Politically Aweh’s new Coronavirus Series explores and explains the impact of the pandemic from a South African and African perspective. In this episode, we take a closer look at the human rights being curtailed by ministers and abused by security forces under the cover of a "war" with the virus.

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South Africa has been under a strict lockdown since 26 March. The outbreak of Covid-19 has also seen the government deploy more than 70,000 members of the SA National Defence Force to help contain the virus and enforce the lockdown. At times, though, it seems the security forces are less interested in flattening the curve than the shacks of South Africa’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.

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In the first week of lockdown, it is alleged that more people died at the hands of security forces than from the virus the lockdown is supposed to prevent. With the increased presence of the military and police, many citizens have shared concerns over escalating incidents of brutality and the effects they have on human rights during this national state of disaster.

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Our new Coronavirus Series explores and explains the impact of the pandemic from a South African and African perspective. In this episode, Politically Aweh’s Aman Baboolal takes a closer look at the human rights being curtailed by ministers and abused by security forces under the cover of a “war” with the virus.

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For more insight, he chats to human rights lawyer, Daily Maverick contributor and host of legal podcast, Just Us Under a Tree, Elisha Kunene, about the myriad new regulations in place affecting even our most basic rights. 

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As it turns out, even Elisha has had his own chilling personal experience of police abuse, on day one of the lockdown.

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