PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday mourned journalist Zororo Makamba who became the first Zimbabwean to succumb to Covid-19 and announced a raft of measures to contain the virus.

He ordered the closure of all borders to human traffic and banned non-essential travel except for the movement of cargo.

The Government also promulgated Statutory Instrument (SI) 77 of 2020 that provides for up to 12 months imprisonment for people who gather in crowds of more than 50 people, likely to promote the spread of Covid-19.

Makamba (30) who had an underlying heart condition died at Wilkins Hospital in Harare yesterday morning.

He had been admitted to the hospital after testing positive for coronavirus as the country’s second patient after the first case was recorded on Friday in Victoria Falls.

In a statement, President Mnangagwa said he learnt with great shock and sadness of Makamba’s death as Government hoped he would recover.

“His passing on so suddenly has been unexpected as we had held high hopes also for his steady recovery following the good news about our first confirmed victim of the virus who has registered commendable recovery. Sadly, for Zororo, this was not to be as he had an underlying heart condition for which he had been receiving medical attention,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Zimbabwe has lost a promising young man from a crop of highly skilled and gifted youthful journalists striving to produce excellent local content and professionalism to broadcasting in this country.”

He extended his condolence message to the Makamba family.

“On behalf of Government, Zanu-PF, my family and on my own behalf, I wish to extend to the Makamba family, his relatives and friends, my heartfelt condolences on this their saddest loss which is our loss together,” he said