When I look at all good even controversial measures many countries have put in place in combating Covid-19, I just can’t help or stop asking some thorny questions that many seem haven’t yet asked or have ignored. For example, are the measures that we’ve put in place fittingly right for battling the plague realistically and for good? Are the ways we interact and treat each other appropriate to thwart the pandemic? Are we together in this or just severally everybody going solo? Are we prepared to resolve the conflict originating from our different and opposing approaches in dealing with the pandemic? How long will Covid-19 torment us and how long will it take for us to be out of the woods? How much our economies are to pay thereof; and when are we to face this reality by taking adequate measures aiming at benefiting everybody collectively but not severally?
Of all, our attention has been paid to humans but not to other non-human members such as measures and systems. Our attention is now paid to how to survive the pandemic without considering other areas that are crucial for our nonbiological survival such as trade among ourselves, peaceful coexistence and cooperation among many. Have we ever considered to impose lockdown on animals or, at least, stop eating them for a while? If we stop eating animal products, what are the alternatives thereof? What is the state of affairs vis-à-vis animals? Are our systems able to test animals; and thereby put them on the lockdown or reduce our interactions with them? What’s the right way to address the pandemic? Because of the convolution the pandemic has caused and the fear it has inflicted on us, recently we evidenced two East African countries, Kenya and Tanzania, banning each other from using their respective airports. Such a tiff lays bare another soft underbelly as far as Africa is concerned, disunity. This shows how our relationships and systems are broken-down and feeble. If I may say it, we need to unite as people and countries and the continent to successfully win the war against this pandemic.
If Africa were united, what’s ongoing between Kenya and Tanzania won’t have happened. To put it in the context, recently, Kenya and Tanzania found themselves in a very stroppy situation after taking two opposing stances on how to tackle and deal with COVID-19 pandemic. Because of different and opposing slants on how to deal with COVID-19 pandemic, Kenya found itself firing the first shot after issuing a list of airplanes that are allowed to land on its land. This list excluded Tanzania which retaliated by barring Kenyan planes from landing on its land. Slamming bans on each other doesn’t do anything good for both or any. Essentially, banishing each other is likely to weigh heavily on the already tanking economies of two countries because of COVID-19. Actually, there won’t be any winner in this melee.
However, what can be seen as tit for tat speaks volumes as far as the relationships of African countries are concerned. It is but a typical replica of what’s been ongoing in postcolonial Africa wherein neighbouring countries pointlessly live in an acrimonious netherworld for their peril. All this happens simply because postcolonial Africa refused to unite and form a very meaningful and strong state of Africa. Disunity and division are but postcolonial Africa’s coloniality. To refuse to unite Africa makes Africa’s independence meaningless. Africa’s freedom should mean free movements for Africans in their continent; should mean the reunification of Africa; should mean to decolonise Africa by refusing to labour under the colonial division that has always weakened Africa and Africans.
If the East African Community (EAC) had aimed at truly uniting its member states, this the Kenya-Tanzania shame won’t have occurred. If the duo were truly committed to each other, such an awkward situation would have been easily averted. Similarly, if Africa were united, Ethiopia and Egypt won’t have been wasting their precious time on squabbling about who’s the right to Nile waters. They won’t have been wasting needed money to plot against or threaten each other over the resource that’s supposed to be theirs equally if they’re united. Where will we get the kahunas who’ll help us out of this needless imbroglio?
If we realistically face it, the models we’ve in place for combating the pandemic are the results of fear and vulnerability as a human race. Thanks to the panic resulting from the pandemic, we seem to have either got it wrong or ignored some other pertinent elements we need to seriously consider. Instead of fearing one another, we need to think out; and without the box together and protect each other. Are animals such as chicken, cows, goats and all other animals we daily consume free of Covid-19? Do we close our borders for them not to contaminate us?
Ironically, thanks to the action the authorities once took in Tanzania where animals and even fruits were found to be Covid-19 positive, if truly are, are we safe really? What’s amiss here? Are our systems, instruments or personnel feeble or what? How serious have we taken this? Where are the right answers about this? The independent (May 6th, 2020) cited Tanzania’s President Dr John Pombe Magufuli as saying that “there is something happening. I said before we should not accept that every aid is meant to be good for this nation.” Essentially, Magufuli raise very crucial questions on what should be done to address the problem. Again, was he taken seriously or politicised? Neither the WHO nor any scientific society responded to such suspicion concerning this novel unfolding ‘reality.’ To add salt to injuries, we are now shunning each other for the fear of COVID-19.
My argument is that we need to dig deeper to see if we’re braced for yet a bigger problem so that we can take adequate actions, quickly and timely. For example, some countries have decided to go solo in fighting the pandemic while it unfortunately spreads indiscriminately. I don’t see the so-called developed and wealthy countries playing their roles as world leaders––the role many like to play in political and social matters but not in this foreboding pandemic! Where are the EU and the US in this war? Everybody is locked in his or her jurisdiction as if the pandemic does reciprocate equally and similarly. If wealthy countries are going to maintain their silence in helping poor and more vulnerable countries, their success in cutting down the spread; and thereby eradicating the pandemic in their jurisdictions won’t help anything.
Rich countries need to assume their responsibility accountably instead of working solo. They did the same when Ebola broke in Africa. Instead of concentrating on their jurisdictions, they need to globalize the strategies of combating the pandemic. For example, people with poor health infrastructure need to be helped out. That’s because all humans, thanks to a globalized world, are the members of one village known as earth. This includes even animals and plants. This needs a very cyclic approach that traditional societies apply in responsibly living on this planet. Everything does count; whether we like it or not. This is the only way to go.
In sum, on a country level, authorities need to get act together and tax wealthy citizens in order to raise funds for helping the poor out of the danger. For, if this isn’t done, we’ll all perish foolishly as we helplessly and individually watch. Failure to think out or without a box, we’ll collectively perish. Is the world going to embark on aut vincere aut mori, namely either to conquer or to die? No doubt about this. If anything, Covid-19 provide an opportunity for the world to come together and fight together in order to survive together instead of foolishly and irresponsibly perishing together. Instead of socially distancing ourselves, we need to financially, socially and strategically come together to take on the pandemic collectively.
Source: African Executive Magazine today.
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