JONNY STEINBERG: From Kimberley to Covid-19, a sad tale of black suffering
17 February 2022 - 14:00
About 140 years ago, from 1882 to 1885, a smallpox epidemic roiled southern Africa. It was another time, I know, but comparing it to Covid-19 is enormously instructive.
Having contained the disease a year earlier, the diamond boom town of Kimberley succumbed to smallpox in November 1883. It started when a group of nine prospective labourers coming from the north arrived ill and feverish at a farm a few miles from town. Kimberley’s civil commissioner appointed a team of six doctors to go immediately to examine them...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.