DURBAN - As a medical expert warns about the dangers of the Covid-19 third wave Delta variant, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has described the people who gathered in numbers at Nkandla in a show of support for former president Jacob Zuma as “sinners”.
Citing a fear of God’s harsh judgment against him and speaking as an elder, Buthelezi said he felt compelled to make a clarion call against mass gatherings and people’s blatant disregard for masks, as was seen at the Nkandla rallies over the weekend.
His message came shortly after a warning from a clinical risk expert last week, who said that each individual had to take responsibility in order to prevent the third wave of Covid-19 from becoming a tidal wave.
“As someone who has served my country for more than 60 years, I dare not keep silent. I love my country too much to see its future destroyed. I therefore speak today not as a politician, or even as the traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch and nation, but as one of the few remaining elders in our country,” said Buthelezi, who insisted he empathised with Zuma regarding the Constitutional Court case against him.
“There is a … sin being committed at Nkandla, for those who are gathering are doing so at a time when our country faces the worst variant of the coronavirus. We know that the protocols of social distancing and wearing face masks are more important measures to secure our survival than even the injections that people are receiving,” he said.
“Yet when one watches the people congregating at Nkandla, there is barely a face mask in sight. They are jeopardising their lives, and the lives of every one of us in whose midst they are living. That is the greatest irresponsibility of all.
“As one of the few remaining leaders of the generation who fought for freedom, I fear that God will judge me harshly if I keep silent as people destroy this country’s future. They are creating a future of poverty and death for the youth of South Africa. I dare not keep silent,” Buthelezi said.
Medical expert Dr Jacques Snyman said the current spread of the Delta variant demanded urgent action “from every person to help prevent the third wave becoming a tidal wave”.
“Although limited information is available on this variant, indications so far suggest that it can spread much more easily - and it could be 55% to 97% more transmissible than the original strain,” said Snyman.
He suggested safety measures including social distancing, keeping windows open in shared spaces and wearing masks.
“It is important to understand that with the Delta variant, in particular, it appears that the viral particles can remain airborne in an enclosed space, such as a room or vehicle, for many hours, potentially infecting anyone else in that space. It has also been suggested that the quantity of viral particles a person is initially exposed to could influence the severity of Covid-19 illness they will develop, in some cases,” he said.
Contrary to popular belief, Snyman said cold weather did not cause people to develop colds.
“Whether it is a cold, influenza or Covid-19, the viral particles are what causes the illness. If you are in an enclosed area, if you are breathing in air that has a high concentration of these germs, you are much more likely to become ill. Rather let fresh air circulate even if it is cold, wear masks and self-distance if those around you are not keeping a safe social distance.”
THE MERCURY