There’s very little that shocks or surprises an old journo.
After the first few years of being stunned and disturbed by the stupidity, malice, evil and cruelty people are capable of, only the most horrific stories stir more than a shake of a head. Last week, after nearly 40 years in the business, it happened. Seven pictures taken in Durban by our enormously talented photographer Shelley Kjonstad, were so shocking I knew we could never publish them.
As with any responsible, reputable publication, the paper is very aware of the power of the press.
Even with social media’s (largely unfiltered) stream of information (or disinformation), many people believe “if it’s in the paper, it’s true”. We were told, at a recent gathering of matric learners waiting to buy the paper to check exam results, that they had to “see it in the paper”.
The pictures were not of yet another shooting or stabbing that South Africans are so used to. Or, another daily South African story, a fatal and bloody road accident with bodies strewn about, or a rage-filled protest or demonstration.
It was a scene of happy, smiling people in the CBD.
Before today’s one-year anniversary of our first Covid Level Five lockdown, we were gathering stories about the 12 months that had passed.
Our popular Then & Now feature was the focus of this set of pictures. Last year, on the first day of lockdown, one of our favourite pictures was of a man sitting near a brown-bagged bottle on a bus bench who looked like he had passed out and missed the last bus. He was alone and unaware that Shelley had taken the picture. His face was not visible and the caption said he was asleep.
For the planned Now picture, we went to the same bench area and snapped the offending pictures. The seven photographs included 32 people. Only one of the 32 was wearing a mask. One.
Three had one around their necks, and one had one dangling from an ear, but the rest had none. There was zero physical distancing. The pictures looked like they had been taken in December 2019.
Since Covid, pictures we have taken and published (except for file pictures) have had subjects smiling with their eyes because their mouths and noses were masked. Our masked and sanitised team tries to set up “outside” photographs and “distanced”, phone and email interviews.
As of Thursday’s Health Ministry report, we have had 1 541 563 cases with 52 535 deaths. We mourn family, friends and colleagues.
Just 220 129 health workers had been vaccinated, not exactly a tsunami of a vaccination.
The high recovery rate of 95% does not tell us how many long haulers are suffering. We are hearing scientific concern about variants and third waves, especially with the long weekend just passed and the Easter weekend coming up.
We’re astonished that we still have to do this, after a year of suffering, frustration, isolation, education and pleading.
But, once again, we plead with you to mask, wash, sanitise and keep your distance. This virus is not going away soon and we must learn to live with it, or – for many – not live at all.
- Lindsay Slogrove is the news editor
The Independent on Saturday