By A Correspondent- A 52-year-old Murehwa man who tested positive for COVID-19 at Parirenyatwa where he was being treated for Malaria has recovered from malaria and has been discharged from the Hospital to self isolate at home where he will continue his COVID-19 recovery journey..
This was revealed today by the Ministry Of Health and Childcare in a statement which said:
He responded well to the treatment for malaria & he will continue with his (coronavirus) recovery under self-isolation at home.
The man who was admitted for Malaria tested positive for COVID-19 despite not having a travel history and having no contact with other COVID-19 cases:
He was tested for Covid-19 in line with intensified surveillance and active case finding strategy that is being implemented nationally. Under this approach, all patients admitted in hospital are being tested for Covid-19.
Zimbabwe has so far recorded 32 COVID-19 cases which include 4 deaths and 5 recoveries.
Farai Dziva| PSG are willing to play their remaining Champions League games abroad after all sporting events in France were banned for the next four months due to the coronavirus crisis.
The French champions qualified for the quarter-finals after a 3-2 win on aggregate against Borussia Dortmund.
But following the announcement by the European country’s prime minister Edouard Philippe that there will be no professional football before September, PSG have been left with no option of playing their remaining matches at home.
The club’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi confirmed to L’Equipe that they will have to move their base to another country.
“We respect the decision of the French government,” said Al-Khelaifi.
“With the agreement of UEFA, we intend to take part in the final phase of the Champions League in the places and dates where it will be organised.
“If it isn’t possible to play in France, we will play our matches abroad and we will make sure of the best conditions of health security for our players and all our staff.”
France’s suspension of all sporting events has also seen the cancellation of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons.
Legendary former Warriors captain Moses ‘Bambo’ Chunga is one adored man in the Belgian town of Aalst.
The 1986 Soccer Star of the Year was the first football player from an independent Zimbabwe to make it into Europe straight from the local league when he went and made the grade at Belgian second tier side Eendracht Aalst during a time when leagues in that continent opened very few doors for African players.
Chunga was honoured by the club in 2012 for the services he rendered during his time there from 1988 to 1992. During the “homecoming show” he emotionally cried as he received a standing ovation from the club’s fans in his first appearance at the stadium since his departure.
Bambo received five-star treatment during his 10-day stay in the city and was treated like a king there, with many pictures on the internet of fans jostling for the chance to take photos with him.
The same team, which he captained at some point, named him in their team of the century!
In sharp contrast, in Zimbabwe, Chunga was on several occasions denied free entrance into a stadium to watch a local game, to the point that he complained and made a conclusion that football legends are not respected in the country.-Soccer 24
By Own Correspondent| Two Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe employees who allegedly leaked the institution’s document outlining the dedollarisation roadmap, have appeared in court.
Smart Manda (44) and Philton Makena (40) appeared before magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro charged with communicating official documents to unauthorised persons or alternatively contravening section 60 (1) of the RBZ Act “Preservation of secrecy by bank employee”
They were released on $2 000 bail apiece coupled with some conditions among them reporting once a week to the police. They will be back in court on June 3.
Manda is being represented by Mr Arshiel Mugiya while Mr Gift Chihuta is appearing on behalf of Makena.
Prosecuting, Mr George Manokore alleged that Manda forwarded the document to Makena via WhatsApp and in turn Makena sent it to his cousin Bongani Zimuto.
Zimuto, the court heard, forwarded the same document to his boss who works at Zimnat Life Assurance and therefore went viral on social media platforms.
Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba’s quest to become president of the Ivory Coast FA has hit a brick wall after he failed to get a single vote from former players.
The 42-year old former Elephants captain was regarded as the favorite to be the next man at the helm of the Ivorian FA but out of the 14 members, 11 opted to go for his rival and league chief Sory Diabate and three abstained.
Voting was was done through a video conference and the shocking outcome has generated a lot of debate on social media.
Drogba enjoyed an illustrious career as a player at Chelsea, helping them to win four league titles and was also instrumental in the Roman Abromovic-owned side’s only Champions League triump in 2012.-Soccer24
By Jane Mlambo| Politician and businessman Killer Zivhu has today donated mealie meal to musician Greatman who announced that he had turned to vending to survive the harsh economic situation in the country.
Greatman wrote on Facebook that he had turned to vending selling vegetables.
“Raramo yandikona nano kufa,izere nejambwa nekudzungaira !! Ndofunga mukungoonawo zvikuitika,this covid 19 yatidzidzisa zvakawanda.bdafunga kuronga musika wamirivo namatomatosi,namapotato,zvinobuda ere guys…zvemusic zvakuoma izvviiiii which can be roughly translated to
(Life is hard and full of misery and I have given up. We can all see what’s happening, this Covid-19 pandemic has taught us a lot. I’m going to try out vending vegetables, including, potatoes, tomatoes. Will this work out guys? The music gig is becoming difficult at the moment),” said Greatman.
WATCH VIDEO OF ZIVHU HANDING OVER MEALIE MEAL TO GREATMAN
The department of basic education has presented a covid-19 plan for its sector, which tables the reopening of schools from next week.
The department presented its Covid-19 plan for schooling to parliament’s portfolio committee.
Grades 7 and 12 are expected to be back at school on Wednesday May 6. The department’s director-general Mathanzima Mweli said screening of pupils and educators will be done at the re-opening of schools.
He said the school term will start on Monday May 4 with the return of teachers.
Grades 11 and 6 will return on May 20;
Grades 10 and 5 will return on June 3;
Grades 9 and 4 will return on June 17;
Grades 8 and 3 will return on July 1;
Grades 2 and 1 will return on July 8; and
Grade R will return on July 15.
“A basic and essential hygiene and sanitation package has been developed and provinces are procuring items. The department has developed guidelines for schools on maintaining hygiene during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Mweli said the provinces have identified schools with critical water supplies and classrooms are to be sanitised prior to start of the school day.
“Teachers and pupils will have to sanitise hands before entering the classroom. The movement of learners in classes will be limited and there will be no clustering of desks in the classroom. The physical distance in the classroom will include not more than two learners sharing desks. Both teachers and learners are expected to wear masks at all times,” Mweli said.
