Qriqua Sipho Mzolo

A story about waiting Qriqua Sipho Mzolo

The world was hit by coronavirus, an exceedingly small non-biological particle with only an outer membrane coat covering its genetic shell. When the pathogen enters the human cell, it creates a syndrome that complicates the functioning of the body to a point of death. Because of the rapid spread of the virus, the world health organisation declares it a pandemic of public health emergency and urges governments to do everything to shield citizens from its effects. The South African government declares a state of national disaster and promptly quarantines the country for thirty-one days. On the eve of a long-awaited trip to Amanzimtoti for reunion with his fiancé, the national shut down put the plans of a young doctor on hold for an indeterminate period. With four suitcases bundled in the boot of his old sedan-Honda Civic and no room to lay his head in, the doctor finds himself marooned. A brief conversation with his fiancé persuaded him crashing with a cousin in a commune at Kempton Park he thought cannot harm him. Set against the backdrop of a small town east of Johannesburg, a town whose qualities- unrelenting and unquittable-many readers will recognise. The young doctor like the rest of the nation waits for the speedy lifting of the lockdown so things could get back to normalcy.