In the days of King Jeroboam 2 in Israel arose an Amos, a prophet who expressed himself like no other prophet but just like any ordinary Israelite.
He equated his words to the Lord roaring from Zion, a lion with so much brutality. The Israelites were too busy enjoying life, prosperity and feasting.
This lifestyle was a mask to an impending disaster that was embedded in Amos’ message. The impact of his message brought hate upon him with all people including the King believing he was nothing more than a misguided voice.
The prophet of doom!
We may not like his tone, but Professor Solwayo Ngwenya might be the Amos of our times.
The Professor has been consistently warning us about the mutation of the Covid-19 even way before the second wave of the virus caught us at the end of December last year.
However, he has always been criticized for his choice of words that portray the annihilation of the masses.
We should set the hunger for free movement and normalcy aside and evaluate what the Professor is trying to drive home.
According to him, “… all the ingredients needed for it are being made; new variant, relaxing populations and approaching winter. My predictions are that the third wave will appear suddenly, in a massive form, and kill many people, especially in Africa.”
If we are to check what is happening on the ground you will realize that the level of complacency is getting higher and higher amongst citizens forgetting that we are still amid the pandemic.
The Professor can only give us a warning and may not be the best in coming up with a solution.
The simplest logic is that ‘the virus only thrives in human, so once humans mix, the virus moves from one person to another.’
People must remain vigilant and practice traditional methods such as social distancing and proper wearing masks.
The government must ramp up its information dissemination campaigns, more specifically on the vaccine and mostly prepare its health institution for any surprises.
“I hate, I despise your feast, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies,” Amos 5:22