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Top to bottom, from left tot right: Rotenda Gavhi, Adorlee Nthonifheni Mudau, Musiiwa Makumbi, Empress Hulisani Mbedzi, Gumani Matshisevhe, Jeffrey Manthakha, Mashudu Nemadzivhani and Usiane Magwabeni. Photo's supplied.

The age of the mask

 

The Covid-19 pandemic is real. One only has to read the papers or watch people crying over their loved ones who had caught the virus to believe it. But are people really taking health regulations, such as social distancing and the wearing of facemasks, seriously?

Let us concentrate on the facemask for a moment, since this little piece of material (or plastic) has become such a crucial part of our everyday lives (and everyday appearance).

With the variety of masks available, one can almost say that people are spoilt for choice in design, colour, and material. Many people use their assortment of masks to match their daily attire. One would think that being able to make a fashion statement from a bad situation should make people a little more compliant with the regulations, however uncomfortable that may be.

Yet, despite this, and especially at a time when the country has weathered the second wave of the deadly coronavirus, some people still go about their business in public without masks, putting not only themselves in danger, but their families and those around them too. The flipside of the coin is that some people even wear two sets of masks. Are they just being overly cautious?

Limpopo Mirror chatted with a few of our readers in the Vhembe region to hear their take on the wearing (and not wearing) of facemasks; what type of masks they prefer, how it makes them feel to wear it and how they feel when others do not adhere to this health regulation.

MSW Media’s executive film director, Musiiwa Makumbi from Vleifontein, said: “I normally wear a cloth mask and I feel comfortable with it, because I can breathe well without feeling as if I’m suffocating. I've been to a crowded place where some people were not wearing masks. I wasn't happy about it. I wish people would start wearing masks properly, with their mouths and noses covered.”

Award-winning poet Rotenda Gavhi, who is a resident at Duvhuledza village, also wears a cloth mask. “I have walked in busy areas and found people without masks. I felt very bad and disappointed, especially because it is always young people who don't want to wear masks. Do they even understand the reason why we are all compelled to wear masks, or are they living in a fantasy world?”

Mashudu Nemadzivhani from Ha-Makhuvha Tshitereke feels comfortable wearing a silk mask. “What I love about it is that it doesn't make it too hard for me to breath and, at the same time, it gives me an undeniable feeling that I am protected. Some people still don’t care about wearing masks, especially inside public transport. That’s distasteful. At the same time, it makes me sad because they are also putting other people's lives in danger. It is always a wise thing for one to wear their mask whenever they are out there in public. That way, you will be safe and live to tell the tale.”

Adorlee Nthonifheni Mudau, a resident from Tshitereke, prefers a cloth mask because washing and wearing is easy. “I can wear it for months without a worry; it’s durable, so I just make sure that I wash it all the time.”

Empress Hulisani Mbedzi is from Tshakhuma Mutsindoni wears all types of masks, depending on what she can find at any given time when she goes out or mingles in public spaces. “But I like the disposable ones the most, because I feel I can breathe more easily through them,” she said. “I hate masks, honestly, but I put my hate aside and keep wearing them, for my own sake, as well as for others. But hey, these things are uncomfortable. There was a time when people in Thohoyandou neglected to wear masks because they took this virus lightly. You would see a person wearing a mask just to get into a shop, but as soon as he/she walked out, the mask came off. That’s very annoying. But now, because so many people we knew had passed away, everyone is wearing a mask.”

Jeffrey Manthakha lives in Lwamondo-Tshifulanani and said, “I go for a cloth mask. I don’t like disposable ones, for one reason, and that is that when you discard a mask, a next person can easily pick it up for their personal use, and in doing so expose themselves to various health hazards.”

Gumani Matshisevhe, from Ha-Rathidili, also prefers a silk mask. “I like it because it covers both mouth and the nose in such a way that it will be hard for me to get infected with the virus while communicating with someone or breathing. I find it unbelievable that some people still do not wear masks. There had been times when I noticed people in public without masks, and when they saw me wearing one, they would stare at me like I was living in my own world alone. I felt embarrassed by the way people were staring at me as if I were the one who was doing the wrong thing by wearing a mask.”

Usiane Magwabeni from Louis Trichardt said that she favoured a cloth. “I feel it’s safe to use. I can wash it and use it again. Each time I walk in congested places and notice some people not wearing masks, I feel unsafe. People must not wait to be told to wear a mask; they just have to wear it for the safety of everyone.”

The National Department of Health recommends that everyone in South Africa wear a cloth facemask (also known as a non-medical mask) in public. Particularly commuters travelling in taxis and other forms of public transport, as well as people entering spaces where physical distancing is difficult to practice.

Masks must be maintained and here is what the department recommends:

1. Only use a mask that has been washed and ironed.
2. Wash your hands before putting the mask on.
3. Place the mask with the correct side facing your face and ensure that it covers both your nose and mouth properly.
4. Tie the strings behind your head, or if you are using elastic bands, make sure these are tight.
5. Make sure it fits well. Move it around to get the best fit. Never touch the cloth part.
6. Once you have put on the mask, DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE again until you take it off.
7. When you take it off, undo the ties, and carefully fold the mask inside out, hold it by the strings/elastic and place the mask in a container reserved for washing the cloth mask.
8. Wash your hands thoroughly and dry before doing anything else.
9. Wash cloth masks with warm soapy water and iron when dry.
10. You must have at least two cloth masks per person, so you will be able to wash one and have a clean one ready for use.

 

 

Date:27 February 2021

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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