aim to draw lessons which can be applied to future viral epidemics. This should always be our goal as we go through different pandemics, trials and tribulations. The study revealed a profound and broad spectrum of psychological impact that outbreaks can inflict on people. At the beginning of Covid-19, earlier advice, suggested that our nation should be psychologically prepared for the outbreak which was seen to be worse than previous outbreaks. As we prepare to come out of the lockdown, similar advice should be issued.
As the country prepares to ease the lockdown, the people coming out of the isolation will not be the same. It is necessary to have a plan on how to deal with the after-effects of the lockdown. Entire cities, regions and the country were sealed off, travel is banned, schools and universities are closed, shops are running out of stocks, and all economic, cultural and social activities have come to a stop.
Never before in modern history has a health problem had such an overwhelming impact on society. Some of the people failed to attend funerals for loved ones. The list is endless. St Augustine has an interesting “just war theory” attributed to him, which we can draw lessons from. This is not only because St Augustine is seen as a founding father of Christian theology, or that he was of African origin. His theory can help us analyse our current war on Covid and the “what next” move.
The Just War Theory
The Just War Theory is a doctrine, studied by leaders, theologians, and modern day policy makers. This theory seeks to make sure a war is morally justifiable through a set criteria. This set criteria has to be met in order for a war to be justified. The criteria are split into two groups: “right to go to war” (jus ad bellum) and “right conduct in war” (jus in bello). The first criterion concerns the morality of going to war, and the second one the moral conduct within the war. Recently there have been calls for the inclusion of a third category of the Just War Theory — jus post bellum — dealing with the morality of post-war settlement and reconstruction.
According to the Just War Theory, the war against Covid-19 was truly justified to defend ourselves and future generations. Some successes were made; in China death rates dropped, around the world the peaks have since been dropping. In Zimbabwe we managed to keep the numbers down. In Eritrea there was a 100 percent recovery from Covid-19 and no new cases reported. The issue facing us now will soon be the third category of the Just War Theory; dealing with the post lockdown.
Seeing beyond Capitalism and democracy
Our world has embraced capitalism, free markets and democracy and so has our country in a bid to benefit from the many advantages of capitalism and democracy. However, we have not always been true capitalists and democrats. At independence Zimbabwe adopted socialist democracy. The socialism became our method of distributing our resources and the democracy helped us to pick our leadership. However, since then a whole range of new economic policies like, Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP), have been propagated journeying towards free market capitalism.
Economist John Gray writes that social democracy as an ideology has been ruined by the hegemony of capitalism. There are various pros and cons of socialism we can discuss, but the initial socialist project of 1980 brought us some advantages; a rainbow cabinet, a very notable historic economic progress, and the unity accord. Unity is what we need now if we are to win the war against Covid-19, and this calls for us to see beyond the capitalism and competition for everything.
Capitalism has brought influences and changes to us. St Paul taught that by beholding we become changed. In capitalism, profit making and wealth accumulation, and competition amongst people are considered pre-requisites for success. Individuals, are encouraged to compete and the market determines who wins, with little or no government intervention. Our good old traditional churches taught us to give up the world and prepare for the coming of the Lord.
The pioneers who followed hinged their teachings on “to the law and the testimony”, which is a type of evidence based faith. But there is a new narrative in our faith, appealing to the faithful, and competing for numbers. The gospel of prosperity has filled our cities and is gaining ground against the traditional teachings, often flanked by the so called self-styled prophets who are building big houses on hills.
Yet our politics too has being affected by capitalism. The main thrust now has become competition for numbers, approval ratings and, in some instances, its ways to discredit rivals. A new political outfit is formed every day and as soon as it grows it splits into further factions.
The unchecked competition continues often running into complications and necessitating the services and intervention of legists and highest courts. With the current situation, however, one would argue that it’s time to return to the original socialist democracy project, or at least to borrow from it.
A unity accord has become necessary again. We could always pick up the fights at a later stage, at least after we defeat the Covid-19 pandemic. The rhetorical question asked in the gospel of Matthew is “what shall it benefit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul”? In the context of Covid-19 pandemic, we should ask ourselves what it shall benefit us to win politically and then fall to the Covid pandemic. Or is it time to tap into the benefits of socialism?
Tapping from the socialist project
One of the advantages of socialism is that it reduces disparity in wealth, not only in different areas, but also in all societal ranks and classes. Those who suffer from illnesses or are too old to work, or cannot afford healthcare are still provided for and valued. This is the approach we need in the fight against Covid-19. We need to halt all squabbling and focus on the real enemy. All political outfits must be reminded.
Torcuil Crichton writing in the Daily Record newspaper states that the coronavirus pandemic has induced a socialism which will cost the UK billions of pounds, but further argues that this is absolutely necessary. Crichton compares the UK to Cuba, a known socialist state. The US is seen as the world’s capital for the capitalist project.
However, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, they too have had to adopt some socialism. Writing for the Atlantic newspaper, Peter Nicholas argues that American people now value socialism in the wake of Covid-19, and that the Trump administration might have to adjust their stance on socialism.
This calls us all to a rethinking of strategies to adopt in the post Covid-19 fight. We know that our people deserve the best of our abilities.
The findings of the First lady’s recent tour are of great concern and must be met with great strategies. There a need to communicate to everyone many of the measures that must be taken to prevent citizens from getting infected. This also implies a change of behaviour.
This necessitates a roll out of a well thought out and planned health promotion activities to all. This requires less competition and all the cooperation we can get, and reaching out. This means seeing beyond the capitalism and democracy, and to understand that these ideologies not an end but just tools to an end.
Online Reporter