South Africa's Covid-19 cases have reached 100 000, doubling from 50 000 in 14 days. But the country is slowly going back to normal!
In March, with the lockdown imposed and cases at 1 000, pandemic denialists (see right-wing local media, e.g. BizNews, Politicsweb, Daily Friend, DA and disparate commentators) postulated, with no evidence, SA was presenting more like mild Australia and New Zealand (and, why not, South Korea and Japan), and herd immunity is our saviour. That is, a lockdown is unnecessary, a nefarious ANC plot and there's nothing to worry about
Others like "PANDenialists" aka PANDA, who are not medical experts, refuted credible epidemiological models. One retired SA government statistician called the pandemic a hoax. Emeritus Stanford biologist Mike Levitt (not medical doctor) called Australia a 'loser' for implementing a lockdown, and said the crisis is exaggerated. These opinions were headlined "MUST READ" (sic, BN), ie "must be believed".
Conspiracies don't need evidence and logic. But it's incomprehensible that w/ a steep exponential curve, the government, under pressure from inter alia the business right-wing, is going counter reason and medical expertise and easing lockdown further. Still, that's not enough for denialists incl DA, John Steenhuisen et al who want full normality immediately.
Steenhuisen, and DA, is always petulant and angry, and second guesses from the opposition armchair. Like the right-wing and conservative business he's insistent the lockdown is exaggerated and should never have been implemented. This contradicts DA colleague Alan Winde who at least initially agreed with it and knows a little about running a government esp during this unprecedented global crisis.
Last year Steenhuisen second guessed government's measures for the foot and mouth outbreak, saying it was allegedly unnecessary. They helped prevent a national epidemic. Farmers and auctioneers agreed with that lockdown. Now this self-taught epidemiologist (he only has matric) disagrees with measures - lockdown - that most countries in the world implemented. Hubris aside, he and DA know something we don't, as they always do.
The DA's Geordin Hill-Lewis too, who instead of keeping on point - the pandemic - trots the right's cliched wish list - BEE, etc. A couple of years ago I asked him for evidence of the DA's economic fairy tale he mentioned in Parliament: the DA allegedly 'created' hundreds of thousands of 'new' jobs in the WC. There is no economic evidence and no such jobs were created.
Instead, he presented a Powerpoint presentation(!) then premier Helen Zille gave, the author of this DA bedtime tale others incl then party leader Maimane had repeatedly told. When I said this wasn't evidence, Hill-Lewis became petulant, said I was 'out to prove something' (well, the truth and rejecting fake news, for two) and ended the correspondence.
As Hill-Lewis' suggestions to alleviate the economic consequences of the pandemic indicate, which countries globally are grappling with, their cupboard is bare. And in its place, a scowling interim party leader, angry with the world.
The DA's attitude to the coronavirus is as Samuel Earle writes in the New York Times that "Boris Johnson cares more about 'liberty' than people's lives" and their "jarring dissonance" and "incoherent response".
In March, with the lockdown imposed and cases at 1 000, pandemic denialists (see right-wing local media, e.g. BizNews, Politicsweb, Daily Friend, DA and disparate commentators) postulated, with no evidence, SA was presenting more like mild Australia and New Zealand (and, why not, South Korea and Japan), and herd immunity is our saviour. That is, a lockdown is unnecessary, a nefarious ANC plot and there's nothing to worry about
Others like "PANDenialists" aka PANDA, who are not medical experts, refuted credible epidemiological models. One retired SA government statistician called the pandemic a hoax. Emeritus Stanford biologist Mike Levitt (not medical doctor) called Australia a 'loser' for implementing a lockdown, and said the crisis is exaggerated. These opinions were headlined "MUST READ" (sic, BN), ie "must be believed".
Conspiracies don't need evidence and logic. But it's incomprehensible that w/ a steep exponential curve, the government, under pressure from inter alia the business right-wing, is going counter reason and medical expertise and easing lockdown further. Still, that's not enough for denialists incl DA, John Steenhuisen et al who want full normality immediately.
Steenhuisen, and DA, is always petulant and angry, and second guesses from the opposition armchair. Like the right-wing and conservative business he's insistent the lockdown is exaggerated and should never have been implemented. This contradicts DA colleague Alan Winde who at least initially agreed with it and knows a little about running a government esp during this unprecedented global crisis.
Last year Steenhuisen second guessed government's measures for the foot and mouth outbreak, saying it was allegedly unnecessary. They helped prevent a national epidemic. Farmers and auctioneers agreed with that lockdown. Now this self-taught epidemiologist (he only has matric) disagrees with measures - lockdown - that most countries in the world implemented. Hubris aside, he and DA know something we don't, as they always do.
The DA's Geordin Hill-Lewis too, who instead of keeping on point - the pandemic - trots the right's cliched wish list - BEE, etc. A couple of years ago I asked him for evidence of the DA's economic fairy tale he mentioned in Parliament: the DA allegedly 'created' hundreds of thousands of 'new' jobs in the WC. There is no economic evidence and no such jobs were created.
Instead, he presented a Powerpoint presentation(!) then premier Helen Zille gave, the author of this DA bedtime tale others incl then party leader Maimane had repeatedly told. When I said this wasn't evidence, Hill-Lewis became petulant, said I was 'out to prove something' (well, the truth and rejecting fake news, for two) and ended the correspondence.
As Hill-Lewis' suggestions to alleviate the economic consequences of the pandemic indicate, which countries globally are grappling with, their cupboard is bare. And in its place, a scowling interim party leader, angry with the world.
The DA's attitude to the coronavirus is as Samuel Earle writes in the New York Times that "Boris Johnson cares more about 'liberty' than people's lives" and their "jarring dissonance" and "incoherent response".