It is dismaying and discouraging that most people are focusing on post-Covid-19 while ignoring now. What if there is not post-Covid-19? Will life stop while we wait for the next two years for Covid-19 to dissipate?
I mean, the influenza pandemic of 1918 lasted for more than a year during which it killed about 50 million people across the world.
So what if Covid-19 decided to stay a little longer? Will people’s lives be suspended until then simply because we are waiting for post-Covid-19?
The figures given by the finance minister Ipumbu Shiimi that Namibia is losing N$2 billion per week because of closed businesses should be enough to jerk up people into finding solutions to deal with such a leak now and not post-Covid-19.
If anything, people want solutions now and post-Covid-19 must wait.
How sure are we that the coronavirus will decide to die within the next few weeks or even months?
So those focusing on post-Covid-19 would rather wait coronavirus out for them to put solutions on the table?
Hundreds of people have already lost jobs. Their families face hunger. The future is bleak. Imagine how discouraging it is for them to be told that solutions will only come post-Covid-19?
It is clear that African governments do not have the capacity to feed all the people for a prolonged Covid-19 period.
It is also clear that African governments need to consider treating Covid-19 as a lasting pandemic that may not end any time soon. In which case, it is very imperative that solutions are needed right now to deal with the problem before it perpetuates.
Namibia for example, with the stagnant figures so far, a lot can be done to get the industries going while keeping the desired caution.
Take agriculture for example, one wonders why nothing is being done to start producing food using the green schemes where there already is some infrastructure?
One also wonders why the newly appointed minister Calle Schlettwein has been terribly quiet on what he intends to do with this especially important sector.
There is no reason for Namibia to be importing food any more given that the Zambezi, Kavango East and West and other parts of the country can be utilised throughout the year in producing food.
There is also no reason why the fisheries sector cannot be opened while observing the desired cautionary measures.
Just why is the fisheries minister Albert Kawana silent about this sector that earns the country foreign currency? Of course, the international borders are closed and this should give Namibia any opportunity to turn inwards and build at home.
Namibia’s economy, just like any other economy on the African continent, is very fragile. Any prolonged decimation will have an everlasting impact that will take generations to recover from.
This is the reason why solutions are needed for yesterday rather than looking at the unknown post-Covid-19 period.
Post-Covid-19 is another country. What we have now is the country we should save. Nobody knows what lies beyond Covid-19.
This necessitates that any right-thinking person must think about today rather than an unknown future.
Of what use will it be for us to plan for post-Covid-19 when we are not sure if the people we mean to save would still be alive?
Africa must start changing its way of doing business and planning. This relaxed approach based on what goes on elsewhere may not be what we need right now.
Our coronavirus situation is different considering the low numbers of cases. Instead of taking advantage of the low numbers of cases, African government are locking themselves down while waiting for the future to happen. The future is right here and now. Whatever solution there is must be for here and now. Let tomorrow take care of itself.
*Wonder Guchu is the author of The Gods Sleep Through It All and other five books. He holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability from the University of Cumbria. Currently, he is the Eagle FM station manager. These are his views.