In a supporting document, the department protocols advise that schools must ensure:
No hugging, handshaking and direct contact must be avoided.
Cloth masks to be worn by learners and teachers at all times.
No mass public events.
Sports matches, choral practices and festivals, Eisteddfods are not permitted.
Extra classes should be arranged in small groups that maintain social distancing.
Esrom Nyandoro was supposed to hold an auction of his football items on Monday night but the event did not happen.
The former midfielder had offered to sell his national team shirt he wore in the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia as well as the boots he put on when the Warriors took on Ghana in the 2006 Afcon finals in Egypt.
The purpose of the auction was to raise funds for the fight against the coronavirus in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
But the public sell did not take place because a bidder, who chose to remain anonymous, underwrote the auction for an undisclosed amount after being touched by the sentimental value the Warriors’ legend attached to items meant to go under the hammer.
“An individual undertook to underwrite the auction for an undisclosed fee,” Vimbai Musvaburi, one of the organisers of the auction, told the Chronicle.
“Details will be availed to the public at a date to be advised. The underwriter believes the items are too sentimental and would rather win the auction and gift the memorabilia back to Esrom.”-Soccer24
It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses.
Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.
This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Is it safe to receive a package from any area where COVID-19 has been reported?
Yes. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Credit :WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses.
Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.
This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Is it safe to receive a package from any area where COVID-19 has been reported?
Yes. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Credit :WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
By A Correspondent- Leader of the MDC-T Parliamentary caucus Mildred Dube has thrown her weight behind “ousted” president Dr Thokozani Khupe adding that the party’s two legislators (Including Priscilla Misihairabwi) were firmly behind the leadership of Thokozani Khupe.
The development follows revelations by the party’s Secretary general Nixon Nyikadzino aka Cde Mao that by virtue of accepting the Supreme Court ruling which also ousted Nelson Chamisa as the MDC T president, Dr Khupe had automatically expelled herself from the party that she was leading and which contested the 2018 elections.
We present Dube’s statement in full below
We have noted with concern some misleading and disgusting statements attributed to the former MDC-T Secretary-General Mr Nickson ‘Mao’ Nyikadzino wherein he masquerades as the new MDC-T Acting President.
For the avoidance of doubt, we want to make it unequivocally clear to all and sundry that all MDC-T legislators remain loyal to the party as led by Dr Thokozani Khuphe and the leadership collective elected at the party’s 4th Congress.
Mr Nyikadzino makes baseless and unfounded allegations that the MDC-T had an inaugural congress in 2018. This is wholly untrue, the fact of the matter is that a dispute within the party arose soon after the death of our founding father Dr Morgan Tsvangirai on the procedure to fill his vacancy.
Informed by a legal opinion from Adv Matinenga, the party held an extraordinary congress at Stanley square in Bulawayo as provided for in the MDC constitution clause 9.21.1.
This extraordinary congress was attended by more than 5000 eligible delegates drawn from our party structures and at no point did we invite non-members to that Extra-Ordinary Congress.
We want to further put it on record that we did not register as a new party with ZEC, it is on record that our party was already registered before the death of our late leader, what we only did was to remove the face of our late icon from the open palm & contested under the MDC-T brand.
We want to remind Mr Nyikadzino that the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down a landmark judgment on the 30th of March 2020 that effectively put Dr Khuphe firmly in charge of the party that was left by Dr Tsvangirai and ordered her to convene an Extra-Ordinary Congress within 90days.
All decisions and actions done after the 14th February 2018 are thus null and void. The net effect of the Supreme Court ruling is that the two warring MDC-T formations i.e. the MDC-T component in an electoral pact called the MDC Alliance and the original MDCT led by Dr Khupe are now ONE thing.
Furthermore, the ruling is clear on what must be done to return the party to its founding values of internal democracy, constitutionalism and collective leadership.
We have no doubt whatsoever that the leadership collective as elected at the party’s 4th Congress in Harare led by our Acting President Dr Thokozani Khuphe is capable of convening the much-awaited Extra-Ordinary Congress to elect a successor to our late President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai.
As MDCT legislators we took an oath of office to uphold, defend and protect the Constitution of the Republic and therefore we associate ourselves fully with the Supreme Court judgment.
We want to warn Mr Nyikadzino that his infantile and illogical statements are directly in contempt of court and if he continues with such actions we will not hesitate to seek legal recourse.
Last night, ZimEye contacted Nyikadzino who confirmed penning a letter to the speaker of parliament Jacob Mudenda and the ZEC Chairperson Priscillar Chigumba notifying them that the courts had no mandate to run the affairs of political parties.
Watch the live loading below for Cde Mao’s response to the Supreme court ruling and the party’s latest position on the expulsion of Dr Khupe…
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo woman has sensationally claimed her ex-husband bought her a car after using the “anointed love portion herb.”
Controversial Masvingo preacher, Isaac Makomichi distributes the herb to women across the country.
“After hearing about the anointed herb, I reluctantly decided to use it.I called Prophet Makomichi and he gave me the anointed love portion herb.
I was surprised when my ex-husband called me saying he wanted to see me. He then bought a car for me as a way of asking for forgiveness . Everything happened in a dramatic way.I was a bitter woman but I am now relieved, everything is now in order,” the woman who identified herself as Jane wrote on social media.
Makomichi’ s followers claim the “anointed herb” has the supernatural power to restore and “heal” troubled marriages. Girls desperate to tie the knot are also reportedly visiting the clergyman for assistance.
“A woman from Chiredzi received a car from her ex-husband after using love portion. I can say the herb is doing wonders,” said a congregant.
Makomichi said :” Those who want to find out more about the love portion herb can contact me on 0777469342. In the book of Exodus 15:25 Moses was given a herb by God and he treated bitter water.”
By A Correspondent| Workers at a Chinese Gold mine in Sanyati are updating ZimEye following a police investigation over how they were subjected to dodgy Coronavirus tests that have left some of them totally blind.
The incidents investigated by ZimEye.com earlier in the month, also drew attention of Ministry of Health officials who traveled to the mine 2 weeks ago and ordered the practice to stop. While the act was initially reported to ZimEye as involving infra-red light machines, other workers the following week updated saying it was more than that, one of them endured bleeding fingers, saying he almost lost them.
