In this week’s Monitor, we feature reflections by Dr. Bam on some of the current and future implications of COVID-19 measures on electoral processes in Africa.
We also look at how African countries are adapting to the new COVID-19 reality, three months in since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Although the number of infections is still increasing, most African countries have started to ease the strict lockdown measures they initially adopted. As Marisha Ramdeen notes in her contribution, countries are trying to find a more optimal balance between stimulating the economy, opening up the informal economy that so many people depend on and also still being mindful in limiting the spread of the virus.
Richard Kamidza sheds light on another aspect of the economic downturn: how the closure of borders has affected the movement of goods in eastern and southern Africa. The number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in Africa appears to be lower than elsewhere in the world, for reasons that remain unclear. Knox Chitiyo, Martin Rupiya and Pamela Wadi warn that the resilience Africa has shown thus far should not lead to complacency.
Lastly, we turn to the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique. Hermenegildo Mulhovo and Osman Cossing explain how the insurgency in the north is impacting on the country’s efforts to stem the spread of the disease.
