These are extraordinary times

Namibia, like the rest of the world, is in a panic mode. The country’s streets, especially in the capital Windhoek, are reminiscent of Kolmanskop, a deserted ghost town near Lüderitz.

Police yesterday warned bar and restaurant owners to ensure their clients do takeaways instead of congregating at such establishments.

The cause of all this – the coronavirus – has the country fearing not only for the worst, but for its very own existence.

Fears hit new heights on Monday evening when it was announced at a hastily convened press conference that a 19-year-old Namibian man has contracted the virus.

This was the first local case involving a Namibian national.

Our resolve as a nation is now on a litmus test. This is not the time for sloganeering and political correctness.

What must be done must be done. There will be casualties in the shape of business closures, income losses and retrenchments.

But when lives are saved, communities and the country at large are afforded another crack at the opportunities the future holds.

Namibia must outlive all of us. The country is bigger than all those who live in it and saving it must prevail above all priorities.

We must be bold and ready for the perils that come with fighting off this killer virus. We must live to fight another day.