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Lockdown, back to Level 3

It's the end of 2020, and we are back to level 3 lockdown. A coronavirus variant was discovered recently in South Africa and is seemingly driving the second wave of infections in 4 provinces (Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KZN, and Gauteng).  Eastern Cape started to see an increase in early November, and it is in Nelson Mandela Bay metro that this new variant was picked up. Yesterday over 17 000 new infections were recorded, making this the biggest tally since recording. The second wave is well and truly bigger than the first. Technically, however, some medical scientists argue that a second wave becomes possible when the first one has been interrupted. Meaning cases should go back to zero, something that didn't really happen. Although cases did drop for almost three months since August, they didn't get to zero. So, technically we are still in the 1st wave; what we are seeing now is a resurgence. They argue!

Vaccines have just been approved and are now administered in affected populations in the developed countries of Western Europe and Northern America. A few developing nations have also purchased doses to protect those at high risk. South Africa seems to be a laggard in this regard. The country has placed its hopes on a COVAX facility: a WHO scheme to assure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine. South Africa announced that it will be able to acquire vaccines in the second quarter of 2021. Fingers crossed.

Mxolisi Payi succumbed to COVID-19 during the devastating first wave in the Eastern Cape. I have known him very well. We grew up playing football in Port Alfred. Later on, we went to Vista University. He did law. As a Computer Science student, I was computer literate, and therefore in his last year at Vista, he requested me to type his CV in Word. He would later tell me that the CV I helped type secured him his first-ever job. I finished my BSc degree a year later. I struggled to get a job in the year 2000. This time he was already working at the Department of Justice in Cape Town. At the beginning of 2001, he asked me to go to Cape Town with him, where I can hopefully get a job. I stayed with him for 6 months at a very tiny flat in Salt River. I didn't get a job in Cape Town during those six months, but I secured myself a South African Weather Service bursary to start BSc Honours at the University of Pretoria. This bursary launched my career. He on the other hand was a very Good Samaritan.  

Simphiwe Vulindlu passed away in August. His untimely passing was not COVID-19 related. It was a freak accident. A comprehensive biography of Simphiwe Joe Vulindlu will be completed in due course.





Location: Centurion, South Africa

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