EDITORIAL
Social media is not always a good and reliable source of factual information.
But the 3-minute video clip currently trending – asking if we are doing enough with the fight the Covid-19 pandemic – is food for thought.
The footage questions the government’s wisdom in closing bottle stores, churches and schools, but allowing funerals and the public transport to continue with their business.
“The government has identified funerals as super-spreaders of infections, yet still allows 50 people to attend. The government calls for zero attendance in churches. It calls for zero attendance in shebeens and bottle stores. It calls for zero attendance at schools. It calls for zero attendance at sporting events,” says the footage.
It goes on to say: “But you have left one back window wide open.”
It rightfully questions the treatment of funerals with sympathy when we have a crisis on our hands, saying while we do not want to offend the bereaved families and those in mourning, the pandemic does not reciprocate the respect.
The footage says that if the funeral issue is not addressed now, it will wipe out entire families. It makes a call for further reduction of attendees and mourners at funerals.
It also questions burying our loved ones with dignity while the coronavirus continues to treat us with indignity and disdain, wreaking havoc in its deadly trail.
The footage poignantly questions the enjoyment of glamour and luxury at funerals while the same has been prohibited when it comes to bottle stores, churches and schools.
It says that for as long as funerals are given a business-as-usual ticket, we will have more funerals.
While the footage accepts the preservation of African traditions as pertains to funerals, it similarly cautions that we might end up with no one to preserve those traditions.
“We should radically change the way we bury our loves ones, otherwise we will die in a radical way,” it admonishes.
In the end, the footage observes, church leaders die after attending funerals, not churches, adding that we have not done enough to to arrest the spread of infections when we have left the back windows open.
It would be folly to dismiss this social media warning.
The Star