Pandemic: a student media perspective

PANDEMIC

EDITORIAL

Kayla Thomas Sam Mukwamu Susanna Anbu Kristin de Decker Dani van der Horst Caitlyn Walsh Leah Rees Giovanna Bruna-Zita Janos Adivhaho Maphwanya Marren McKay Tshepang Rihlampfu Marné Swanepoel Tacita Black Carel Willemse

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Next: From the Editor

The

History of PDBY

BY KENDRA CONNOCK

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n 1939, five students met in the Theology Building of the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield Campus. Working on a borrowed typewriter, they put together the first ever edition of ‘Die Perdeby’, a student newspaper which would continue long after they graduated, and see every triumph and disappointment that UP endured over the next eight decades. The “vyf liberaliste” (or five liberalists) as they called themselves, succeeded where others had failed; in creating a coherent attempt at a student newspaper for the UP population. The newspaper was popular with the students and when the first editorial was appointed, the SRC took responsibility for the fledging publication and supported the continued publishing of campus news in this format. So began the legacy of PDBYMedia.

In 1944, the newspaper underwent its first name change; now dubbed Die Nuwe Perdeby, the paper reopened following a paper shortage related to the Second World War. 1956 saw the paper updating to a tabloid format, the same format that is used and printed today. The publication has evolved from Die Perdeby, to Die Nuwe Perdeby, to Perdeby, and now PDBY. Whichever name it goes by, the University of Pretoria’s resident newspaper has persisted through questions of its relevance and multiple attempts to shut it down; having been labelled an SRC mouthpiece, a campus watchdog, and almost everything in between.

More recently, the newspaper has turned toward embracing the digital age. In 1990, PDBY became the first student newspaper in South Africa to become completely computerised and in 1998 the publication’s dedicated website was launched.

The dawn of the social media revolution was also taken in stride, with a Facebook page and Twitter account launched in 2009 and 2010 respectively. In 2012, PDBY (and its elusive gossip-column, Pssst…) moved into the Opt’hoek building adjacent to the Prospect Street entrance on Hatfield Campus. Everadapting to the changes that the modernworld brings, front page news on 15 October 2018 was that the newspaper would be changing its name; and on the 29 October 2018, the first freshlybranded edition of PDBY hit the pathways of campus.

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PDBY (formerly Perdeby) is a valuable research tool because of its long period of circulation beginning in 1939 and appearing either fortnightly or monthly. This paper represents the student voice as it is written and read by the students (and many others) and has always focused on the student perspectives. It provides a social commentary on life at UP throughout the university’s history. Information and photographs in the PDBY/Perdeby often gives a unique glimpse on the institution›s history, a view that is not always recorded in UP’s formal history. While student views have changed drastically over the past century, it is interesting to note that there are recurring themes in the paper that include not only parking issues and money woes, but also political concerns and social struggles. The UP Archives’s collection of this student paper spans from the first edition (1939) to the current print edition of 2020. Local and international researchers have used and still use the PDBY/Perdeby to supplement their research on the institution›s history. To assist researchers and provide a fast turn around time for requests Ms Pretorius-Nel from the UPA, is busy with the inventorising and scanning of each article in the newspaper. To date 1939 to 1981 has been digitized and is available on request: archives@up.ac.za

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From the UP archivists…

Pandemic: A student media perspective

Selected moments from UP’s history, as covered in PDBY

UP’s History The University of Pretoria (or more specifically, its students) have been making news for decades. Let’s take a look at some selected moments from the past decade.

Snapshots…

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he front page of the edition dated 16 May 2011 displayed a photograph of two former-UP students and their bright red parachutes as they base jumped from the Humanities Building. In August of 2011, mysterious foot and pawprints began appearing along the pathways of Hatfield campus. PDBY reported that these painted tracks were the beginning of fitness routes on campus, of varying distances, for use by students and faculty for exercise purposes.

Early 2012 saw some visitors coming to UP; this included the presence of two streakers at a Varsity Cup game in February, and a very special delivery of 2000 cans of Red Bull by helicopter onto Hatfield Campus. May 2012 was also the month that Tuks Gmail was launched, beginning the era of the studentnumber@tuks email addresses we use today.

In 2014, PDBY reported that the so-called “Tukkie Rapist” who attacked a 22-year-old student, had been sentenced to life in prison. October of 2014 saw news of the infamous Hatfield Square’s closure, as well as the end of a long-held University of Pretoria tradition known as “Pot en Pons”.

UP began 2015 with two moves toward further technological development with the launch of a new website in February, and the opening of the MakerSpace in the Merensky Library in March.

In April of 2016, the University of Pretoria celebrates its 250 000th graduate and in July of the same year the university announces its pursuit of a new language policy, stating that in 2017 the university will be exclusively English.

In 2017, UP implements a fingerprint access system to be used in addition to the use of personal student cards.

In August, builders broke ground at the UP Javett Art Centre.

2018 saw its own changes with news that Residences would be renamed and campus watering hole Oom Gert’s would be closed to make way for a new study centre. In October of that year, the publication was officially changed from Perdeby to PDBY and a new design was revealed.

UP continued to make news and blaze new trails with a livestream of the first ever image of a black hole in 2019 and the qualification of the university’s youngest ever LLD graduate, Dr Marko Svicevic (one of PDBY’s own journalists and section editors) in 2020.

BOMBS and bomb threats In 1980, a bomb explodes on the 17th floor of the Humanities Building, causing an estimated R5000 worth of damage.

In 1987, several bombs were found on UP campuses. Finally, in 1994, a bomb threat was called in, and ultimately no explosives were found.

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The History of PDBY

As seen in PDBY "Just because student journalism isn’t BIG journalism, doesn’t mean it’s not good journalism" – Beyers de Vos

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It remains to be seen if ‘vaping’ will replace the traditional cigarette as we know them, however, it is clear that e-cigarettes are on the rise

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The first major bill attempting to legalise the sale of marijuana was presented to parliament in February. MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini approached parliament earlier this year proposing a bill that allowed the sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

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In an interview in the run up to the 2011 elections, then-DA frontwoman Helen Zille says “It’s our goal to have the national government by 2019”

Snapshots…

“This election will spell the end of smaller parties and it is now clear that the race in future will be between the ANC and the DA with COPE in a distant third”

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CAMPUS POLITICS

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The publication has tracked national news and events as they impact student politics and student culture

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he University of Pretoria represents a microcosm of South African society, where politics and ideologies coexist and clash within the bounds of the university’s campuses. In 2015, political fervour spread across campuses nationwide, taking the form of hashtags like #TuksSoWhite and #RhodesMustFall. University politics became heated when former rival groups EFFSC-UP, Afriforum, and SASCO banded together to challenge the primary results of the 2015 SRC election. Their pleas were heard and in October 2015 it was announced that a re-election would take place for the positions of SRC President and Deputy President.

14 October 2015 was the beginning of a nationwide movement that would later become known as #FeesMustFall. 15 000 students from various institutions marched to the Union Buildings to hand in a memorandum regarding the fee increases in South African universities. UP staff protested in early 2016 against the level of outsourcing taking place in the workforce of the university’s maintenance staff, security staff, and more. The next week, the EFFSC-UP disrupted lectures in protest of students being excluded from residence placements. Campus politics turned violent in February 2016 when clashes took place on Hatfield Campus regarding the university’s language policies. 2016 ended on a tumultuous note with UP campuses shutting down for over a month due to protest actions, and exams taking place online. 567 people were arrested over the course of the #FeesMustFall protests.

PDBY, then Perdeby, covered the protests extensively and offered exclusive insight to the exchanges on UP's campuses. The unique vantage point of being a media house with access to campus and students resulted in live and action-packed coverage of the 2015 and 2016 protests. The next time students would rally around a cause so potently came in 2019 when South African universities stood in solidarity against Gender Based Violence in the country.

Classes were suspended for two days after 2019 SRC president David Kabwa voiced student demands for days of mourning for Uyinene Mrwetyana. PDBY offered live and continuous coverage of the protests around Hatfield Campus, and updates on UP's response to students. Again, PDBY's position as student media offered a unique and intimate insight into student activism and their grief and anger at GBV on and around UP campuses.

A Pandemic and its

Pandemic: A student media perspective

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ears before ‘coronavirus’ was the word on everyone’s lips, PDBY was reporting on issues of public health and reviewing movies that are eerily similar to life in 2020. Student journalist, Lusanda Futshane, reviewed the movie Contagion in an October 2011 edition of PDBY, writing “What if Ebola, SARS, or swine flu got out of hand?”. According to Futshane, the most difficult part of watching Contagion is “watching the world plummet into chaos in such a plausible way for two hours and then leaving the cinema nerve-wracked, trying to accept it was all fiction”. In the early days of South Africa’s strict national lockdown, DSTV put Contagion on a Catch Up playlist titled “What to watch in lockdown: Day x”. The most uncomfortable thing about watching Contagion in this context was that what was happening on screen was much closer to our reality at the time than we would like to imagine. In 2013, Marko Svicevic wrote a piece on a coronavirus running rampant in the Middle East at the time: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (or MERS).

Many at the time were concerned at the prospect of this disease going global and causing a pandemic, and Svicevic wrote on how to be prepared should the worst occur. MERS ended up being contained with a few flare up outbreaks in recent years. A year after the MERS article, PDBY published about the Ebola outbreak taking over Western Africa. Questions once again rose over the possibility of a global pandemic, this time with significantly more fear due to the highly fatal nature of the Ebola virus. Once again, the virus was mainly contained and (although Western Africa continued to suffer the effects of the virus long after it left headlines) the rest of the world was left largely unscathed by the virus. In February 2016, the Zika virus was declared a “global health emergency”. The mosquito transmitted disease appeared to be another threat to global security but quickly disappeared from daily coverage as it became apparent that it would not affect the Western world as badly as mainstream media anticipated. In March 2018, South Africans stared down the barrel of a Listeria outbreak, something that had us questioning our cold meats for months to follow. In May of 2019, an outbreak of measles reignited the vaccination debate and it seemed as though the world may be ill-fated should we ever face another pandemic, simply due to the vast number of people who would refuse vaccination.

PDBY made its first mention of COVID-19 on 10 February 2020, about two months after the first cases surfaced in China’s Wuhan province. This edition contained an infographic showing a comparison of figures from the “Wuhan coronavirus” and the H1N1 flu of a few years prior. At the time, a mere 34 963 cases of COVID-19 had been recorded globally. If this was like any of the diseases previously thought to have pandemic potential, reporting would soon start to fizzle out.

As it turns out, this was nothing like anything we’d seen before. By 9 March, South Africa had recorded its first case and PDBY reported UP was to suspend the use of biometric access systems.

Life changed as we were required to rethink hygiene and public sanitisation, and take on new public health guidelines. When the PDBY staff collected their packs of newspapers to distribute on 9 March, none of us could predict it would be our last in-print paper for the year. UP wrapped up classes for the quarter early and told students they’d be back after Easter. By the end of March, the country went into a strict 21 day lockdown, and it was apparent that students wouldn’t be back on campus for some time and PDBY was required to adapt. On 6 April, PDBY published its first exclusively digital edition for students to be able to read it from home. PDBY is not only the oldest and the largest student newspaper in the country, it is also the only student newspaper in the country to continue publishing during level 5 of the lockdown. As publishing continues admidst the pandemic, it is evident that very little will stop PDBY from bringing out new editions for students to read (come rain, shine, or unprecedented global pandemic).

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The History of PDBY

FROM PREVOUS editors

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here’s nothing quite like seeing someone reading something you poured a lot of blood, sweat, tears and wine into. I will always treasure my time at PDBY. It’s where I met some of my best friends, and learnt some of my important lessons.

From the fun of socials and camps to the stress of juggling studying and newspaper duties and wrapping up editions on Friday afternoons, the newspaper shows the power of bringing a diverse group of people together.

Giving students a voice and a platform to use that voice was a privilege, and I’m so proud of where the current leadership team has taken the newspaper.

Maxine Twaddle Editor 2014

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t’s been over 80 years since Perdeby first hit the streets, and what a resilient publication it is. Perdeby has survived through times that have certainly been difficult for South Africa; from the rise and fall of apartheid, the ushering in of a new dispensation, and all the difficulties since. COVID-19 is the new challenge, and like everything else, the publication will experience it’s own pains brought on by the pandemic. What makes Perdeby special, and the secret to why I believe it will always live on, is the people behind the pages. Those journalists, photographers, layout artists, copy editors, multimedia boffins, and of course, the stellar editorial teams. Behind the pages are living, breathing people full of creativity, courage and ingenuity, who give their hearts and souls to running a publication that never gives up. I remember in my years the way our team chased the news without fear or favour, publishing the truth at all costs. The next time you pick up a Perdeby, or PDBY as it’s now evolved into, remember that you’re holding in your hands a piece of UP history, put together by some of the brightest young minds on campus.

Huvasan Reddy Editor 2017

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y time at the newspaper was characterised by protest. FeesMustFall 2015 and 2016 as well as the AfrikaansMustFall protest established my team and Perdeby as a trustworthy news source on and off campus.

The editorial were phenomenally brave as they faced (and were hit with) rubber bullets and tear gas, just to bring accurate news to our readers. It wouldn’t be a reach to say that what my team achieved inspired many others after them. You can still see this legacy today in socially aware reporting PDBY is known for.

Michal Linden Editor 2015 and 2016

Illustrations: Promise Zulu

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Pandemic: A student media perspective

ollowing the FMF and AMF protests, things around campus started to change. During my time as editor, we saw closer looks at the policies and practices of the university and student politics. Perdeby took on student politics and asked for accountability from the members of the campus political elite without fear or favour.

We also started handing out copies of the newspaper conveniently directly to our readers.

During this time, so much changed. Old residence traditions disappeared over night — sometimes in great shame and controversy — and so did the identities of the residences at UP. I remember the big news of Vividus Men/ Dregeana changing their name and the wide acceptance and positivity that came with it.

In 2018 we decided to open talks of our own name change. The entire staff of Perdeby sat in a room at Loskop Dam when I broke the news to them, and we ended up spending hours debating this serious decision.

My predecessor, Huvasan, started this thing where we would publish some news from some old editions of the newspaper. I continued this in my time, trying to write some history in each issue for our 80th anniversary. Learning this history, seeing all the generations of people asking hard questions and pushing the boundaries of independent student journalism blew me away, and led to many sleepless nights about the change in store for us.

At the end of the day, and after many meetings with the editorial, the name we settled on was PDBYMedia. PDBY would continue, hopefully carrying some of its history, but with a new identity that could easily fit into today’s world. Our hope at the time was that PDBY would continue to grow and remain as a space for students to get their news, and for a space for like minded people to practice what they love.

Shaun Sproule Editor 2018 and 2019

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PTuks brought the Varsity Cup home in 2012 and 2013; the winning energy continued with UP winning the University Athletics Championship.

Cas TuksSport has seen its fair share te A kan r Sem of talented athletes including Ler i Sim enya rugby players like Bongi Gift oux H bane Mbonambi, the Kriel brothers, Car Leotl amma Warrick Gelant, and Handre n We ina H ela Pollard. Tuks claimed o n r d aN n victory in the Varsity el Cricket Championship in 2015, 2016, and 2018. UP athlete Akani Simbane set a personal best in May 2015 before going on to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. 2017 was a winning year for the athletics team at the Varsity Athletics Championship, the rugby team at the Varsity Cup, as well as Tuks Camerata at the Grand Prix of Nations. 2019 saw Tuks Karate win gold at the Commonwealth Games and the Netball team took home the win in the Varsity Netball Tournament. TuksSport came to a grinding halt in 2020 with the postponement of varsity sports due to the suspension of on-campus activities and a nationwide lockdown to manage the spread of COVID-19.

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Caster Semenya Akani Simbane Leroux Hamman Gift Leotlela Carina Horn Wenda Nel

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Photographs: Top - provided by UP Archives Bottom - Wenda Nel, photographed by Reg Caldecott

T U K S S P O R T

Photographs provided

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The History of PDBY

PDBY AND the UP Archives

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Image provided Sian Pretorius-Nel ditigising an issue of Perdeby.

ian Pretorius-Nel walked into the UP Archives on 5 August 2009 as a student assistant working on a project which sorted, filed, and alphabetised archival records which dated back to the university’s inception in 1908 and, in her own words, she “never left”. Her cultural-history background and the fact that she is bilingual made her wellsuited to the mammoth task of digitising nearly 8 decades worth of PDBY newspapers. With a dictionary by her side, Pretorius-Nel began with the first editions of the newspaper (known as Die Perdeby) which date back to 1939. Each article is read and important key words are identified, which are then entered into a database alongside that edition’s publication date, volume and issue number, page numbers, and the headline of the article. This project allows for digital versions of the papers to be created, safeguarding decades of history, and also creates a wealth of information which can be accessed by researchers worldwide. The same newspaper that Pretorius-Nel would page through as a first-year day-student in 2007 is now a part of her daily life at the archives as she wades through years of newspapers, documenting some of the most important moments captured in the pages of PDBY. UP’s student newspaper has always represented the voice and views of its students and has acted as a platform for students to freely express themselves and their opinions. The pages of PDBY are an excellent record of the feelings and sentiments of the students at UP at various points in history.

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The content of the newspaper can be seen as a sign of the times, in more ways than one. Not only does it reflect insight into student life at specific times, it also reflects historical circumstances and the way they affected the publication of the newspaper. Several attempts were made throughout the years to censor the content of PDBY; indicative of the apartheid-era policies and the limits placed on the freedom of the press. In the early 1980s, the SRC had a special publications portfolio whose authority allowed for the censorship of content in the student newspaper. There is information contained within PDBY which is still of interest and readable today, and will be for decades to come. Some of this information cannot be found anywhere else in the archive’s collections, such as information and photos from the Faculty of Humanaties’ inception.

In terms of the content of the paper over its decades-long lifespan, Pretorius-Nel says “what matters to students rarely changes”. Most editions of the newspaper are likely to have articles on RAG, Spring Day, exams, reviews of the popular music and television of the time, student affairs and SRC elections, relationships, and advertisements for events which may interest students. The details of each of these may be vastly different over the years, but what students liked in the 1980s is uncannily similar to what students like in the 2000s. Some aspects of student life that have changed are also tracked in the newspaper. Pretorius-Nel has noticed a trend in the 1970s and 80s, where jewellery stores were

Pandemic: A student media perspective

Photograph provided by UP Archives

frequent advertisers, with particular focus on engagement rings. Regardless of the year and changes over time, protests continue to be of great news interest to the student community. Anyone who has been a student at UP in the last 5 years is likely to think of the #FeesMustFall protests and the #AmINext protests, but the spirit of protest has existed at UP for much, much longer. Students in the 1940s and 50s protested and raised funds for the construction of the Aula Hall, motivated by the desire to have somewhere to dance and hold formal graduations, as one example.

With the technological age well and truly upon us, PDBY (and many other publications) continue to evolve.

As Pretorius-Nel puts it, “the proverbial pen is mightier than the sword. There will always be a need to access and provide information”. In recent years PDBY has changed its means of sharing this information. Had the newspaper been solely dependent on its print editions handed out across UP campuses, it would most likely have shut its doors in years like 2016 and 2020 where the challenges of distributing a physical paper became insurmountable. The use of online platforms to publish news has allowed PDBY to maintain its

usual readership of UP students, and reach others who may not have been able to access a print copy.

The role of the UP Archives is to preserve the collective history on everything related to UP. PDBY represents only one of the collections held by the archives, carefully curated and maintained by the passionate archivists who have taken up the mantle of caring for the valuable history of the institution. All editions of the newspaper from 1939 to 1981 have been digitised and the archive plans to make them available online so that students can search for them and read about what student life at UP was like through the ages. The availability of the newspaper online is significant for researchers too, who may find useful information within PDBY. A wealth of collections are held by the archive and the archivists are always willing to show off their hard work and share UP’s and PDBY’s unique history with anyone who is interested. It seems only fitting that one of the first lecture venues on Hatfield’s campus now facilitates the sharing of the university’s history. Where some of UP’s first students sat to gain their education is now the reading room where current students are able to engage with the decades of history published through PDBY, carefully curated by UP’s archivists.

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The History of PDBY

PDBY in

2020

Change: The newspaper has seen an immense amount of change over the past 10 years. We’ve changed the language of the newspaper, it has seen new designs, we have changed the name, we have changed the approach to content, and we have changed what the newspaper offers its staff in terms of development.

Growth: The newspaper has grown over the past 10 years not only in readership (digital) but also as a space for development where we implemented intense training programmes to help develop our staff into journalists. This was seen as a necessity after the journalism programme closed down around 2012/13.

Relevance: The newspaper re-established its relevance during the tumultuous times around 2015 to 2017 with #FeesMustFall, and other protests and disruptions across South African campuses.

Carel Willemse: Editor-in-chief

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he current COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a deadly blow to print media in South Africa. Just recently, Media24 announced the closure of a number of its print publications with others moving to digital only content.

Print has seen a steady decline over the last 20 years due to the increasing printing cost and the ever increasing demand for digital content.

I have always maintained that if print should die, then one of its last casualties would be student newspapers. My reasoning behind this has always been the unique role that student publications have played on campuses. The offerings of student newspapers are unique in the sense that they cater for a very specific demographic and they can, and do, cover news and events that no other publications do. They also offer advertisers a very specific demographic and captured audience which even social media struggles to define as precisely.

For these reasons, and perhaps now even the novelty value of holding a print publication in the hands of a tech generation, I believe that student newspapers will still be around for some time to come. Even if this means in a lesser capacity whilst we explore new ways of linking what we do in print to our digital offering.

PDBY has a long and rich history at UP and a big part of its legacy is captured in its printed pages. When we eventually return to campus, I believe that we will still be able to publish a printed version of the newspaper for years to come.

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DBY is a special entity, unique to any other aspect of the university. This publication embodies the student experience and the student voice, long after each student has left the university. Some of us only have three or four years at UP, while some stay until past PhD level and continue their research. But ultimately, we each leave our safe haven of UP, and the joys of being a university student. But PDBY remains, and has persisted for more than 80 years, as the student mind and voice that outlives any other.

Pandemic: A student media perspective

Kayla thomas: Editor 2020/21

Through every change, whether desired or forced by circumstance, PDBY has not only survived, but thrived. After each set back or closure, this publication has come back stronger and more prepared to face future obstacles. By 2020, we have proved that nothing can silence the student voice.

From protests to pandemics, PDBY has adapted and grown with our readers and continues to represent the broad and significant changes to society and student mind sets.

I don’t think any of the five theology students who started a small newspaper in 1939 imagined the legacy they were establishing; a legacy that has spoken on behalf of students with no other agenda but to be the campus voice, for decades.

But beyond that, this publication has also been the home to students with a passion for truth, equality and justice. The hundreds of journalists, subeditors, photographers, layout artists and videographers who have called PDBY home have each played a part in building its legacy, and have contributed to the history of integrity, honesty and reliability of this publication.

2020 has been a difficult year to run a student newspaper, but the students who make PDBY possible have worked harder than we could have expected, and ensured PDBY survived a national

shutdown. Three words that describe PDBY to me are passion, heart, and legacy. We may not be able to print this year, but PDBY kept informing and entertaining students, as we always have. And as, I believe, we always will – whether it be digitally or on the nostalgic newspaper pages of PDBY’s past.

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DBY is more than just a part of the furniture around here, it’s an institution; one that’s been around to see UP’s triumphs and shortfalls in the years since its first edition in 1939. The names you see beneath each of PDBY’s articles are more than just a collection of letters on a page, they’re members of the PDBY family, each and every one of whom puts their heart and soul into every issue of this paper (even when it feels as though we have nothing left to give). PDBY is more than a newspaper that people try their best to avoid receiving on campus; it is the student voice, and students' newspaper. This newspaper has continued to report through attempts to shut it down, protests and campus closures. It is also one of the only student newspapers in South Africa to have published content in the midst of a pandemic. PDBY has endured through hardships and has celebrated milestones and incredible achievements; there will be more hardships to come and we will report those.

But there will be more victories, and PDBY hopes to report on those for many more years to come.

