SOWETO, South Africa — Social distancing in Soweto, a South African “township” home to more than 1 million people, is undoubtedly a challenge. Residents of the densely populated community share everything from tap water to bathrooms. Most families in Soweto live in single-bedroom homes, which makes quarantine impossible if a family member is infected. Despite the heightened risk with COVID-19 in South Africa, most Sowetoans continue to go to work every day. They can’t afford to remain on lockdown and many are essential workers. South Africa’s 85 other townships and Bantustans, where adequate health care is scarce, share similar challenges to those faced by Soweto’s residents.
Effects of Apartheid’s Legacy
Since the pandemic began in March, COVID-19 in South Africa has spread rapidly to each part of the country. The nation leads Africa in COVID-19 cases with 251,000 to date. The virus has severely impacted Black South Africans, highlighting apartheid’s grim legacy. Even after state-mandated segregation ended in 1994, many Black South Africans still live in overcrowded townships on the outskirts of major cities, while white South Africans reside in spacious, affluent neighborhoods.
Viral Apartheid: Disparities Between Rich And Poor
Public health researcher Dr. Raj Panjabi coined the term “viral apartheid” to describe the vastly different experiences of rich and poor people during the pandemic. “Viral apartheid” in South Africa is the result of generations of oppression and systemic health inequity. The apartheid regime created the townships and Bantustans so Black South Africans could serve the needs of white South Africans without living in white-only cities. Most Blacks who live in these areas rely on the poorly funded public health care system.
Meanwhile, white South Africans can afford private health care funded from outside the country. Black South African communities were already struggling with HIV and tuberculosis epidemics before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic is further exacerbating the disparities in wealth and access to health care.
Unsurprisingly, the townships have become hotbeds of the pandemic in South Africa. In the Western Cape region, the Khayelitsha township has 12% of all infections despite only making up 6% of the population. These concerning statistics are mirrored in townships across the nation.
What’s Being Done
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former anti-apartheid activist, recognized the urgent threat that the virus poses to Black South African communities and took action early. In April, the Department of Water and Sanitation distributed 10 million gallons of water to communities for handwashing. Additionally, the South African health care system made efforts to increase its testing in townships and rural Bantustans. South African leaders have also welcomed help from outside nations. In April, they stationed Cuban doctors across the country.
Within their own communities, Black South Africans have made efforts to protect the most vulnerable. Community-based workers have reached out to the elderly and those with disabilities to make sure that they meet their needs. Additionally, many Black South Africans believe community-based efforts are key to transforming health care for people in townships and Bantustans in the future and fighting COVID-19 in South Africa today.
– Matt Nwaneri
Photo: Flickr
