Covid-19 in Africa: Governance and Containment: Governance and Containment

Written amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this edited volume draws on the expertise of social scientists and humanities scholars to understand the several ramifications of Covid-19 in societies, politics, and the economies of Africa. The contributors examine measures, communicative practices, and experiences that have guided the (inter)action of governments, societies and citizens in this unpredictable moment. Covid-19 tested governments’ disaster preparedness as well as exposed governments’ attitudes towards the poor and vulnerable. In the same vein, it also tested the agency of the generality of the African populace in the face of containment measures and how these impacted on everyday social, cultural and economic practices of the ordinary peoples. In this vein, our concern is to understand the relationship between growing vulnerability on the one hand and ingenuity of agency on the other, and how both were embodied, narrated and discoursed by the African poor, university students, religious entities, and middle-classes, and those that bore the major brunt of the lockdowns. Lastly, the Covid-19 pandemic impacted regional trade and other bilateral relations in Africa, creating possibilities for regional entities such as ECOWAS and EAC to demonstrate their creativity (or a lack of it) in dealing with the pandemic. The contributors thus examine the regional dimension of the crisis and particularly evaluate how covid-19 tested the resilience of multilateralism, regional trade networks, cross border informal economies, and human movements. The volume is thus a useful resource for scholars of Africa, policy makers and those who want to understand Covid-19 in Africa. It provides a multiplicity of perspectives of the pandemic and African responses at different levels of society, economy and the political spectrum. The continental focus of this volume gives room for broader comparative analyses. Lastly, this interdisciplinary work benefits from the input of medical historians, anthropologists, sociologists, linguists, political scientists, literature scholars, urban planners, geographers and others. Acknowledgements and Dedication About this Book Contents Notes on Contributors Abbreviations List of Figures List of Maps List of Tables Chapter 1: Governance, Containment and the Covid-19 Pandemic Global Health, the State and Containment Politics Governance, Containment and Regional Perspectives Bibliography Part I: Governance and Containment Measures Chapter 2: Coronavirus Disease: Screening and Care Pathways in Nongre-Massom Health District in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) Introduction Methodologies Findings Locations of Covid-19 Screening Centres Residence or Origin of People Tested Localising the Users of Kossodo Screening Centre Screening and Perceptions Screening Issues: Reasons for Screening, Restrictions and Care Pathways Discussion Conclusion References Chapter 3: Covid-19 and the Politics of (Im)Mobility in Uganda Introduction and Conceptual Approach Covid-19 in Uganda Pandemic-Related Politics of (Im)Mobilities Partisan Politics Contradictory State Visibility Structural Mistrust and Corruption Subaltern Strategies Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 4: Beyond Paradoxes: The South African Military Involvement in the Fight against Covid-19 Introduction Methodologies The Perennial Crisis of Credibility of the South African Military and the Fight against Covid-19 The SANDF and Covid-19 Pandemic Warfare The SANDF International Commitment and the Response to Covid-19 Civil–Military Relations, Africa’s Code of Honour, Ubuntu, and the Army–Society Bond Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 5: Urban Governance and Covid-19 Response in Nigeria: Who Is Left Behind? Introduction Managing Cities: The Role of Multi-Governance Frameworks The Interface of Nigeria’s Political Economy and Multi-Governance Structures The Nigerian Multi-Level Governance Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic Multi-Sectoral Health Response Multi-Sectoral Education Response Multi-Sectoral Communication Response Multi-Sectoral Social Welfare Response Discussion: Covid-19 Has Accentuated Governance Faultlines in Nigeria Vertical Governance Dimension Horizontal Governance Dimensions Conclusion: Bridging Governance Gaps for Pandemic Response and Management Bibliography Chapter 6: “Subsistence Fishermen Don’t Exist”: The Subtleties of Categories and Accessing the Water during a Covid-19 Lockdown Ancient Origins Subsistence Fishermen Don’t Exist A Tale of Two Towns Covid-19 and the Level 5 Lockdown Conclusion References Chapter 7: Yoruba Language and Infodemic Management: The Covid-19 Experience Introduction Language and Outbreak Methodological Considerations Data Presentation and Analysis Conclusion Bibliography Part II: Regional Perspectives Chapter 8: Covid-19 Containment in East Africa: Science-based Strategies or Traditional-based Strategies? Introduction Methodology Theory Covid-19 Containment Strategies in East Africa Peoples’ Reactions towards Covid-19 Containment Strategies in East Africa The Impact of Covid-19 Containment Strategies in East Africa Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 9: East African Community Partner States’ Response to Truckers as High-Risk Group in the Context of Covid-19 Introduction Theoretical Framework Methodology Haulage Truck Drivers (aka Truckers) as a Covid-19 High-Risk Group Collaborative Approach by EAC States to the Problem of Truckers as Core Population State Sovereignty and Covid-19 Containment in East Africa Effects of the Measures Undertaken by States Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 10: The Making of Marginal Multilateralism During Covid-19 Response among EAC States: Perspectives from Discursive Institutionalism Background Methodology and Theoretical Framework Constriction of EAC Multilateral Space During Covid-19 Response Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 11: The Covid-19 Pandemic in Africa, Local Responses, and Regional Strategies: The West African Case Introduction Regional Effort Dynamics, Space Organization and Spatial Order Construction Covid-19 and Local Realities: Between Rational and Moral Choices Negotiating the Economic and Political Impact, Risks and Costs of the Covid-19 Conclusion Bibliography Index