South Africans swap firecrackers for candles amid pandemic

JOHANNESBURG — Many South Africans swapped firecrackers for candles to mark New Year’s Eve amid COVID-19 restrictions including a nighttime curfew. Instead of ushering in 2021 at packed events with dance music and fireworks, many South Africans responded to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to light a candle to honor those who have died in the pandemic and the health workers who are on the front line of battling the disease. Urging all South Africans to battle the virus, Ramaphosa called on the nation to celebrate New Year’s Eve in a different way. “Let us each light a candle in memory of those who have lost their lives, in tribute to those on the frontline who are working tirelessly to protect us from harm, in appreciation of the great sacrifices that have been made this past year, and in the confidence that the year ahead will bring health, peace and hope to our people,” an emotional Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation that he called a “family chat.” The president said he would light a candle in Cape Town at midnight.