In 1993, the South African novelist Zakes Mda said it was imperative that the country's elites wean themselves off the liberal notion of 'doing something for the people'. 'Sustainable development', he said, 'is meaningful only if we do something "with the people" ... to promote a spirit of self-reliance amongst the marginalised' (1993).
From the outset of the global Covid-19 pandemic, governments around the world have generally failed to turn to their citizens, to the people themselves, for their views and advice, or included them proactively in strategies to combat the pandemic. However, it is not too late. Something can still be done before the third wave arrives, especially in small towns and in rural areas across southern Africa where formal state health services are very weak, or dysfunctional.
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