Discursive Essay ( LO )
The necessity of a lockdown in South Africa
Isabella Rowley
As the world battles the pandemic of Covid-19 there have been various solutions presented to this
crisis. The solution of instituting a national lockdown, was adopted by government of South Africa in
March 2020. This lockdown has not been crucial to the well-being of many South Africans as it fails
to take into account the economic well-being of our country and the mental well-being of it’s citizens.
The starvation epidemic has long plagued the African continent, and greatly effected the people of
South Africa in recent times, due to significant revenue loss as a result of lockdown. On an individual
basis approximately 3 million South Africans have lost their jobs over this period. Furthermore the
people who have had a reduction in income are disproportionately concentrated in the informal labour
market, and are part of disadvantaged groups. This significant loss of income has meant that many
households can only afford little to no food. A shocking 1 in 3 adults surveyed said that they were
going to bed hungry, and 15% of children had gone hungry in the past 7 days. On a national scale,
South Africa’s already struggling economy has further plummeted. The GDP has decreased by over
30% during lockdown. This means less money will be able to be allocated toward education and
health care in the future and the country will have to pay back debt using future tax money, which is
estimated to reduce by R250 billion due to lockdown. This issue could result in the total collapse of
our already dwindling economy, effecting us long into the future. Therefore lockdown has negatively
impacted South Africans by increasing hunger among the people, and creating a situation which we
may never be able to financially recover from, causing poverty in general to become more prominent
in the years to come.
While lockdown focuses on the health of the physical body, it has neglected the health of our minds.
A seeming indefinite number of weeks spent with little to no social contact is not healthy at all, as
human beings are not designed to live in isolation. The drastic change in our lifestyles, and the fear of
the virus instilled into us has led to many people feeling overwhelmed. The South African Depression
and Anxiety Group have received more than double the number of incoming calls during lockdown.
Many callers have expressed their anxiety surrounding gender based violence, feelings of suicide and
financial instability. In an online survey conducted, 65% of respondents claimed to have suffered
from stress during this period. This is especially concerning as when stressed, our body’s immune
system is weakened and we become more susceptible to illness. Not only does this effect our mental
health, but also our physical health during this pandemic, potentially worsening the impact of Covid-
19 on the South African population. This further emphasizes that a national lockdown was not crucial
to the holistic well being of the people.
The necessity of a lockdown in South Africa
Isabella Rowley
As the world battles the pandemic of Covid-19 there have been various solutions presented to this
crisis. The solution of instituting a national lockdown, was adopted by government of South Africa in
March 2020. This lockdown has not been crucial to the well-being of many South Africans as it fails
to take into account the economic well-being of our country and the mental well-being of it’s citizens.
The starvation epidemic has long plagued the African continent, and greatly effected the people of
South Africa in recent times, due to significant revenue loss as a result of lockdown. On an individual
basis approximately 3 million South Africans have lost their jobs over this period. Furthermore the
people who have had a reduction in income are disproportionately concentrated in the informal labour
market, and are part of disadvantaged groups. This significant loss of income has meant that many
households can only afford little to no food. A shocking 1 in 3 adults surveyed said that they were
going to bed hungry, and 15% of children had gone hungry in the past 7 days. On a national scale,
South Africa’s already struggling economy has further plummeted. The GDP has decreased by over
30% during lockdown. This means less money will be able to be allocated toward education and
health care in the future and the country will have to pay back debt using future tax money, which is
estimated to reduce by R250 billion due to lockdown. This issue could result in the total collapse of
our already dwindling economy, effecting us long into the future. Therefore lockdown has negatively
impacted South Africans by increasing hunger among the people, and creating a situation which we
may never be able to financially recover from, causing poverty in general to become more prominent
in the years to come.
While lockdown focuses on the health of the physical body, it has neglected the health of our minds.
A seeming indefinite number of weeks spent with little to no social contact is not healthy at all, as
human beings are not designed to live in isolation. The drastic change in our lifestyles, and the fear of
the virus instilled into us has led to many people feeling overwhelmed. The South African Depression
and Anxiety Group have received more than double the number of incoming calls during lockdown.
Many callers have expressed their anxiety surrounding gender based violence, feelings of suicide and
financial instability. In an online survey conducted, 65% of respondents claimed to have suffered
from stress during this period. This is especially concerning as when stressed, our body’s immune
system is weakened and we become more susceptible to illness. Not only does this effect our mental
health, but also our physical health during this pandemic, potentially worsening the impact of Covid-
19 on the South African population. This further emphasizes that a national lockdown was not crucial
to the holistic well being of the people.
