The Good, the Bad and the Worse in Africa's Anti Corona Crusades; Lessons from Tanzania

By John Njoroge, Africa54, SA. 

The anti Covid-19 crusade(s) in Africa is yet again bringing into perspective diverse leadership from the Continent that is known for its strong immunity after countless years fighting known and unknown diseases. It worths our while to put Covid-19 into scrutiny.

Globally, as positive cases hit the 1 million mark this week, countries in Africa are on the front fighting the Corona malade from different viewpoints and strategies. The 54 countries Continent has a merely 9,000 plus positive Corona cases and not more than 500 deaths (compare with 78,000 deaths world wide). 

It will be up to scholars to empirically verify and confirm which are the best strategies to handle Corona globally and in Africa, but we are already able to see the good, the bad and the worse in our Continent. 

Two major schools of thought are emerging; the anxity model and the elasticity model.

Whereas the former focuses on a panic than a culculated fierce fight on the noval virus, the later involves some forms of resilience, choosing between fighting aggressively with the Corona and ensuring that there is life after Corona; maintaining the fundamentals of cohesion on the economic nd social set up.

China is known for its elasticity in fighting the Corona; they did not panic, it was deadly and noval virus to them but they chose their methods and tacticts in a way that retained the strength of their society. Today they remain stronger, together.

If it is to adopt and imitate western terminologies, the Chinese people would have locked down everything, curfew every street to the detriment of their own social bond. No, they maintained vigilance. 

As a Kenyan, I love my counry, but I adore the Tanzania President, Dr. John Magufuli, who is adopting the Chinese "never panic mode," something that goes contrary to his fellows in the region. Compare: Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. 

President Magufuli, to my recollection, has thus far spent more than 3 speeches to warn Tanzanians on how deadly is Corona, encouraged them to take precautions and later on addressed the nation to augur well his point of view that Corona is deadly so should everyone work to prevent further spreads.

However, the Presdent went on to warn Tanzanians that the war on Corona should not be an excuse for hard work and it should not operate as a reason to "quarantine" the whole country and paralyze everything. 

People have been encouraged to wash hands, sanitize, maintain social distance, avoid unnecessary gathering but must go to work in farms, industries, offices or personal businesses. I love this spirit. It is was supposed to be an Afrian spirit. 

Dispite some misinterpretation to this approach, and contrary to his panicked peers, on the ground, Magufuli's government is taking Corona seriously; schools and colleges have been closed, sports and other social gatherings have been halted, 14 days quarantine for foreign arrivals imposed, national level committees are in place and research on cure are on. Nevertheless, the country is calm. 

To the contrary, his counterparts in Kenya and Uganda and Rwanda, just like here in South Africa, are in anxity model; they shut down everything-borders, work and public outings. 

Lockdowns have been imposed, curfews are on, people who get out of their homes are beaten (some to death) and salaries are forcefully cut. Just wondering, why is all this panic!

Kenyan police dragging a man who disobeyed a Covid-19 curfew in Nairobi. 

Rwanda in particular, in a move that African country's must excercise prudence, has already secured a costly World Bank loan. 

The branded as "Corona Response financial facility" package, essentially comprises of a modest grant but a huge loan facility in it that is attached with conditionalities. 

I warn African countries to relax on their approaches but be firm in tackling Corona. They should not panic and find themself into a pending economic recession or debt trap.

We have already seen thousands here in South Africa flocking the streets as the stay-home-lockdown does not work for them; in Kenya a bodaboda cyclist has been attacked and killed by security organs as he returns from sending a pregnant woman to a local hospital. Africa why? 

Africa my mother land, you have tackled malaria, typhoid, cholera and the deadly ebola with your usual ubuntu (strongness, togetherness and in a communal way), why do you fail on the Corona? 

Stronger, together!