What puzzles me is how some South Africans behave as if the interventions our Government has put in place to protect us during the pandemic are somehow worse than anywhere else.

Let's review, shall we?

Beach closures? Even in the former penal colony now known as Australia! I know... *gasp* https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/covid-19-forces-closure-australias-beaches-sydney

But wait, there's more! Many more in fact - Magic Seaweed compiled a list on which you'll see countries like Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, the U.S., Israel and Portugal, among others: https://magicseaweed.com/news/coronavirus-list-of-global-beach-closures-and-general-advice/11792/

Other countries that included restrictions on the sale of alcohol as part of their pandemic interventions are Greenland, Aisne (in France), Botswana, the Bahamas, Panama, and Thailand (to name but a few).

And when it comes to curfews? I mean, this list is LONG.

Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Moscow, Greece, Grenada, New Zealand, Germany, Berlin, Frankfurt, parts of India, parts of Belgium, parts of Denmark, Portugal, Ireland... I mean, it goes on!

Now the point I'm trying to make is NOT that these restrictions aren't harmful in their own way. They are.

And so is a pandemic left to run rabid through a population without intervention.

There is no silver bullet, no quick fix, no one-size fits all solution, I'm afraid.

None of the interventions put into place are beyond criticism and scrutiny. Nor should they be.

But for South Africans to behave as if we're living in an extraordinarily 'authoritarian' state is not only hyperbolic, it's disingenuous.

It also smacks of the mentality of people who are moved to mobilise not because it is necessarily the 'right' thing to do, but because they feel abject horror at the realisation that there are rules that apply to them, too.

As for the fear-mongers and misinformation spreaders, if your response to the pandemic has been to incite discontent and panic through lies and deceit, I hope you feel devastating shame - and find a way to live with it when you one day have to take account of your life.

One more thing: a lot of the people to whom I'm referring will likely also be the type to tell you 'white privilege' doesn't exist - but you'd think they'd try to stop serving as living, breathing examples of it, while they do so