Dylan Bettencourt
Ukuthelelana nge-Covid-19 eNingizimu Afrika kunyuke ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angama-400 kule nyanga njengoba kukhula ukwesaba kokuthi izwe lingahle lingene egagasini lesine lobhubhane lwe-coronavirus.
Kulandela igagasi lesithathu elinzima elithathe izinyanga zasebusika zaseNingizimu Afrika, ukuthelelana kuqale ukwehla futhi izwe lehliselwa kuzinga lokuqala.
Kodwa njengoba izwe lisondela esikhathini esimatasa sikaZibandlela, leli gciwane seliphinde laqala phansi.
Ukwanda kwezinombolo kuza phakathi kokuhlukahluka okusha okungasiza leli gciwane ukuthi likwazi ukweqa imigomo. Ukuhlukahluka okusha okunenani eliphezulu kakhulu lokuhlukahluka kusanda kutholakala e-Botswana naseNingizimu Afrika. I-Guardian ibika ukuthi kube nezigameko eziyisithupha kuphela zokuhlukahluka kwe-B.1.1.529 kuze kube manje – konke kutholakale eGoli – kodwa kunokukhathazeka kokuthi lokhu kuhlukahluka kungahle kusabalale.
Inyanga iqale kahle, njengoba izwe libhalise isibalo esisha sabantu abayi-106 abathelelene ngegciwane. Kodwa-ke, izibalo zakamuva kusukela ngomhla zingama-23 kuLwezi zikhombisa ukuthi sekubikwe isibalo esisha sabantu abangama-868 abathelelene, okudala ukukhathazeka kwabaningi.
“Siyiqaphile le mikhuba ukuze sibone ukuthi lezi zibalo ziyanyuka yini,” kusho u-Adrien Puren we-National Institute for Communicable Diseases (i-NICD) esitatimendeni.
Isithunzi segagasi lesine le-Covid sisakazeka kulo lonke elaseYurophu, njengoba i-Austria ibe izwe lokuqala kuzwekazi ukuphoqelela umvalelo wezwe lonke kubantu abangagonyiwe ngesonto eledlule.
I-UK ibe nesibalo esisha esingaphezu kwabantu abayizi-500,000 abathelelene emasontweni amabili edlule kuphela, kanti inani labashonile elisemthethweni limi ngaphezu kwabantu abayizi-144,000.
Ngokweminye imininingwane, iNingizimu Afrika ihlaselwe kakhulu yileli gciwane ukudlula noma yiliphi elinye izwe kuzwekazi. Kodwa iNingizimu Afrika nayo inokuqoqwa kwedatha okungcono kakhulu kanye nokuhlaziywa kwelebhu kunamazwe amaningi ase-Afrika, ngakho-ke amanye amazwe amaningi angase enze okubi kakhulu kunalokho okushiwo izibalo.
Izibalo ezisemthethweni zikhomba ukuthi cishe bayizi-90,000 abantu asebebulewe yileli gciwane eNingizimu Afrika. Kodwa sekushone abantu abangaphezu kwabayizi-226,000 kusukela ngoNhlaba ngowezi-2020, ngokusho kwe-Economist.
Ukushona okweqile kuyinani lokushona kwabantu ngaphezu kwesilinganiso saminyaka yonke salelozwe, kanti okwaseNingizimu Afrika kuphezulu kakhulu kune-UK kanye nawo wonke amanye amazwe aseYurophu.
Ngokufanayo ne-Afrika yonkana, ukukhishwa kwemijovo yaseNingizimu Afrika kuhamba kancane futhi kube nezingqinamba esilinganisweni sabo sokuthi kube no-70% wabantu abagonywe ngokugcwele. Kuze kube manje, u-23.5% wabantu usagonywe ngokugcwele.
Ungqongqoshe wezempilo uJoe Phaahla uthe umthelela wegagasi lesine eliqhamukayo uncike ekutheni kuvela uhlobo olusha lwe-Covid-19 kanye nokuhamba kwabantu ngesikhathi samaholidi aseNingizimu Afrika.
Kodwa ukuqhubeka kokwesaba umjovo wokugoma nakho kunomthelela. USolwazi wezempilo emphakathini uJohnny Myers uthe sekuyisikhathi sokuthi abaholi bezenkolo baqale ukuhola umkhankaso wokugoma.
“Kudingeka ukuthi kube nendlela yenqubomgomo yokuzama ukugqugquzela abaholi bezenkolo … abanentshisekelo enkulu yabazalwane babo enhliziyweni,” etshela i-Telegraph.