Dlamini-Zuma not to blame for restrictions

It is confounding human wisdom to single out one minister, writes Morgan Phaahla.

The nationwide lockdown imposed by government to contain the spread of Covid-19 was met with pushbacks from various interest groups. However, it’s sickening to observe grown men and women roaming the streets as usual despite a sharp increase in deaths and reported cases.

Surely, a war with an invisible enemy is a different kettle of fish. President Cyril Ramaphosa conceded that we’re navigating uncharted waters. That’s why certain regulations seemed burdensome beyond Covid-19.

It is therefore confounding human wisdom to single out Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for the inevitable restrictions.

How can the collective decisions of Cabinet be solely ascribed to Dlamini-Zuma? It’s even folly to snide with disdain on her person – a shocking deficiency of intolerance for women in leadership.

Of course, it stems from toxic masculinity and hypocrisy suffocating society.

What people of that ilk haven’t discerned is that Covid-19 is a figure pointing to privilege as an obstacle to equity and social justice.

The majority of citizens still live in slum conditions – relegated to the margins of society with unbearable quality of life; sadly, vulnerable to all manner of smoke.

And so no amount of blame-shifting is going to negate the health risk posed by reactive smoking in our society.

Even food parcels distributed to alleviate the effects of the lockdown on the poor couldn’t reach them.