Regulations are there to prevent virus spread

There’s no benefit to pull in the opposite direction, writes Morgan Phaahla from Ekurhuleni.

This period of the lockdown has seen much pushback, putting additional strain on the already fatigued leadership of government. In many ways, it exposed the level of disunity in society. And yet the situation invariably dictates of us to come together as a force to fight back Covid-19 in the same way as the great military leaders of the past.

There’s absolutely no benefit to pull in the extreme opposite direction at the expense of all-out efforts to flatten the curve.

Some among us are obsessed with the pedantic interpretation of the regulations to score cheap political points while Covid-19 deaths are skyrocketing.

Others want to focus attention on the short term, motivated by the need to protect their own interests, without any consideration of the broader objective to save lives in the long term.

These attitudes offer nothing to help the nation defeat this virulent enemy.

The brouhaha over the sale of liquor is a case in point. It’s easy to see that the significant purpose of the ban is to curb alcohol-related cases with the view to lessen a burden on hospitals.

That’s why Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma emphasised that everyone should take responsibility to report those who use other means to find a drink amidst a ban.

The reality is that some liquor outlets are involved in clandestine supply – like the cigarette mafia – to traders and even sell booze themselves, sometimes with the help of rogue elements in the police.

Not only do these violations aid and abet a spike in Covid-19 infections, but they clog up the hospital trauma units. If that’s not a problem for society, then regulations are irrational and irrelevant.