Subeditors: Kayla Thomas and Marren McKay Layout Artists: Leah Rees and Kelly-Anne Kong Kam Wa

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Pandemic: A student media perspective

THE HISTORY OF PDBY

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FROM THE EDITOR

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A HISTORY OF PANDEMICS

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THE POST COVID-19 POSTGRADUATE JOB MARKET

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THE NEW WORLD ORDER

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THE PANDEMIC AND FOOD SECURITY

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN WILDLIFE SECTOR AND COVID-19

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THE PANDEMIC: A MEDIA’S PERSPECTIVE

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A NEW ERA FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

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THE PANDEMIC PERSPECTIVE SHIFT

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SCI-FI AND FANTASY FOR COVID-19 AND BEYOND

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PARKING AND UP

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STAFF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PDBYMedia

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Insert current headline From the Editor

Pandemic:

A student media perspective

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eing a student journalist in 2020 was an experience unlike any other. Our newsroom was closed to us and each journalist’s bedroom, couch and home desk became a unique setting to produce and publish content. I know that many news and media sources faced challenges in operating during the pandemic, but they also all happened to have the biggest story to cover of all time: COVID-19. As student media, our news died as our campuses were closed and as we were all sent home.

COVID-19 did not offer an abundance of news for us, because beyond campus being shut down, there was very little to report on in terms of the virus at UP. There was a unique challenge to publish content and keep our readers informed and entertained while there was no activity on, or around, campus.

This is very significant, and is made clear by considering our slogan: #YourCampusNews.

With no campus, we felt like there was no content, no news and no inspiration.

Thankfully, our positions as students seems to have helped us adapt and rise to the challenge. In 2020 PDBY moved entirely online, and was the only student media source that continued to publish formal editions during level 5 of the South African lockdown. This wasn’t an easy feat and added a lot of stress to students who were already stretched thin and pushed to their

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limits. But the staff of PDBY persevered, and published every planned edition for the year – and an extra one. I am incredibly proud of the journalists who serve PDBY. They have truly made their publication proud.

Some key moments worth mentioning are articles and editions that wowed and made an impact, but also took an incredible amount of hard work from our journalists. The literature and sci-fi editions were ambitious themed editions that feature quality articles, beautiful design and clear marks of passion and dedication. (They can also still be viewed via our social media platforms). We also published some significant articles about major issues that affected students, such as residence challenges, COVID-19 updates and University of Pretoria responses to the pandemic. The UP SRC elections were conducted entirely online for the first time, and covered extensively by PDBY on social media. These are not only some articles and editions we published this year. These are a tiny few that were published by a team of journalists spread across the country, and with a news editor in a different country entirely. These are articles published by a team while they were navigating online learning, writing exams, managing jobs, juggling family and surviving a pandemic.

And on top of all of this, they’ve produced this magazine as well.

This magazine has been planned for a long time. Before COVID-19 changed our lives,

PDBY and the 2020 Editorial were preparing for a larger publication, and something to establish the future of our print legacy as the newspaper is published online. Naturally, as the articles were being pitched and written in early 2020, the topic at the fore of all of our minds and lives was the pandemic.

The magazine evolved from there to reflect the struggles, concerns and wonderings of our journalists as they experienced the pandemic. I am proud to say that as journalists, their ideas and their thoughts stretched beyond anything I could have hoped for. The articles in this unique PDBY publication all address the pandemic in some way, but they are each so different. The variety and scope of the articles also reflect what PDBY is about, and they encompass many of our publication’s values. The broad scope from food security, to media responses to the pandemic, to sci-fi and fantasy after major global changes, this magazine is an encompassing response to the pandemic.

Pandemic: A A student student media media perspective perspective Pandemic:

Ultimately the creativity and thought provoking responses to 2020 by our journalists led quite spontaneously to the title of this magazine: Pandemic: A student media perspective. Our magazine is more than simply an account of COVID-19 in 2020. It is an intricate, crafted and carefully designed response to the pandemic, and its impacts on many different aspects of South African life.

Beyond only the articles, I am very proud to present a magazine of such high quality (and while I may be biased, I can certainly assert this). The articles, worked on by passionate journalists, are brought to life by the design and planning of our Layout Editor, Leah Rees, and her layout team. Each article is also accompanied and complemented by visuals created by our Multimedia team, under the guidance of our Multimedia Stills Editor, Giovanna Janos.

These elements, paired with the extensive subediting of every article by a team led by Head Copy Editor, Marren McKay, allow me to proudly present this magazine, assured of its quality and standard.

It is also necessary to offer a word of thanks to every staff member, lecturer and archivist who assisted our journalists in their writing, and contributed to the quality and validity of the content you will read

in this magazine. We are incredibly fortunate to have a deep well of expertise and knowledge at the University of Pretoria, and we hope our readers can benefit from this invaluable knowledge as much as we have. My hope is that our magazine lives on as a unique response to the 2020 pandemic, blending student journalism with the expertise for which UP is renowned.

With that, I leave the coming pages to your mercy as reader. I hope you enjoy PDBY’s student media perspective of the pandemic as much as I have enjoyed working on it with my team.

And here’s hoping 2021 offers no pandemics to inspire journalists.

- Kayla Thomas PDBYMedia

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Illustration: Giovanna Janos

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ndemics Viruses, if given a second chance, keep coming back

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A History of Pandemics

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A History of Pandemics

BY CAITLYN WALSH VISUALS BY GIOVANNA JANOS AND LEAH REES

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OVID-19 is currently a pandemic that has swept the globe and crippled the world almost as soon as it was discovered. This is very similar to centuries of history, where generations experienced similar pandemics and shared comparable outcomes.

The first well known pandemic, and one of the biggest outbreaks, was the Antonine Plague which occurred in 165 AD. Looking back now, and according to The History of Vaccines organisation, scientists suspect it may have been measles or smallpox, and the effects were detrimental. The estimated death count of this plague is around five million, and it almost wiped out a third of the population in some areas such as Rome and Eastern Han China. Also known as the Plague of Galen, the disease was discovered among the Roman Empire and was likely brought back from the Near East around Asia and Egypt by troops from the Roman siege who then began the spread of the virus through the Roman Empire. Symptoms of the disease included fever, diarrhoea, rashes and skin issues, and pharyngitis. This plague devastated the Romans and is often referred to in Roman literature and history, referencing the long lasting damaging results.

165 AD Antonine Plague

Photograph: Leah Rees

Centuries later, during 541 and 549 AD, the majority of Europe and the Mediterranean region experienced the Plague of Justinian. The disease also made its way to Roman Egypt. This epidemic was a fast spreading disease caused by Yersinia Pestis, a bacterium that was highly contagious. This bacterium could manifest in a few ways like bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic, and the death count was around 100 million individuals over 200 years (2 centuries) of it reoccurring repeatedly in Northern regions.

The disease was named after Justinian, a Roman emperor who recover from the plague after being exposed to it. The pandemic was so devastating that it is believed the disease killed up to 5000 people a day just in the city of Constantinople, being the capital city of the Roman Empire during this timeframe.

According to the History Channel, one of the most well-known pandemics that history favours to refer to is the Black Death, which swept through most of Asia and Europe from 1346 to 1353. It is also commonly referred to as the Pestilence or the Great Mortality. This pandemic was also caused by the bacterium known as Yersinia Pestis and mostly resulted in the bubonic plague. This plague had a rippling effect on religious, social and economic factors that led to consequences

541 - 549 AD Plague of Justinian

1346 - 1353 Black Death

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which Europe experienced for years after. It is said that the plague originated in Central Asia and made its way to other countries through fleas living on black rats that were hosts for the disease - which explained why the virus spread so rapidly inland. The infamous pandemic that broke out during the Middle Ages is said to have killed an estimate of 30% to 60% of Europe’s population at the time - and is still considered one of the most infamous epidemics to hit the world. According to the History Channel, the plague entered Europe in 1347 when twelve ships docked at the ports of Messina with most sailors either dead, covered in black boils oozing pus or blood, or both. The famous London nursery rhyme “Ring-a-roses” refers to death, ruin and the plague. According to Folklore Today, the reference to rosy skin depicts the rashes that occurred with the bubonic plague and the reference to “a-tishoo” signifies a symptom of the pandemic.

“A pocket full of posies,” is thought to refer to the fact that many believed holding a bouquet of posy flowers to the nose kept away the infectious disease. The famous last line, “we all fall down,” refers to the high fatality rate that was generated from the Black Death. Another interesting event that happened during the Black Death was the Great Fire of London. This fire destroyed most of central London but also managed to kill many rats and fleas that were a carrier for the virus. The Museum of London claims that the number one myth believed throughout history was that the Great Fire was the reason for wiping out the outbreak of the pandemic.

The fire wasn’t caused to eradicate the plague, even though it aided in destroying many of the rats carrying the plague, but was rather an accident. A bakery on Pudding Lane near London Bridge started the fire around midnight on 2 September 1666, and it spread rapidly due to poor infrastructure around London during this time.

Following this, during the years of 1846 to 1860, India experienced the Third Cholera pandemic that eventually spread to Russia and Europe, taking 23 000 lives throughout Great Britain and more than one million lives in Russia. The highest fatalities that occurred throughout this pandemic affected Asia, Europe, Africa and North America the most. This virus outbreak during the nineteenth century had the highest fatalities out of all the epidemics during the time. John Snow, a physician at the time, discovered that the disease spread through contaminated water and through this breakthrough in discovering the transmission of the disease, John Snow became, and is considered, one of the fathers of epidemiology.

From 1889 to 1890, the first well known flu pandemic was also referred to as the “Asiatic Flu” or the “Russian Flu.” This flu pandemic’s estimated death rate was about 1 million worldwide, yet no person is certain which agent caused the outbreak. It is known that the virus spread through transport infrastructure such as railroads and ships, and infected most of Europe and devastated most of the Russian Empire. Within four months of its discovery, it had infected the majority of the Northern hemisphere. According to The Conversation, recent findings in 2005 lead scientists to believe that the infection may have not been an influenza pandemic but rather a form of human coronavirus OC43; which is also referred to as the beta coronavirus.

The sixth cholera pandemic that originated in India from 1899 to 1923 killed more than 800 000 individuals as it spread to the Middle East, Russia, most of North Africa, and parts of Europe. The History Channel mentions that a quarantine facility was built on Swinburne Island in the Lower New York Bay to isolate all the infected

1846 - 1860 Third Cholera pandemic

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1889 - 1890 Asiatic or Russian Flu

Pandemic: A student media perspective

individuals as the cholera outbreak made its way to the United States during the years of 1910 and 1911.

Eleven people died in the hospital on the island. The artificial island has now become a Gateway National Recreation Area and a popular haul out site for New Yorkers.

The 1918 flu pandemic that hit the Northern Hemisphere was referred to as the “Spanish Flu.” The fatalistic flu pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus lasted two years and affected around 500 million people, which was about a third of the world’s population at the time.

It is considered one of the worst and deadliest pandemics documented in human history, and was first recognised in the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these virus outbreaks were usually considered more dangerous for older generations, however this differed with the Spanish Flu. The pandemic affected younger generations more, creating a higher mortality rate in the youth. This was believed to be due the virus destroying the stronger immune systems of the youth more. Explained by the CDC, some believe that the influenza affected the youth more because of malnourishment, poor hygiene and overcrowded medical places that was worsened following the first world war.

After the Spanish Flu, the population once again experienced extreme loss from “Asian flu”, that originated in Guizhou, China from 1956 to 1958 according to Sino Biological. It is estimated to have killed over a million people and was a combination of two different strains of viruses. It was said to be a mix of the avian flu, which most likely originated from geese, and the influenza virus. Due to it being a new strain, populations around the world did not have effective immunity. This is very similar to what is happening currently with COVID-19; the strain is different and new, therefore it has been difficult to develop a vaccine. The virus spread to India, Singapore, England, Wales and eventually the United States. A vaccine was developed in the United Kingdom that helped to stop the rapid transmission of the disease.

Another flu pandemic hit around 1968 and was referred to as the “Hong Kong” flu. It was presumed that this virus killed around four million people globally, and first originated in Hong Kong. The outbreak of the pandemic reached many specific

1899 - 1923 Sixth Cholera pandemic

1918 Spanish Flu

1956 - 1958 Asian Flu

countries and continents with highly populated cities such as Africa, America, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Europe and Japan. A vaccine for the pandemic was developed four months after the outbreak and a strain of this virus still exists today which people refer to as the seasonal flu. The CDC named this flu pandemic with the scientific name being the H3N2 virus. This virus and seasonal influenza A virus still occurs globally, affecting older people with severe illnesses more regularly the younger generations.

The AIDS epidemic, as stated by Heathline, is a well-known disease that occurs globally which is caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Due to the lack of knowledge, its original name was GRID which stands for gay- related immune deficiency. Ignorance led individuals to believe that you could only get the virus if you were homosexual or bisexual. The name was later changed to a more appropriate and accurate title. The number of deaths related to HIV/ AIDS has decreased significantly with the introduction of antiretroviral drugs. As recorded from 2018, over 70 000 people have died from this epidemic, but because of better treatments and improved PEP (post- exposure prophylaxis), the fatality rate of the disease has rapidly declined.

PREP is also used to prevent HIV and Aids before contraction even occurs. PREP (also known as Preexposure prophylaxis), is considered very effective in preventing the contraction of HIV and Aids through sexual intercourse and injections of drugs.

The Ebola virus was a devastating pandemic that broke out in the 21st century. Ebola is also referred to as EVD, or Ebola haemorrhagic fever. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), even though the disease is rare, it is severe and often has high fatality rates. The average rate of death when it comes to the Ebola disease is around 50%. The outbreak began in 2014 in West Africa and was considered a huge problem until around 2016. The very first case however, was discovered in 1976.

The outbreak that occurred again later from 2018 to 2019 affected mostly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO states that the EVD causes acute illnesses that can affect anyone who comes into contact with the disease via blood or bodily fluids from an infected EVD patient. Vaccines have been under development since 2014, and have helped reduce the cases that affected most of West Africa, but outbreaks continue to appear.

1960s First discovery of human coronaviruses

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1968 Hong Kong Flu

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The incubation period for the Ebola virus ranges from 2 to 21 days and an infected individual cannot spread the disease until they develop symptoms. These symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscular pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhoea. The best prevention control for Ebola is to avoid human to human transmissions when it comes to bodily fluids or blood. Wearing gloves and personal protective wear is always advised when dealing with an infected patient. According to WHO, the best treatments for the Ebola virus are rehydration with oral and intravenous fluids.

A regularly asked questions is how MERS and SARS compare to COVID-19. Human coronaviruses were first discovered during the 1960s and according to the CDC, there are seven known types of coronavirus: 229E (alpha coronavirus), NL63 (alpha coronavirus), OC43 (beta coronavirus), HKU1 (beta coronavirus), MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS), SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS) and finally SARS-CoV-2, which is what our global population is currently suffering from, COVID-19. According to the WHO, the coronavirus that causes SARS is called SARSCoV and began in November 2002 in China. Although there were about 800 deaths that resulted from the virus, the pandemic was contained by 5 July in 2003, although no vaccine was completed.

Very similar to COVID-19, it attacked the acute respiratory system and spread via coughing and sneezing. The discovery of MERS was in September 2012, with recent findings that the earliest case occurred in April 2012. This virus was also zoonotic, meaning it passed from animals to humans, with the main carrier being camels. Around 80% of the cases occurred in Saudi Arabia and transmission from person to person was not very common.

The total number of fatalities from MERS was 866 deaths. Once again, no specific treatment or vaccine was developed. SARSCoV-2 is the pathogen that causes COVID-19 and is very similar to the first SARS-CoV virus. As of September 2020, there have been over 900 000 deaths with more than 30 million confirmed cases.

Despite the fact that the world has survived multiple pandemics with treatments and vaccines being developed often, the world is still suffering from COVID-19. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, also called SARS-CoV-2.

Common symptoms are fever, cough, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and loss of smell and taste. In South Africa, the virus first entered the country on 5 March 2020 by a South African citizen returning from a trip to Italy. This helped South Africans to obtain a complete genome sequence for the severe acute respiratory disease. It helped scientists discover the fingerprint behind the fast spreading disease, which in turn allowed them

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1976 Ebola

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to begin working on a vaccine. The first death that occurred and was reported happened on 27 March, just three weeks later.

As a result, President Cyril Ramaphosa put the country into an unprecedented nationwide lockdown for safety and preventative measures. The virus is considered more harmful to older generations with the median death rate of the pandemic being the age of 64. So far, over 15000 people in South Africa have died, with a confirmed case rate sitting around 650 000 individuals.

An estimate of 580 000 people have so far recovered from the infectious virus. The worst areas with the highest recorded rates are currently the Western Cape, Gauteng and Kwa Zulu Natal.

When considering the global population, the disease was first discovered in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China. The main theory of how the virus emerged was that it originated in the Huanan seafood market after an individual was infected with the virus from an animal, most likely a bat. Many believe that pangolins may be a carrier for the virus as well, however the specific details remain inconclusive. Some conspiracy theorists also add that they think the disease originated in an experimenting lab and a loss of control and containment led to the rapid spread of the virus. Even though the pandemic is dangerous and deadly, there have been a few benefits to the environment with this current epidemic. In China alone, as stated

by Carbon Brief, there has been a 25% reduction in carbon emissions due to heavy lockdown restrictions. The decline in economic activity has led to a reduction in greenhouse gases, marine pollution and allowed the environment to flourish so much more than it has before. Travel and Leisure believes that the lower levels of human interference have allowed animals to come out again, turtles have been spotted on beaches a lot more, and swans have returned to the Venice canals - which have been beginning to clear up, an occurrence that has not happened in years. As of September 2020, no vaccine has been developed however, according to Healthline, thousands of scientists are working on potential treatments and vaccines to slow the rapid transmission of the pandemic. Many scientists have tried looking back at existing antiviral drugs to see if any may have use in defeating the disease. Many drugs are also being tested and used in clinical trials, but it is probable that it could be months before a treatment is found and possibly years before a vaccine is developed. Currently, the most effective method is retaining a healthy immune system, keeping up social distancing, washing or sanitising hands as often as possible and always wearing a mask in public.

Subeditors: Kayla Thomas and Marren McKay Layout Artists: Leah Rees and Duané Kitching

2012 MERS

2014 - 2016 Ebola outbreak

2018 - 2019 Ebola outbreak

2019 - present COVID-19

Next: The New World Order

The Post COVID-19 Postgraduate Job Market Getting a foot in the door when all the doors seem closed

BY KARA OLIVIER VISUALS BY KARA OLIVIER & GIOVANNA JANOS

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or many students, graduating from university will be their last transition into a new phase of life. The passage from adolescence to adulthood is more predictable than other transitions are. With South Africa creeping into its seventh month (at the time of publication) of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students find this transition from university student to graduate to be clouded by a web of uncertainty.

At the end of 2019, BSc Architecture graduate, Marie Snyman, was on her way to an internship in China, but when the opportunity fell through due to unforeseen circumstances, she found herself in a crisis and in an already over-saturated South African job market. Snyman states that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the succeeding lockdown, “places are not hiring [at the moment], in fact many businesses are letting people [go]”. Snyman’s situation is not unusual. Due to the economic decline cause by the COVID-19 pandemic, many recently graduated students are struggling to find permanent employment.

With South Africans returning to what many are referring to as the “new normal”, the impact of the lockdown and its economic restrictions has made its mark on the South African labour market. The reach of the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent lockdown has been felt especially by new graduates like Snyman, and by those preparing to enter the job market in 2021. As 2020 graduates prepare to write their final exams in October and November, it is no wonder the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic implications has reached the minds of 2020 graduates.

A Staggered Recovery Predicted for SA’s struggling Job Market The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed problems in South Africa’s economy and healthcare system.

Attempts to flatten the curve proved that public health care is a group assignment, and that a multitude of factors are needed to efficiently address the long term consequences of the pandemic.

Access to water, a shortage of public facilities, poor infrastructure and a lack of health care workers in rural areas, proved crippling to a healthcare system that was trying to prepare itself for the worst health scare in decades.

The economic crisis arrives after ten years of low growth in the public sector and little public and private investment funding into local businesses. It finds South Africa’s economy in a fragile state.

Since the implementation of the nationwide lockdown on 26 March, countrywide recruitment activities have come to a halt. Business Association of South Africa (BASA), projected an expected job

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UNCERTAINTY AROUND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND IT’S ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS HAS REACHED THE MINDS OF 2020 GRADUATES

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loss of one million by the end of this fiscal year, 21 February 2021. Major companies like Edcon have since announced layoffs of up to 22 000 people, and Sasol has signalled its intention to cut jobs to stay afloat. Meanwhile, labour-intensive sectors, such as tourism, retail, and restaurants, have also slowed down recruiting while the South African government tries to fight the spread of COVID-19.

By the end of May, the National Treasury, the body for managing national economic policy, forecasted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown period would lead to job losses of between 690 000 and 1.79 million in South Africa, depending on the rate of recovery. On 23 June, StatsSA confirmed that South Africa’s unemployment rate had hit a record high of 30.1% by the end of the first quarter, a 1% rise from the fourth quarter of 2019.These figures came the day before Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, unveiled his emergency supplementary budget aimed at alleviating the holes in South Africa’s GNI (Gross National Income).

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inister Mboweni warns of a possible debt crisis and mass layoffs if the appropriate steps are not taken. No new taxes were introduced but Minister Mboweni stated that R40 billion in taxes would have to be found in the next four years. His speech confirmed that the healthcare sector would receive R21.5 billion to aid the COVID-19 response, as well as R12,6 billion to frontline services and workers. An additional R25.5 billion for social grants and R16,6 billion for job creation will be allocated to relieve the economic effects. “But our enormous investment needs cannot be delivered by the government alone,” warns the minister.

“The private sector accounts for most of the investment spending in the economy”.

At the end of June, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a further easing of South Africa’s level three lockdown restrictions. “South Africa has lost at least 40% of vacancies from the beginning of 2020 to date,” states Jesse Green, country manager for job search engine Adzuna. “Though regulations allow for more movement and economic activity, some industries are still in limbo, unable to operate, keeping the country stuck in a job loss chasm”. He warns that the recovery from the damage caused by months of lockdown will

Infographic: Giovanna Janos

Employment in the nonagricultural formal sector stands at 10, 2 million persons employed as 3000 jobs are lost in the first quarter of 2020

Pandemic: A student media perspective

FIGURE 1: StatsSA places South Africa’s total populattion at around 57.7 million people. This means that as of the end of Q1:2020, March, only 17.6% of South Africans are formally employed in the non-agriculltural sectors.

not be a speedy process. “When the lockdown started I thought I might also become an option for retrenchment due to my junior status,” says Roan van der Westhuizen, a 2019 BEng Civil Engineering graduate, currently working at RMD Kwikform. Van der Westhuizen further states that he “was lucky, but many companies have a ‘last one in first one out’ policy.” New graduates like van der Westhuizen fear retrenchment due to the economic downturn caused by the lockdown. The negative, economic impact comes at a time when new graduates are trying to make a first impression in their field. This has left many 2020 graduates with a sense of doubt about their future in South Africa’s job market. “If our peers are already struggling, we will have doubts about our futures next year,” says Michael Beckenstrater, a 2020 BChD Dentistry graduate.

According to Michele Le Grange, Manager at UP Career Services, it is too early to establish a trend, and explains that they “have received fewer job vacancies, because most industries were only allowed to open under level three of lockdown. Companies are, however, still posting opportunities on our platform.” With a staggered recovery predicted for most of South Africa, the question becomes; what will the ‘new normal’ job market look like?

Gross earnings of employees Approximately 34,1% of people aged 15-24 were not employed, Gross of educated or in training (NEET) Gross earnings earnings of employees employees Female NEET 35.1%

35.9%

FIGURE 2: According to

Male NEET the UN Agency the ILO, 31,4% 32,2% International Labour Organisation, estimates Gross earnings paid for that 4/5 of people’s jobs the quarter ended March were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 decreased by Gross earnings paid for Gross earnings paid forthe R46,7 billion from the quarter ended March the quarter ended March 6%decrease original R777 billion 2020 decreased by 6% 2020 decreased by R46,7 billion from the R46,7 billion from the decrease PDBYMedia \ Page 27 original R777 billion decrease original R777 billion Infographic: Giovanna Janos

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The Post COVID-19 Postgraduate Job Market

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COVID-19 has changed the zeitgeist – the spirit of the time.

