Understanding Attitudes and Beliefs of Young Black Adults towards Covid-19 and Lockdown

Nkomiso                                                Tsalwa leri I ndzavisiso wa mavonelo, vutivi, matitwelo na ku pfumela ka vantshwa eka ku pfariwa ka tiko hi kwalaho ka xitsongwa-tsongwana xa Covid-19. Xikongomelo xa ndzavisiso lowu iku hoxa xandla—ku suka eka tlhelo ra tidyondzo ta ximunhu na ku hlanganela ka vanhu—kuya eka ku humelela loku anameke ka ku lwisana na Covid-19. Maendleno ya hina iku hlamusela mahungu ya Covid-19 ku suka eka lava vulavuleke timhaka ta vona, tlhandla ka mbirhi, ku veka erivaleni hiku katsakanya kumbe ha rinwe-ha-rinwe ra mahungu ya vanhu lava va nga va xiphemu xa ndzavisiso lowu. Mavekelo lawa ya le rivaleni ya ta katsa tinxaka to hundza rinwe ta mitirho, xikombiso, ta miehleketo, ta ku hlanganela ka vanhu na ta maehleketelelo. Tsalwa leri ari humesi njheka-njhekisano. Kambe I inhlamuselo ya mahungu yo huma eka leswi swi vuriweke. Ndzavisiso, ngopfu-ngopfu wa tidyondzo ta ximunhu no hlanganela ka vanhu awu boheka kuva wunga vi lowu tolovelekeke hikwalaho ko pfariwa ka tiko. Swipimelo swo pfariwa ka tiko hi swona swinga endla leswaku ku langutiwa eka vantshwa va vantima lava humaka eka ndhawu leyi hi kuya hi matimu yinga ya vanhu va ntima ntsena. Hikwalaho ka xivangelo lexi, ndzavisiso lowu wu ve lowunga anamangiku. Nakambe, tsalwa leri ari na xikongomelo xo engetela mavoleno, vutivi na matitwelo lama kumekeke kuva ya ri ya “vantshwa va vantima hinkwavo.” Ntsena, I ku hoxa xandla eka ku hlayiseka ka ntirho lowu tiyisisiweke eka ku humelela ka xiyimo xa xisayense lexi tshembisaka. Abstract This essay is an inquiry into the perceptions, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Young Black Adults towards Covid-19 and the lockdown. The motive for the inquiry is to make a contribution—from the perspective of the humanities and the social sciences—towards the success of the broad-based fight against Covid-19. Our approach is to present the narratives on Covid-19 by those who told their stories and then to present a commentary either per narrative or cumulatively. The commentary will be multidisciplinary; covering, for example, psychology, sociology and philosophy. This essay does not, therefore, present an argument. Instead, it is an interpretative commentary on the narratives. Research, especially in the humanities and the social sciences, was bound to be unusual as well as abnormal because of the lockdown restrictions. The restrictions account for the fact that only Young Black Adults in a specific historical Black township in South Africa were the point of focus. For this reason, the focus is severely limited. Accordingly, the essay bears no intention to extend the perceptions, knowledge beliefs and attitudes found in the area to all Young Black Adults. It is a contribution to the conservation of empirical material for use in propitious scientific conditions.