Discourse of Student Life

The Continuities of the New Normal

The month of January has come and gone. The difference between January and the preceding months, is time. The events of last month in the context of COVID-19 continued to be devastating and deadly.

As the country settles at Alert Level 1 as part of its comprehensive and phased response to COVID -19, our individual and collective vigilance against the pandemic must be at Alert Level 5.  Our lives and those of our fellow citizens, families, loved one’s and contemporaries will be saved by eternal vigilance against the pandemic.  This is not optional.

The rural village of Ludeke in the town of Mbizana in the Alfred Nzo region of our province, the Eastern Cape birthed, grew and honed a fine young man who would not only make them proud, but also ceaselessly exemplify his roots of humble beginnings, re-affirm his identity and most importantly, connect and carry the aspirations of his people, particularly the youth.

As the national statistics of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to increase now having surpassed five hundred thousand, and South Africa having the 5^th highest infections worldwide, – there should not be any room for complacency amongst our citizen. The months of August and September have been earmarked by the National Coronavirus Command Council and the Department of Health as the ‘peak months’, - where the country generally and Port Elizabeth particularly, are expected to experience high rates of infections and increased death rates.

The latest data coming from the Department of Health and the recent address to the nation by President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the developments surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, portray a worrying image that should concern each one of us, especially the student community of Nelson Mandela University.

As we welcome our students who have accepted the offer to return to the University as part of the first 33% cohort of final year students.  We would like to use this platform to remind our students about the non-negotiables in our collective fight to flatten the curve, save lives and secure the future. In our previous issue communicated these non-negotiables, but, what we have witnessed on the ground - from a minority of students - compels us to repeat the message.

The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has affected our economies and social lives in various ways.