By A Correspondent- Exiled former minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Professor Jonathan Moyo has written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa urging him to cut short his annual leave to address the spike in coronavirus cases.

Moyo made the call at a time when COVID-19 is reportedly pushing local hospitals to the brink. He posted on Twitter:

Dear President Mnangagwa, Sir, you need to scrap your holiday and return to work urgently to save lives and livelihoods. The #coronavirus is sweeping across the country, leaving people helpless; as they see loved ones dying or failing to get treatment, as #Covid-19 cases spike!

Meanwhile, the rate of response from authorities has been painfully slow.

Only yesterday, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Constantino Chiwenga, announced strict measures to stop the spread of the novel virus that has already killed over 370 people in the country.

The reimposition of strict national lockdown regulations came after stakeholders had complained about the government’s decision to reopen the Beitbridge Border to allow returnees from South Africa where it is reported that an aggressive coronavirus variant was detected.