Much has been said about how different world leaders have responded to the global Covid-19 pandemic, with some faring better than others in the public eye.
While there is criticism of US President Donald Trump for bizarre statements and poor choices, others have done much better.
Consider the praise for prompt actions by South Korea’s Moon Jae-in, New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern or Germany’s Angela Merkel, among others, whose adoption of strict lockdown, testing and clear messaging have helped to win citizens over and contain the spread of the disease in their countries.
Fortunately for us, President Cyril Ramaphosa finds himself in the latter category, with rapid and decisive action based on scientific advice and tailored to local circumstances receiving well deserved support.
An HSRC study shows that, in the main, South Africans have adhered to the lockdown, going out only for essentials, with 20% of respondents claiming not to have left home at all during the past five weeks.
As we move soon from level 5 to level 4 restrictions, where certain sectors are allowed to return to work, we still cannot afford to relax the rest of the restrictions. This brings us to another aspect to the response to Covid-19 that leaders must be mindful of, and that is the mood of the public.
There is evidence of ordinary people becoming restless, not only with restrictions on their personal movement, but the impact that the lockdown has had on their earning capacity and being able to buy food to feed their families.
At the same time there is confusion over what exactly the new regulations are, and fear that once people start moving around in numbers infection rates will soar, and the gains achieved through our combined sacrifice will be lost.
With the change in the status of lockdown it is vital that information and messaging is clear and convincing, compassionate and not condescending. For this, government must select its best messengers or it runs the risk of losing the support of the public for this important cause.
The Mercury