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The family that locks down together stays together

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Winnie Seloba enjoys a game of pool with her sons at home in Limpopo.
Winnie Seloba enjoys a game of pool with her sons at home in Limpopo.

In the face of the depressing lockdown, some families, like the Selobas of Limpopo, have embraced the enforced togetherness as a rare opportunity to spend and enjoy family time they would otherwise not have been able to.

Before the outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus and the subsequent enforcement of government regulations that require people to stay at home, life for this family in the up-market Polokwane suburb of Bendor was an early morning rush, coupled with long working hours, and an absent teenage child 300km away at school.

Phuti Seloba is chief director of communications in the Limpopo government.

Winnie works in the provincial department of education as a curriculum support officer. They have three children. Mpho is a young adult who has just left home to work as an engineer in Potchefstroom.

Lerato (17) is doing matric and stays at a boarding school in Mpumalanga, while the youngest, Lethabo (10), stays with both his parents.

This isolation has presented the family with an opportunity to do fun things together, such as exploring the recipe book in their kitchen, cooking together and playing games

Since the beginning of the 21-day lockdown (now extended by another two weeks by President Cyril Ramaphosa), the two youngest boys have been home with their parents.

This isolation has presented the family with an opportunity to do fun things together, such as exploring the recipe book in their kitchen, cooking together and playing games.

“This is the time we never had as a family and when it comes to families being together the lockdown is not bad at all,” Phuti said. “We were all baking this morning and I must say those scones are very nice.”

Their situation of isolation may be bearable for the Selobas as it is a far cry from that of some poor families in villages and townships and on farms.

The Selobas have resources to make passing the time enjoyable, like a pool table, a table tennis table and a chess board in their entertainment room.

The lapa accommodates a set of workout equipment and a treadmill, where Phuti and the boys work out twice daily. “My wife runs around the yard. We then have time to play chess, table tennis and pool together as a family,” said Phuti.

Read: Dads, this is how to cope with lockdown

The boys are also lucky to have a mother who works in the education sector, and the family structures its days in such a way that there is enough time for the children to catch up on their studies.

“We had to develop timetables to accommodate school work,” said Winnie.

The boys download educational programmes and continue with their school work, while their parents catch up on their reading.

“The lockdown is not entirely bad and good things will happen to families after it has passed,” Phuti said.

It was critical for everyone to adapt and spend their time at home during this time of “temporary pain”.

“The gains of this time will be permanent. However, those who get fake permits to be on the street should know that the permit might permit the virus into their homes,” he said.


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