We’re officially done with the days of compulsory masks and other restrictions in South Africa – protocols that would’ve sounded completely ludicrous a few years ago, and a hopeful whim for the last two years.
While most South Africans are happily exchanging their masks for smiles (as anyone who’s been to a usual mask hotspot like the grocery store can relay) the official toss of COVID-19 measures was a let-down.
Schalk Bezuidenhout, the curly-haired comedian who kept a lot of us laughing during the days locked inside was one of many to point out the anti-climatic nature of the send-off.
Also read: Face masks are out and other COVID restrictions scrapped
Taking to Instagram after the announcement, Bezuidenhout made a reel “And just like that… it’s over.”
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“No Cyril, no speech, no family meeting… fokkal.” He expressed, before calling the situation lekker, but an anticlimax.
“I thought we’d shoot some fireworks at least,” or “have a zappa together as a country,” he humorously added.
As it turns out, a lot of South Africans felt similar. Despite the joy that one Twitter user described as the “happiest SA’s been since 2010”, others agreed with Bezuidenhout that there should’ve been a little more oomph. One user commented that the way the regulation drop was delivered was like “someone breaking up with you via an email.” At least this breakup was a happy one.
Considering every family meeting, the constant “comradery” rhetoric and getting through the pandemic as a nation, it’s safe to say that the government did not understand the assignment of unity when it came to the regulation dismissal. Maybe it’s because many of the powers that be aren’t happy about the changes after all, or maybe it’s because we are all, as a nation, exhausted. So exhausted, that we deserve an entire public holiday dedicated to this struggle, maybe #FamilyMeetingDay.
However, despite the announcement’s lacklustre, South Africans have still been celebrating in a ton of creative ways – from mask burning to booking festival tickets and even turning their leftover masks into hamster hammocks.
Few are as elated as the tourism and entertainment industries. Big Concerts for one has expressed incredible excitement at capacities being allowed back to 100%, especially with upcoming events like Justin Bieber, The Lumineers and Foreigner.
We may not know what awaits Mzansi in the future, but we’ll certainly enjoy those visible smiles wherever we go.
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Picture: Twitter
