If we are going to learn to live with the coronavirus, it is important that government desist from castigating scientists and appreciate the contribution they are making in helping us understand the challenges we are confronted with.

Government's handling of the saga involving Professor Glenda Gray reveals the depth of the split in President Ramaphosa's corona cabinet.

After Gray spoke out on News24 about her misgivings regarding some of the lockdown regulations adopted by government, the health department sought to castigate Gray and cast her as an attention-seeking scientist spreading false information.

This is because government insisted the basis for some of its inexplicable regulations was informed by science.

By criticising some of the lockdown regulations (including Minister Ebrahim Patel's flip-flop rule), Gray had effectively left government without the justification it had flaunted all over the place in the first days of the lockdown.

With the science wall crumbling after Gray spoke publicly, government then resorted to a new explanation that I find interesting.

In the infamous response to Gray by Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, government’s position was that no one ever said the lockdown rules were based solely on science or on advice from scientists - rather that the rules are based on all information and advice including that of scientists.

In that way, government is effectively saying that it has no obligation to demonstrate how its rules reflect the advice of scientists because scientists are not the only ones who have been consulted with.

Government is telling scientists to get over themselves because their views are not the only ones that matter when it comes to a health crisis such as this.

This attitude towards the role of scientists in contributing towards managing the coronavirus pandemic is also on display by the Health Department's Dr Anban Pillay, who pushed for disciplinary measures against Prof Gray.

One wonders what type of society we are becoming whereby a public servant is pushing for disciplinary hearings against a globally rated professor simply because she spoke out publicly.

Yet, President Ramaphosa lauded the lively and yet difficult debate driven by scientists and researchers in engaging with government in the process of managing the pandemic.

Ramaphosa has encouraged further debate, while Dr Pillay pushed for disciplinary measures against a professor whose opinion raised a debate.

Minister Mkhize is clearly in conflict with Ramaphosa, if the President's speech is anything to go by. It is becoming common for members of the command council to voice differences with the president on matter.

It started with the tobacco regulations, whereby the President came into conflict with Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

On the one hand, we have a president who is trying to de-escalate the matter and trying to save face by calling for debate and further engagement on issues.

On the other hand, there is the health minister whose department is clearly making Gray’s life difficult at the Medical Research Council.

The situation has the potential to divide scientists into two camps: those who are happy to stand next to politicians and say nothing even if the situation requires it, and "rebels" who are speaking their mind in the interest of protecting the integrity of their profession.

This will make it difficult for self-respecting scientists to continue to engage closely with the government and provide feedback on the management of the virus without fear of being castigated.

It is important that government does not infiltrate the scientific community by pursuing political agendas.

A divided scientific community is of no use when it comes to addressing the mammoth task of fighting the coronavirus.

- Dr Ralph Mathekga is a political analyst and author of When Zuma Goes and Ramaphosa's Turn.

News24.com | Ralph Mathekga: We cannot afford for our scientists to be used as a political football

Ralph Mathekga: We cannot afford for our scientists to be used as a political football