In South Africa, homeless individuals have been directed to gather in a sports stadium, relocating the men and women from under their temporary homes and sleeping backs. The homeless appeared in downtown Johannesburg as they traversed the city to take refuge in a South African stadium. The men and women are at high risk for the COVID-19 virus as the pandemic continues to demonstrate the stark comparison between rich and poor.
Last Friday, when South Africa declared lockdown, the country’s economic divide became immediately apparent as the affluent woke up to news of an inconvenient three-week isolation as the poor woke up to lockdown measures that threatened their economic and social health. In South Africa, social distancing is a clear privilege as ingrained inequality is the reality for thousands of citizens. Throughout Africa, where the informal economy is how many support their family, the markets are shut, leaving thousands to suffer financially for the next several months as the pandemic continues to spread.
