By Cheriel Dzobo from Chipinge| Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) is among the local community based organisations that are monitoring and reporting on the compliance of Zimbabweans to the order given by the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa for people to stay at home for a period of 21 days starting from the 30th of March to the 21st of April 2020.
This order has received a mixed response from the public, which this article can confirm.
My observations as a PYCD deployee included making physical visits as well as discussions with members of the general public. I remain privileged in this observation because I am a resident of Vheneka village in ward 27 of Chipinge South constituency.
My story confirms that the majority of people in Chipinge have heeded to the order and the directive, although this is being done with a lot of misgivings and protests from other key stakeholders who cannot survive the lockdown due to their nature of work. This is evidenced by observable behaviours from those who continue to carry out their economic activities by dodging the arms of the law.
My observation covered most parts of Chipinge district, starting from Chitepo and Chisuma villages to Tanganda via Checheche and Rimbi growth points, most shops were closed with little movement on the high way road.This was also the case in usually busy areas like Birchenough Bridge,Chako and Dzonzai business centres.
This has not been the case in hideout areas like Muumbe, Zamchiya, Mabee, Nyagadza and Chikore areas.In these later areas, life is going on as if things are normal.
PYCD has used mostly our social media platforms to dissuade the public from defying the order because we are witnesses of the deadly impact as reported in countries like Italy, UK, China and USA.
I have been involved personally with Vheneka villagers, by joining the police to send people home who would be coming to the local township just to mix and mingle with no particular and convincing reason.
My colleague in ward 26 Qxelani Mahanya has also helped to disperse people at Chisumbanje business centre who were arguing to dismiss the concept of staying at home.
In Checheche growth point most shops remain closed including at the main market place. Incidences of running battles with police were witnessed in the last day of the first week with vendors creating a new market place that was not known to the police but well communicated with their clients who needed the services.
This creativity of opening up makeshift market stalls will be discussed again in my next report. In one of the incidences witnessed with my colleague Effort Manono of Vemuganga Community Radio, the police waylaid the vendors, confiscated their wares made up mainly of vegetables and fed them to roaming livestock.
The presence of both uniformed and plain clothed police has increased to deal with the likely resistance that is now brewing. The police are constantly roaming around, monitoring and ensuring that there are no illegal gatherings. As of now there are up to 20 people who were rounded up by police with some ordered to pay each a fine of ZWL$500 or be taken to court.
PYCD is working closely with other stakeholders that include the police and health workers from the Ministry of Health to conscientize people on Covid-19 and how to stay safe.
Out of 349 people tested so far throughout the country, 340 came out negative while the remaining 9 tested positive. One from the 9 has since passed on.
Everyone is encouraged to continue on the path of good hygiene, washing hands with soap and running water. Where possible, people are advised to avoid unnecessary movements.