Now it’s our duty to adapt [...], your degree is just a conversation starter.

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ccording to the May 2020 CareerJunction Index, South Africa’s job market experienced a critical downturn in May. As the lockdown continued to keep large sectors of the economy closed, hiring activity for labour-intensive sectors like retail and tourism decreased. Despite this downturn, sectors like IT, logistics, and health care work reported an increase in job vacancies as some sectors of the economy managed to hold out better than others. A final year BSc Medicine student, who wished to remain anonymous, stated “there will always be a need for my profession, so it hasn’t been something that has worried me too much.”

Despite low hiring opportunities, a spike in available jobs was seen in specific high demand skill areas. As technology and the digital landscape becomes more prevalent in our day to day economy, and more than ever during the pandemic, it is no wonder that IT and web-based industries experienced an increase in business during the lockdown. “Software developers are always in high demand in the South African labour market,” says CareerJunction, and during May 2020, more than 1,000 vacancies were posted on their website for professionals with programming or computer skills.

During the lockdown period, major social media networking service, Twitter, announced that they were indefinitely allowing workers to work remotely from 2 March. With many companies expected to follow suit by requiring workers to work partly or entirely from home for the time being, it has become important for graduates keep up with the ‘technification’ of their individual professional fields - which will help a candidate stand out above others, as well as simplify day to day workings.

In addition to the economic and social strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa’s health care system has also experienced immense pressure. Across the globe, governments and health care providers have been setting up new facilities and systems to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. This will inevitably lead to a rise in the need for health care workers and professionals who are trained to handle this new dimension of the health care industry.

Adzuna states that by mid-June, an exponential increase in remote working positions and a 200% spike in COVID-19-related positions was detected in South Africa. The required wearing of face masks has created a new market with a rising demand to produce PPE, Personal Protection Equipment, for public markets. As lockdown was implemented nationwide, the mass scale shift to online platforms and tools for online learning will likely create new opportunities for students to engage in activities like online tutoring.

Gross earnings of employees Gross earnings of employees Pandemic: A student media perspective

Approximately 34,1% of people aged 15-24 were not employed, educated or in training (NEET)

31,4%

Female NEET

35.9% Infographic: Giovanna Janos

35.1%

Male NEET

FIGURE 3: The overall NEET rate, the amount of South Africans not in employment, educaton or training, increased by 0.8% in Q1 of 2020 to 3.5 million out of 10 million people.

Gross32,2% earnings paid for the quarter ended March Gross earnings paid for 2020 decreased by the quarter ended March R46,7 billion from the 2020 decreased by original R777 billion R46,7 billion from the decrease decrease original R777 billion

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hile waiting for the job market to recover Snyman states that she had started tutoring online instead, a job opportunity she became aware of through the Golden Key Honour Society.

It remains to be determined how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the job market in the long run and whether these new markets will continue thriving once the threat of the virus has disappeared.

What has become evident is that it has created a multitude of new opportunities for graduates to engage in and further their skills. Similarly, Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, a cloud content management and file-sharing service for businesses, recognises that although they had shifted towards a unified digital workplace, “at the same time we recognise

6% 6%

the power of having office hubs where in-person communities, mentorship, networking and creativity can happen. That is why our future is a hybrid one.”

The ‘new normal’ job market will likely be a combination of the traditional workforce and the growing amount of remote workers and social distancing aided by the shift to online communication, offices and recruiting with an increase emphasis on the health care and technology sector. As the lasting impact of the pandemic and lockdown remains uncertain, it is up to new graduates to ensure they adapt their skillset to this ‘new normal’ job market. “COVID-19 has changed the Zeitgeist – the spirit of the time. Now it’s our duty to adapt in order remain relevant,” says Khulukani Bila, a final year BScArchitecture student.

FIGURE 4: A total of 81% of the 3.3 billion global workforce have had their workplace fully or partly closed since January. The ILO etimates that 200 million people could be out of work by the the time the effects of the pandemic fully unfold.

Infographic: Giovanna Janos

Percentages of work force measures implemented Percentages of work force measures implemented

Statistics obtained from the Statistics South Africa sourced form the Quarterly Employment Statistic survey.

26% of businesses have laid off 26% of staff in the businesses shortlaid term have off staff in the short term PDBYMedia

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Our year will have a very different perspective than those who are just a few years below, or above us

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The Rise in Mass Postgraduate Applications

any members of the 2020 graduating class are delaying their entrance into the battered job market by applying for post-graduate programs in 2021. This phenomenon of mass post-graduating presents its own set of problems as the benefits of an additional year of schooling may outweigh the prospective job opportunities available for many during the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic down turn.

The 2015 and 2016 student-led #FeesMustFall protests shed light on the plight of South African students living with student debt. The protests were aimed at stopping the increase of student tuition fees as well as to increase the government funding of universities to alleviate student debt. Its impact on the nation’s student debt remains questionable as Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training noted in 2019 that South African students still owed universities almost R10-billion.

This figure, however, covers only NSFAS-funded students. The additional amount owed by self-funded students remains unknown. An influx of postgraduate applications to universities countrywide could prove a major issue. Not only will there be far fewer spaces than applicants, but enrolling in a graduate program can mean students taking on more debt.

As of 2020, the average tuition for a postgraduate programme at the University of Pretoria was R45 000 per annum. High tuition fees coupled with job scarcity and economic downturn will place added financial strain on already struggling graduates. Students like van der Westhuizen have mixed feelings about doing a post-graduate degree in 2021.Van der Westerhuizen says “if I decided on a post-graduate in 2021 and we went back to online learning I’m not sure [I] would get [my] money’s worth.” Le Grange sympathises with students who are facing uncertain times but states that students should still make themselves as employable as possible and continue applying for jobs.

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Remaining Relevant Post-COVID-19

The silver lining to the COVID-19 crisis we are currently facing is that higher education might deliver a more skilled and diverse workforce in the long term. “The university can’t do much, it’s up to the person [now] to make sure that they are more employable,”says Bila “[be]cause by now if [you are] doing your final year, you know quite well that your degree is just a conversation starter, it doesn’t guarantee you a job”. Bila added that “what’s also important is what you do in between your studies.”

With COVID-19 reshaping the world of work as we know it, various companies have made the leap to operating remotely, and this requires certain skills.

According to Le Grange, the skill set required to land a job now is quite different from what used to be expected. She attributes this to the coming of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and adds that as “various companies have started working remotely, students need to prioritise transferable skills and soft skills that could support them in their career paths”.

This means focusing on skills that can be transferred from one career path to another. Skills like leadership, communication, organisation, work ethic, and technological literacy are valued in nearly every position in every industry. In our increasingly technological workplace, employers value graduates who can complete tasks quickly by learning new tools and software.

The ‘new normal’ job market allows students to invest in skills that make them more employable.

Pandemic: A student media perspective Remote Recruiting in a Post-COVID-19 World

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he also says that students should lower their standards for what their first job might look like. “Be prepared to work remotely or from home” she added.

Despite the current job scarcity, La Grange offers an alternative form of enrichment, that students should make themselves more employable by applying for positions that will provide experience and suggests students build this work experience, whether it be permanent, voluntary or temporary. Whether within or outside of their chosen career field, work experience helps students gain the necessary skills and show work ethic and commitment. “I was offered a job after my internship because of the knowledge and work ethic I gained working there,” said van der Westhuizen. “The best way to get work is through working during holidays as an intern, no pay or minimum pay while studying.

Prove yourself during that time,” van der Westhuizen said.

Networking in the post-lockdown job market can seem tough. Not only has the pandemic changed the format of South Africa’s job market, but it has also impacted how employers’ source recruits.

Snyman advises that the best way to find job opportunities is to “continue sending out your CV via email”. She states that her recruitment process “was very cold and done over email as we could not meet in person”. La Grange says that “students should not let that deter them,” and suggests students “create a relevant and impactful CV and LinkedIn profile that will link them to possible job opportunities via the TuksCareers portal.” Students can also contact the Career Services Office at cso@ up.ac.za for assistance with employability and career advice.

Keep in mind that when you are looking for your first job, numbers matter. The more opportunities you are exposed to the more likely you are to find an available position. Use social media networks like LinkedIn and Instagram to track specific companies, people, and job openings. These networks are free and easy to navigate with a basic technical ability. Building an online network in your community allows you to make legitimate connections with possible employers.

Students are also encouraged to make use of UP resources like Fly@Up, Career Services, and Ready for Work, available on the UP website, so that they graduate on time with the best possible exposure to available opportunities. Students and graduates can also consult the Career Services 2020/2021 Graduate Handbook Guide for help with potential recruitment opportunities.

“The booklet provides career tips and relevant information for students in terms of career planning and job searches,” says Le Grange.

Graduating in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic will certainly have an enduring impact on the Class of 2020, but like the pandemic itself, the nature of this final impact is yet to be determined. “We are stepping into a world that is already falling apart, our year will have a very different perspective than those who are just a few years below, or above us,” says Beckenstrater.

For this year’s graduates, the COVID-19 health crisis has changed their future job markets, their memories of their last undergraduate year and the certainty of their country’s future. For young graduates, the pandemic represents not only a national and global crisis, but also a defining moment for the new so-called ‘Pandemic Generation’.

Subeditors:Kayla Thomas, Marren McKay and Ropafadzo Chidemo Layout Artist: Kara Olivier

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Next: The Pandemic and Food Security

THE NEW WORLD ORDER

Lessons from Wars and the COVID-19 Pandemic

BY SUSANNA ANBU VISUALS BY CLETUS MULAUDI AND CASSANDRA EARDLEY

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Illustration: Cassandra Eardley

Pandemic: A student media perspective

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he intricate network of checks and balances that we set up over decades to forge an accepted societal system has seen considerable collapse during the 2020 pandemic. Leadership styles, laws and the world of work were tested in the face of the virus. An important decision that many leaders across the globe were faced with was to choose between saving lives and saving the economy, and how to craft a sustainable existence as opposed to an immediately liveable existence. Throughout the world’s history, events of massive global impact have played fundamental roles in shaping our current world orders. Unprecedented crises such as the Spanish flu, World War I and II, and the current COVID-19 pandemic, have become catalysts that have redefined the post-crisis society that emerged from them.

The War Rhetoric On 26 March, World Health Organisation (WHO) DirectorGeneral, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asserted that “we are at war with a virus that threatens to tear us part”. On the same day, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres echoed this sentiment by saying that “this war [the COVID-19 pandemic] needs a war-time plan to fight it”. Many governing bodies have painted the COVID-19 pandemic with a war rhetoric in an effort to generate compliance to the lockdown regulations from citizens. The use of war metaphors by our leaders seeks to appeal to a citizen’s sense of duty to serve their country at a time of need and make great personal sacrifices (staying home and social distancing) for the greater good of combating an “invisible enemy”, COVID-19.

The use of the word ‘war’ in conjunction with any societal issue - e.g. “war on drugs”, “war on racism” - blithely requests certain sentiments from citizens. A declaration of war calls for obedience as opposed to collective solidarity.

The emergence of the virus called for stringent obedience to the lockdown regulations, with the gradual easing of lockdown regulations in South Africa calling for varying levels of systemic obedience. Furthermore, war metaphors appealed to citizens’ patriotic sentiment as epitomised in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national addresses that begin with “fellow compatriots” and end with “may god bless South Africa and protect its people”. President Ramaphosa’s national address on 24 May implored the citizens of South Africa “to uphold the sanctity of life and the dignity of all people” and “to protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us”. This thread of wartime language is exemplified in the subsequent national addresses that President Ramaphosa undertook amidst the lockdown. The deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), on the streets of South Africa, epitomises that the control of the COVID-19 outbreak was equated to that of war. In an address to the SANDF, the President, clad in the SANDF uniform, stated, “you are the defender, not only of our democracy, but you are also the defender of the lives of our people, their health and their wellbeing. Tonight you begin your most important calling as solders – to give life to the people of South Africa”.

President Ramaphosa’s war rhetoric draws stark similarities of a wartime leader preparing for battle.

This is an important evening not only for yourself but the entire country. I am dressed in your uniform, as your commander in chief, to signify my total support and solidarity with you as you begin this most important mission in the history of our country. Our country has never been through a period like this, this is unprecedented, not only in our democracy, but also in the history of our country, that we will have a lockdown for 21 days to go out and wage war against an invisible enemy – coronavirus.

You are expected as the pride of our nation, the soldiers of the Republic of South Africa to go out and defend our people against this virus. Your mission is mission save lives.

“

An extract from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on 26 March.

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The New World Order The 21st century War model Scientific writer and journalist, Sonia Shah, has penned several works pertaining to the history of pandemics, such as her 2016 book Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond. Shah predicted in her works that humans will see several more pandemics in the future.

She asserts that pandemics will not solely arise due to a highly infectious pathogen but rather “because our deeply rooted, highly nuanced capacity for cooperative action failed”. The course of pandemic outbreaks in history have highlighted an increased frequency of human specific zoonotic outbreaks.

This increasing frequency then raises the question as to what events cause the increased probability of pandemic-inducing pathogens to emerge and colonise human hosts.

Shah uses the example of the Ebola outbreak to highlight the culmination of factors that could lead to the occurrence of a pandemic. The ethnic clashes that have resulted in civil unrest in parts of West Africa have displaced many civilians from their respective homes. Shah cites aerial photography over a 20 year period in a part of West Africa where Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia meet, that used to be occupied by dense forest. She says that the civil unrest drove many refugees to inhabit the forest, which later became a permanent settlement for them post-conflict.

One of the villages that arose in this occupation was Meliandou, Guinea, where the first case of the 2014 Ebola outbreak was recorded. This occupied forest was also home to the notorious fruit bats that are the natural reservoirs of the Ebola virus.

The permanent occupation of natural habitats, coupled with expansions driven by war and annexation, create situations where humans come in close proximity to natural reservoirs of potential pandemic causing viruses. The transformation of natural habitats lead to high extinction rates of animal species. Statistics from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (supplied), indicate that habitat degradation has been the leading cause of animal extinction. This narrative is an indication that the extinction of natural virus reservoirs creates survival pressure for viruses that then induce genetic mechanisms to successfully colonise the next available host – humans. Shah highlights in her works that she does not see human encroachment coming to a stop in the near future, suggesting the potentiality for numerous pandemics to arise.

The sites of habitat fragmentation become the frontiers of subsequent pandemics.

In 2015, Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist, Bill Gates, gave a Tedx talk that addressed the world’s pandemic unpreparedness. He stated that “if anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most

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Image: Cletus Mulaudi

Pandemic: A student media perspective

likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war”. Gates further cited the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and said that “the problem wasn’t that there was a system that didn’t work well enough, the problem was that we didn’t have a system at all”.

Image: Cletus Mulaudi

The absence of a system to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic dictates that unprecedented health crises be taken into account when formulating a new world order.

The staggered global responses illustrate that our pandemic unpreparedness is a warning to realign global systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has thus given a new face to 21st warfare and political systems. However, tackling a pandemic with a traditional war mind-set has been open to misinterpretation, and misguided actions that have impacted citizens.

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The New World Order The new leadership model The president and defence minister duo became the governing forces during the onset of war. Bringing it to a health crisis, health ministers across the globe became the central entities in making decisions pertaining to the COVID-19 outbreak. WHO’s Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asserted on 9 July that “the greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself. Rather it is the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels”.

The lack of a pre-existing template for leaders on how to handle a pandemic in the 21st century meant that leaders were forced to make decisions based on real-time generated data and modelling. The pandemic becomes a prime example of a complex scientific crisis, owing to the absence of any related research on the newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the lack of a template for pandemic preparedness. Leaders across the globe become reliant on the advice of scientific experts, however, the extent to which their decisions are governed by science is at the discretion of the type of leader. Leaders of countries that have successfully combated the virus outbreak show promise of a new leadership style to tackle a new type of global crisis.

A manifesto written by Andrea Saltelli, titled Five ways to ensure that models serve society: a manifesto, published in Nature research journal, noted “modellers must not be permitted to project more certainty than their models deserve; and politicians must not be allowed to offload accountability to models of their choosing”. The study went on to highlight how when things go wrong, pandemic politics put sole blame on modelling studies, and “political rivals often brandish them to support predetermined agendas”.

An op-ed written by Devi Sridhar in the British Medical Journal titled Modelling the Pandemic, suggests “an overreliance on modelling leads to missteps and blind spots in our response”. Sridhar asserts that leaders lose sight of crucial information amidst constantly changing modelling studies. She argues that modelling studies are necessary, but need to be used with a broader ability to contextualise and acknowledge its limitations, and make decisions on how to substitute these limitations with alternatives. She claims that modelling studies are merely “one piece of a large puzzle” and that the “mathematical models do not include value systems or morals”, and avoid collective group thinking, and ensure “representatives with diverse backgrounds and expertise are at the table when major decisions are made”.

Relying on modelling studies to make decisions related to responses to the outbreak has proved to have its fallacies as it does not predict the effects nor importance of mass testing, tracing and isolation. Sridhar ascertains that governments rely on these modelling studies as they want quick answers to synthesise the best pandemic response, hence the immediate response by world leaders was to impose a stringent lockdown and ask citizens to adopt measures to live with the virus as opposed to making simultaneous decisions to actively combat it.

Building on the new leadership templates that were witnessed around the world, observations arose that female led nations synthesised better management strategies to

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combat the outbreak of the virus, than their male counterparts.

A joint study of 194 countries undertaken by researchers from the University of Liverpool and the University of Reading articulated that their “findings show that COVID-outcomes are systematically better in countries led by women and, to some extent, this may be explained by the proactive and coordinated policy responses adopted by them”. The study went onto cite countries such as New Zealand, Taiwan, Iceland and Finland as examples. It acknowledged that the factors affecting the pandemic outcomes in various countries are likely to be complex and that “the gender of leadership could well have been key in the current context where attitudes to risk and empathy mattered, as did clear and decisive communications”.

The study used behavioural studies to conclude the possible reasons for the differences in COVID-19 responses between male and female leaders, acknowledging that there is a significant gap in studies pertaining to the influence of gender in the performance of leaders during national crisis. A New York Times article titled “Why are Women Led Nations Doing Better with COVID-19?”, noted that it is not that all the countries that have successfully combated the virus are led by women, but rather that all the countries that have botched their responses to the pandemic are men. One general belief

Pandemic: A student media perspective

expressed is that female leaders show increased sentiments of empathy and humility to listen to experts compared to their male counterparts. These sentiments are explained to have allowed them to make better decisions based on modelling data and scientific expertise presented to them. This substantiates that the new leadership model that thrived amidst the pandemic was one that counteracted the traditional model of a wartime leader In stark contrast to the model of a cautious leader who prioritises group thinking, lies the traditional war strategist.

Painting the pandemic in a war rhetoric has seen literal interpretations, with leaders donning the self-articulated role as war strategists who must show no weakness in the face of a crisis. With the outbreak of the virus originating in China, geopolitical trends become governing forces in a country’s response to the pandemic. Following health protocols becomes falsely equated to weakness and become politicised as “bending to China’s will”. David Marcus, a conservative journalist writing for The Federalist, wrote in an article titled “The President of the United States Should Not Wear a Mask” that “an image of Donald Trump wearing a protective face mask while performing his duties, behind the Resolute Desk, or in the White House briefing room would be a searing

image of weakness. It would signal that the United States is so powerless against this invisible enemy sprung from China that even its president must cower behind a mask.”

Following the publishing of the article on 11 May, Trump ended up adhering to medical protocols when a public appearance of him wearing a mask made headlines on 11 July. Bringing it to a South African context, the mask mishap witnessed at the end of President Ramaphosa’ address on 23 April became indicative of the staggered navigation towards a new normal. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a leader donning shades of accidental humour brings the ability to relate and assurance that the shift towards a new world order is challenging, but possible.

Illustration: Cassandra Eardley

Sourced: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-wearsface-mask-in-public-for-first-time-coronavirus-2020-7 The decision to publicly partake in the act of wearing a mask indicates an understanding of the influence leaders hold over ordinary people. Setting aside notions of potentially looking weak in the public eye amidst a crisis, both isolated incidents - an accidental mishap of one leader, compared to the consistent rule flouting of another - correlates with the degree of containing the outbreak in their respective countries.

The pandemic has illustrated that deviating from the societal norms of how a leader should act, has had positive responses in containing the outbreak. A new type of crisis calls for a new leadership model devoid of biased notions of what a “strong” leader in the face of crisis looks like. No single discipline can supply all the answers, hence the willingness of leaders to express humility and listen to experts becomes the driving force behind adequate crisis responses.

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The New World Order The science of politics or the politics of science?

The unparalleled COVID-19 pandemic also brought to light the power struggles between the complex scientific world and our everyday world, questioning to what extent scientists can influence the collective decision making process of governing bodies in the face of a health crisis.

Having established that our new equivalent of war is a health crisis, it is important to examine the role of scientists and academics in the decision making process. The COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa is an illustration of the power struggle between scientists and politicians. While the pandemic is a health crisis, it is the politicians who wield the power to make decisions that will save or endanger citizens’ lives. South Africa saw the establishment of the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), comprising of top scientists who advised the health minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, on decisions pertaining to managing the COVID-19 outbreak.

Dr Mkhize’s announcement that he would not be releasing any of the 70 advisories penned and drafted by the MAC, saw a hampering of government transparency. Dr Mkhize cited that that the decision to withhold the advisories stemmed from the possibility that the advisories would be incorrectly interpreted as official policies. Scientists called for the release of the advisories that were used by the National Command Council (NCC) to formulate policy decisions, in order to improve the public’s understanding of the government’s pandemic response. Dr Mkhize’s refusal to release the advisories ostracises the scientific community from that of the public, and depicts the government as a dictatorship-like body by hampering the ease of information access – a hallmark of any healthy democracy.

Dr Glenda Gray, president of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), who is one of the scientists currently serving on the MAC, came under government scrutiny for her prior criticism of the lockdown regulations that she deemed as ‘unscientific”. These statements lay in stark contrast to the perspective on the world stage, which lauded the South African government’s early lockdown.

The debacle involving Dr Gray’s comments highlights the polarisation between science and politics, with coverage of the Glenda Gray incident ostracising the credibility of politicians. Following Dr Gray’s comments, the SAMRC sent out an apology to the ministry of health, launched an investigation into Dr Gray’s comments and barred its staff members from speaking to media. This incident harkens back to the prior incidence of science-politics imbalance in South Africa through the HIV/AIDS denialism under Thabo Mbeki’s presidency.

Global constitutions and governing systems were silent on regulations and templates used to deal with an unprecedented pandemic. In South Africa, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, declared a state of natural disaster as designated under Section 3 of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002), in order to carry out emergency contingency plans to curb the virus. This gave the minister the power to publish a list of goods and services that would be allowed under the time the act was in effect.

The subsequent ban of tobacco products enforced (and

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lifted on 18 August) had become a bone of contention in the collective consciousness of South African citizens. The ban, motivated by political and health rationale, again illustrates the grey area of scientific interpretation. The introduction of the ban has been justified as due to health reasons that sought to curb the spread of virus; whilst an opposing faction of scientists has cited the justification as “sloppy science”.

The division dynamics pertaining to the ban was witnessed on the national stage in the case of FITA vs. the President of South Africa and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, as well as with the ongoing case proceedings of British American Tobacco against the government’s ban. Both sides presented their respective arguments with scientific studies. The judgment issued in the case of FITA vs the State, by the Pretoria High Court on 26 June, serves as an example of scientific ambiguity amidst the pandemic. Citing the studies presented by the respondents, the judgement reads, “the evidence further shows that smokers are 1.4 times more likely than non-smokers to have severe symptoms and are 2.4 times more likely to be admitted to ICU, and to require medical ventilation or die when compared to non- smokers. The Minister submits that these are serious figures which she, as a responsible decision-maker, cannot in good conscience ignore. Furthermore, the judgment concludes by asserting that “in our view, the medical material and other reports, inclusive from the WHO, considered by the Minister,

Pandemic: A student media perspective an ideology or political party governs the degree of belief to a scientific consensus. When a scientific consensus thwarts an individual’s ideological picture, an individual becomes resistant to facts that have been offered. This is exacerbated by a leadership template where leaders speak to a citizen’s deep despairs and formulate an immediately liveable existence as opposed to sustainability into a post-pandemic setup. When the presented science opposes a political rhetoric touted by a party, denialism occurs. According to an article on science denialism in the 21st century, published in Psychology Today, decision making “becomes warped through motivated reasoning, the bias towards a decision that conforms to what a person already knows”. In essence, our modern day equivalent of science denialism is not due to a lack of available scientific consensus, but rather a manipulation of what parts of it to believe.

