DiMTEC director finds himself fighting on the front line
By Leonie Bolleurs
Dr Johanes Belle believes the disaster has brought out the
best spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ in the people of South Africa.
Photo: Supplied
Dr Johanes Belle, acting Director of the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC), finds himself on the front line, responding to the daily challenge brought about by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Representing the UFS and DiMTEC – one of the leading disaster management centres for the provision of education, training, and research in South Africa and on the Africa continent – Dr Belle serves as a member of the Provincial Joint Operational Centre (PROVJOC). It is a strategic and tactical response team for disasters that is made up of representatives of all the key role players, with decision-making powers on behalf of the departments and institutions that they represent.
The best spirit of ‘Ubuntu’
Some of the most significant challenges he encountered on a daily basis were adhering to the necessary preventive measures prescribed, especially social distancing. “The second-biggest challenge was meeting the needs of the most vulnerable population, including providing shelter and feeding for the homeless.
But there were also moments he will remember – moments when he felt proud to be a South African. “I think the COVID-19 pandemic and disaster has brought out the best spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ in the people of South Africa. People were, for instance, willing to donate food parcels to provide in the basic needs of others. We received so much that, as PROVJOC, we had to come up with better coordination mechanisms to avoid chaos, as has been observed in some areas in South Africa.”
“The spirit of serving the people was amazing despite the challenges posed by this disaster and pandemic,” says Dr Belle.
Looking at what the future holds
Looking at data used for planning purposes released on designated platforms by officially appointed authorities, he believes that the Free State has done a great job if one looks at where the province started and the current figures of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths.
“People were willing to donate food parcels to provide for the basic needs
of others. We received so much that, as PROVJOC, we needed to come up
with better coordination mechanisms to avoid chaos as was observed in
some areas in South Africa.”
—Dr Johannes Belle,
Acting Director: DiMTEC.
He continues: “However, we cannot relax based on these figures. We need to work even harder to contain and prevent the spread of the virus until some rescue comes into play, such as a vaccine or a cure for the virus.”
“The national figures are not good. We need to plan for a worst-case scenario to ensure that COVID-19 does not overwhelm our healthcare system. We need to intensify education and awareness on the virus and practice necessary mitigating measures to the masses of our people, especially the most vulnerable,” Dr Belle adds.
“The people of South Africa have made enormous sacrifices since the lockdown started. If we relax and neglect the fundamental preventive and mitigating measures as recommended by the authorities, we may find ourselves losing all the gains from our previous sacrifices. We will then be forced to make even more sacrifices,” Dr Belle concludes.