Update comments from the police and the ministry of Health were awaited at the time of writing, but not forthcoming.
Others however are complaining about itching eyes, while others say they can no longer see. One of them narrates the matter in the below voice note:
“Chinese people are too clever gogo, the machine they brought to test Corona. It has now affected people, we are now asking them why their machine affects people, causing blindness.
CHINESE GOLD MINE SANYATI SUBJECTED US TO DODGY COVID TESTS THAT HAVE LEFT SOME OF US BLIND https://t.co/E8ISdubTMc
“We shall see how far this goes, right now I am waiting for the doctor.
“Right now, one of them is Sepo and many others they are the ones who were affected. It was two weeks ago.
“They were affected for over 2 to 3 days, but others the problem has continued.
“Others we recovered.
“So this is the problem we have. This is the story, we will tell you later how it goes.”
“So right now I have come to the Chinese company we were working. How it all happened – they came with a machine saying they wanted to test Coronavirus, so the machine began affecting people.
“Others got affected, and the company was reported to the police, so today we have come to Kadoma, so we get assessed.”
The Ministry of Health would like to report that today, a total of 453 tests were done as shown in table 1 below giving a total of 7287 screening and diagnostic test done to date.
All the PCR tests done in Harare today were negative for COVID-19.
Results for the PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were still pending at the time of print.
Mat South 99 Mat North 14 Bulawayo – 78 Harare – 261 Midlands – 1 Total – 453
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has thirty-two confirmed cases including five recoveries and four deaths.
Matabeleland North – 1 Bulawayo – 10 Harare – 13 Mashonaland East – 5 Mashonaland West – 3 Total – 32 Case #32 reported yesterday is a 52-year-old male resident of Murehwa, with no recent history of travel, who was admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on the 24. of April 2020. He was receiving treatment under admission in a private ward for slide positive Malaria. He was tested for COVID-I 9 in line with the intensified surveillance and active case finding strategy that is being implemented nationally. Under this approach, all patients admitted in hospital are being tested for COVID-I 9. He had responded well to the treatment for Malaria and was due for discharge.
Following discharge, he will continue with his recovery under self-isolation at home. Contact tracing and appropriate infection prevention measures including decontamination at the hospital will be done in line with our national guidelines.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-I9 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-I9 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
The Ministry of Health would like to report that today, a total of 453 tests were done as shown below -giving a total of 7287 screening and diagnostic test done to date.
All the PCR tests done in Harare today were negative for COVID-19.
Results for the PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were still pending at the time of print:
Mat South 99 Mat North 14 Bulawayo – 78 Harare – 261 Midlands – 1 Total – 453
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has thirty-two confirmed cases including five recoveries and four deaths.
Matabeleland North – 1 Bulawayo – 10 Harare – 13 Mashonaland East – 5 Mashonaland West – 3 Total – 32 Case #32 reported yesterday is a 52-year-old male resident of Murehwa, with no recent history of travel, who was admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on the 24th of April 2020.
He was receiving treatment under admission in a private ward for slide positive Malaria. He was tested for COVID-I 9 in line with the intensified surveillance and active case finding strategy that is being implemented nationally. Under this approach, all patients admitted in hospital are being tested for COVID-I 9. He had responded well to the treatment for Malaria and was due for discharge.
Following discharge, he will continue with his recovery under self-isolation at home. Contact tracing and appropriate infection prevention measures including decontamination at the hospital will be done in line with our national guidelines.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-I9 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-I9 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
Farai Dziva|The leader of the MDC-T Parliamentary caucus, Mildred Dube, has dismissed the letter reportedly written by party Secretal General, Nickson Nyikadzino indicating that Thokozani Khupe was no longer in charge of the troubled formation.
The letter denotes that Nyikadzino is now in charge of the party.
Below is Dube’s statement:
We have noted with concern some misleading and disgusting statements attributed to the former MDC-T Secretary-General Mr Nickson ‘Mao’ Nyikadzino wherein he masquerades as the new MDC-T Acting President.
For the avoidance of doubt, we want to make it unequivocally clear to all and sundry that all MDC-T legislators remain loyal to the party as led by Dr Thokozani Khuphe and the leadership collective elected at the party’s 4th Congress.
Mr Nyikadzino makes baseless and unfounded allegations that the MDC-T had an inaugural congress in 2018.
This is wholly untrue, the fact of the matter is that a dispute within the party arose soon after the death of our founding father Dr Morgan Tsvangirai on the procedure to fill his vacancy. Informed by a legal opinion from Adv Matinenga, the party held an extraordinary congress at Stanley square in Bulawayo as provided for in the MDC constitution clause 9.21.1. This extraordinary congress was attended by more than 5000 eligible delegates drawn from our party structures and at no point did we invite non-members to that Extra-Ordinary Congress.
We want to further put it on record that we did not register as a new party with ZEC, it is on record that our party was already registered before the death of our late leader, what we only did was to remove the face of our late icon from the open palm & contested under the MDC-T brand.
We want to remind Mr Nyikadzino that the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down a landmark judgment on the 30th of March 2020 that effectively put Dr Khuphe firmly in charge of the party that was left by Dr Tsvangirai and ordered her to convene an Extra-Ordinary Congress within 90days.
All decisions and actions done after the 14th February 2018 are thus null and void. The net effect of the Supreme Court ruling is that the two warring MDC-T formations i.e. the MDC-T component in an electoral pact called the MDC Alliance and the original MDCT led by Dr Khupe are now ONE thing.
Furthermore, the ruling is clear on what must be done to return the party to its founding values of internal democracy, constitutionalism and collective leadership.
We have no doubt whatsoever that the leadership collective as elected at the party’s 4th Congress in Harare led by our Acting President Dr Thokozani Khuphe is capable of convening the much-awaited Extra-Ordinary Congress to elect a successor to our late President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai.
As MDCT legislators we took an oath of office to uphold, defend and protect the Constitution of the Republic and therefore we associate ourselves fully with the Supreme Court judgment.
We want to warn Mr Nyikadzino that his infantile and illogical statements are directly in contempt of court and if he continues with such actions we will not hesitate to seek legal recourse.