Long term theft of freedoms

Illustration: Cassandra Eardley

though still developing and not conclusive regarding a higher COVID-19 virus progression amongst smokers compared to non- smokers, provided the Minister with a firm rational basis to promulgate regulations 27 and 45, outlawing the sale of tobacco products and cigarettes.”

Both statements are indicative of a simultaneous acknowledgment and refusal of science. The political guise of putting in interim measures to save lives serves as enough rationale to accept inconclusive science. Despite the acknowledgment of the inconclusive science, the depiction of a responsible leader who undertakes the said outlawing of the sale of tobacco products, outweighs a firm scientific basis offered. A selective reliance on modelling studies is used to boost a desired narrative, without taking into account dynamic scientific studies that have constantly rewritten scientific consensus during the pandemic.

An acknowledgment of science, but a refusal to accept it, refers to science denialism. The selective science denialism seen in an individual’s psyche is governed by innate human fear. Bringing isolated South African incidents to the world stage, the phenomena can be seen as universal. Although many regard science denialism as a paradox today, the uneven compliance to health regulations across the globe has substantiated the ubiquity of science denialism in the 21st century. Many individuals reside in ideological communities that are insulated from crucial information. The affiliation to

Under the guise of classifying the pandemic as a war, the world has seen a gradual shift towards authoritarian structures.

A combination of strict lockdown regulations and surveillance measures were setup to combat the virus’ outbreak. However, in a post-lockdown setup, some of the adopted measures could result in the long term theft of certain rights and freedoms. The UN Privacy Chief, Joseph Cannataci, warns that “dictatorships and authoritarian societies often start in the face of a threat”. In a span of months, even the most liberal democracies in the world in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia, have declared a war footing that has resulted in the imposition of stringent quarantine measures. Despite a post-lockdown setup, the various regulations that have been articulated during the initial onset of the pandemic will fundamentally alter our world order.

South Africa serves as one isolated example of the global phenomenon of emergency interim measures that could have overarching effects on the respective citizens after the pandemic. The emergency coronavirus Bill in the United Kingdom “allow[s] police to detain and hold people they think could be infectious” and use “military in front line policing”. While the declaration of the national emergency in the Philippines gives power to detain anyone suspected of spreading false information pertaining to COVID-19.

The world of work and economy As countries open up and start rebuilding their economies, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize asserts that “a slow phasing-in of normalcy to protect a fragile economy, however, does not mean the threat of COVID-19 has disappeared.

Lessons from the hard lockdown must remain”. Behavioural economists predict that “you can build it, but they might not come”, dissuading the sentiment that a post COVID-19 setup would provide “a minefield of dreams” after the worst. The emotional trauma that consumers bear may become a driver that induces a “great depression mind-set” that will thwart spending. The reiterating of the fear narrative in a bid to keep people at home could outlast the pandemic in a post lockdown setup. This, in turn, will prolong any chances to rebuild a new order.

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The New World Order The imposed lockdown altered the world of work we knew from before. When the lockdowns came into effect worldwide, many who had migrated to metropolitan cities for work returned back to their respective hometowns. Despite being located in vastly different geographical regions, individuals were able to keep connected and undertake their respective work via online platforms. Having proved that businesses could still employ individuals from vastly different geographical locations without incurring the additional expenses of emigration, going into a post pandemic setup, could permanently hamper urbanisation and globalisation.

The tourism industry, which thrives on travel, has taken one of the worst hits from the pandemic. Holidays turned into nightmares, when the very idyllic spaces that individuals sought to see, caused many to be stranded due to the global lockdowns. Despite the eventual emergence of a vaccine, from a psychological perspective, individuals who had experienced the trauma of their prior travels during the pandemic could take time before they feel comfortable to get on a plane.

The hospitality and leisure industry, albeit allowed to open, only operates at a reduced capacity due to social distancing measures. Furthermore, restaurants were limited to their takeout services, while the lockdowns imposed thwarted hotel occupancies and subsequent revenue.

Photograph: Cassandra Eardley

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Leisure activities, which thrive on engaging in intimate activities, may only operate at a reduced capacity, which compromises the leisure experience and also dents the income generated by these businesses. Hospitality and leisure industries in many instances work in tandem with the tourism industry, hence with the closure of national borders, this too effects potential revenue that could be generated in a post pandemic setup. With the easing of lockdown regulations, the psychological effects imposed by the stringent lockdowns, could hinder consumers from making their way to these industries.

All the drastic alteration seen to the world of work culminate in the notion that businesses and employers will judge the quality of work as opposed to the number of actual hours spent sitting at a desk space. The advent of remote learning and working could see entire institutions with desk jobs move to an online setup. The high demand for institutions moving online saw a corresponding spike in applications and software platforms. The unpreparedness to the COVID-19 pandemic has instilled a demand in emergency planning consulting that would aid in drafting templates for unprecedented situations in the future.

Mental health The modernists become a prime example that encompass all the pessimistic attitudes and trauma of those who lived through WWII. The end of World War II saw an increase in pessimistic sentiments.

The isolation and congestion that citizens faced in their own homes upon the worldwide imposed lockdowns has carved the potential for an influx of mental health disorders in a post-lockdown setup. The pandemic has created a situation where numerous mental stressors have coalesced into one global setup. People become aware of their vulnerability, unemployment becomes rife, economic uncertainty about the future causes panic and citizens grapple with the notion of potentially losing their loved ones, while others have had their families decimated by the onset of the virus.

Considering the trauma that WWII imprinted upon the collective psyches of citizens, many psychiatrists suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic supersedes the levels of anxiety experienced post-WWII. In any war setup, a war was a phenomenon fought on the battlefields, while a vast majority of citizens resided in the safe confines of a country.

The trauma of war remained mostly encapsulated on the battlefields.

Psychiatrists articulate that the pandemic has created a distinct cauldron of mental stressors, equating the ongoing fear of the virus to terrorism. People grappled with their losses behind closed doors, with the true extent of the lives lost and sacrifices made not visible in the public eye.

The advent of World War I and II saw the acknowledgement of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Returning soldiers who recounted their combat experiences to their families transmitted a form of intergenerational trauma that perpetuated a continuing legacy of trauma through generations down the line, in a post war set-up. A study published in the Journal of nervous and mental disease, by Dr Robert Rosenheck, a professor of public health and psychiatry at Yale

Pandemic: A student media perspective Medical School, asserts that “for some veterans’ offspring, it was as if they were constantly embroiled in a shared emotional cauldron”. The study suggests that the trauma that WWII veterans faced, and the subsequent secondary trauma, were limited to a few geographical hotspots with many social brackets completely oblivious to the impacts of war.

In stark contrast to this, returning essential workers, health workers, police officers or ordinary people who venture out to buy groceries, all pose the risk of becoming active vectors of a deadly virus. While returning soldiers were celebrated with revelry, returning essential workers are shrouded by the inherent trauma of potentially bringing the virus into the confines of their homes to their immediate families. This phenomenon takes place behind closed doors, where amidst the pandemic, individuals suffer their losses on their own. The pandemic also aids in contributing to a collective secondary trauma through its extensive coverage in the media which allows anyone across the globe to witness a shared experience of trauma, death and helplessness.

By asking a highly social species to suppress their mannerisms and emotions to save lives, individuals find themselves suffering from the disease, often alone, devoid of touch and human contact. The ordinary citizen becomes accustomed to making a million calculations before carrying out mundane activities or mere acts of kindness, for fear of contracting the virus.

Psychiatrists predict that the collective trauma that the pandemic has instilled could carve a post-world setup occupied by individuals with damaged national pride, feelings of vulnerability, heightened vigilance and uncertainty about the future.

While a virus may be curbed with vaccine trials, mental health problems pose a much greater challenge in finding a definitive cure. While we witnessed a prompt response to the virus through the array of vaccine trials, an equally rapid response to the magnitude of post COVID-19 trauma needs to be conducted if we are to embark on a swift rebuilding of the economy.

The lesson to learn from past crises is that there is no blanket treatment for mental health that would simply prescribe a sedative as an escape. Rather now, a greater acknowledgment of mental health will instil major paradigm shifts in psychiatry and psychology that would rebuild a new mental health model that would adequately treat the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our own global biases of health crises have led to late responses to the pandemic, costing many lives. Whenever a health crisis afflicts a populace, the general perception is that this phenomenon resides in a remote corner in “Africa or Asia”. The WHO predicted that Africa would see the worst to come amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the onslaught of the virus and subsequent global epicentres resided in Europe and the Americas. The initial rhetoric touted by the WHO was that senior citizens were at a greater risk of becoming afflicted with the virus. The pandemic proved that no age, gender, nor social group was left unscathed by the virus. Revisiting our biases about a health crisis will not only result in saving lives, but also aid decision making bodies to make choices governed by well thought out research as opposed to pseudo-science.

Post Pandemic Setup Many decisions made during the onset of the outbreak were made to overcome an immediate threat as opposed to assessing that regulation’s impact on the kind of world we will live in once the pandemic passes. The entire fabric of order has been disrupted by the emergence of a virus. Short term emergency measures become permanent, and interwoven into normality. The aftermath in which we will find ourselves will force us to alter our perceptions of normality. The emergency measures that have been put in place, have actually set us up in large scale social experiments. We see the effects of what would happen if we communicated without touch, if entire institutions went online, if we all stayed inside for months.

The results of these serendipitous experiments will govern what the new world order is in a post pandemic setup. What this setup will resemble remains to be seen.

Subeditors: Kayla Thomas Layout Artist: Ngoako Ramokgopa

“We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.” – An extract from Arundhati Roy’s The Pandemic is a Portal

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Next: The South African Wildlife Sector and COVID-19

Food Security How the pandemic is shaping food insecurity, and what we can do about it

BY STEPHANIE COOKSON VISUALS BY MADHURI RAMBARAN

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Photographs: Madhuri Rambaran

W

hile South Africa’s food supply survived the early panic buying in March, people were still going hungry. The pandemic has acutely worsened hunger and is expected to continue to exacerbate the country’s pre-existing struggles with food insecurity, leading many to raise alarms about the likelihood of a pandemic within the pandemic. It is critical for the government to make food insecurity a high priority, now more than ever, and for students and South Africans to know how they can add a helping hand, or access help themselves.

“Food insecurity impacts people’s potential, when widespread it is a destabilising factor in society”, said Dr Marc Wegerif, a lecturer for the University of Pretoria’s Development Studies Program with research on food systems.

Food security refers to “a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access

Pandemic: A student media perspective to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs, and food preferences for an active and healthy life”, according to the United Nations World Food Summit. Through their own production or purchases, “this food should also be safe to consume and [be] available year-round”, said Professor Sheryl Hendriks, the Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, Professor of Food Security, and author of a Daily Maverick Op-Ed on children’s food security during lockdown.

National food security differs from household food security, where “at the national level, this means that the country should have enough food to supply the food demand of all people in the country”, Prof. Hendriks explained. She added that international guidelines suggest this supply should include between three and four months’ stock of staple foods, in case of crisis or disruption. Household food security refers to the ability of households to access this food. Despite SA being nationally food secure, “there are people in the country who are literally going hungry. This is partly an outcome of the massive inequalities in South Africa,” said Dr Wegerif. There might be food for everyone, but not everyone has access to it.

Time Magazine named South Africa the world’s most unequal country in 2019, and statistics from the World Inequality Database found that 65% of income is earned by the top 10% of the population. The result is that 90% of South Africans account for only 35% of the nation’s income. This severe economic inequality stems largely from the legacy of apartheid, such as ‘spatial apartheid’ which refers to the racial (and economic) segregation of cities that persist despite the dismantling of apartheid over 20 years ago. The remnants of this system lead to the continued impoverishment of black and coloured South Africans who were economically excluded under apartheid, and forms the foundation of South Africa’s widespread food insecurity.

As a result, SA has battled food insecurity long before the onset of COVID-19. According to Stats SA, 1.7 million households reported that at least one member of the household experienced hunger as a result of not having enough food available in 2017.

As of 2018, one in ten South Africans

experienced hunger, amounting to six and a half million people. Households that face poverty are the most vulnerable to economic shocks and increased food insecurity over the coming months, as they often have more dependents, less income, and higher unemployment. More than one in four South African children under the age of five “are stunted”, said Dr Wegerif. “[This] means their physical and intellectual development is limited due to poor nutrition, people’s potential for life is limited before they are five years old, that is a tragedy,” he explained.

According to Prof. Hendriks’ Op-Ed, 28% of children between the ages two and five were shorter than their expected height, indicating chronic hunger at a “crucial growth and development stage”. Malcom de Klerk, a councillor on the Community and Social Development Committee for the City of Cape Town, said that “what is truly alarming is seeing a daily rate of malnutrition in children across the country.

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The Pandemic and Food Security

Our social security is not sufficient enough and there have been calls to raise this.”

During the pandemic, food insecurity is being acutely worsened in many ways.

So far, loss of income, inaccessibility of school nutrition programs for children, and rising food prices have been influenced by the pandemic. Other outcomes also include disruptions in the food supply system, and changes in shopping tactics to navigate lockdown regulations.

Those who depend on daily income that has ceased under lockdown levels are at risk of worsened food insecurity during the pandemic, according to Dr Wegerif, such as “informal businesses, like street traders and vendors, casual workers, temporary workers, beggars, waste pickers, many domestic workers, [and] gardeners”. He added that nonSouth Africans who are not included in government relief programmes are also

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of particular concern, and that “wherever people are from, they are people, we should care about their well-being”.

Prof. Hendriks also suggested that “pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, young children, the disabled, the elderly, and people marginalised in society” like foreign labourers, are among the most vulnerable to worsening food insecurity.

Prof. Hendriks explained that in the weeks following level five lockdown, “the ban on exports, and backlog of moving stocks has meant the adequate supply of domestically produced food”, even as importation was briefly suspended under level five. “Some countries have implemented export bans on foods such as rice, limiting the availability of these foods and raising the prices” in South Africa, she said. When it comes to the movement of food, Cllr. de Klerk said that, from his observations, movement and production has been largely unaffected.

“There have been manageable cases of truck drivers getting the COVID-19 virus, but most transport companies have been able to provide adequate backup systems”.

Dr Wegerif suggested that food imports will pose a challenge, with “harbours not functioning at full capacity [and] people getting COVID-19 affecting loading and off-loading”. Workplaces across the country have minimised the number of workers in one place at a time, introduced risk assessment forms for workers to report any symptoms of COVID-19, and had to partially or fully close down operations in cases where one or more workers had tested positive. The financial implications of workers contracting the virus, especially in ‘high-risk’ occupations, like nursing or ports-of-entry staff, have the potential to worsen food insecurity for households that often have only one breadwinner. In light of this, the government declared that contracting the virus from the workplace entitles workers to compensation for their incapacitation

Photograph: Madhuri Rambaran

Pandemic: A student media perspective

because of COVID-19.

Dr Wegerif also cited the National School Nutrition Programme for children, which under usual circumstances feeds millions of children but is inaccessible with the closure of schools. Prof. Hendriks noted that children were no longer receiving meals from Early Childhood Development Centers and schools, and “for many, these meals were the only substantial meal they received daily”.

While such programmes will hopefully be running as schools continue to reopen, “it is not yet clear if all children who used to benefit will be able to access the programme at this time”, said Dr Wegerif.

One of the consequences of this, according to him, is that more pressure is placed on household food security as more children cannot access food at school. A study at the end of May, conducted by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, revealed the results of this added pressure on low income households. According to the study, the cost of the average household food basket in Pietermaritzburg increased by 7.8% between March, when lockdown began, and May. While food prices rose, low income families ran out of food more quickly with children and workers at home, meaning more food needed to be purchased. Additionally, this study found that women were spending an estimated R200 more than usual when shopping for their households because of their inability to scout for the most affordable prices at various shops, in addition to having to pay more to travel to these locations. Women from low-income households usually visit multiple butcheries and supermarkets to determine the lowest prices or best deals before buying food items. However, because visiting various locations increases the risk of exposure to the virus, as well as drivers’ charging more for transport to make up for their falling incomes, shopping has to take place in one

to two locations, preventing women from shopping with a financial strategy.

The study also found that by May, the average cost of food for a household had risen to R3 470.92, and that low income families were spending 30% more on food than at the start of March. This amount is more than what a minimum-wage worker earns in a month (R3 321.60).

This amount is also only paid if a worker is able to work 8-hour days, for the full number of working days in a month. “The cost of household food baskets [versus] the amount of money households have to spend just does not correlate”, the authors of the study said. In addition to the rising cost of food, the study reported the loan sharks that usually lend money on a 30% interest rate were charging 40% by the time of the study. This is because more women were having to borrow money to buy food when facing the combination of loss of wages and absence of savings buffers. “Whilst our

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The Pandemic and Food Security data is localised, it is not unlikely that this picture is playing itself out in textured variations across South Africa”, the study said.

The future is uncertain, but based on the already-felt effects of the pandemic, food security will continue to be a challenge.

One area where the pandemic is expected to influence food security is the food supply system. With workers falling ill and businesses closing in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus in workplaces, there have already been interruptions in this system. “What has been exposed is the challenge of high levels of concentration in nodes in the food system”, explained Dr Wegerif, citing an Albany bakery in KwaZulu-Natal that shutdown because of infections, disrupting supplies in “a wide area”. “When very high proportions of any food supply system go through any narrow node there is a risk of major disruptions”, he said, adding that as workplaces continue to open and cases rise, this may

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yield problems. In the same vein, it is possible that local outlets will shut down, making access to food even more difficult, he added.

While it is critical that the government intervene in meaningful ways in the coming months, which will inevitably see precarious economic changes, each citizen is capable of making a difference at a local level. It is important that we do what we can, considering the predictions of economic contraction, soaring food prices, and increased food insecurity in the aftermath of the pandemic, which, according to some scientists, might linger for up to five years, making the consequences long-term, and far reaching.

The Mail & Guardian published statistics at the end of June, indicating that there has been a 156% increase in possible retrenchments in April through June compared to the entire 2018-2019 period, according to the Commission of Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

The most affected industries could potentially be clothing retail, private transport, and hotels, according to the Mail & Guardian. These statistics are troubling considering the predictions of a 7.2% economic contraction caused by the pandemic in a country that already battles massive unemployment and food insecurity.

In the long term, higher unemployment “will increase the number of hungry people”, said Prof. Hendriks. “Constrained budgets will see a reduction in the amount and quality of the foods people eat. This will affect nutrition, with negative consequences for productivity and child development,” she explained, further adding that there will be longterm implications of this, “especially for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and young children”. Other possible longterm challenges include: increased crime or looting, like stock theft on farms, which is already rising, according to Prof.

Hendriks, as well as the loss of livelihood, particularly for small businesses. Cllr. de Klerk said that civil unrest and worsening social cohesion are likely in the long-run, with the prospect of food riots. While civil society has joined the government in the “mammoth undertaking” of fighting hunger during the pandemic, he explained, their input “is starting to slow down as private funding starts to dry up”.

PDBY asked Cllr. de Klerk how students could add a helping hand. “Students have

youth and vibrancy, serve your country and join volunteer groups like Dare To Love, Order of St. John and thousands of other organisations that help in the distribution of food parcels”, he suggested.

In the same vein, Dr Wegerif suggested that students in “at least slightly more privileged positions than many in our society” should reach out to those they know to check in and ensure that their families are paying employees. Another good place to begin is donating to charities like the C-19 People’s Coalition, an organisation that “is organising to advocate around food security and other issues” said Dr Wegerif. He also recommended donating to Food Forward SA, which has been helping South Africans facing hunger since 2009.

In recent weeks, Food Forward has donated 3100 tons of food to vulnerable communities, which translates to over 12 million meals.

Other options include organisations like

Pandemic: A student media perspective the SA Council of Churches, Gift of the Givers, or UP’s own Solidarity Fund. Dr Wegerif noted that supporting and arguing for expanded and increased social grants and basic income grants is also important, because “putting money in people’s pockets is one of the simplest ways to assist them in getting enough food and nutrition”.

Cllr. de Klerk also added that think tanks can be an opportunity for students to be part of developing sustainability regarding food security. “We need to develop an environment of opportunity to take advantage of this crisis, to make gains in the new normal”, he said, explaining that students should look to “a future of community and commonality”.

Even post-pandemic, looking into new technology and agricultural methods that can be used in urban spaces is a way to move forward, Cllr. de Klerk suggested.

Hydroponics are an “exciting prospect” which according to him, are one way of

moving into an “era of self-sustainability”.

Utilising rooftops to grow fruits and vegetables that could be used to develop a Res feeding scheme is one example of how students can make a difference, he explained. “Access to the internet is a great key to unlocking the prospect of researching ways and methods of developing a successful urban farming environment”, said Cllr. de Klerk.

The University of Pretoria has already begun food sustainability projects within the UP community, with the university’s Community Engagement food gardens in Hatfield. By clearing out sites in the city previously used as dumping grounds, these areas have been turned into gardens where students and citizens can learn to run a kitchen garden, and possibly earn a small income from selling vegetables in the future. Daddy Kgonothi, a Masters of Food Sciences student involved with the project, said that the students were able to work on the gardens just before the lockdown in March. Since then, the gardens have been tended by rotating small groups preparing land and planting. The project hopes to sell affordable vegetables to students, and Ms. Gernia Van Niekerk, the Manager of Community Engagement at UP, said that “the foundation for a hydroponic plant is already built [and] training will be done from there to demonstrate and introduce the concept”.

UP has also been running the Student Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP) developing this concept in order to target since before the pandemic, and students the [neediest] people”, he added. can contact the Department of Student With UP’s programs, established affairs to access help should they and upcoming to fight hunger, as well experience hunger. Additionally, Faculty as the cooperation of civil society Student Advisors should be “the first point and government, South Africans are of contact” for students in need, according attempting to confront the food insecurity to Prof. Hendriks. “A great deal has been that some have warned will become done by Faculties already to reach these the ‘pandemic within the pandemic’. students and establish their needs – for “Be kind to everyone – we never know studying, finances, accommodation, what hardship another faces”, said Prof. and supporting access to teaching and Hendriks, adding that “support does learning”, she said. not have to be monetary, food, or warm Prof. Hendriks recommended that clothes and blankets – it can be emotional the government consider establishing support and comfort in these stressful food banks in each district in her Opand uncertain times”. Echoing these Ed. Similarly, in a UP webinar on the sentiments, Dr Wegerif insisted that “we pandemic and food security, Dr Khaled should care about all humans and do what Eltaweel, UP Alumni and Program we can as individuals and a society for Officer at the UN Food and Agriculture those among us who are suffering”.

Organisation, praised the success of food banks that started on a very small scale, “but now reaches millions in Egypt”.

Subeditors: Kayla Thomas and Marren McKay “I think this is also an opportunity for Layout Artist: Ngoako Ramokgopa and Leah Rees

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN wildlife SECTOR and COVID-19 Page 48

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Photograph:Page Kayla Thomas

WILDLIFE

The South African Wildlife Sector and COVID-19

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BY DANI VAN DER HORST VISUALS BY MARCHALL POTGIETER AND KAYLA THOMAS

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he world inextricably links South Africa to wildlife - but what happens when our borders remain closed, and tourists are nowhere to be found? The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the world and has deeply affected the tourism industry. According to the World Tourism Organisation, as of April, 100% of worldwide destinations had implemented travel restrictions, with at least 45% thereof totally or partially closing their borders to tourists. South Africa has been under lockdown since the end of March - which means that our borders have been closed to international guests for months. According to the recently published Tourism Sector Recovery Plan draft, borders are looking to open in the worst-case scenario, around May next 2021, and in the best-case scenario, in the next few months.

