As MLF, we view the imposition of the lock-down on Mthwakazi as one thing as the deadly corona virus itself and an action that puts the failures and lies of the government of Zimbabwe over Covid 19 in the open for everyone to see. In a sober and frank sense, no sane leader would impose a 21days long lock down for just 5cases recorded and worse claiming to be ready for the pandemic.

The imposition of the 21days lock-down clearly shows the panic of being not ready to contain this deadly pandemic and the false figures published by the State controlled media houses. According to our source in Harare, figures have surpassed a thousand of active cases and those found to be down with the virus get virtually no medicinal help from the under-equipped healthcare centres. Furthermore, the imposition shows the failure of the government of the Gukurahundist to act responsibly.

Mthwakazi has the highest poverty rate in Southern African binary state with its citizens surviving on just below $2 per day. The circulation of money is so much limited that in some parts of Mthwakazi, people struggle for months to put together $5. Putting these two factors into account, it then says the 21days imposed is too much for the ordinary people who survive on hand to mouth kind of life. Instead of them dying of the virus, they will starve to death in their homes or they will be forced to defy the rules of the lock-down and see them being harassed the way we saw it happening in Bulawayo by the State security agents.

As MLF, we strongly condemn the barbaric treatment of people for defying the lock-down rules. It is simply hard for the people to stand hunger in their homes yet the figures given does not show any seriousness of the pandemic in the ‘country’. What we saw the security agents doing to the hungry people is a reminder of how our loved ones were killed during the Gukurahundi era. During that time the food embargo was imposed on the people of Mthwakazi and those who tried to go around in search of food, were treated in the very same manner as those victims of breaking the lock-down rules.

In as much as we wish our people to be safe from the deadly corona virus we warm Zimbabwe to stop harassing our people and we urge them all (Mthwakazi people) to take all necessary precaution measures and sanitise as much as they can as that is all that can maybe save them for now as hospitals in our land are under equipped that they many do not have the testing equipment.

We further plead with the traditional leaders to stand up and engage the nation’s spirit mediums and seek protection for the Mthwakazi masses from the pandemic.