By A Correspondent- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has dismissed as falsehoods the reports circulating on social media which suggest that the central bank has raided Foreign Currency Accounts which belong to individuals and organisations.
The RBZ was responding to a tweet by a local online publication which read:
Seems RBZ has raided FCAs. NGOs trying to withdraw free funds being told RBZ is yet to approve their transactions.
In response, the central bank said:
The RBZ (the Bank) would like to urge members of the public to dismiss, with utmost contempt, the tweet alleging that the Bank has raided Foreign Currency Accounts (FCAs). The article further alleges that the Bank is withholding approval of withdrawal of free funds by NGOs.
No FCAs have been raided. Furthermore, holders of free funds will continue to have unfettered access to their funds in line with Statutory Instrument 85 of 2020.
Members of the public should, therefore, disregard the falsehoods being peddled through social media as such claims are meant to cause panic and despondency.
But The Zimbabwe Sentinel was adamant that something was wrong adding that transactions were “taking long” with “banks citing pending RBZ approvals.”
Some claim that RBZ raided the funds before.-Online
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Commissioner Jessie Majome has come out clear of her non involvement in political issues saying she retired from politics in 2018.
This followed reports that her involvement in ZACC had ended because of a Supreme Court ruling that restored the opposition MDC to its 2014 status when she was still actively involved in politics.
But writing on Twitter, Majome said she ceased being an MDC member in 2018 when she contested as an independent candidate in the Harare West parliamentary elections.
“I’m not employed by anyone except myself as I have been since 2004, thank you very much. Otherwise you’re right that I retired from politics – in 2018. What’s more important though is that I ceased being an MDC member before that in May 2018 when I voluntarily left the MDC,” said Majome.
MDC-T Leader Dr Thokozani Khupe has dismissed her Secretary General Nickson Nyikadzino’s statement in which he declared himself the Acting President.
Khupe said Nyikadzino’s statements are disgusting and misleading saying the party legislators remain to the movement she leads.
Below is the full statement;
We have noted with concern some misleading and disgusting statements attributed to the former MDC-T Secretary General Mr Nickson ‘Mao’ Nyikadzino wherein he masquerades as the new MDC-T Acting President.
For the avoidance of doubt, we want to make it unequivocally clear to all and sundry that all MDC-T legislators remain loyal to the party as led by Dr Thokozani Khuphe and the leadership collective elected at the party’s 4th Congress.
Mr Nyikadzino makes baseless and unfounded allegations that the MDC-T had an inaugural congress in 2018. This is wholly untrue, the fact of the matter is that a dispute within the party arose soon after the death of our founding father Dr Morgan Tsvangirai on the procedure to fill his vacancy. Informed by a legal opinion from Adv Matinenga, the party held an extra ordinary congress at Stanley square in Bulawayo as provided for in the MDC constitution clause 9.21.1. This extra ordinary congress was attended by more than 5000 eligible delegates drawn from our party structures and at no point did we invite non-members to that Extra Ordinary Congress. We want to further put it on record that we did not register as a new party with ZEC, it is on record that our party was already registered before the death of our late leader, what we only did was to remove the face of our late icon from the open palm & contested under the MDC-T brand.
We want to remind Mr Nyikadzino that that the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down a landmark judgment on the 30th of March 2020 that effectively put Dr Khuphe firmly in charge of the party that was left by Dr Tsvangirai and ordered her to convene an Extra Ordinary Congress within 90days. All decisions and actions done after the 14th February 2018 are thus null and void. The net effect of the Supreme Court ruling is that the two warring MDC-T formations i.e. the MDC-T component in an electoral pact called the MDC Alliance and the original MDCT led by Dr Khupe are now ONE thing.
Furthermore, the ruling is clear on what must be done to return the party to its founding values of internal democracy, constitutionalism and collective leadership. We have no doubt whatsoever that the leadership collective as elected at the party’s 4th Congress in Harare led by our Acting President Dr Thokozani Khuphe is capable of convening the much awaited Extra Ordinary Congress to elect a successor to our late President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai.
As MDCT legislators we took an oath of office to uphold, defend and protect the Constitution of the Republic and therefore we associate ourselves fully with the Supreme Court judgment. We want to warn Mr Nyikadzino that his infantile and illogical statements are directly in contempt of court and if he continues with such actions we will not hesitate to seek legal recourse.
At the resumption of duties after five weeks of vacation, members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Tuesday said they will investigate the legality of Chinese nationals living in Nigeria for possible repatriation to their country.
The Reps made the resolution on Tuesday at their plenary following their return from five-week recess amid outbreak of coronavirus in the country.
The motion was sponsored by 10 lawmakers – Benjamin Kalu, Yusuf Buba, John Dyegh, Babajimi Benson, Tunji Olawuyi, Zakari Galadima, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Nnoli Nnaji, Dennis Idahosa, and Tolu Shadipe.
This followed the poor treatment of Nigerians in China, especially those living in Guangzhou.
During the plenary presided over by the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers considered a motion on the “Maltreatment and Institutional Acts of Racial Discrimination against Nigerians Living in China by the Government of China”.
The lawmakers mandated the House Committees on Interior, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring, as well as Commerce, to take up the assignment.
The House asked the committees to investigate the Nigeria Immigration Service, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Content and Development Monitoring Board, and any other relevant Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA), to check the validity of all immigration documents of every Chinese national in Nigeria.
It further ordered the committees to probe the expatriate quota of all Chinese businesses in Nigeria to ascertain the number of illegal and undocumented immigrants in the country and ensure they were repatriated to China to regularise.
The lawmakers said this would be in collaboration with the Immigration, Nigeria Customs Service, the CAC, and relevant MDAs.
The House of Representatives also resolved to urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all relevant MDAs to ensure that all categories of Nigerians who wished to return home were evacuated from China and quarantined upon arrival.
The lawmakers urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and all relevant MDAs to provide necessary financial and other assistance to affected Nigerians who wish to seek redress in any local or international court for breach of fundamental rights, loss of property or any other actionable cause occasioned by their maltreatment or discrimination in China.