Wildlife is essential for tourism in South Africa, as the wildlife sector is also responsible for creating opportunities for many local communities, and a large number of South Africans are dependent on this sector. But how exactly do we define the wildlife economy?

According to the Department of Environmental Affairs, “the wildlife economy in South Africa is centred on the sustainable utilisation of indigenous biological resources including biodiversity-derived products for trade and bio-prospecting, the hunting industry, agriculture and agroprocessing of indigenous crops and vegetables, and livestock breeds and indigenous marine resources, and fisheries. Wildlife Economy focus areas centre on the socio-economic benefits of eco-tourism, co-managed conservation areas, and ancillary services to protected areas.” South Africa is ranked as the third most biodiverse country in the world, and it is this ranking that is at the core of the country’s growing wildlife economy.

In 2018, the wildlife sector in South Africa contributed to approximately 2.8% of the country’s real GDP (Gross Domestic

Pandemic: A student media perspective

Product), and the majority of this was linked to tourism. This amounted to roughly R139bn - so, it is safe to say that the wildlife sector and more specifically, wildlife tourism, is a crucial part of the South African economy. Before one can unpack the effects of COVID-19 on this sector, it is important to unpack the sector as a whole. The wildlife sector is a broad term and falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Affairs, as well as the Department of Tourism.

It can be separated into three major subsectors: wildlife ranching; wildlife activities; and wildlife products.

Wildlife ranching refers to what is commonly known as game breeding or game farming. It centres mainly around the breeding and live sale of wild animals. Wildlife activities refers to things like game viewing, trophy hunting, and biltong hunting. Wildlife products refers to things like game meat processing, skin and hide production, and the production of other products such as curios. So, wildlife tourism would mainly fall under the subsector of wildlife activities.

A major area of interest in the wildlife sector is that of wildlife trade, which could fall under the subsector of wildlife ranching as well as the subsector of wildlife products.

TRAFFIC is a global non-governmental organisation that is mainly concerned with the trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. TRAFFIC defines wildlife trade as “any sale or exchange of wild animal and plant resources by people.

This can involve live animals and plants, or a diverse range of products needed or prized by humans—including skins, medicinal ingredients, tourist curios, timber, fish, and other food products”.

The world of wildlife trading is complex and it is rife with challenges. The first of many issues (and likely the most obvious) of illegal wildlife trading are activities such as

poaching. This has posed, and continues to pose, a threat to South Africa’s biodiversity, and it is an important point of discussion. In recent years, rhino poaching has been at the centre of the discussion around poaching in South Africa - but it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the illegal trade of wild animal products. Other well-known areas include the poaching of elephants for ivory and the poaching of big cats - mainly for their fur, bones, and teeth. Broadly, poaching refers to the act of illegally taking animals from the wild.

Animals could be killed or simply “stolen” from their natural habitat. This begins to get increasingly complicated the more one tries to untangle it. For instance, a member of a rural village bordering a game reserve could illegally kill an impala to feed his family. This is obviously quite a different act to someone illegally killing an elephant in order to sell its tusks.

However, by the broad definition, both of these acts would be considered poaching, but we are likely more interested in the latter.

The sale of live, wild animals is equally as important in this illegal trade. Animals, such as primates and reptiles for instance, are usually kept alive and sold as exotic pets.

While the exotic pet trade is fascinating and full of its own complications, a greater point of interest in relation to this discussion is wildlife markets. Here it is important to draw our attention to the fact that there is also a so-called legal way of trading live wild animals.

In May, The EMS Foundation and Ban Animal Trading (BAT), released an investigative report titled “Breaking Point: Uncovering South Africa’s Shameful Live Wildlife Trade with China”. The report detailed the blurry lines between legal and illegal live wildlife trading. According to the lengthy report, South Africa has become the largest exporter of live wild animals to Asia.

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The South African Wildlife Sector and COVID-19

there has always been, “ and will continue to be, a large amount of debate around what constitutes ethical wildlife practices The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is meant to govern and regulate the global wildlife trade and ensure that it is sustainable and ethical. The report finds that the convention’s many irregularities and loopholes are regularly exploited by wildlife traffickers. For instance, illegal shipments of wildcaught threatened animals are masked as legal exports. CITES’s exporting permits still operate on a manual, paperbased system that is subject to fraud and falsification – many lack verified export addresses, are unsigned and undated, and are not checked prior to the export. This means that there is a lack of transparency when it comes to the industry as a whole.

To further complicate this already very hazy picture, there has always

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been, and will continue to be, a large amount of debate around what constitutes ethical wildlife practices.

These discussions are crucial to creating a wildlife sector that is sustainable.

But what does all of this have to do with the global COVID-19 pandemic?

And more specifically, how does South Africa fit into all of it?

Firstly, we must unpack the idea of a wet market and a wildlife market.

An article published in National Geographic in April states that wet markets are “typically large collections of open-air stalls selling fresh seafood, meat, fruits, and vegetables. Some wet markets sell and slaughter live animals on site, including chickens, fish, and shellfish. In China, they are a staple of daily life for many”.

Wet markets are crucial to many

of the world’s population, as they offer relatively cost-effective access to meat. It is important to note that wet markets occur all over the world and not only in Asia. It is not common, but sometimes these markets also sell wild animals and their meat.

Wildlife markets are also found worldwide but they specifically sell wild animals for meat or as pets. The article states that “the markets themselves may be legal, though they sometimes offer illegal species alongside permitted ones”. It is largely unknown how many wildlife markets there are in the world.

The article also states that “buying, selling, and slaughtering wild animals for food is one way an animal-borne disease may infect people. Viruses can spread more easily if animals in markets are sick or kept in dirty, cramped conditions, such as in stacked cages.

Pandemic: A student media perspective

Illustration: Marchall Potgieter

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The South African Wildlife Sector and COVID-19 When animals are under duress, viral pathogens can intermingle, swap bits of their genetic code, and perhaps mutate in ways that make them more transmissible between species. In the case of respiratory diseases, such as COVID-19, the virus can jump to food handlers or customers through exposure to an animal’s bodily fluids.”

Early speculations surrounding the origin of the COVID-19 outbreak were linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China. This is a wet market where wild animals were being sold. Live and slaughtered species that were for sale included snakes, beavers, porcupines, and baby crocodiles, among other animals. While there is still no concrete evidence of whether or not the outbreak of the virus originated from the market, these speculations lead to its shutdown. There are many conflicting ideas about the virus’s origin, but the most common idea suggests that it is of zoonotic origins and has strong similarities to coronaviruses found in bats, and suggest that the virus is a bat-borne virus.

There have been theories suggesting that the virus was first passed onto an intermediary host, pangolins (which were sold at the market), before being passed on to humans but this has not been proven.

However, this is not the first time that animals have been linked to the spread of diseases. The SARS-outbreak of 2003 has also been linked to bats and wildlife markets, as has the Ebolavirus. A large amount of research has pointed to HIV having its origins in SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus), a disease carried by chimpanzees. It is widely assumed that the disease crossed from chimpanzees to humans through hunting.

SIV was transferred to humans as a result of chimpanzees being killed and eaten, or through their blood getting into cuts or wounds on people in the course of hunting. These are just a few of the many diseases that have been linked to the human consumption of wildlife.

The opinions surrounding the wildlife trade are divided, and are likely to remain so in a post-COVID-19 world. Many wealthier nations, such as Australia, have called for the banning of wet markets as a response to the linking of it to the spread of diseases. This highlights the fact that there is still a large amount of misinformation surrounding the wildlife trade and wet markets as a whole. Many people, specifically those who are impoverished, depend on wet markets to live. Simply put, without these markets, they will not have access to food.

The markets that we should be more concerned with are wildlife markets or wet markets that specifically sell wildlife products. There is a need to regulate these more thoroughly, and, more specifically, there is a need to rigorously monitor South Africa’s involvement in such trading activities and reevaluate what constitutes “legal” live wildlife trade.

Kaddu Sebunya, CEO of The African Wildlife Foundation, suggests that a drop in tourism in Africa, due to the pandemic, is likely to lead to increased poaching activities and increased illegal sales of wildlife. Without the major income from tourists, National Parks are struggling to pay their staff and struggling to protect their parks. As mentioned earlier, wildlife tourism is important to South Africa’s economy, but it is even more so to the continent as a whole. According to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the total international tourism receipts for Africa in 2013 reached US$ 34.2 billion.

The industry has slowly been growing over the past few

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decades and millions of Africans depend on it.

However, it operates as a cycle: the wildlife trade influences the spread of disease (if not directly, then by association); the spread of disease halts wildlife tourism; wildlife tourism creates jobs and brings a large sum of money to the continent, so it detracts from the illegal wildlife trade; however, with no income from the wildlife tourism industry, people inevitably resort to illegal wildlife trade; and once again we are placed back at square one. Sustainability, in terms of biodiversity, is the goal for the South African wildlife sector, but with so many livelihoods on the line, there is a strong chance that illegal and possibly even legal wildlife trading activities could

Pandemic: A student media perspective

Photograph: Kayla Thomas

be on the rise during COVID-19, and post-COVID-19, South Africa.

What this means for the future of the wildlife sector in South Africa is unclear, with resuming the wildlife tourism sector being part of the solution. It is clear that there is an inextricable link between the global wildlife trade and South Africa. There is a need to properly regulate this industry if there is to be a future in the wildlife sector, as regulating the trade of wildlife is not only important in terms of sustainability but also in terms of the likely links between wildlife and the spread of disease. It is therefore crucial to further explore the possible links between wildlife and the

spread of disease to develop a greater understanding of this issue. As with most global health and environmental issues, sustainability finds itself as a key point of the discussion. A balance needs to be found between what is best for humanity and what is best for the planet. If we do not explore and offer solutions to the root of these problems, we may to see issues such as the global pandemic rise again in the near future.

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Surviving and Covering the Pandemic: A media’s perspective

BY SUSANNA ANBU VISUALS BY GIOVANNA JANOS AND KAYLA THOMAS

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Pandemic: A student media perspective

he changing narrative of a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic has posed new challenges to the traditional media model. The media has been tasked with documenting the transience of the pandemic’s narrative, as well as providing a communal platform for the exploration of our shared experiences during the unprecedented lockdown. The media has become active role players in shaping the public’s perception and compliance to the lockdown regulations through the reporting style of the outbreak in their respective nations. Contrary to other global crises, the COVID-19 pandemic takes place in a backdrop of rampant information access.

The ubiquity of information forces media houses to adopt dual roles as fact checkers and reporters of a changing narrative in the age of social media.

A war-like reporting stratagem The Greek Historian Herodotus is accredited with the first instance of ‘reporting’ on an incident through his methodology of collecting extensive material on an event and formulating a report on the incident, as illustrated in The Histories, a work detailing the happenings of the Persian War. Historically, war was the first phenomenon to be reported on due to its ubiquity and resonance amongst a populace. By associating a crisis to a ‘war’, it allows the reporters to depict the image of a hero vs. villain, which gives a semblance of hope that the crisis will be resolved, and encourages a continued sentiment of sacrifice and compliance.

Bringing in the coverage of the current pandemic, parallels can be drawn to war-like reporting.

On 31 March, United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, stated that “the coronavirus pandemic is the worst global crisis since WW2”.

The onset of the pandemic has led to a reiteration of a war rhetoric, by both media and heads of state. Building on this, certain media houses have adopted a war like reporting strategy that has simultaneously enforced compliance to the lockdown regulations, and has also instilled fear in the public that could outlast the pandemic. An exposure to war coverage of the pandemic has also instilled desensitisation to pressing domestic issues.

Media houses have used reporting techniques to liken our current pandemic to a more familiar war phenomenon. The mass production of ventilators, masks and hand sanitisers were likened to ‘war weaponry’, while rhetorical words painted the health workers who put their lives on the

line as ‘war veterans’ and ‘frontline soldiers’.

Furthermore, a set template was enforced, where the ‘enemy’ was the virus, the ‘soldiers’ being the health workers, the ‘traitors’ being those who refused to wear masks and social distance, and the ‘home front’ being ordinary citizens.

Podcaster and editor of the China Africa project, Eric Olander, claims that media houses have in fact, not adopted a war-like reporting strategy, countering that contrary to war, where soldiers and victims died in the public eye, the health workers and ordinary citizens lost to COVID-19, “have died behind closed doors, away from the public eye, in hospital wards and houses”. Olander ascertains that although COVID-19 has left no institution unscathed, the deaths we encounter as a result of it, are not personified to a large extent in the public sphere as done to fallen soldiers of a war.

The emergence of a war presents a set of mutually contradictory truths as determined by the warring factions involved. The war narrative presented “a visible enemy” while the pandemic’s enemy was “an invisible virus”. As the war and virus outbreak make their way to decimate soldiers and citizens, reporting it was statistic centric, with a broader focus on the lives lost and accumulated number of infections.

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Surviving and Covering the Pandemic: A media's perspective

A pattern that can be discerned in the war-like media coverage of the pandemic, is that once a nation finds itself at the peak of infections, with rising cases and deaths, the media look to personifying the numbers and deaths to reiterate the seriousness of the pandemic. The deaths reported in a day do not merely become numbers, but become personified as a mother, father, or friend. This generates a heightened sense of compliance as citizens become aware that the outbreak leaves no social bracket unscathed.

In tracing the media coverage of the pandemic, media houses dominated their headlines with the towering pandemic statistics. The progression of headlines that dominated the pandemic narrative between February to May, show a statistic centric coverage of “the lives lost” and “positive cases” in a way that mimics the casualties of war. A constructed image of headlines that arose during wars in history and the current pandemic show similarities.

For instance, a headline from the WWI Battle of Ypres reads “Canadian Casualties May Amount To 5000”, which is reflected in headlines from 2020, such as the 14 April New York Times article entitled “N.Y.C. Death Toll Soars Past 10 000 in Revised Virus Count”. Similar headlines from war and the pandemic read respectively as “Vietnam: One Week’s Dead” (from the Vietnam War) and “Those We’ve Lost” (2020), showing parallel reporting strategies.

Historically, during WW1, war correspondents did not attain access to the battlefields, with media houses relying on war footages supplied by their respective governments that they would then add narrations to. This supplied footage was often a product of strategic censorship and staging, effectively shrouding the true war narrative.

Moving into WW2, certain war correspondents were

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offered opportunities to fly along on air raids (after months of training) in an effort to transmit the ephemeral war presence on the battlefields, to the citizens back home. The availability of technological equipment coinciding with the onset of certain wars in history set the basis for the exploration of the true war narrative. The Vietnam War, nicknamed as the world’s “first televisionwar” serves as an example of how the true brutality of war was revealed. The media in this instance covered the vast number of American casualties that encouraged a collective deterioration of American support in the war. Furthermore, the narrative, devoid of government intervention in this instance, was dictated by media houses, which provided uncensored news that that the opposing factions exploited. The media coverage of the Vietnam War is said to have encouraged an American loss.

Bringing the aforementioned facts to that of a global pandemic, we experience an incessant “infodemic” with the average citizen offered an array of sources on where to obtain information about a shared global pandemic. The modern day coverage of the pandemic is set against the backdrop of social media. The relaying of facts need not solely reside with a media house or correspondent, with our current digital platform allowing anyone to become active perpetuators of what they deem as “facts” and “truth”. While the narrative that war correspondents put out were written amidst the imminent shadow of censorship, current narratives of the pandemic are devoid of the regressive censorship that war correspondents were historically subjected to.

War reporting by media, in conjunction with respective governments, often sought to perpetuate a predetermined narrative, to achieve a heroic depiction of a country’s war efforts. In a modern setup however, most media houses (aside from those in authoritarian regimes) have leeway to present varying critiques of a government’s response to the pandemic, in tandem with the government’s own propulsion of pandemic propaganda.

Pandemic: A student media perspective

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The 21st century pandemic propaganda ropaganda is a technique employed to shape the cognition of citizens, in a way to reach a desired effect. During war, propaganda was utilised to encourage conscription and public participation in war efforts. Additionally, propaganda was used to amplify military successes to deteriorate the enemy’s morale. The emergence of any global crisis puts pressure on a country’s government to formulate contingency plans to combat the crisis. Pandemic propaganda has been an important tool wielded by governments to influence citizens’ compliance to the lockdown regulations and filter out global criticism. The “pandemic propaganda” we see ourselves in has been exacerbated across numerous media platforms.

The strict lockdowns, coupled with the drastic modifications that citizens have had to make to their daily routines, have all needed a form of justification in order to be sustained. In stark contrast to war time propaganda, that rode on a rhetoric that encouraged public participation in the war “to go out and fight”, the pandemic’s propaganda encouraged citizens “to stay at home to save lives”.

The initial emergence of the outbreak saw the use of agenda setting by media, which saw a shift in the news narrative with all published news directly or indirectly linked to COVID-19.

PDBY’s shift to a sole online coverage of campus affairs also saw a significant shift in content. The imposition of the lockdown cancelled annual campus activities, scheduled sports matches and entertainment events, which led to the coverage of what the impacts of these cancellations were on the groups involved. PDBY’s leading stories, for three months (during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa) were governed by the impacts of COVID-19 on students and campus activities. PDBY adopted an agenda setting that shifted its narrative to COVID-19 coverage relevant to students. Albeit still under restrictions, PDBY saw a steady shift to cover not only the immediate effects of the pandemic on students, but also the long term implications of the current restrictions.

Furthermore, to generate compliance to lockdown regulations, many governments used the propaganda technique of ad nauseam through the tireless reiteration of the “stay home, stay safe” rhetoric, to a point where the slogan has lost its authority.

We currently witness the varying narrations of benchmarks in the pandemic. Both Russian and Chinese media outlets seek to boast sentiments that amplify their successful responses to the pandemic. In the race to obtain a vaccine, numerous Russian media outlets touted the readiness of their coronavirus vaccine to enter the market, yet global media outlets debunked this sentiment as propaganda effort to justify the reopening of Russia. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has actively cultivated propaganda sentiments to depict themselves as a benign force to citizens. Numerous photo-ops and orchestrated video footages of dancing nurses in the hospitals supress any potential disbelief in China’s response. A peer-reviewed study published in the Misinformation review, a journal affiliated with Harvard

Kennedy School, noted that the leveraging of ads, and provocative COVID-19 information, promoted the party’s ideology, while simultaneously scape-goating an “outside force” for the emergence of the pandemic. Many domestic social media platforms in China become active perpetrators of this propaganda and aid in filtering out global criticism due to these social media platforms being exclusively Chinese. This limits the access that global media outlets have to Chinese audiences.

Das Frank, a San Francisco based painter and tattooist, sought to create pandemic posters that would influence a universal sentiment of staying at home during the initial onset of the pandemic. Closer interactions with Frank and his works provided insight into the parallels between war and pandemic propaganda. Frank explains that “a lot of the popular propaganda produced during WWII was done very rapidly to get as many messages out to who needed to hear them as fast as possible. This meant a majority of the art work had to be fairly loose, something that would catch the eye from across the street.”

Frank draws parallels to the current COVID-19 pandemic and war, stating that “there is a front line in this battle and the incredibly brave men and woman of the health care industry are wading into an unimaginable fight. It is up to everyone to use what skills they have to back them up.”

Frank ascertains that the impetus for the creation of a piece that mimicked wartime posters was to actively influence people to make modifications to their normal idiosyncrasies in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Frank articulates that “when posters like this were originally plastered on street corners you only had one second to get the message across while somebody zoomed past on a busy street. Today, in the same respect I only have a second to catch the eye as they scroll past on Instagram or Facebook.”

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Scientific

Surviving and Covering the Pandemic: A media's perspective

Scientific crisis or political crisis?

The COVID-19 pandemic is a volatile mix of science and politics. Despite the pandemic being characterised as a health crisis, it resides with the politicians to decide to what extent scientists can shape the decision making processes. Different societies have varying perceptions of scientists and politicians, which in turn is shaped by the way the media covers the two entities. In different countries across the globe, the decision to allow either the health correspondent or political correspondent to cover the outbreak, has major implications in shaping the narrative that gets to the public.

The coverage of Professor Glenda Gray, Dr Anthony Fauci, President Donald Trump and Minister Nkozana Dlamini-Zuma, become prime examples of the power struggle between politicians and scientists. The media coverage of these public figures aid in shaping the public’s response to the pandemic, as they influence whether the average media user should lean towards the words of a politician, or a scientist.

Dr Anthony Fauci has held the position as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, under six presidential administrations. Each press briefing culminates into an unpredictable mix of President Donald Trump’s incessant mischaracterisations regarding facts about COVID-19, and Dr Fauci adopting the role as a fact checker.

This has led to a rift in the American public’s belief in Trump.

Dr Fauci acknowledges the misinformation dynamic within the White House COVID-19 task force, but retreats with “I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down”.

Dr Fauci represents science in the pandemic narrative and his role in managing a “fact-resistant” president has allowed many media outlets to rely on him as the sole voice of logical reason amidst misinformation from the White House. Whilst many right-wing affiliated political groups find greater impetus in believing rhapsodic statements with no scientific basis, covering Dr Fauci as a stoic hero amidst Trump’s statements that warrant no scientific basis has effectively influenced the public’s perceptions to align their beliefs towards a scientist. American media outlets paint Dr Fauci in an aura of heroism by covering aspects of his life that garner sympathy from the public. Media mentions of Dr Fauci

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“only sleeping for 4 or 5 hours a night”, and “his voice growing hoarse” with delivering bad news (as mentioned in Newsday Media), are indicators that the media is cultivating a rhetoric that will influence Americans to lean towards the “heroic scientist” as opposed to the “egoistic politician”.

In spite of the smear campaign conducted by the white house against Dr Fauci, details of a polling conducted at Quinnipiac University on 14 July found that that 67% of registered American voters do not believe information from Trump, with 65% believing information from Dr Fauci.

Brazil’s president Jairo Bolsonaro’s anti-science rhetoric, coupled with his attacks on Brazilian media, serve as another example of narrative division. On 3 March, during a scheduled press conference outside Alvorada Palace, Bolsonaro humiliated journalists who stood waiting, by arriving with a comedian to impersonate him. He proceeded to ask the comedian to distribute bananas to the journalists (perceived as a disrespectful gesture in Brazil), encouraging the comedian to caricature his responses to the media.

According to Reporters without Borders (RSF), in the first three months of 2020, 32 attacks on Brazilian media were conducted by Bolsonaro. The 2019 annual report released by the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (ABERT), indicated that four million online attacks were perpetuated by pro-Bolsonaro politicians against media outlets during the course of 2019.

Through Bolsonaro’s propulsion of statements that

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Pandemic: A student media perspective

Photograph: Dida Sampaio and Estadão Conteúdo President Bolsonaro and his impersonator acting out gestures to make fun of journalists in Alvorada Palace, Brasilia on 3 March.

suggest COVID-19 as being a “little flu”, stating “the population will realise soon enough that it has been deceived by the media”, he encourages Brazilian citizens to take to the streets and ignore the recommendations conveyed by his own health ministry. In spite of the media attacks, the consistent Brazilian media coverage of the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak has perpetuated a narrative that has instilled fear in citizens, forcing them to stay at home. The headline published on one of Brazil’s leading news agencies, Folha De S.Paulo, noted that a Brazilian died from COVID-19 every minute. While a billboard of the dancing pall bearers of Ghana (that became an eponymous meme of the pandemic), built on a major highway in Brazil, was spread across media platforms to relay the seriousness of the outbreak.

Daniele Almeida Rego, a 30-year-old supporter of Bolsonaro spoken to by the Financial Times, acknowledges the contradiction in Bolsonaro’s refuting of the strict regulations of a lockdown, yet promoting a rule of military dictatorship in Brazil. Amidst this deteriorating radical base, Bolsonaro’s refusal to acknowledge the marginalised residents of the Favelas and indigenous communities has dwindled his support. Bolsonaro’s failure to carry out the economic promises made in his campaign, coupled with the vast number of COVID-19 related deaths in Brazil, have encouraged Brazilian citizens to listen to the narrative of media houses that appeal to reasoning.

