Market research and strategy group Foshizi provides insight into how the national lockdown has impacted some of South Africa’s poorest and most vulnerable communities living in townships – and how life has changed for them.<\/p>\n
Researchers conducted interviews in Alexandra, Mamelodi, Soweto, Cosmo City, Tembisa, Tswelopele, Honeydew Informal Settlement and KwaDabeka, over the first 21 days of the national lockdown.<\/p>\n
Reflecting much of the media reports at the time, for many of the township communities, the lockdown was more of a ‘soft lockdown’ in these areas – not because of ill discipline or out of a sense of defiance, but rather because of limited options and necessity.<\/p>\n
Foshizi highlighted three primary reasons why individuals in townships did not abide by the country’s lockdown rules.<\/p>\n
Firstly, the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic did not hit home for many, who did not fully understand how the virus spreads.<\/p>\n
Secondly, living in lockdown simply wasn’t feasible for many.<\/p>\n
“Hunger, which is a grim reality for many South African\u2019s, is forcing the poor out of their homes in search of food or opportunities to earn money to feed their families,” the group said.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, many living in townships believe that Covid-19 is no more hazardous than their daily realities.<\/p>\n
“If anything, the lockdown feels unnecessarily oppressive (to them),” the researchers noted.<\/p>\n
Based on the findings, Foshizi said it is clear that social distancing and lockdown in townships is a pipe dream. It is happening, as best as residents can manage, but the tight restrictions are more applicable to middle-class families in\u00a0 less densely populated areas.<\/p>\n
So what has changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite the apparent failure to fully lockdown like other sectors of society, there have been some big changes to township life, Foshizi said. In other ways, things have not changed at all.<\/p>\n Families, which can number has high as nine people in a single dwelling, are socially distant from those they do not know or trust – even if they are not practising social distancing among themselves. They continue to socialise with neighbours and friends, however.<\/p>\n With no work, and nothing to do, people watch more TV and sit on social media. Everyone is glued to the news, waiting for more information. Social media is now used to keep in contact with friends and family, the report found.<\/p>\n Shopping habits have also changed, with men now volunteering to venture out to the shops, to bear the risk of exposure. Those living in townships do not have the luxury of hoarding or stockpiling, and now buy items that have multiple uses or can last longer.<\/p>\n According to the researchers, spaza shops and informal traders have been hit hardest by the lockdown rules, as people move to larger retailers where they can buy in bulk, and at a discount. Street vendors (of which there are approximately 1.1 million in the country) have suffered the most, also losing customers to bigger retailers.<\/p>\n The ban on the sale of alcohol and cigarettes, has pushed people towards soft drinks. Township residents reported anger and frustration at the loss of these items for sale, and also reported mounting stress as a result. People are now sharing cigarettes.<\/p>\n Reports of overnight criminality has increased as people get more desperate, the report found.<\/p>\n Informal creches are suffering, as parents are now home to look after their children – but even schools are losing out as budgets are reprioritised to basic needs. Parents choose feeding their children over educational needs.<\/p>\n One of the biggest changes is with funerals, with government’s hard limit on the number of people who can attend a funeral, and prohibiting the handling of corpses, meaning a lot of traditional measures are now off the table, and mourning procedures have to change drastically.<\/p>\n
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