SA marks 5 years since COVID lockdown

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the drastic measure to curb the spread of this new, mysterious virus, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands between 2020 and 2022.

The lockdown confined people to their homes and disrupted daily routines like grocery shopping.

Residents in KZN have been reflecting on the impact of those restrictions five years ago.

"Being confined in your own home and knowing that if you move outside you may be charged for breaking laws was very, very difficult," said one man from Durban.

READ: Lockdown's legacy: South Africa, five years on

An IT specialist said, "I am an essential worker, so at the time I had to go to work but it really did impact me mentally. I wouldn't be able to to socialise and see family, and friends."

"As an educator that couldn't teach online, I faced the challenge of losing teaching opportunities and maintaining student engagement leading to learning gaps and social isolation," said Jade Brauns. 

One man recounted the emotional toll of the experience.

"All you ever saw on the news was the death toll that just kept on increasing. It's not a time I'd wish for anybody to experience ever again."

Those who broke the rules were arrested.

Thabiso Nhlengethwa from eMondlo in Zululand was caught jogging outside his yard.

ALSO READ: LISTEN: COVID-19: Five years since SA's lockdown

He was studying at the UZKN at the time and says this brush with the law nearly cost him his dream job.

"I tried to explain to them that I cannot jog with a mask on and then when we got to the police station they took fingerprints. I thought it was just a minor thing.

"Then they [the company] called and said that their senior HR needs to meet with me. I went to her office and when I got there, she told me that the results for the fingerprints are back and I'm a criminal. They have to fire me."

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