Bringing it to a South African context, the media coverage of the debacle that involved Professor Glenda Gray, President of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), and her criticism of the government’s lockdown regulations, is an illustration of the continuing divide between science and politics in South Africa.

The media coverage of the HIV/AIDS denialism under Thabo Mbeki’s presidency and its subsequent influence on South Africa’s health policies serve as the first incidence of the science-politics tug of war in post-apartheid South Africa. Our modern day equivalent of censorship is not restricting access to information, but rather breaking the cycle of information by deteriorating credibility, creating polarising views and denying media attention to existing

facts. By presenting the media user with a vast array of contradictory, but believable, truths, it effectively breaks the link between information and action. The polarising coverage of the HIV/AIDS denialism in South African media serves as an example of modern day censorship.

Now amidst the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa, we witness varying portrayals of scientists and politicians.

A News24 piece written by Mia Malan, editor-in-chief of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, suggested that scientists going public with potential criticism could be fuelled by ego clashes within the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), and used as a technique for increasing visibility in the public eye for potential funding for their respective high profile research ventures. In contrast, News24 editor-in-chief, Adriaan Basson’s article titled: Gray’s anatomy may be exactly what South Africa needed, suggests that Prof. Gray’s criticism coinciding with the collective South African dissatisfaction in the lockdown regulations and its deteriorating scientific basis, generated support for Prof. Gray.

In an interview conducted on 16 May, Prof. Gray deemed the lockdown regulations as “unscientific” and “uncompelling”, stating that “this strategy is not based in science and is completely unmeasured. [It’s] almost as if someone is sucking regulations out of their thumb and implementing rubbish, quite frankly.”

The subsequent reprimand from Health Minster Dr Zweli Mhkize and the SAMRC’s call for an investigation, creates a picture of a scientist unfairly silenced by her political superiors.

By depicting a “top scientist” from the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) echoing the sentiments that most South Africans harbour, it creates the effect that politicians ignore the scientific consensus provided by scientists in the MAC. Dr Fauci and Prof. Gray, with the aid of media, morph into well rounded public figures in the public’s consciousness, cultivating a sense of distrust towards politicians, and trust towards scientists. This sentiment of trusting scientists is akin to selective social brackets in South Africa, with a majority of citizens, who occupy

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Surviving and Covering the Pandemic: A media's perspective

obscure spaces of rampant disinformation, believing the words of politicians that resonate with their respective political ideologies. The elite journalism that media houses resort to distances certain sectors of society, due to appealing to the interests of middle to upper class societies. By adopting solution based journalism, that is devoid of the analytical language as seen in elite journalism, media houses are able to expand their resonance amongst wider societal spheres, and reach individuals that occupy spaces of poor information access. In contrast, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, becomes an epitome of political unpopularity amongst South Africans under the lockdown period due to her staunch support for the cigarette and alcohol bans.

An article published on Soweten Live, articulates that Minister Dlamini-Zuma positions herself as an internal opposition to the current administration that has the backing of the ruling establishment. Furthermore, citing the petition on change.org that called for the firing of Minister Dlamini-Zuma, the article states that “this is what happens when you tamper with the bourgeoisie interests”. The article goes on further to assert that “the cigarette ban was introduced for entirely logical and understandable reasons”, citing that the ban is a noble attempt at restructuring black communities.

A letter published in the Mail and Guardian, titled Dear Doctor Dlamini-Zuma, suggests that South African media houses reduce Minister Dlamini-Zuma “to an ex-wife of a former head of state who does not want the country to be happy”. The author of the letter criticises media houses for exacerbating a biased narrative, while asking the question, “does this happen to a white woman?”. The letter further argues that the white female counterparts of Minister Dlamini-Zuma are projected as having their opinions as their own, without the shadow

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of a man’s presence, allowing her “to be a woman in her own right”. This rhetoric regarding Minister DlaminiZuma is further exacerbated by an article published in the Daily Maverick, by Khadija Magardie, head of speech writing in the presidency, who highlighted a phenomenon of condescension, “mansplaining” and normalisation of misogyny across media platforms.

Magardie suggests that the media’s careful choice of an unflattering image of Minister Dlamini-Zuma aids in the subtle manipulation of the readers’ psyche to fuel a negative sentiment against the minister. Magardie argues, “with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela no longer alive to give South Africans an angry black woman to hate, it seems we have found a new one”.

In contrast, other media houses like the Financial Mail and Netwerk24 dissect the “sloppy science” behind Minister Dlamini-Zuma’s court defence, using double quotes to mention all instances of “studies”, pertaining to the minister's defence. Furthermore, numerous media outlets, with the aid of scientists belonging to The National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa (NICD) and Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), substantiate the unscientific basis of the decisions and defence. ENCA anchors Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton’s comments on air that suggested Minister Dlamini-Zuma had undermined the authority of President Cyril Ramaphosa that later received backlash, hints at the magnitude of dissatisfaction harboured by South Africans, regarding lockdown regulations.

With the current health crisis taking precedence, efforts to demand accountability and partake in healthy criticism are hampered by the shadow of broader social phenomenon of race, power and politics, which accounts for the polarising divide in the coverage of scientists and politicians during the COVID-19 outbreak and beyond.

demic

Info

With the reporting stance of certain media houses speaking to the ideological biases of certain social brackets, it exacerbates divisions across society on what kind of rhetoric to believe.

The pandemic takes place against the backdrop of rampant information access and widespread fake news. Misinformation has enormous power, due to its ability to resonate with our deepest fears. When lockdowns were imposed across the globe, the average person was able to follow the transience of the pandemic’s narrative and choose which parts of the story to believe from the comfort of their homes.

The connectedness that media provides amidst the isolation setups of lockdown gives humans a sense of pseudo control amidst the draconian pandemic. Due to how quickly facts change, the lag in media reactivity, coupled with desperation for information, provides an exploitation ground for fake news. As a highly social species, it is this innate human need for connectedness against the pandemic backdrop that illustrates the gap between the info rich and info poor.

Social media platforms provide the primary source of news for the working class and youth due to easy accessibility. It was through platforms like Twitter where South Africans were able to have first-hand access to official COVID-19 figures released by Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, and the NICD. However, misinformation thrives in spaces that are inaccessible to journalists; it is in these conspicuous spaces that individuals trust one another more than journalists, allowing a breeding ground for fake news to thrive. In a health crisis, believing the wrong narrative will not just make an individual look misinformed, but rather potentially cost their life.

The use of war metaphors by media aided in morphing the COVID-19 pandemic into a “scary enemy” that instilled fear in citizens. Although this sentiment of fear rendered compliance to the lockdown regulations, fear served as a mental barricade to accepting facts. A study published in the US National Library of medicine, titled The Biology of Fear, defines fear as “an intervening variable between sets of context-dependent stimuli and suites of behavioural response” and investigates whether fear “is a psychological construct rather than discoverable through scientific investigation”. This element of fear causes the human brain to stop being critical, allowing fake news and misinformation to play into that fear.

Never has the world been faced with a story where the facts have changed so quickly, making even the most reliable information hubs such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), backtrack on the mask wearing policy of asymptomatic carriers. The rapid changes and backtracking as data develops all

Pandemic: A student media perspective

promote a sense of distrust. Lee Mwiti, deputy editor of Africa Check, ascertains that the media should “nurture a network of fact checkers” to counter the “ground swell of misinformation”. The principle aim of countering misinformation is to reach out to individuals who occupy spaces that cannot access mainstream media, by targeting the leaders of these communities to relay correct information. In this way, people are open to believing in facts when it comes from public figure in their community that they trust.

The promotion of audience engagement and citizen exchange will allow the successful countering of the misinformation narrative.

During the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa, a fake news scandal was perpetuated, involving billionaire and philanthropist, Bill Gates, wanting to test a vaccine in Africa. An article published on 4 April by News 24 (which was later retracted), reported this narrative. According to the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Laboratory (DFRLab), this fake news gained traction when a Facebook post by a French doctor, Didier Raoult, warned Africans to not buy into the vaccine created by Bill Gates, as it would “destroy Africa”.

Although the post was flagged as promoting false information and was later taken down, it had already been shared by numerous South African and global influencer accounts on Twitter. This false narrative was given greater impetus through President Cyril Ramaphosa’s retweeting of a clip from a Bill Gates interview conducted by Trevor Noah on The Daily Show. The gesture gave greater motivation to the conspiracy. The incident serves as an example of how, in spaces of uncertainty, false narratives that speak to an individual’s deepest fears, have greater reach than fact. The network of shares on social media that increase the frequency of a narrative, give the false impression that the narrative is true. When picked up by influential media houses, false narratives are further perpetuated. However, the ease at which false narratives can be discredited through the numerous fact checking organisations, working in tandem with media houses, serve as potential deterrents of fake news.

In addition to the facts provided by media, individuals also have access to numerous scientific repositories where scientific papers can be easily accessed by the public. Free access to scientific studies does not always guarantee a factual understating of the issue at hand, as people can choose what parts of a study to believe, or avoid the source entirely due to its tedious nature. This is where scientific communicators in the media become vital, due to their role in bridging the gap between the complex scientific world and our normal world.

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Misinformation has enormous power, + due to its ability to resonate with our deepest fears. + +

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Anti-Chinese sentiments

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n the global media coverage of the pandemic, two accusations of shortcomings arise.

When the first COVID-19 cases was recorded in Wuhan on 31 December 2019, the coverage of the virus was restricted to Asia. The extent of the virus’s impact was still at its infancy at this point, with Asian media outlets speculating about “a mystery virus”. For media houses in the rest of the world, the coronavirus outbreak was depicted as a political crisis as opposed to a health crisis.

A webinar hosted by Wits Journalism and the Africa China Reporting Project, sought to discuss this COVID-19 media divide. One of the panellists, Jeremy Goldkorn, editor-in-chief of SupChina, explained how media platforms were guilty of incessantly depicting anything related to China as “big, bad, weird and scary”, while depicting incidents from Africa as “horrible and sad”. Using these predetermined narratives, innate geopolitical trends are reflected on media platforms, which exacerbate a divide between the oriental and occidental pandemic rhetoric, and witness a pervading disconnect between continents, although they are all reporting on the same global crisis.

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Surviving and Covering the Pandemic: A media's perspective A stereotypical media coverage imprints misconceptions and cultivates a sentiment of sinophobia amongst the readership community. With the widespread usage of social media as a source of news, citizens become accustomed to consuming news that is a degraded infotainment, as opposed to consuming concise facts. During the initial onset, the western press alluded to COVID-19 as a “Chinese problem” that could not seep through the confines of their ‘developed’ countries (a sentiment continued

by Trump's referring to the 'Chinese virus').

This late acknowledgment by media houses cost lives. The mask-wearing rhetoric also saw considerable changes from the WHO, however, in many western countries that prized notions of individual freedom, the act of wearing a mask was commanded as mandatory late into the outbreaks.

Progressing into the peak of the pandemic and its aftermath as countries open up, a hypersensitive awareness of masks and social distancing measures emerges. The prolonged containment of citizens coupled with the sacrifice of personal freedoms, influences a unique coverage of the media where media houses in the west look to depicting the virus as a moral agent. Zeynep Tufekci, a writer for The Atlantic and The New York Times, said in a tweet that the virus “spreads with some behaviours and settings that are not in a moral or ideological hierarchy.

It’s not a religion, it’s a virus”.

A Twitter thread created

by Tufekci

sought to unpack the obsessive condemnation of low risk activities partaken by young people. Various headlines published in American and European media outlets use headlines that condemn beachgoers or use accompanying images of beachgoers from many months back, to condemn other high risk activities. This is seen in articles published by the Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle, entitled “’Superspreading’ events, triggered by people who may not even know they are infected” and “Bay Area’s contact tracers struggle amid coronavirus surge” respectively. Tufekci argues that keeping citizens in a closed social setting for months will lay the basis for them to collectively break lockdown regulations at the first sight of a lower infection rate. Furthermore, she asserts that in tandem with government regulations, media houses should condemn high risk activities while simultaneously providing low risk alternatives to safely socialise.

This sentiment would need to be echoed by media outlets in a post lockdown setup when restrictions start easing, but the virus’ presence would still be felt. A blanket condemnation on all activities by media provides an impetus for potential flouting of regulations as opposed to sensible socialisation.

Reporting on a global crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in the 21st century, has posed its own challenges. Through it all, media through the East, West and Africa have had important roles in shaping the multifaceted nature of the pandemic‘s narrative.

A blanket condemnation on all activities by media provides an impetus for potential flouting of regulations as opposed to sensible socialisation.

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The South African

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The South African Narrative

The African continent became one of the last places to experience the COVID-19 outbreak at its worst. Elaine Krige, news editor at Maroela Media, acknowledges that when the first COVID-19 case was reported on the African continent in Egypt on 14 February, most South African media houses began to speculate about the eventuality of a case being recorded in South Africa. South Africa recoded its first COVID-19 case on 5 March, with a subsequent declaration of a national state of disaster on 15 March.

Mahlatse Mahlase, editor-in-chief of Eye Witness News, asserted at a webinar about reporting in the time of COVID-19, that the COVID-19 pandemic “is the biggest story of our lifetime”, citing how quickly the COVID-19 disease morphed from a “foraying disease” in a remote part of China, to something that actively afflicts South African citizens.

In the midst of the hard lockdown, many media houses criticised the government for refusing to release COVID-19 mathematical projections that motivated an early, hard lockdown. Although these projections were eventually released to the public, an increasing pattern of withholding information or modelling data pertaining to COVID-19 has emerged. To date, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has cited the potential of misinterpretation of lockdown regulations as the impetus for withholding the Ministerial Advisory Committee’s recommendations to the government. Government officials articulate that the reason behind withholding modelling data is to thwart sentiments of panic among the populace, while on the other end of the spectrum, citizens demand accountability and transparency from the government during the lockdown period.

Krige asserts that “it is no secret that bad news sells, but the media also needs to give people hope and solutions to problems they are facing. That being said, it is also important to provide the public with realistic facts and truths, without sugar coating it, no matter how hard it is to swallow. But we must never cause unnecessary panic. I often feel that some media houses are driven by profit (especially in financially difficult times) and sometimes go out of their way to shock, in order to sell the news. We as media should guard against chasing sensationalism and report balanced and fairly.”

Illustration: Giovanna Janos

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After the pandemic

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rige, of Maroela Media, cites that the two of the biggest challenges faced by media were fake news and a lack of resources. Krige says that “media houses have been faced with major job cuts and financial restraints for quite a while now, due to the move from print to digital journalism. This is exacerbated by the economic effects of COVID-19 and vacant journalism positions in various newsrooms (also at Maroela Media and Netwerk24) have not been filled since March this year. This means even fewer staff to handle the increase in news that has characterised the pandemic.”

In mid-June, South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), announced that they would commence consulting processes to prepare for a retrenchment of up to 3000 of its employees. In July, Primedia in a public statement, acknowledged the retrenchment phenomena across media houses in the country, stating that “Primedia includes 702, KFM and Cape Talk as well as national news brand Eyewitness News (EWN). The Primedia Group has 786 fulltime employees, including 323 at Primedia Broadcasting, which is the largest division. The media company has not announced how many employees will be affected.”

The lockdown period has had drastic impacts on the print media sector in South Africa, with Publisher Media24 also announcing in July the reduction of 660 positions and closure of five magazines and two newspapers. Media outlets have had to restructure their mode of operations following the COVID-19 outbreak by shutting down print media publications, and prizing the continuity of digital alternatives.

Caxton Publishing announced similar closures of its print publications, citing that the virus outbreak has “exacerbated the steady decline seen in the sector before the crisis hit” (as mentioned in BusinessTech).

Despite the dwindling manpower seen in media houses across South Africa, Krige ascertains that the media houses she works with have succeeded in informing the public about important trends and events surrounding the pandemic. For instance, “the media provides a detailed daily report on COVID-19 cases and deaths as communicated by government and also does research and exposes other information not forthcoming from government”.

Krige articulates that media houses have fulfilled their role in holding the government accountable in South Africa, highlighting how “we saw again during the pandemic how the media exposed half-truths, inconsistent statements and shortcomings of government in the handling of the COVID-19 epidemic”.

The overarching effects of a global crisis tests the media’s level of commitment in maintaining a level of balanced reporting. The varying coverage of the different aspects of a transient pandemic has aided in conveying the multi-faceted nature of the narrative.

Subeditors: Kayla Thomas and Marren McKay Layout Artist: Kayla Thomas

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Next: The Pandemic Perspective Shift

NEW

FOR

THE

entertainment INDUSTRY

BY

BY DANI DANI VAN VAN DER DER HORST HORST VISUALS BY GIOVANNAVISUALS JANOS AND NICOLE KIRSTEN

BY GIOVANNA JANOS

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A New Era for the Entertainment Industry

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he global COVID-19 pandemic has taken, and continues to take, a massive toll on various industries. But the entertainment industry is arguably one of those most affected. According to the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) in 2019, the entertainment industry in South Africa contributes approximately 1,7% to the country’s Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) and before the pandemic, it was showing a large amount of promise in terms of growth.

According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) “Entertainment and media outlook: 2017 – 2021: An African Perspective” report, by 2021, total entertainment and media revenue in South Africa was expected to reach R177.9 bn, up from R132.7 bn in 2016. The South African Live music industry was showing major promise, with it being the key driver in the general South African music industry’s growth curve. It was predicted that live music revenue was to rise from R1.2 bn in 2016 to R1.7 bn in 2021. While the music industry only forms a portion of the entertainment industry as a whole, it is one of the deeply affected sectors, due to its reliance on crowds. This means that the live events sector of the entertainment industry is likely to be one of the last sectors to re-open.

In May, PDBY reported on the South African entertainment industry’s projected loss of R3bn, over the following six months, due to the pandemic. This figure was predicted by Shaun Duvet, the CEO and founder of The Unit Group, as well as the co-owner of Ultra South Africa. Unfortunately, the financial strain on the industry is by no means limited to the boundaries of South Africa. The global entertainment industry is also taking a major hit and according to Ampere Analysis, is set to lose $160 bn over the next five years due to the pandemic.

The South African film and television industry is another major growing sector of the entertainment industry. According to the PwC report South Africa (at the time) remained the largest TV market on the African continent, with total revenues of R40.9 bn in 2016. The total TV market was estimated to be worth R51.2 bn by 2021. The South African cinema sector was expected to reach R2.2 bn in 2021, which was up from R1.9 bn in 2016.

Before the pandemic, global streaming service, Netflix, had shown a growing interest in producing South African original series. The first ever script-to-screen South African Netflix original series, Queen Sono, debuted in February, followed

by Blood & Water, which premiered in May. Dorothy Ghettuba, head of African Originals at Netflix, suggested that the streaming platform wanted to share African talent, not only with African audiences but also the rest of the world. This goes to show that over the past few years and before the pandemic hit, the South African entertainment industry was firmly establishing its name globally. While the pandemic has set this back, there is definitely hope for South African talent.

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Pandemic: A student media perspective

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Prese A New Era for the Entertainment Industry

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lobally, many major events have been cancelled, including the 2020 Olympic Games. The list of cancelled concerts, festivals, exhibitions, and many other events grows longer every day. Even the film industry has taken a dramatic pause.

So many livelihoods are on the line and a rather grim picture is being painted for the future of the entertainment industry.

But this is not the end.

The entertainment industry is largely built on the participation of large amounts of people and without them, generating a profit becomes increasingly difficult, especially for up-and-coming artists. The South African government has set aside R150m in relief funding for the industry, but Duvet suggests that this is not going to be nearly enough. While this is a sad reality, there is certainly an up-side as artists and companies have banded together to create alternative spaces to generate income for those involved in the entertainment industry.

BUSQR is a live donation solution created by South Africa’s very own Jon Savage and Carl Booysen. It allows musicians (or anyone with a platform and something worth sharing) to earn from fans while streaming. A unique QR code can be embedded into most live streams, which allows fans to donate to performers in real time. It works with Snapscan, and many other pay systems.

Performers set up an account, receive their unique code and can then add it to their live streams. BUSQR charges a 5% admin fee but the rest of the donations go directly to the performer within 48 hours.

The SAFE fund is a non-profit structure established to raise relief funds for South Africa’s entertainment, events, and festival communities. There are many different ways to donate and the donations will initially go mainly towards the most vulnerable staff members, being the hourly paid workers of these events.

SAFE, in partnership with Pick ‘n Pay’s charity intiative ‘Feed The Nation’, will use these funds to provide staff with food vouchers, which will allow them to claim a hamper of essentials from Pick ‘n Pay stores nationwide. Many wellestablished local artists have hosted and continue to host merchandise sales on their websites. The profit of these sales goes towards the fund.

In July, the South African Screen Federation (SASFED), supported by the Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) and in collaboration with Netflix, announced the establishment of a COVID-19 relief fund, specifically for the South African television and film industry. It was announced that Netflix would donate R8.3m to provide emergency relief funding for workers. The funds will be administered and managed by Tshikululu Social Investment, who will screen the applications for eligibility. Applications opened on 3 August.

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ent Park Acoustics is an iconic monthly Pretoriabased music and comedy festival. It usually takes place at the Voortrekker Monument and hosts an array of established, as well as new, local talent. Henk van der Schyf of Park Acoustics states that “it’s been trying times for all of us in the entertainment industry with no end in sight. We’ve recently managed to host virtual Park Acoustics concerts where four artists perform in the empty 25 000-seater Voortrekker Monument amphitheatre, which is then streamed to Facebook Live and YouTube. We’re happy to be able to create content, but this is not financially viable in the long run. Although people’s safety should always come first, we are eager to return to some form of ‘normal’ ASAP.” Another Pretoria staple, the Deep Roots Night Market, has also ventured into the world of online events. The Deep Roots Night Market usually takes place on the first Friday of every month. The event hosts an array of stalls, as well as live performances.

The Deep Roots Night Market explain that “it’s been tough for live events, or live music in general. Obviously there is no way that we can really adapt when it comes to trying to keep people safe. So what we did [is] the live stream and it was good, we got a couple of viewers but the legacy of something like that just isn’t feasible [...] So what we’re planning on doing is bringing Deep Roots back [...] full force. We don’t want to compromise on anything. So we’ll come back,[...] with all of the social distancing rules and having to have all the vendors with sanitising stations and screens in front of their stores. [...]It’s going to be quite an interesting future for events.” They add that “it’s going to be very interesting, the whole

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Pandemic: A student media perspective

Over 500 events have

been cancelled. This affects approximately 300 different companies, and puts at least 10 000 jobs at risk.

events scape is going to be different in the sense that you can’t have one bar anymore you’re going to have to have four or five different bars.

Everyone is going to have to be socially distanced in that bar. [...] So it’s going to change the whole scape of events completely for a long time. We’re going to have to adapt in a certain way to try and survive all of this. But you know I think with something like Deep Roots, it’s very unique and it’s open air so I think we can come back with some force.”

But as van der Schyf suggests, monetising these virtual events becomes increasingly difficult. So where does this put the entertainment industry at present? It has been roughly eight months as of October 2020 of no live events. On 5 August, a virtual protest was held where buildings and objects were lit red to draw attention to this issue. The official LightSAred website states that “the South African events industry is dying, and [they] are being ignored”.

According to the website, the demands of this protest centred mainly around three issues: that government and financial institutions extend financial relief to those who earn a living in the technical production and live events industry until they are permitted to resume work; that government engage with elected leaders within SACIA and the SA Events Council, and provide a platform for their voices to be heard; and that government recognise and support the non-profit organisations that are trying to sustain destitute members of the technical production and live events industry. The cancellation of events deeply affects not only artists, but also hundreds of other personnel. According to the SAFE fund website, over 500 events have been cancelled, affecting approximately 300 different companies, and puts at least 10 000 jobs at risk.

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n South Africa, the popular Splashy Fen festival, which would have taken place over the Easter weekend, originally postponed their event to September, but later had to call it off completely. Another popular annual festival, Rocking the Daisies, was supposed to celebrate its 15th birthday in October, but organisers made the decision to move this important milestone to next year.

These are just a few of the many major local festivals that have had to pull the plug on their events. These events attract more than just locals and usually boast an array of international performers and guests. They act as a platform for local talent to get themselves ‘out there’. Without this exposure, it becomes increasingly difficult for the South African entertainment industry to showcase itself on an international playing field.

