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The Covid-19 pandemic has been a dominant topic also in South Africa in recent months. By introducing one of the strictest lockdowns in the world at an early stage, the country kept its infection and death rates at a comparatively low level. The government was equally determined to fight disinformation, ranging from false cures for the virus to allegations of a deliberate spread of the virus by foreign nationals. Consequently, the spreading of fake news and disinformation about Covid-19 was made a criminal offense, punishable by a fine and / or imprisonment of 6 months.
At first glance, South Africa seems to have managed the crisis relatively well. However, the full extent of the economic and social consequences of the lockdown will only become apparent in the months ahead. In his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in late October, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced drastic austerity measures. In addition to cutting salaries in the public sector, a number of ministries will receive budget cuts, amongst others in education, police, health and public transport. These measures will affect particularly the poorest in the country.
Furthermore, the summer holidays in December and January, and those in autumn in March 2021 are still ahead. It is possible that the number of infections will increase and that there might be the need for a second lockdown.
In this context, there will be election campaigning for the next local government elections, which are expected to take place in the second half of 2021. What topics will be most relevant to South African voters? Under which circumstances will it be possible for all parties to campaign freely? What about freedom of press in a country with restricted media literacy in large parts of the population? What can South Africans expect in terms of further fake news and disinformation? What role should the media and journalists play against this background?
We would like to discuss these and other questions with our guests from South Africa and Germany.
