Countries the world over are faced with overcoming a united threat in the form of the global Covid-19 pandemic. More often than not, the most vulnerable are the communities in developing countries, especially those relying on government to meet their service delivery needs.

North-West University (NWU) researcher and lecturer in development communication and PhD candidate, Tshepang Molale, makes the case for why the South African government needs to further bolster their efforts in making it easier for those in need to survive this pandemic.

He argues that this pandemic has seen government accelerate with rapid speed fundamental service delivery challenges that had otherwise stood unmitigated for years.

“If anything this pandemic has proven that we do have the capacity and resources to meet the social and economic challenges of the country. If need be, Government can indeed reduce red tape and ensure the timeous delivery of crucial services to communities who need it the most,” he adds.

However, Tshepang believes that such service delivery must be sustainable.

“Unfortunately, the delivery of water during the Covid-19 dispensation is an unsustainable measure. Instead of building sustainable reservoirs in dry areas, tankers are now filling water tanks a few times a week. This is not sustainable. In the post-coronavirus dispensation those communities will still face the same problem,” says Tshepang. 

Referring to South Africa celebrating Freedom Day on 27 April, for the first time under lockdown, he says the idea of freedom does translate to universal access to services for all, especially basic services.

“Although service delivery is mainly the responsibility of local government, I believe that the national government should step in and ensure that services are delivered where they are needed the most,” says Tshepang.

Tshepang Molale