So where does the industry go from here? It is difficult to find the positives in such uncertain times, but there is hope. The future of the entertainment industry, as with most industries during this time, lies in finding viable alternatives to the traditional methods of doing things. Fortunately, we find ourselves in an era where the world is easily accessible through technology and virtual spaces such as social media.

There are both positives and negatives to social media, but it continues to play an increasingly important role

Photograph: Nicole Kirsten

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in the industry, now more than ever. This has allowed the public to re-evaluate the way in which we interact with the entertainment industry.

In April, the use of the Instagram live feature increased by a whopping 70%. While this number includes all Instagram users, it is hard to ignore the impact the feature has had on the entertainment industry specifically. PDBY started hosting a series of Instagram live sessions in July titled PDBYlive, where previous featured artists from the newspaper were interviewed and then performed some of their music for the audience. The live sessions were largely successful and have since become a staple on the PDBY Instagram page. Once a live session has ended, you have the option to add it to your IGTV. This allows anyone to view the video, even after it has ended.

Many artists have made use of it, if not to host virtual events, then simply to interact with their followers. The experience adds a novel personal touch to the way that we interact with celebrities online.

Howler, a local online entertainment platform, has been teaming up with many local acts to provide some sort of virtual version of events. Afrikaans alt-pop band, Die Heuwels Fantasties, teamed up with Howler to host a livestream album launch in May. There have been many virtual events like this since that have made

Fu

Pandemic: A student media perspective use of many different ticket distributors and events coordinators. Legendary South African rock band, Fokofpolisiekar, celebrated their 17th birthday with a 2-hour livestream special. In these instances, fans purchase a ticket as they usually would and are then sent a code to join the stream. Artists can use platforms such as Zoom to host these events. While this could never truly replace the “live” experience, it does allow us to imagine a world where the virtual experience interacts with the physical experience.

Many well-established festivals moved their festivities online during the pandemic and other virtual events have been, and continue to be, established online. “One World: Together at Home” was a virtual event that took place in April. It was organised by the Global Citizen Movement and curated by singer Lady Gaga. It aimed to promote social distancing while virtually staying together. Rolling Stone magazine has been hosting “In My Room” events on their YouTube channel, where musicians perform a few songs from the comfort of their own homes. There are many other instances where artists have utilised social media spaces. On 12 July, South African singer and songwriter, Jeremy Loops, hosted his own successful version of “In My Room”. The popular South African festival, OppiKoppi, also headed online and hosted

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The future of the entertainment industry [...] lies in finding viable alternatives to the traditional methods of doing things.

a virtual two-day festival from 9 to 10 August. It included names like Bittereinder and Shortstraw, and fans had the option to purchase a day ticket or a weekend pass. There are many virtual events to check out. Check in with your favourite artists on their social media channels and keep an eye on event platforms such as Howler. Attending these events helps keep the industry alive, and it also allows you to experience some unique performances by your favourite artists.

Many artists have also chosen to put music videos together at home. They invite fans to send in videos and create compilations of these videos to accompany their music. Die Heuwels Fantasties took this approach for their “Ons Moet Leef” music video. When asked about the experience, Hunter Kennedy of Die Heuwels Fantasties said that “[he] appreciated the fact that the people were in good spirits and pushed themselves out of their usual domestic comfort zones. In general, everyone was having fun, and that is something that [they] hoped to achieve”. International artists like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Tove Lo have also featured fan submissions in new music videos. These are perfect examples of how musicians have chosen to adapt to the unprecedented circumstances that they have been faced with. Musicians continue to release music and music videos produced from home, like Twenty One Pilots’ “Level of Concern”, Drake’s “Toosie Slide” and Evanescence’s “Wasted On You” – each produced in self isolation or social distancing, in varying stages of national lockdowns. Artists and those in the entertainment industry are also using platforms like Zoom to explore entertainment in the digital space, like Thao and The Get Down Stay Down with their Zoom music video for “Phenom”, and talk show hosts and shows like Trevor Noah and Saturday Night Live being filmed on video chat platforms.

The entertainment industry is an ever-changing sphere and has been since its inception. This next chapter rides on the wake of technological advancement in the social media realm. It is no lie that the entertainment industry is suffering, but there is hope. The survival of the industry lies in its ability to adapt to the virtual world.

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Next: Sci-fi and Fantasy for COVID-19 and Beyond

The Pandemic Perspective Shift

BY BIANKE NEETHLING VISUALS BY MADHURI RAMBARAN

S

ince the start of the pandemic, the way in which we view, value and consume entertainment has shifted. The outbreak of COVID-19 has noticeably changed many aspects of our society and how it functions- from severely restricting personal movement to making us more informed on effective personal hygiene habits. However, certain changes regarding our mind-set on and approach to daily habits have, in many respects, gone unnoticed. This shift has manifested in new priorities and expectations regarding our everyday sources of entertainment. Though the consumption and enjoyment of entertainment is inherently individualistic and subjective, there has been a notable shift in society’s views on and approach to entertainment at large, particularly regarding the internet and public figures.

Society, with Generation Z and the Millennial generation at the forefront, can in many ways be characterised by their use and, for most, love, for the internet, and particularly social media. Therefore, there has hardly been a lack of evaluation of social media - both the good and the bad – prior to the outbreak of this pandemic. However, COVID-19 has in many ways shifted how we value and what we value the internet for. While social media has always been regarded as a reliable

way to connect with others despite distance, the pandemic has made this ability to connect take on a novel meaning and value.

Social distancing guidelines have shifted the idea of connecting through social media from a luxury to a necessity.

As learning institutions and businesses have been compelled to revise and revamp their models and functioning, social media has proved not only a useful, but a necessary tool in making the switch from in-person to online functionality.

Virtual meetings, e-conferences and online classes have become the reality for many non-essential workers and students during this time, lending a more practical and versatile advantage to what was previously primarily regarded as a source of entertainment.

Our use of the internet has not only seen a shift into our work lives, but also an increase in use and value in our personal lives. Social media as a source of entertainment has seen a significant increase during this time. Similar to maintaining functioning business relationships, social media has also proved a comforting necessity in allowing us to maintain personal relationships. The pandemic, with its social distancing guidelines and personal movement restrictions, has necessitated a shift in how we socialise and interact

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The Pandemic Perspective Shift

“people are hungry for information, hungry for certitude, and when there is a lack of consensusoriented information and when everything is being contested in public, that creates confusion among people” with others. Social media is largely responsible for the ease with which many were able to make this shift, as platforms provide various possible forms of interaction, connection and communication - with video calling, voice calling, direct messaging, personal messaging and meme-sharing all accessible at the push of a few buttons. As evidence for this increased use and need for maintaining communication, the research firm Kantar reported that WhatsApp, already one of the world’s most popular messaging applications, has seen an almost 40% increase in usage, with some countries even seeing an increase of more than 70%.

It is evident - and was expected - that the use of social media during this pandemic has skyrocketed, as lockdown restrictions have left us with not only more time on our hands, but also with a greater need for distraction and entertainment. The internet has provided welcome relief for those who, as a result of the pandemic, are suffering from feelings of anxiety, isolation or boredom. Malebo Ngobeni, a UP graduate and mental health practitioner, highlights the mental health impact of the pandemic on students in particular, and states that “[generally], it is mostly reported that students are demoralized”, and notes that the disruption of the structures students have become accustomed to “requires one to adapt quickly” and that “[different] social dynamics and environments [come] with their distinct level of impact, [and] unfortunately cannot be measured accurately.”

Ngobeni works in the mobile health space on the Khuluma project, where technology is used to provide psychosocial support to young people suffering from HIV, and, with regards to the role of social media on mental health, Ngobeni states that “[social] media [has] become as a great tool of communication and mode of expression for many of us. As an

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audience one has been able to share positive news, [humour] and some fun activities during lockdown [and] for at least a majority of us those are the benefits. However, the imbalance of responsibility in terms of content shared and how we as an audience engage also comes with some undesired consequences.” Ngobeni advises that, in order to combat these aforementioned consequences, “laws and regulations around this needs to be tight and monitored closely” but also notes that “the audience also has a huge responsibility”.

According to Ngobeni, this responsibility can be reinforced by “[reminding] people on how to exercise both their rights and responsibilities within the digital space”, “[creating] down time [or] time off social media” and “[being] intentional about what sort of content [the audience] are to view at this point”.

Furthermore, Ngobeni highlights the fact that “[there] is no blanket approach when it comes to mental health, nor can one capture the real impact [and] experiences of all individuals.

We are each doing the best we can under these circumstances.

Some people may be feeling totally crippled by the pandemic, some individuals have been forced to rise above all the inconveniences that comes with it. […] I do believe that we are doing the best that we can.”

This increase in screen and online time, combined with our new needs regarding social media, also resulted in an inevitable rise in popularity of certain applications. According to Apptopia, a service specialising in data and market analysis, applications that allow us to see, rather than merely talk, to one another have especially benefitted from this increased usage, with the Zoom application reported to have seen a 151% increase in active mobile users from the previous year.

With this rise in usage, awareness has been raised about the possible dangers associated with excessive use, especially

Pandemic: A student media perspective

Photograph: Madhuri Rambaran

by those falling within certain vulnerable groups – a phenomenon referred to as PIU, or, Problematic Internet Usage. For example, a study regarding PIU, published in the Comprehensive Psychiatry journal, identified “individuals with pre-existing mental and physical health conditions, those lacking social support, and first responders and healthcare workers” as such potentially vulnerable groups. The study further highlights that, for these groups, PIU “generates marked distress and/or significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning”. While the study also mentions the benefits of internet usage during this time, stating that internet usage “may help alleviate stresses of daily living (often reflected as ‘escapism’) and avoid problems and difficult thoughts”, it also states that, for the aforementioned vulnerable groups, guidance is needed to prevent the development of and possible negative consequences of disordered and/or addictive internet usage, such as dependency, distress and the aforementioned impairments in certain domains of life. It is therefore critical to find a balance between using social media as a relief from anxiety and recognising when social media becomes the source of your anxiety.

Aside from entertainment, the internet has also played an important informative role during this time, as various forms of social media have been used to spread news, updates, statistics and general information related to the pandemic.

While this has the benefit of greater accessibility and reach, it also poses the danger of widespread misinformation. The ease with which information can be accessed and spread across social media provides the ideal breeding ground for falsehoods, conspiracies and so-called ‘fake news’, which,

especially during an international health crisis, has farreaching and potentially dangerous consequences. From recommending ginger and lemon as a cure-all for COVID-19 to the demonization of 5G, the sharing of inaccurate, skewed and false information regarding the pandemic was one of the many challenges health officials faced during this time.

Dr Kasisomayajula Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in an article published in the Harvard Gazette, confirms that the vast amounts of COVID-19 misinformation being spread on the internet is “crowding out” the public health guidance, thereby “making [health experts’] work a bit more difficult”. He further attributes this high volume of misinformation to the fact that “people are hungry for information, hungry for certitude, and when there is a lack of consensus-oriented information and when everything is being contested in public, that creates confusion among people”.

While misinformation being spread through social media is not a novel occurrence, its presence during a pandemic served to highlight just how harmful the effects of a skewed public perception can be, especially when there is a duty on the public to conform to certain regulations, and the misinformation serves to undermine such guidelines. It is, therefore, important in all circumstances to critically evaluate all information gained from social media and distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources. The World Economic Forum published a few guidelines to help the public “read the news like a scientist and avoid the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’”. These tips include analysing all information by critically looking at the source, distinguishing original from secondary sources, and noticing whether the information is also being reported by other media outlets, thereby supporting its validity and reliability.

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The Pandemic Perspective Shift

Another shift this pandemic has affected is the increased use of social media for acts of charity. The sudden onslaught of the pandemic has created a greater need for personal action to be taken in order to lessen its fallout, as the efforts of public and corporate institutions were not always sufficient in addressing all aspects of this fallout.

Very few countries around the world were wholly prepared for the negative economic impact of an international health crisis, and South Africa is no exception. Lockdown regulations prevented non-essential workers from working the hours they typically would, serving the same number of clients as they would under normal circumstances and even prevented some from being able to work at all. State grants and initiatives were put in place to aid struggling citizens during this time, such as the special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant paid to individuals who are currently unemployed and do not receive any other form of social grant or UIF payment. However, these relief measures have, for a variety of reasons, proved insufficient in providing the necessary relief for every adversely affected South African. SA-TIED (Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development) produced an initial analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa’s economy, in which they state that total wage earnings are down by about 30%, with lower educated workers being impacted most negatively. Due to the inability of government measures to sufficiently address these losses, the need arose for alternative financial relief and personal action. A popular way of contributing has been charity and donation campaigns facilitated through social media. One example of this is the UK’s Virgin Money Giving “Run 5 Donate 5 Nominate 5” campaign, which encouraged Instagram users to run 5km, donate £5 and nominate 5 other people to do the same, with the money raised being used to support NHS workers and charities during this time. This campaign, despite its initial aim of raising £5000, has now amassed more than £5 000 000 in donations, thereby proving how social media, if used efficiently, can have an incredible impact. Another instance, which hits closer to home, is the university’s own UP Solidarity Fund, which was launched to buy laptops and to support students in dire need, as well as the TuksRes Solidarity Fund, which managed to distribute over R200 000 to reach and subsequently assist more than 400 students in need. Both these funds made use of social

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media platforms, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to reach and communicate with students who were in need during this time. The pandemic, therefore, while having devastating financial consequences for many, has also led to a greater sense of community and charity among peers, facilitated and made effective through the use of social media.

As with social media, views regarding public figures, especially as they relate to both entertainment and activism, have seen a universal mental shift. More specifically, the role of public figures in a pandemicstricken society has become a highly debated topic of interest.

It is difficult – and likely impossible - to deny the influence of public figures in the modern world, from the mere existence of the term ‘influencer’ as an occupation, to the US Surgeon General calling for said influencers to help stress the seriousness of the pandemic to the public.

Since the outbreak of this pandemic, many public figures - including celebrities, influencers, politicians, sport stars and other well-known personalities – have issued varying responses to this virus, ranging from appeals to follow isolation guidelines, calls for solidarity during this difficult time, attempts at relatability, charitable initiatives, displays of activism and general expressions of opinion. These responses have received both praise and criticism from the public, with the feedback often leaning more towards the latter. This was also the case for celebrities who are generally well-liked and respected, such as Vanessa Hudgens, who was criticised for her insensitive comments regarding the pandemic in mid March. It would appear as though, for many, the outbreak of an international health crisis has served as a form of disillusionment with and increased critical awareness of the actions of those who have widespread influence and, therefore, subsequent and inherent accountability.

The outbreak of COVID-19, as well as the recent Black Lives Matter and gender-based violence protests, have brought up the topic of performative activism, and especially its prevalence among public figures. Although some have been able to utilise social media for activism in an effective way, by sharing petitions, encouraging widespread awareness and amplifying the voices of those impacted, others have let their efforts remain shallow and ineffective. This disparity became particularly apparent

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“the line between performative activism and meaningful social media activism became increasingly blurred”

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with the international Black Lives Matter movement, where, due to the pandemic, the “direct” forms of political action that are usually regarded as more effective, such as protests, were inaccessible to many, and activism through social media thereby became their only means of contribution. Hence, the line between performative activism and meaningful social media activism became increasingly blurred.

Performative activism refers to a surface-level form of activism, done not as the result of truly caring for a cause or wanting to affect long-lasting change, but rather as the result of social pressure, wanting to keep up with appearances or to gain social influence and praise. In a Michigan Daily article, LSA Communication and Media professor, Scott Campbell, notes that, in order to distinguish between meaningful social media contributions and mere performative displays, it is important to consider “the intention of someone’s participation”, “the impact of a social media action”, as well as “the actual outcomes of online action”. With or without this approach in mind, we have seen an increase in public figures being criticized and held accountable for displays of performative activism, which many believe undermine and obscure other, meaningful efforts to exact change. The grave and vital nature of the pandemic and aforementioned movements have resulted in a greater need for consistent, sincere activism that contributes to meaningful, long-lasting change and awareness regarding the particular issue, rather than the empty promises of performative activism.

The concept of performative activism is, in many ways, intrinsically linked to social media. Social media can be a very useful tool with regard to activism, as it can be used to inspire others to become a part of and contribute to a movement, or to reach and access more people and resources. Social media can therefore be interpreted to have a meaningful and even necessary capability for raising awareness. However, social media can be more detrimental than beneficial when it comes to affecting meaningful change, rather than merely raising awareness. In its very construction, social media serves to enable performative activism, as it creates a public space in which users can easily become complacent with their online efforts, therefore discouraging further, more meaningful, “on-the-ground” forms of activism, such as petitioning, protesting and donating. Therefore, in order to use social media effectively for activism, and avoid falling into the “trap” of performative activism, online sentiments need to be extended to offline action. One of the most illustrative examples of this is the highly debated “Black Square” social media trend following the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Social media users on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook were initially encouraged (and later strongly discouraged) to post a black square on a day known as “Black Out Tuesday” (the 2nd of June 2020) and to otherwise stop their posting for the day. Originally intended as a way to amplify the voices affected by the movement and as a sign of solidarity, some users were quick to point out that the saturation of timelines and hashtag search results with black squares may be more harmful than helpful to the movement. To remedy this issue, the use of the hashtag “BLM” and “Black Lives Matter” with the post was discouraged and attention was drawn to the original intention of the movement, which was started by Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang, two black music industry executives who launched “The Show Must Be Paused”, as a way to “disrupt the work week” and to use the day to “take a beat for an honest, reflective and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the black

Pandemic: A student media perspective

community”, as the two women explained in a Forbes article, and was initially only directed at the music industry. Yet many still felt the trend was unnecessary, and, rather than amplifying helpful information and voices, took up their space and drowned them out, and labelled the trend as nothing more than performative activism.

In this time, individual accountability for performative activism has been emphasised, through both critics and supporters of public figures “calling out” their surface-level efforts and demanding their participation in meaningful contributions. Many popular celebrities and influencers have been recipients of this backlash, starting as far back as the outbreak of the pandemic, when a host of well-known figures, including Gal Gadot, Mark Ruffalo, Natalie Portman and Will Ferrell, created a video wherein they sing a rendition of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. This was likely done in the hopes of inspiring solidarity and courage in a challenging time, but to most their sentiments came across as empty and tone-deaf (in every sense of the word).

While this occurrence provided great entertainment and comic relief, it also served to highlight the discrepancy in worldviews between those with an abundance of wealth and power, and those without. This disparity between the “haves and have-nots” became increasingly apparent during this pandemic, as financial and health problems weighed on the lives of the latter, while the former continued to live in luxury and, in some cases, were even able to increase their wealth. Awareness of and discontent with this lifestyle polarity was only worsened by attempts at relatability made by public figures, which almost inevitably fell flat and merely came across as disingenuous and out of touch. Displays of relatability, in the hands of celebrities, easily become displays of wealth and privilege. See, as example, the singer Madonna’s video released in March, wherein she, ironically, describes COVID-19 as “the great equaliser”, while lying in a bathtub, surrounded by rose petals.

One common element between most of these celebrities’ displays should also be noted, namely their good intentions. However, in a time when access to financial and other resources could mean the difference between life and death, good intentions prove not only futile, but damaging, as they occupy the space where meaningful contributions could have been made.

COVID-19 was and still is an unforeseen, unpredictable and unequivocal shock to our society. The pandemic has shifted our way of life and, though perhaps less noticeably, our way of thinking. In many ways we have grown to be more aware, more critical, more sceptical and more personally accountable to ourselves and society at large. While recovery from the effects of this global health crisis will inevitably take years, it is up to our individual sense of responsibility to maintain and spread this greater awareness of social issues that affect our daily lives, and use social media and influence in a more intentional and meaningful way when doing so.

Subeditors: Kayla Thomas, Marren McKay and Ume Dikio Layout Artist: Kirsten Minnaar and Leah Rees

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Together for a New Future Sci-Fi and Fantasy for COVID-19 and Beyond

BY AARON CLOETE VISUALS BY CLETUS MULAUDI

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iterature is type of media that has been produced to entertain, comment on political upheaval, and even at times to provide a method for people to cope with massive changes in their worlds. In contemporary literature, the most prominent examples of work of this kind lies within the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

Themes of hope against massive odds, often in apocalyptic scenarios, are a staple of these genres and it is hope that is necessary now more than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably affected all our lives. We have all developed ways to cope with its effects: we have committed to exercise, thrown ourselves into schoolwork, escaped into video games, and we have read books. Literature has provided solace and relief for many in these trying times, but how do these times affect literature, and where do we go from here? These questions have a precedent as the world has gone through similar disasters before and through all of them, there have been creative people coping through their writing.

Pandemics have plagued authors across the centuries, whether they were writing from quarantine (like Shakespeare when he wrote most of his later work) or have a lockdown environment as their setting - as is the case with Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron (1353). In both cases, the disease affecting these authors’ societies was the bubonic plague. Plagues have been a source of inspiration all the way back to Homer’s Iliad (around the 8th century BC), which begins in the context of a visit to a plague camp - this plague is presented as a punishment from the gods and is an undeniable framing device for the entire account of the Trojan War. Whether as a framing device or as an antagonistic element, plagues and pandemics have inspired authors from Edgar Allan Poe to Mary Shelley.

What these stories have in common is that they often provide commentary on the response of authority, or that they are focused on groups of people affected by the various diseases.

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Endurance has become more necessary than heroism and in writing new work it is likely that this will be taken into account.

Poe’s Masque of the Red Death focuses on a prince who abandons his “half depopulated” constituency and throws grand parties at his country estate. Camus takes a direct examination of the response to authority in The Plague (1942), which focuses on a small plague-ridden town whose inhabitants were taken unawares by “[the] drastic, clean-cut deprivation and [their] complete ignorance of what the future held in store”. The emotions that Camus describes are terrifyingly similar to descriptions of our current experience and it is this that plague literature teaches an important lesson.

Authority is a theme that is prominent in modern sci-fi and fantasy. One need not look further than the slew of anti-authoritarian works in contemporary young adult fiction, like The Hunger Games (2008) and Divergent (2011). Mary Shelly’s work: The Last Man (1826) examines the last survivor of a world ending plague and lays particular focus on how institutions responded to the plague. The story also focuses on the value of friendship (though in this case the friend in question is a sheep dog) and presents a world in which hope is possible even in the worst of situations. What is important to note, is that writers who set their stories in pandemic situations were often commenting on the response of authority to the situation. Seeing the contrasting responses around the world to the current pandemic, this inclination is understandable.

Sci-fi and fantasy stories tend to be tales of individual heroism and epic scale, rather than collective endurance. A pandemic like COVID-19 demands a different approach. Endurance has become more necessary than heroism and in writing new work it is likely that this will be taken into account. The pandemic afflicting the world at the moment has caused massive changes in the literary world that promote this kind of social awareness. Publishers and authors have stepped up by creating work such as Lockdown, The Corona Chronicles (2020), a collection of short stories by South African authors that was written and compiled in a week.

Melinda Ferguson, the publisher of this book, described the endeavour as “crazy”, as authors were tracked down and, in her words, the book “had simply sprung to life in a very organic way”. This book, which was soon followed up by Lockdown Extended (2020), provides an important indication of the mindset that the pandemic has put authors in. The paradigm has shifted, and showings of solidarity have transcended showings of support and evolved into collective action. Authors have used their work to tackle the issues COVID-19 has brought to light and to examine their own situations. Many authors have, through collective action, begun writing stories of collective action - stories crying out against the injustices this pandemic has shed light on. It isn’t too much of a stretch to think that sci-fi and fantasy will get the same treatment. It is possible that stories of escapism may turn into stories of solidarity and hope.

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Pandemic: A student media perspective According to author Kim Stanley Robinson, “science fiction traces the ramifications of a single postulated change”; this means that sci-fi as a genre could soon be filled with scores of ‘what-if’ scenarios. The concept of this potentiality is one that sci-fi seeks to examine. What could have happened and what might happen are themes that pop up continuously and now more than ever these themes are vastly important. The importance of speculation about the future is that it presupposes that there will indeed be a future. This implicit hope is so important to the genre as a whole, that it cannot be ignored. A movement very near to scifi, that of Afrofuturism, a relatively new genre which focuses on specifically African scenes and experiences in futuristic environments, provides this kind of hope in a much closer to home setting, providing alternate realities and oppressive circumstances that can be striven against.