Channels TV reports that the lawmakers asked the Committees on Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and Diaspora, to ascertain the extent of violation of rights of Nigerians in China, as well as losses arising from such maltreatment.
The lawmakers with the various responsibilities were asked to report back within two weeks for further legislative action.
The House, however, sought the concurrence of the Senate on the motion.
JOHANNESBURG – The Public Protector is investigating the Department of Public Works and the role Minister Patricia de Lille played in the building of the R37 million Beitbridge border fence.
The Defence Department allegedly requested that a 40-kilometre stretch of the fence be repaired during the shutdown of the country’s borders.
The Public Protector’s office received a complaint from the African Transformation Movement claiming that proper procurement processes were not followed.
Spokesperson Oupa Sekgalwe said that the team of investigators would now be writing to the affected parties to ask for more information.
“At this stage, it’s pure allegations, there are no indications of whether wrong was done or not. That can only be arrived at once the investigation has been seen through. It is still in the early stages.”
GWERU City Council has started demolishing all vending stalls and illegal structures in the central business district and at Kudzanayi long-distance bus terminus.
All vendors are being relocated to an open space adjacent to Mtapa cemetery.
Yesterday, the local authority demolished all structures at Kudzanayi long distance bus terminus, Kombayi vegetable and grain market, TM local bus terminus and other undesignated vending areas.
In an interview after touring the cleared sites, Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Larry Mavima said Government was impressed with the levels of compliance.
“We had a directive from central Government that all the towns and cities should clear all vending and flea markets in the CBDs. It was on a short notice but Gweru City Council managed to inform the vendors on time and gave them time to clear their wares. I am impressed. The idea is to have the vending markets clean so that we reduce the possible spread of Covid-19,” he said.
Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said vendors have been relocated to Mtapa where they are preparing a space close to the cemetery.
The local authority also intends to construct a new bus terminus at the site.
“All the vendors are being moved to Mtapa. The area that we have moved them to had been earmarked for the construction of a long-distance bus terminus. The set up in many towns and cities is that long distance bus terminuses are not in the CBD, so this is what we are also doing.
“We will also put up new and modern structures in town to accommodate a limited number of these small businesses but the majority will remain in Mtapa. Construction has already started and we are hoping that we will complete preparing the area next week.”
Cllr Makombe said part of the Kudzanayi terminus will be converted into a Zupco rank.
“We have areas such a TM bus terminus were there were vending and flea market stalls. That rank has been permanently closed and all the vendors and public transport operators who were there have been permanently removed.
At Kudzanayi long distance bus terminus we have also removed all vending and flea market stalls and transformed the area into the Zupco bus terminus.
It used to be a Zupco bus terminus before and now we are handing the terminus back to the public transport operator because it has resumed its operations in local routes,” he said.
THE Victoria Falls Municipality (VFM) has introduced a roster for vegetable vendors operating at designated markets to ensure social distancing and decongest public areas to prevent spread of Covid-19.
Specific vendors will now be using the market on given days as determined by the local authority.
The arrangement which was introduced last week, is in line with Government call on local authorities to take advantage of the lockdown to clean up and renovate small and medium enterprises and informal trading workplaces.
The Government order dated April 8 is aimed at ensuring that vending areas are conducive to operate from when business reopens after the lockdown.
“During the 9th Cabinet meeting, it was resolved that local authorities should take advantage of the national lockdown to clean up and renovate small and medium enterprises and informal trading workplaces. Please make every effort to comply with the resolution,” read a circular sent to all local authorities by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
VFM Housing and Community Services director Mr Brian Nyamande said the local authority does not have illegal vending stalls that need to be demolished.
“Unlike other towns we don’t have illegal markets and what we are simply doing is managing issues of crowding at the designated markets. We are also trying to step up cleanliness and hygiene under lockdown and we have been saying they can’t all come at once.
“They have split each other into groups and we have rosters where they take turns to go to the market so they are not crowded,” said Mr Nyamande.
Some go to the market once or twice a week.
He said the council is using the ongoing lockdown spruce up the vending stalls and around markets with the help of some vendors who have offered to provide labour to clean alongside municipal workers.
“Some buildings needed thorough cleaning, which was not possible when there was a high volume of people. In short, all we are doing is cleaning and decongesting our markets as we implement lockdown rules but we have no illegal structures to demolish,” said Mr Nyamande.
Vendors returned to the vending areas in the second week of the lockdown after Government allowed them to resume operations as an essential services provider.
Government implored local authorities to ensure that vendors are provided with necessary protective equipment such as sanitisers and face masks.
The private sector in conjunction with the council setup some tippy taps at markets entrances to make sure all those who enter the vending areas sanitise by washing hands.
In the stalls, vendors display their wares about two metres apart unlike previously when they would be within a metre apart.
There are three main vegetable markets in Victoria Falls in Mkhosana and Chinotimba suburbs.
Chairperson of Chinotimba Tarven Market Mr Lizwe Sibanda said less than 30 vendors now occupy the market on each day unlike before when there would be around 70.
“We are taking turns to go to the market as we go on different days but a majority of people have since stopped coming waiting for the lockdown to end. Some have given up because its not easy these days to travel to Bulawayo to stock up vegetables but generally the market is now smart. Everyone has face masks and sanitisers which were distributed by council, ” he said.
Matabeleland North Environmental Management Agency provincial manager Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze urged all local authorities to implement the Government call in urban areas as well as along highways to keep the environment clean and habitable.
By A Correspondent- A Malawi High Court on Tuesday extended indefinitely an order barring the government from imposing a 21-day coronavirus lockdown which was announced by President Peter Mutharika earlier this month.
AFP reports that the court had initially placed a temporary block on the stay-at-home order after a human rights groups filed a petition against the lockdown.
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) argued that the government had failed to announce any measures to cushion the poor and vulnerable from the effects of the lockdown which had been due to start on April 19.
The initial order blocked the shutdown for seven days, pending a judicial review.
Following that review, High Court judge Kenyatta Nyirenda extended the ban for a further five days.
On Tuesday he decided to refer the case to the Constitutional Court because the issues raised by the petitioners required interpretation of the constitution.
