Page 71 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 6

FEATURES
n this period, as the (mod-
ern?) world grapples with
the corona virus conundrum,
Iall skeptics, doubters and
believers have a live example
of what life under the Antichrist
would look like. If you have
ever had a challenge visual-
izing what it would mean that
you cannot buy or sell without
the name, the number or the
mark of the beast and thought,
‘hmm, what would that be like?’
You probably imagined some
dystopian world in which wars
had torn through nations, the
sky was grey, the earth charred
and the clothes the people were
wearing, dull and ugly. At least
that’s how things tend to be
depicted in most of these apoc-
alyptic movies.
If you have a broader imagina-
tion, you may have imagined
things as they are now. One
day you were heading to the
office, listening to your favorite
radio station and hooting at the
car in front of you, and the next
day everything was on lock-
down ‘for the greater good’.
Things literally changing by the
minute, today you have to sani-
tize or wash your hands in order
to buy and sell, tomorrow you
have to wear a mask – particu-
larly in light of the signs outside
supermarkets saying “You are
prohibited to enter these prem-
ises unless you’re wearing a
mask.” For the greater good.
Suddenly families are contem-
plating a future without a reg-
ular income, while others are
facing it head on, having had a
family member laid off recently.
Churches are staring in dismay
at empty coffers and govern-
ments are freaking out trying to
figure out how to ‘keep things
running’ while they make people
earn less day by day. Suddenly
supply chains are struggling in
www.msingiafrikamagazine.com
the face of increased restric-
tions and once assured imports
of necessities and luxuries are
called into question. Just like
that, suddenly, the whole world
changed – and it happened
right before our eyes.
For the eye-rollers in the room,
you’re probably saying to your-
self, it’s just a global pandemic,
or like the New York Governor,
you’re saying God had nothing
to do with the numbers coming
down; it was simply a matter of
following procedure. Everything
will return to normal after this. Companies have received
But will it?
This situation has had the glob-
al equivalent of a slap in the
face by someone you trusted.
The next time you have an
interaction with them, you’re
watching their hands to see
what they’re doing with them.
Suspiciously.
International relations have
been strained with accusa-
tions and counter-accusations
and one nation in particular in
danger of losing its global man-
ufacturing status as countries
wake up to the vulnerability of
globalization and outsourced
production. Immigration policy
has been challenged greatly by
borders being shut down with
visitors within national bound- when. Patients are refusing
aries staying ‘beyond’ their
visa periods. Obviously, the
so-called almighty immigration
officers who take joy in under-
mining anyone trying to step
into their “sovereign” nation are
all hiding behind face masks at
home, running from an invis-
ible virus, just like the rest of
the world. Offices shut down.
Prisons policy has been chal-
lenged by the sudden release
of prisoners in various countries
before their terms were up.
Policy and security has been
challenged by all this anonymity
heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika
created by mandatory mask
wearers. Personal freedoms
have been challenged by lock-
ing up healthy and unhealthy
people in their homes, arresting
them for being outside even
while alone and sending them
into forced quarantine facilities
even while healthy. Business
policy has been challenged by
(sometimes) hefty reductions in
prices of products and services.
Taxation has been challenged
by the reduction in mandato-
ry taxes charged to citizens.
financial stimuli in order not to
shut down. Employers are tak-
ing pay cuts in order to sustain
their work forces. Churches,
mosques and temples have
been challenged by a restric-
tion on large public gatherings.
Families have been challenged
by actually having to spend all
day with each other – or weeks
apart due to quarantine and
travel restrictions. Hollywood
and the entertainment industry
have experienced a major slow
down in production. Live sports
events have shut down. Travel
and tour industries have – well,
you know. Health sectors are
choosing which patients should
arrive at their facilities and
to go to hospitals. Politicians
are unable to gather or trav-
el unnecessarily as they are
accustomed to. Parliament is
gathered in masks and gloves.
News media, well, they’re kind
of doing what they usually
do, trashing or supporting the
incumbent leader depending on
who owns them just that their
content has shifted quite a lot
from the norm. Neighbors have
become spies, reporting on one
another in case they see any-
one flouting the new regulations
that have been put in place.
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