One work in particular provides an insight into these concepts. Moxyland (2008)

by Lauren Beukes presents a dystopic world set in the context of a “corporate apartheid-government”. This fictionalised version of events is pertinent because of its focus on contagion as a threat under which the citizens of the futuristic Cape Town must live. The novel discusses the response to a virus as an oppressive force and in this way provides a very pertinent what-if that allows the reader to commiserate with an external situation and have hope that it is a situation that is worth fighting against. In the current world, resistance may be far more tacit, centred as it is around social distancing and rule following, but it is nevertheless important. While sci-fi and fantasy can be - and often is - used as commentary to rouse resistance against oppressive systems (or oppressive diseases), it is impossible to ignore their status as genres specifically for entertainment.

The entertaining aspect that sci-fi and fantasy provide is incredibly important.

The Head of Department of English at the University of Pretoria, Professor Molly Brown, has pointed out in a Stories of Wellbeing podcast that stories, and by extension literature, are a necessary part of our wellbeing. She states that “we need to experience things, and when we cannot experience them for ourselves, we do so vicariously through stories” and it is at this time that the kind of stories that we experience becomes important. Sci-fi and fantasy seek to provide an escape from the hardships of the world, but equally they provide a space where anything is possible. It is somewhat sad to think that fantasies have been pared down from world saving quests to acts of simple kindness and solidarity, but it is also to some extent beautiful. Robinson states in her article “The Coronavirus Is Rewriting Our Imaginations”, that “Society is not only real; it’s fundamental. We can’t live without it. And now we’re beginning to understand that this ‘we’ includes many other creatures and societies in our biosphere and even in ourselves”. This kind of community-based thinking is something that South Africans are well familiar with.

Ubuntu is a concept that is now more than ever necessary around the world. Sci-fi and fantasy are the genres that we may turn to in order to find escape and solace.

What COVID-19 has changed is where this solace is found.

What many a fantasy setting presents a reader with is the idea of the hero and the villain. Sci-fi similarly follows the concept of problem and solution. If you need to defeat the dark lord: throw a ring into a volcano and if you need to find the answer to life, the universe and everything: build a sarcastic computer. This kind of storyline is one that ties everything up nicely and has a clear-cut resolution. The problem comes due to our current situation being not so easily rectified. The stories that we need right now are not the stories of problems that are fixed but of lives that go on despite these problems. Hope is a word that has so much baggage, as it is often mocked as uninformed or carelessly optimistic, but it is something that is eternally necessary. Stories are necessary for our wellbeing, but they are also necessary because they provide a view of the world that is hopeful.

Science fiction can also move away from the lone wanderer archetype and focus more on the community. Justin Cronin accomplishes this beautifully in his novel The City of Mirrors, in which he presents a society recovering from an extreme world-shattering event. The characters surviving in Cronin’s work show the kind of human tenacity that is needed to overcome any obstacle and, in this way, provides a kind of solace to the reader that is far more relatable in 2020.

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Together for a New Future: Sci-Fi and Fantasy for COVID-19 and Beyond

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Science fiction has always been a genre that looks to the future, imagining worlds beyond our reach and often looking at apocalyptic futures - the result of hubris, or some plague. Fantasy has allowed us to experience entirely different contexts with amazing power and fantastic creatures. It is, however, true that the best sci-fi is informed by our context and the best fantasy is relatable. It is foreseeable that because our current situation is bleak, what the world’s authors create to deal with the situation will be dark as well, but the wellbeing we derive from these stories will not change. Hope, one must believe, will spring eternal.

It is entirely conceivable that this pandemic could spark a new hope. What is undeniable is the fact that the world has undergone a massive change and our imaginations are being rewritten. As such, what the future holds for our favourite escapist genres is unknown.

What we can hold on to is the fact that there will always be more to read and what comes next will likely be the most interesting age of modern literature, because it is informed by the most interesting events in our living memory.

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Pandemic: A student media perspective

Parking and UP Subeditors: blah, blah, blah, blah, blah Layout Artist: Bleh

Sub-headline

BY LEAH REES VISUALS BY LEAH REES

BY MARYKE STEYNVAART “Quote” VISUALS BY MARCHALL POTGIETER AND MASHUDU MADZHIGA

Visual Credit:

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U

P’s parking issue has been a persistent reality for students for decades. Students face a lack of parking surrounding campus, which is confounded by parking laws and car guards. Even though there are ways to ease the problem, no long-term solution has been implemented. The parking issue has become entrenched in legal, socio-economic, and political factors that affect all parties involved, especially UP’s student body. As a result, students continue to adapt and raise their concerns.

COVID-19 impact

C

OVID-19 may impact parking in significant ways. One concern is that students might feel apprehensive to travel via public transport because that has a greater probability of exposure to COVID-19 than when using a private car. Hence, the volume of cars surrounding campus might increase significantly once campus acitivies resume. Students may also be apprehensive about travelling via carpool. The added risks from sharing a vehicle increases students’ fears of contracting COVID-19. This is also a concern when considering the large volumes of people and car guards that move in between the parked cars around campus.

At the date of publication, the result of no contact classes means there are no cars, and hence no parking problems.

But by the time UP has fully resumed contact classes the problem will return, and might even worsen. Instagram meme page, @Cry_at_UP, explains that “the freshers of 2021 and 2022 will feel the same frustrations that we have felt and will suffer the same consequences we have [borne] as a result”.

In 1957, in an article in the then entitled ‘Die Perdeby’, a student praised UP for solving the parking issue before it threatened to become “a UP tradition”. Yet, not too long after his letter was published, the parking problem reemerged and escalated. The issue is compounded by several legal challenges surrounding car guards, as well as parking tickets, and infringement notices.

The parking problem will not be solved in the near future for the same reason it has not been solved for decades. It is not that UP does not want to provide adequate facilities, but rather that UP cannot expand their facilities as fast as the student population grows annually. As the number of students increases annually the parking requirements do too.

In 1954, there were approximately 3325 students on campus when the first reports of parking issues were published in ‘Die Perdeby’. UP’s 2025 strategic plan outlines the intention to increase UP’s student body, “to about 55 000 campus students, and 20 000 active distance education students, giving a total headcount of approximately 75 000, with an anticipated academic staff complement of 2 125.” Which means that the numbers of students, and consequently vehicles, will continue to increase. For now, COVID-19 has rendered the issue obsolete, but once students return to campus, the problem may become worse.

Pandemic: A student media perspective

History repeats itself UP’s parking problem is a historical issue that continues to persist. On 24 August 1956 ‘Die Perdeby’ published the first article related to parking, titled ‘Tukkies and the traffic problem’. This article discusses the shortage of parking spaces, motorcycle bays, and bicycle racks, and reported that the average number of vehicles parked or driving on campus is “195 vehicles, 87 motorcycles and 616 bicycles. Yet there is only parking space for 155 motors, 36 motorcycles, and 541 bicycle stands” (translated).

UP temporarily solved the issue by increasing the available parking spaces, relayed in an article published on 1 March 1957 titled ‘Parking lot in use’. In the same edition, an anonymous letter was published, applauding the authorities for swiftly acting before the issue “threatened to become a UP tradition” (translated).

The solution to marginally increase parking was shortlived, because student numbers continued annually to steadily rise. At the time, the problem was exacerbated because the public could move freely on the roads between campus buildings. ‘Die Perdeby’ published an article on 24 May 1957 titled ‘Parking regulations’ that reported UP’s move to ban all cars, motorcycles, and bicycles from campus.

Despite these issues, students did not respect these new restrictions and UP introduced disciplinary measures in an attempt to increase student compliance. On 8 August 1957 the ‘Die Perdeby’ article “Take Notice” stated that if a student was caught with any form of transport in a restricted area they were sent to see the Rector (ViceChancellor), who decided on the appropriate disciplinary measures. Articles soon published after this date include various pleas with students to abide by the new restrictions.

As the amount of students on campus increased, the parking issue only worsened and started overflowing onto ‘public’ property. ‘Die Perdeby’ reported on 11 March 1966 that in response to students’ continuous transgressions, officials from the traffic department started fining students who parked illegally on public ground.

This decision was made after students increasingly parked on sidewalks which made it nearly impossible for pedestrians to move freely.

During the 1970s, UP implemented policies prohibiting female students from certain privileges on campus. On 18 June 1971, ‘Die Perdeby’ published an article titled “Drastic rules implemented” which describes how female students were not allowed to own or use cars on or around UP’s property under any circumstances. Although, exactly when this policy was abolished is unclear.

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The same problem, different centuries

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tudents over the decades have faced similar issues regarding problems surrounding parking.

As the number of students continues to rise, the scale of the parking problem does too, even though the issues students’ experience remain similar in nature. The parking requirements of 1956 seem minute in comparison to today’s. Rikus Delport, UP’s Director of Institutional Relations, relays that a UP survey concluded that “almost 10 000 student vehicles need to park somewhere at some time, but not necessarily simultaneously”.

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The main issues that afflicted students during the 20th century are still faced by students today.

This involves finding safe and legal parking near campus, as well as frequently receiving parking tickets and infringement notices from city officials. Drawing on a non-representative PDBY survey of students’ perspectives, 97.4% of the 304 correspondents indicated that they struggle to find ‘legal’ parking near campus.

In addition, another 95.8% of 310 respondents indicated that they felt there were safety risks associated with these parking areas.

Pandemic: A student media perspective

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Car guards

In addition to continued complaints, new challenges have arisen, such as the car guards who are usually men who work as informal security in the areas where students park. These car guards pose two distinct issues for students. Firstly, many students feel that the car guards persistently expect payment, and if a student does not comply, students fear the car guard might become aggressive towards them. In the same PDBY survey, a linear scale (1=very little expectation of payment; 10= very high and persistent expectation for payment) showed that 90% of 305 respondents indicated a rating of 8 of higher. This said, a large proportion of students do not consider the car guards to be aggressive but rather friendly and calm.

The second issue concerns the rumours that car guards reserve parking for students who pay them. Danie Basson, the Chief Operations Officer of the Hatfield City Improvement District, explains that “it is not just a rumour – we often have to remove obstructions like rocks [and] traffic cones several times a day, and inform the car guards not to reserve parking”. He explains that despite these efforts, once the CID officers are out of sight, car guards simply replace the blockades. Basson emphasises that “as long as students continue to pay them, [these blockades] will always remain present”.

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In addition, students also reported the personal impacts these issues have on their lives, especially when faced with a long commute time from other cities, such as Johannesburg. Shirel Braunstein, a second year BSc Zoology student, relays that “the impact of needing to wake up extra early to find parking [effects] my sleep and therefore impacts my learning. Traffic is always unpredictable and I know of so many people, including myself, who would rather go home after finding no parking than park in the unsafe areas around campus”.

In addition, students feel that they have no choice but to park illegally and in unsecure places in order to be on time for class. Jadon Sussman, a second year BCom Investment Management student, relays that “the parking issue often results in recurring occurrences of being late for class, provided that on many occasions, I have arrived at least an hour before lectures begin to wait for a parking [space], and still ended up struggling and being late for class”.

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Photograph: Mashudu Madzhiga

Understanding Parking at UP UP & public parking UP has very limited mandate over what occurs outside of their property. This means that the curbs outside UP are ‘public’ property that falls under the authority of the City of Tshwane. UP’s security officers’ authority is limited to arresting somebody for a violent Schedule One offence in their presence. Only public authorities such as the police have the authority to arrest anybody for any offence, and fully manage issues external to UP. UP still supports these public organisations and institutions through funding and sponsorships. For example, since 2004, UP is a founding member of the Hatfield City Improvement District. Danie Basson explains that “as the anchor institution in the CID precinct, UP contributes almost half of [their] operating budget, and provides additional backing in terms of improving safety and security in Hatfield, beautifying the area, and supporting other upliftment projects”.

In addition, David Kabwa, 2020 SRC President, also informed PDBY that “[they] negotiated to have a seat on the board of the CID’’, in order to ensure students’ problems, needs, and requirements are accommodated. Kabwa explains that they have also addressed the bus schedules for the Parkand-Ride services to be more accommodating.

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Relationships between Hatfield CID, Brooklyn SAPS and Tshwane Metro Police The three organisations and institutions that enforce the law and provide security surrounding Hatfield are the Hatfield CID, Brooklyn SAPS, and the Tshwane Metro Police. These institutions frequently work in partnership with each other to increase security, and UP provides additional support through funding and sponsorships. Although they are interrelated and collaborate, their public roles remain distinct.

Hence, law enforcement agencies, such as the Brooklyn SAPS and Tshwane Metro Police Departments are responsible for enforcing the law. That extends to the Hatfield CID, after the CID Act was implemented. It is also important to distinguish between the Brooklyn SAPS, who are responsible for enforcing criminal laws, and the Tshwane Metro Police, which enforces traffic related laws.

Basson explains that the main role of the Hatfield CID is to provide security surrounding the Hatfield Campus and Hatfield CBD (where students are especially concentrated) through “providing security officers on foot, a patrol vehicle, and motorcycle as well as CCTV cameras, but it is impossible to cover all of the areas of [..] crime”. The CID is an added security measure to improve the general safety

Pandemic: A student media perspective because “the reality is also that Hatfield has many more vehicles parked outside premises than in most other areas, primarily because of the huge concentration of students”.

The Brooklyn SAPS’ role is to enforce the South African law and deal with criminal inquiries such as muggings, physical and sexual assault, harassment, theft and so forth. The Brooklyn SAPS is not responsible for parking fines and infringement notices. That is rather the authority of the Tshwane Metro Police department. Captain Colette Weilbach, representative and spokesperson of the Brooklyn SAPS, stresses that “somebody spread the rumour that I am able to squash [parking] tickets [...], that is not true at all”. Only the Tshwane Metro Police can write tickets, receive payment and appeals. Despite numerous attempts, the TMPD has not responded to requests for comment. The TMPD is responsible for enforcing the traffic laws in the City of Tshwane.

The law Students receive parking tickets and infringement notices on all campuses. The reasons for these tickets are clear in the AARTO Act, but there are some conflicting regulations. Kabwa explains that there is a “city ordinance that states that if the road is not paved you can not park there”. In addition, he relayed that UP and the CID liaised to pave the parking, mainly towards Duxbury and Burnett Streets. The curb inbetween Hatfield Campus and Lynnwood Road where the Main Gate is situated remains unpaved.

Although Basson expressed that “the info about non-paved areas is not true - many tickets issued are not related to parking as such”. Nor can the official city ordinance be found. Basson lists the following as a non-exhaustive list of some traffic violations that often result in parking tickets: parking on a pavement with an unmountable/upright curb; if there is a yellow line next to the road; parking closer than 9 metres from an intersection; and a parked vehicle cannot block a pedestrian walkway; it must be completely out the road. In addition, roadworthiness like license disks, number plates, tyres etc are also checked and fined if faulty/ expired.

Whether or not this city ordinance exists does not explain why this stretch of road on Lynnwood has not been paved and made more accessible and legal. Large sections between the main gate and Herold Street have an unmountable curb and essentially nobody parks there.

Between the Main Gate and University Road there are large parts of parking areas with ‘no-parking’ signs. Students also often park over the pedestrian sidewalks there, and this is where car guards have been sighted to ‘reserve’ parking, for a fee.

A possible explanation for why the road has not been paved could be because of development of the Line 2B of the Tshwane Rapid Bus Transit System. Delport explains that the plans appear to be back on track and “it appears that all parking along Lynnwood Road will be lost (more than 300 bays will be forfeited according to all indications)”. Delport elaborates that “the university has not formally been informed of the final design or the timelines for the intended project”. UP still finds it concerning because “parking by students along Lynnwood Road is a practice established over many decades”.

Even though UP, the Brooklyn SAPS, and CID acknowledge the high volumes of student cars, students are subject to the South African law.

Hence, any traffic violations remain the students’ responsibility. Captain Weilbach states, “you must abide by the laws of the country [...] you cannot blame the university if you break the law.” Basson also says that “The driver remains responsible for any illegal actions.”

Brooklyn SAPS, CID and the car guards Basson explains that “the car guards are informal parking attendants without any mandate in terms of security. The relationship with the car guards [is] informal since there is no by-law currently formalising their presence or activities”. Basson emphasises that they are acutely aware of the various issues that car guards present even though they have been trying to formalise them since 2006. UP has not commented about their involvement in formalising the car guards.

Despite the issues, the Hatfield CID and Brooklyn SAPS are coordinating a project through which “the car guards are identified, vetted, and ‘registered’ with name tags/ID cards”. Basson explains that this is also informal, and even though this does not ensure full accountability, it has shown “reasonable success”. Both Captain Weilbach and Basson have explained that many car guards often cooperate with the police in assisting crime prevention.

Basson relays that “we have an incentive scheme to reward them for positive information or actions contributing to crime prevention”.

Captain Weilbach corroborates that many car guards receive frequent training, “so that they can look out for suspicious vehicles, and they are sharing information with us. Many of them assisted us in preventing [the] theft of motor vehicles, and out of motor vehicles”.

This does not mean that certain car guards would not exploit an opportunity or ignore crimes for a fee. Captain Weilbach explains that “you will still get the criminal element that will look the other way if criminals try to steal a vehicle, and maybe they get a little bit [of] payment”. Even though this is the case, Basson reminds students that the car guards “working during the day [are] much more well behaved compared to those who work at night”.

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Parking and UP

Illustration: Marchall Potgieter

Suggesting Solutions Practical Parking Solutions Delport relays that UP acknowledges that “the university does not have sufficient parking for all the staff and visitors on the Hatfield Campus at all times”. Campus is the busiest during the mornings but as campus quiets down in the afternoons, “the demand is much less, and as a result of this, post graduate students are allowed to park on the Hatfield Campus after 14:00. After 16:00, all students may park on the Hatfield Campus”.

Another solution is UP’s Park-and-Ride services. Delport relays that “the university has been operating Park-and-Ride facilities from its Hillcrest and Groenkloof Campuses for many years. This allows students to park safely on those campuses and then to travel by bus to the Hatfield Campus”. This solution, despite the SRC’s promotion of it, remains largely underutilised by students. Students might not be utilising the services for several reasons such as convenience and the amount of extra time students will spend commuting.

Delport explains that UP continuously works to increase parking such as building the Engineering Building parkade, where “students may park for a fee (maximum R20 for 6 hours or more)”. Recently, UP opened an additional parking lot with 150 bays on the corner of Duxbury Road and Hilda Street. UP provides free bus services for residence students from Hillcrest to Hatfield Campus, which makes provision for transport for students residing on those campuses, but attending lectures on Hatfield.

Crime prevention Captain Weilbach, Basson, and Kabwa have requested that in the case of harassment by a car guard that students mmediately report to either the Brooklyn SAPS, the Hatfield CID, or the SRC and UP Security Services. Basson explains that students need to provide “details

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Pandemic: A student media perspective such as date, time, location, and clothing description of the culprit”.

In the event of harassment or any other criminal violations, Basson stresses that “you do not have to jeopardise your own safety – you only need to give us the relevant information.” The CID, SAPS, and TMPD often locate a culprit with CCTV footage, and Basson advises “people not to confront a car guard if anything happens”, and rather to contact the appropriate authorities.

Captain Weilbach explains that if a student decides to file a complaint, “they must also be willing to open a case and testify in court”. The car guard cannot be held criminally accountable for their actions, if the victim does not follow the appropriate legal processes.

Students themselves can contribute to increasing the accountability of car guards by following the appropriate legal processes. Basson also adds that “very often victims are unwilling to report incidents of harassment or to open a criminal case. That prevents us from taking official action, and the problem remains and even becomes worse”.

Captain Weilbach also encourages students to not leave valuables in their cars if possible. If there is no other option, place everything in the boot in order to minimise the opportunity of theft. Captain Weilbach continues to warn that all devices should be completely shut down, as certain thieves use bluetooth to pick up if there are devices in the car.

Student Solutions The most popular suggested solution in the nonrepresentative PDBY student survey is to build ‘multilevel’ parking similar to the Engineering Building.

Students acknowledge that this option is expensive and cannot be instant, but might be a viable long term solution. There are several existing open-air parking lots that can be transformed into multi-level parking spaces.

Sabrina Rato, a third-year BConSci Hospitality Management student, is of the opinion that “there is not one solution. There are many things affecting parking. For example, I cannot afford to pay for the paid parking everyday [...] Building more parking like that would not necessarily fix the problem. If [UP] does build more parking, they are going to have to find a way to pay for it. Also not a viable solution considering the cost”. Ancke Gericke, a postgraduate criminology student, conveys that “space is obviously a problem, but other secure parking is necessary.

Maybe building double story parking where there is currently only ground parking. For example, where the busses stop”.

Delport relays that future buildings will include basement parking similar to the Engineering 3 Building. Although there are not any plans to build similar buildings on Hatfield Campus, due to various constraints. Delport relays that there are no current plans for stand alone multi-level parking. The reason for this is because “students are only on campus for

approximately eight months of the year. Students are also not keen to pay for parking and this means rates are kept to a minimum. This means that the public portion of the parkade is not really financially viable.”

Kabwa explains that the SRC is continuously aware and working towards addressing the problem “and it is for that purpose that I encourage students to continually raise the issue. Our role is to ensure that the voices of students are heard”. He added that the SRC is “committed to making sure it is always on the agenda and that plans are being put into place”.

One way that students raise their concerns is through popular Instagram meme pages. One such page is @Cry_at_UP, which expresses that there is a platform to “to speak out now and it is our responsibility to use our voice to instigate positive change for the student body”.

These issues are spoken about through “countless stories and testimonies of different versions of the same challenges. We find them in our DMs and in our comment sections”. @Cry_at_UP expresses that, “the only option [they] can see being feasible is to build up. The conversion of established student parking into parking complexes similar to what has been accomplished with the engineering parking or even the construction of parking complexes on campus seems logical.”

Other students have chosen to take an active role by starting petitions in an attempt to bring about change. Before contact classes were suspended due to COVID-19, several students started petitions to push UP to address the issues. In addition, students have started to use apps to indicate where parking spots open up. But this is not widely used among students.

Yet students can also take practical steps to assist in solving the parking problem. The first way could be utilising the Park-and-Ride bus services. In the PDBY survey, students responded that they often already spend excessive amounts of time looking and waiting for parking and settling for illegal and high risk parking spaces. This, along with the instability of traffic, makes parking unpredictable. The Park-and-Ride services compensate for the time lost with more stability and security. Kabwa says that after students reported that the schedules did not suit the average students’ schedule, they have been adjusted.

A second way is through forming carpools, especially for students who have long commute times. This is another way to minimise travel costs, but may be risky during the pandemic.

Developing short term solutions like these are necessary as long-term solutions are still to be developed. The situation might also be worsened, especially if the Tshwane Bus Transit Line is built.

COVID-19 might also affect the ways in which people travel, and students may need to adapt to minimise their exposure to the virus. How the UP parking situation will be addressed in the long term remains to be seen.

Subeditors: Kayla Thomas, Marren McKay, CJ Barnard and Nomzamo Maluleka Layout Artist: Leah Rees

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Staff contributors

The Pandemic Perspective Shift

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Editor: Kayla Thomas Design: Leah Rees Kelly-Anne Kong Kam Wa Ngoako Ramakgopa Kirsten Minaar Duané Kitching Visuals: Giovanna Janos Madhuri Rambaran Cassandra Eardely Cletus Mulaudi Mashudu Madzhiga Marchall Potgieter Promise Zulu Sanele Zulu Nicole Kirsten

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Editor-in-Chief: Carel Willemse Journalists: Susanna Anbu Dani van der Horst Kara Olivier Kendra Connock Stephanie Cookson Aaron Cloete Maryke Steynvaart Bianke Neethling Caitlyn Walsh Subeditors: Marren McKay CJ Barnard Nomzamo Maluleka Ropafadzo Chidemo Ume Dikio

Pandemic: A student media perspective

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