“I determine …that a matter on the interpretation or application of the Constitution has arisen in these proceedings,” Nyirenda said.
Judiciary officials were unclear when the case would be brought before the Constitutional Court.
But for now Judge Nyirenda has ruled that until the constitutional court sits and makes a ruling, “there must be no lockdown,” judiciary spokeswoman Agnes Patemba, told AFP.
The HRDC went to court accusing the government of imposing the “lockdown without providing for social security interventions to marginalised groups”.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa. More than half of its population live below the poverty threshold.
“While we respect the health regulations regarding the lockdown, we want a lockdown that follows all… laws and we do not want rights of vulnerable groups to suffer,” said independent rights activist Victor Mhango.
“The lockdown should not infringe or limit constitutional rights,” he said.
Malawi has so far registered 36 coronavirus cases, including three deaths.
Madagascar has been talk of town after their president Andry Rajoelina announced that his country has cure for novel Coronavirus. According to report , the traditional plants grown on the island could provide the much needed cure of Covid-19.
He took the good news to citizens of Madagascar to assure them they had found a remedy of Covid -19 on a national television. The confident president took the good news to the world through his tweeter account.
The plant remain to be a mystery as the country want to go into books of records for their discovery.
The news has been received on a good note of finding antidote to Covid-19 and has attracted Africa leaders and researchers. And Guinea Bissau president Umaro Embalo has communicated with president Madagascar Andrye Rajoelina to roll out mass production of Covid-19 vaccine. Guinea president want to save lives of his citizen and the extended part of West Africa.
A Hurungwe farmer was on Monday trampled to death by a herd of elephants while tending to his field.
The incident was confirmed by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) to deploy rangers to track the animals. spokesperson Tinashe Farawo who said it was necessary to repeal the Wildlife Act of 1975 to make sure victims of human and wildlife conflict are compensated. He said:
This is yet another sad day as we have lost a life due to human and wildlife conflict. As Zim-Parks, we are appealing to communal farmers to lobby policymakers, including councillors andMembers of Parliament so that the Act is repealed to help deceased persons’ families. It’s apolicy framework we are working on and need stakeholders’ input as we look forward.
He also said that the population of wild animals, particularly elephants has rapidly gone up making the country unable to control them.
Farawo added that, unfortunately, due to international treaties safeguarding animal rights, Zimbabwe cannot sell the animals to reduce the population.
The number of people who are dying due to human and wildlife conflict has been rising in the most recent years particularly in areas near parks.
BULAWAYO residents will soon access subsidised mealie meal from the comfort of their homes as Government steps up efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19 through a new strategy of door-to-door deliveries at household level.
Government is working with Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) in implementing the new strategy.
Addressing journalists in Bulawayo yesterday, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube said the new approach was necessitated by the need to curb the spread of Covid-19 after it was noted that people were failing to observe the principle of social distancing in mealie meal queues.
Residents in Thorngrove, Njube and Entumbane will be the first to benefit in a pilot programme before the programme is rolled out to other suburbs both in the eastern and western areas.
Local millers will be distributing the commodity door to door.
“We have come up with a mealie meal distribution strategy that will see mealie meal being delivered at household level. We have since selected three priority areas namely Thorngrove, Njube and Entumbane as part of the pilot project before rolling out the programme to other locations in both high and low density suburbs,” she said.
“We are working in conjunction with the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe for the smooth execution of this strategy and local millers will be distributing the commodity to residents door-to-door. The committee, which is tasked with the distribution is set to start the sampling of people tomorrow (today) in the three identified suburbs.”
GMAZ introduced a nationwide zonal distribution of subsidised roller meal recently following complaints that many people were unable to access it as it was reportedly being channelled towards the black market.
The countrywide programme saw the product being delivered to residential shops in selected urban areas in Bulawayo, Harare, Mutare, Marondera, Kwekwe, Gweru and Chitungwiza, as part of efforts to ensure the public conforms with the country’s national lockdown order.
The new door to door system is aimed at curbing the rampant movement of people in search of the basic commodity.
Speaking during the same occasion, Bulawayo mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni said the local authority is working on decongesting the central business district (CBD) as part of a raft of measures to curb the spread of the global pandemic.
The Bulawayo City Council has already permanently closed some informal markets in the CBD including the popular Khothama Market to bring order in the city beyond the lockdown period as part of the decongestion drive.
“The city council is working on decongesting the CBD and to this end, wholesale distribution centres for fresh farm produce will be established across the city’s residential suburbs at shopping centres. Engagement of stakeholders is underway as we prepare for the post pandemic era,” said Clr Mguni.
“The period of limited movement has also served to curtail the spread of the virus and I urge each one of us to continue with this culture of hand washing and social distancing.”
The streets that were used as markets are now open to traffic and pedestrians with council having identified certain portions in the CBD as temporary facilities to accommodate informal traders. All the informal traders that were operating along 5th Avenue were relocated to their respective suburban shopping centres.
Clr Mguni also commended corporate organisations, individuals and public institutions for continue to render support towards the rehabilitation and upgrading of Thorngrove Hospital as well as contributing to the fight against Covid-19.
“It is imperative that as a nation and city we continue to reduce the number of deaths from the pandemic. I am therefore grateful for the collaboration we have witnessed from various partners and sectors,” he said.
By Chief Nhlanhla Ndiweni|The world may continue to play its politics of exploitation and suppression against Africa but as you can see, Africa is rising.
Madagascar has produced medicine for Covid19. Andry Rajoe Lina, the Country’s President drank it publicly to prove the drug is potent and safe and asked its citizens to drink it both as preventive and curative remedy for Covid19 that is killing the world.
Zimbabwe has ordered the drugs for its citizens. Senegal and Guinea Bissau have order it too. All are African countries. Meanwhile, WHO, as usual, has refused to recognise the drugs not even to test it on the patients who are dying in thousand across the world because, as I hold, the drugs is of African origin and the world, as it seems to me, has concluded that nothing good shall come out of Africa.
Not all sour, United States of America, has given both moral and financial support to Madagascar for testing and perfection of the drugs and mass production believing that that could be the end of Covid19 that is currently killing sleep globally. Here is one reason I love and pray for the Donald Trump Presidency. He is progressive in mind.
