Abstract

This paper examined the brutal tactics used by security forces in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. Key questions raised relate to the philosophical (dis)connectedness of their actions. The paper posits that the way in which some police and soldiers conducted themselves in black communities is reminiscent of colonial-apartheid hermeneutics. Their conduct, devoid of Ubuntu, relegates the culprits to “mere symbols with no substance,” in a deeply conditioned state of mental subjugation. Though black, the culprits remain largely unAfrikan in thought. The paper concludes that training for security forces needs to inculcate philosophies of Afrikanism. Furthermore, the paper highlights key lessons to be embraced. Recommendations made include the professionalisation of the security forces, enabling public dialogue, and bringing the culprits to book faster to restore the image of the country, the government, and the security agencies. This paper used a qualitative desktop design that applied inductive analyses.

摘要

本文研究了南非 COVID-19 封锁初期安全部队使用的残酷策略。提出的关键问题与他们行为的哲学（分离）联系有关。该论文认为，一些警察和士兵在黑人社区中的行为方式让人想起殖民种族隔离解释学。他们的行为，没有 Ubuntu，将罪魁祸首降级为“没有实质内容的纯粹符号”，处于一种深受制约的精神征服状态。虽然是黑人，但罪魁祸首在很大程度上仍然是非非洲人的思想。该文件的结论是，安全部队的培训需要灌输南非语的哲学。此外，本文还强调了需要接受的主要经验教训。提出的建议包括安全部队的专业化，促进公众对话，以及更快地将罪犯绳之以法，以恢复国家、政府和安全机构的形象。本文使用了应用归纳分析的定性桌面设计。