Do Covid-19 restrictions threaten democracy itself?
Some African governments have used the pandemic as a shield to mask curtailing freedoms and passing draconian legislation
The livelihoods and social fabrics of communities living in villages, growth points, districts, towns and cities dotted across Africa have been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The economic impact caused by lockdowns, the reduction of trade in goods and services and the curtailment of travel and tourism have shrunk many economies and resulted in significant unemployment.
This threatens to up-end the many socioeconomic and political gains achieved during a period former SA president Thabo Mbeki termed the “African renaissance”. This time was characterised by the growth of pan-African institutions, setting in motion the implementation of continental programmes, such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the Pan-African Parliament and, recently, the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. Agenda 2063 of the AU and other initiatives are a guiding light towards the realisation of a united continent...
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