The world may continue to play its politics of exploitation and suppression against Africa but as you can see, Africa is rising. I am an African and I believe in the African project. I ask President Muhammad Buhari of Nigeria to order Covid Organic to cure Nigerians infected with Covid19.
Let us not wait for WHO to stamp any validity on that bottle, they won’t! I ask my country to support Madagascar to cure the world. Africa is one. We are one in Africa.
A rampant increase of rape sodomy and HIV infection cases are reportedly taking place at Harare Central Prison.
Activist Josphat Mzaca Ngulube, who was recently released from the prison on bail pending appeal, revealed that young men are forced to have sex with other men.
“Harare Central Prison is Sodom and Gomorrah, There is too much homosexuality and young men (juveniles) are infected with HIV every day by those prisoners who control the kitchen.” Mzaca wrote on Facebook. “The government should probe or change the leadership in that prison that does not take advice or protect juveniles. Our relatives are perishing in that prison, In the past weeks hospital authorities were telling prisoners that they are on go slow chasing away sick prisoners and punishing those who are on ART on the sun.”
Mzaca added that the abuse of human rights was also taking place at Khami maximum prison.
“This is the same scenario at Khami remand prison Harrison in charge of clinic is very stubborn and ruthless he denied medication to Honorable Dube 19 year old last year January 2019 and the boy died on admission at Khami maximum prison, the boy was vomited blood for 3days from the injuries he incurred from dog biting and assault during the time he was arrested he also refused with our salt last year when we got circumcised and when i confronted him he showed being more tribal than professional .
“Prisoners basic rights are not respected in prison like Harare Central Prison.”
In 2001, a man who was in detention at the Harare central remand prison awaiting trial, was gang raped by 10 inmates.
CHECHECHE – An illicit brew called Mukozodo, one of whose ingredients is understood to be ethanol has taken Checheche Growth Point and its environs by storm.
The Officer Commanding Chipinge District, Chief Superintendent Trustworthy Makunike confirmed the issue and said he is investigating suspects in the brew of the beer.
“The beer is illegal but I am yet to see where the brew and consumption is taking place. I went to the homestead of one of the suspected brewers and all I found were empty drums,” said Makunike.
The alcohol content in Mukozodo is too high because of the ethanol content. Sources said that the ethanol was coming from Chisumbanje.
What worries the community is that many underage boys are now into consumption of Mukozodo and the issue was raised by several secondary school heads in the area, said Thulani Thondhlana a villager from the area.
“At the last AGM held at Checheche High School, the head complained against some students who attended classes while drunk from the illicit beer, ” added Thondhlana.
A former CID in the area is said to be the major culprit in the brew and selling of Mukozodo.
Correspondent|DETHRONED Ntabazinduna Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni has lashed out at the Zanu PF led government for allegedly abusing public funds to fuel divisions within MDC through financing an opposition faction.
The outspoken traditional leader said the scarce resources could be directed towards fighting Covid-19.
This follows reports government was planning to disburse $7,5 million into the hands of MDC faction leader Thokozani Khupe who recently won a Supreme Court battle for control of the main opposition.
The court ordered the MDC to revert back to its 2014 structures and call for an extra-ordinary congress to choose a new leader to replace late former president Morgan Tsvangirai within three months.
The funds are being disbursed under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
In a statement Tuesday, the outspoken Ndiweni slammed government for misplaced priorities.
Ndiweni said the funds could have been used to complete the refurbishment and equipping of Ekusileni Joshua Nkomo Hospital.
“Today we read with shock and horror that the administration has $7.5 million to give away to the MDC congress.
“…The administration can choose to play partisan politics on one hand or choose to save lives in the face of Covid-19?
“The administration has chosen to play partisan politics rather than to save lives in the face of Covid-19.
“The $7.5 million is going to partisan politics. This choice that the administration has made is against the spirit of Ubuntu.
“It is against the nations Christian values. It is against the spirit and intent of the constitution of this country, in that this administration is charged with the responsibility for protecting The Right to Life, and protecting The Right to Health,” said Ndiweni.
Ndiweni was removed as traditional leader for Ntabazinduna following a family wrangle for the chieftainship few months ago.
His removal was quickly linked to attempts by the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government to silence one of its most outspoken and fearless critics who has not hidden his allegiance to MDC.
UN warns against ‘excessive force’ in Covid-19 response
The United Nations Human Rights Office has warned countries against using excessive force during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The agency urged governments to “recognize that the threat is a virus, not people”.
South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are among countries where security forces have used repressive measures to enforce restrictions to movement.
The UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said countries should not use emergency powers as a weapon to quash dissent and control the population.
She said shooting, detaining or abusing people for breaking curfew because they are desperately searching for food is unacceptable and unlawful.
The UN body she heads said more than 17,000 South Africans have been arrested as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
In Kenya, 27 human rights organisations have written an open letter to the government demanding that it stops punishing curfew offenders by forcefully sending them into quarantine centres.
About 32,100 coronavirus cases have been reported in 52 African countries, with 1,428 deaths and 9,741 recoveries.
After schools were closed for a month due to coronavirus pandemic, Madagascar has reopened its schools. School children, according to New York Times, were given face masks and a small bottle of herbal extract to drink to protect from COVID-19.
As WHO still insists that there is no proven cure for CoronaVirus the president of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina, has been pushing for the herbal medicine named Covid Organics to be used by his country people.
Photo: Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina taking the medicine.
Many Western medias have criticized the medicine as unproven and calls it “controversial” but Madagascar’s President said on national television that it will “change the cause of history.”
If the medicine didn’t work the schools would still be closed. Madagascar has not reported any death due to coronavirus thanks to the herbal tea, which is being distributed free in schools and poor neighborhoods.
While US President Donald Trump, according to a CNN report, has been pushing for hydroxychloroquine and disinfectants to be used to treat Covid-19, which are potentially dangerous. The medicine from Madagascar has not been reported to be toxic.
MDC-T leader Thokozani Khuper has mobilized Members of Parliament to disown statement by MDC-T Secretary-General Mao Nyikadzino who announced the expulsion of Khupe on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Nyikadzino told journalists that Khupe has expelled herself by associating with the Supreme court judgment.
