It has been over 3 months since the lockdown was first declared and more than the uncertainty it has brought to people, it has left people with anxiety and fear of what will become of them after the pandemic. Most of the people around the township depend on the trading services and handwork; seeing what the upheaval the lockdown has brought, regulations have left most people without any source of income. Government promised to help by issuing Relief Grants, but not everyone qualifies for it, especially people who do not have South African Identity Documents (IDs). Many of those who do have IDs and have applied and are still waiting for the grant.
While the number of infections is on the rise daily and Johannesburg is seeing a sharp rise in infections, many of the city’s infected people are among the many people who are trying to go out to find means to provide for their families. Poverty has always been a problem in South Africa and during this time, the inequality we have among the rich and poor communities is shown very clearly.
When the poor are worried about where the next meal will come from, the rich are worried about building the economy but they are able to do that from home. The Working Class is facing a challenge of keeping their jobs to maintain their families.
People from the townships have to depend on the Government for basic services but are faced with poor service delivery. People spend long hours in long queues to access services such a healthcare, they experience water cutoffs and load shedding. At the moment nothing is being done or said about the challenges Working Class people are facing with and the fact that they are not receiving quality services from the state.
Nothing has changed to help overcome the tough living conditions of the poor. The inequality is visible on a daily basis, from the education system, to unemployment and the struggle of putting food on the table. Many of those who still have jobs live in fear of getting retrenchment notices as well as getting infected with the virus. The conditions of the Working Class is worsening.
This article was submitted on 16 July 2020. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
