But Seriously

We all want to do our part to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Well,  maybe I should say my family and I do. After all, some people in Africa south of the Sahara have diligently demonstrated that they believe they are immune from infection. They defy all instructions and advice about social distancing and improved hygiene habits. These are neighbours, community members and total strangers who seemingly get a kick out of duping the authorities who advise against certain behaviour. However, without wasting much of your precious time (you might be anxious to watch reruns of your favourite soapie or hit thé streets once again, to wrestle with security forces who want you to die of old age and not be killed by COVID-19), let me get to the point. It's high time, you say?  I totally agree. My main concern is the now fashionable use of masks, supposedly to prevent the spread of the virus. This is the latest advice to come from those who have been telling us to wash our hands ...

A hungry man is an angry man. I may still be in the Workers' Day mood but this is not me chanting some EFF or SMAWU slogan. This is me observing how the COVID-19 nightmare has made angry people out of many emaSwati (I wonder what is wrong with saying Swatis. After all,  we were simply Swazis not too long ago and nobody complained). Anyway, let me conform, lest I be labelled Mr-know-it-all once again. Yes,  it has happened before. I am actually getting used to it. In fact, it is what keeps me going. A hungry man is an angry man but apparently, a hungry woman is angrier.  She will shout at government officials, NGO workers,  journalists and even curious passers-by. I have seen women in places like the slummy Alexiandra, near Johannesburg in South Africa shouting and demanding food from private donors or government workers sent to help mitigate hunger pangs brought about by effects of the coronavirus lockdowns. No, I was not in the republic. This is just one of the be...