South Africa’s security forces have been found wanting during their deployment to try to maintain order in the country during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

In an exclusive interview with Polity on Wednesday political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga commended government’s decision to extend the lockdown until the end of April, to curb the Covid-19 spread, saying that the decision has helped the country to evade catastrophe.

However, he criticised how security forces have allegedly handled themselves during the nationwide lockdown.

“There are people who have lost their lives, allegedly, by the hands of security forces, and this will create anxiety because it is painful for people to exist under the lockdown and yet be treated in this manner. Those that are transgressing should also be handled with dignity and be arrested instead of the humiliation that we have seen, including the use of physical force. That is not good. It is not good that we have allegations of the death toll from the hands of the security forces nearing ten. It appears that the security forces are more dangerous than coronavirus,” he said.

Mathekga added that government’s decision to extend the lockdown demonstrated that government seemed to be aware of the gravity of the pandemic and the severe pressure it could impose on the country’s health system.

However, he advised government to improve its testing capacity during the lockdown.

“That is the only way we are going to get to the true picture of what we have in the country. Rapid testing and rapid results will ensure that the virus does not move faster than your ability to test. It is deadly to keep on speculating on small tests, we need to do massive tests,” he emphasised.

SAA’s Possible Liquidation

When asked about the recent reports that the State airline South African Airways (SAA) could face liquidation, he told Polity that there was no way out for the airline.

“South African Airways will most likely be liquidated. Airlines are under pressure; ours was under historical pressure. I don’t see SAA coming out of this,” he said.

Beyond liquidation was the possibility of building a new airline altogether, which, he said, the country did not need.