If other SA provinces had capable public servants like WC largely seems to have & used time to prepare for virus surge, wonder if we would have banned alcohol & closed schools? If ever example of why meritocracy in civil service crucial for societies to advance, this is it. 1)

Similar with fiscal crisis. Some argue because crisis acute, SA will respond. This misses underlying problem: can we implement 'right things'. Response to COVID-19 shows crises do not necessarily result in action. Rather, it brutally exposes weakness & causes untold suffering. 2)

Vested interests, patronage and factionalism is a cancer that this country, already on its knees before COVID-19, can simply no longer tolerate. Key for our future is whether this crisis results in a change of the system. Next year's local election could be 1st flag to test this.