CAPE TOWN -The sports fraternity has to be the most overlooked and quite frankly undermined industry which continues to suffer from the absurd government-imposed Covid-19 regulations.
It defies logic that children are allowed to go back to overcrowded classrooms, taxis are operating at full capacity, night clubs and other entertainments establishments are packed to their rafters, yet stadiums - with proper ventilation and enough capacity for social distancing - were permitted to accommodate only 750 persons or fewer for indoor venues and 2 000 persons or fewer for outdoor venues subject to strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures.
Well, even this only happened once when Bafana Bafana played Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, and the MTN 8 Challenge Final.
But political parties including the ANC were allowed to bus-in more than this number in the lead-up to the November 1 elections?
What informs this decision when Afcon organisers delivered a successful tournament?
This was done in Africa by Africans and that should be enough reason for this administration to do away with its illogical approach.
Already cricket fans missed out on an important Test and One Day International series between South Africa and India.
By the time Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa wakes up, it will be too late and the rest of the world will be back to the life we knew before Covid-19.
He does not seem bothered, as always. He now tells the nation that they will do away with the staggered approach they initially had but will wait for the national state of disaster to be lifted. Great!
He does not say when this will happen. Even his boss, President Cyril Ramaphosa, made no mention of the government's plans to get us back to the stadiums.
It's understandable that the EFF led a picket to the department’s offices demanding that they be reopened.
Next time it could be more than a picket as we have seen in other countries where angry residents have taken to the streets demanding the scrapping of all Covid-19 curbs and vaccine mandates.
That is what happens when citizens have lost faith in the government.
We hope it does not get to that point as our economy can ill-afford any further disruptions.
However, that would be justified when it appears we are heading to an authoritarian state.
Cape Times