Philisiwe Mazibuko Right2Know (R2K)
Philisiwe attends a lock-down protest masks and comrade distancing is the new normal
Philisiwe is a Community Scholar at the Centre for Civil Society, SOBEDS
The Right2Know Campaign launched in August 2010 and has grown into a movement centred on freedom of expression and access to information. It is a South African democratic, activist-driven campaign that strengthens and unites citizens to raise public awareness, mobilise communities and undertake research and targeted advocacy that aims to ensure the free flow of information necessary to meet people’s social, economic, political and ecological needs and live free from want, in equality and in dignity.
How have you and your Campaign adjusted strategies during the pandemic?
Well our work is critical especially at this time as we consider the ways freedom of movement and information flows are affected by lock-down measures. So we have had to move online and one of our main techniques has been webinars to check in with activists in all the provinces. We also have a WhatsApp group to communicate.
How has protest action been affected by the lock-down?
Well you are allowed to protest but there are restrictions on the number of people who can ‘gather’. I don’t believe we should abandon the right to protest during this time but we need to consider new methods and means of protest. These include protest using visuals and posting photos of our contexts to draw attention to our cause. Also we could follow international examples where people have come out safely wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
Have you been involved in any lock-down protest?
Yes – we answered the call to attend the Anti Gender Based Violence movement protest in Durban. We were all wearing masks and kept a safe distance from each other so it was a strange, new way to stand in solidarity and to stand together against this violence which is also escalating during lock-down. But the police dismantled it by coming in and arresting protesters (without observing social distancing) citing the fact that the protest organisers had not observed Section 4 protocols and that the protest was illegal under Level 3 Lockdown regulations.
Mzamo Zondi – Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)
Mzamo engages with critical service providers about their work during lock-down
Mzamo is a Community Scholar at the Centre for Civil Society, SOBEDS
The Treatment Action Campaign is a South African HIV/AIDS activist organisation which was co-founded by the HIV-positive activist Zackie Achmat in 1998. TAC is rooted in the experiences, direct action tactics and the anti-apartheid background of its founder.
Tell us about the civil society response to Covid-19 and the lock-down regulations in terms of health in KwaZulu-Natal?
The main KwaZulu-Natal response has been through the Civil Society Forum which is made up of local organisations and activists including the TAC, the KZN Christian Council, TB / HIV care, the Community Media Trust and representatives of the provincial Council of Aids.
What are the main issues that came up in this province?
The first has to do with people not being able to access healthcare. This is because the clinics they usually come to have closed, in some cases because of outbreaks of Covid-19. In other cases the clinics do not have stock of medicines. Second, people were afraid of going to clinics and hospitals because of stories about the army patrolling to make sure people stayed home. Third, in some cases people were required to social distance in queues which meant queueing outside and patients already unwell had to stand out in the cold for long periods of time.
What were some of the responses by the Civil Society Forum?
Our main response has been to communicate with local communities and to communicate with authorities. We did this by setting up a WhatsApp group where people could call in about their health related challenges. We then engaged with authorities to deal with these challenges which included closed clinics, shortage or no supply of medicines and quarantine measures for people who had tested positive for the Corona virus but couldn’t self-isolate at home because they had household numbers of up to ten people.
What have been the main challenges for activists during this time?
Well we always have challenges but during this time we also have to wear protective gear and getting that for ourselves and our communities was a struggle. It was also difficult to keep in touch with communities who were not able to access WhatsApp. Finally, organising and communicating as activists / civil society groups is difficult with data and connectivity inequality. Many are also just not familiar with tech Apps like Zoom. It makes things difficult.