However, the leader of the MDC-T Parliamentary caucus Mildred Dube said the two legislators (Including Priscilla Misihairabwi) were firmly behind the leadership of Thokozani Khupe.
Read her full press statement below:
We have noted with concern some misleading and disgusting statements attributed to the former MDC-T Secretary General Mr Nickson ‘Mao’ Nyikadzino wherein he masquerades as the new MDC-T Acting President.
For the avoidance of doubt, we want to make it unequivocally clear to all and sundry that all MDC-T legislators remain loyal to the party as led by Dr Thokozani Khuphe and the leadership collective elected at the party’s 4th Congress.
Mr Nyikadzino makes baseless and unfounded allegations that the MDC-T had an inaugural congress in 2018. This is wholly untrue, the fact of the matter is that a dispute within the party arose soon after the death of our founding father Dr Morgan Tsvangirai on the procedure to fill his vacancy.
Informed by a legal opinion from Adv Matinenga, the party held an extra ordinary congress at Stanley square in Bulawayo as provided for in the MDC constitution clause 9.21.1. This extra ordinary congress was attended by more than 5000 eligible delegates drawn from our party structures and at no point did we invite non-members to that Extra Ordinary Congress.
We want to further put it on record that we did not register as a new party with ZEC, it is on record that our party was already registered before the death of our late leader, what we only did was to remove the face of our late icon from the open palm & contested under the MDC-T brand.
We want to remind Mr Nyikadzino that that the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down a landmark judgment on the 30th of March 2020 that effectively put Dr Khuphe firmly in charge of the party that was left by Dr Tsvangirai and ordered her to convene an Extra Ordinary Congress within 90days. All decisions and actions done after the 14th February 2018 are thus null and void. The net effect of the Supreme Court ruling is that the two warring MDC-T formations i.e. the MDC-T component in an electoral pact called the MDC Alliance and the original MDCT led by Dr Khupe are now ONE thing.
Furthermore, the ruling is clear on what must be done to return the party to its founding values of internal democracy, constitutionalism and collective leadership. We have no doubt whatsoever that the leadership collective as elected at the party’s 4th Congress in Harare led by our Acting President Dr Thokozani Khuphe is capable of convening the much awaited Extra Ordinary Congress to elect a successor to our late President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai.
As MDCT legislators we took an oath of office to uphold, defend and protect the Constitution of the Republic and therefore we associate ourselves fully with the Supreme Court judgment. We want to warn Mr Nyikadzino that his infantile and illogical statements are directly in contempt of court and if he continues with such actions we will not hesitate to seek legal recourse.
Government has sent a condolence message to the Johns family following the passing on of one of the country’s finest radio and television presenters, Peter Johns, popularly known as “The Radio Driver”.
The former Radio 3 (now Power FM) DJ died at a hospital in London on Monday, after battling three strokes and a heart operation.
In a statement yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: “It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing on of one of the country’s prolific radio presenters, DJ Peter Johns ‘The Radio Driver’.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, I want to express heartfelt condolences to the Johns family, friends, and media fraternity at large during this difficult time. DJ Peter Johns’ mark on Zimbabwe’s radio will forever be etched in the annals of history. May his soul rest in peace.”
Johns joined the ZBC’s Radio 3 in 1981 and acquitted himself brilliantly until he left the corporation in 2002.
During his career at Radio 3, he pioneered interactive radio and was famous for programmes such as Coca-Cola on the Beat and Weekend Love.
He later relocated to the United Kingdom, where he pursued studies in digital radio broadcasting and packaging and continued with his passion as a club DJ, Internet radio broadcaster and events host.
Schools should reopen when it is safe for pupils and teachers and in the meantime e-learning needs to be tailored so that children can benefit, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, said yesterday.
She felt that e-learning needed to be available regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic, to help children who find it difficult or impossible to attend school.
Her committee was engaging the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on the appropriate time to reopen schools for the second term, with the gazetted date being the second week of May.
Recommendations would be made to the ministry once all had been consulted.
Schools were closed on March 24, almost a week before the closing date, as a precaution against infection by Covid-19.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe recently wrote to Government calling for a delay in the reopening of schools, with the union’s secretary general, Mr Raymond Majongwe, stating that reopening schools early could put learners, teachers and stakeholders at risk, and proposing mid-July.
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga confirmed that teachers’ unions had proffered scientific reasons on why reopening of schools early was discouraged.
Stakeholders had been discussing other available options such as e-learning so that children continue to learn at home.
“At the moment, it is premature for anyone to take any position,” said Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga. “We should ensure there is safety for both the children and teachers. Parliament has not been sitting, but we are organising to meet with support from Unicef so we can have an oversight on the issue. Parliament committees should not stop because of Covid-19.
“The closure of schools came from the debate we had in Parliament with the ministry and it was felt that it was not safe for children. Let us have consultations.”
A number of people have raised concerns over e-learning, considering that pupils in remote areas may not access computers and other e-learning requirements, and some parents have said data costs are too high.
Many organisations have come up with e-learning platforms and recommendations will be made.
Expressing her opinions, Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said: “There are other gadgets that can be used for learning. Most people are thinking of e-learning considering platforms that involve use of videos whereby the teachers and students can see each other, but there are other basic learning opportunities available.
“With a simple gadget or phone that has WhatsApp, a parent can help the children follow through educational modules. We should also look at the opportunities brought by e-learning with or without Covid-19. If we invest in information technology, it will help children even those who have been walking long distances to school.”
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga said some parents had passed responsibilities to nurseries and schools and were now faced with helping their children learn at home.
“Now we are going into winter and if we allow schools to open, what is likely to happen?
“We are also having a pilot project with girls who fall pregnant in schools.
“This girl is at home and wants to continue learning,” she said, in support of extending e-learning regardless of Covid-19 requirements.
Kenyan police patrol the streets of Nairobi to enforce the curfew.
Own Correspondent|Police have killed 12 people and injured 30 people after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s curfew directive.
The curfew from 7 pm to 5 am was meant to stop the spread of Covid-19 but the number of those killed by police has turned to be slightly lower than 19 people who have died of Coronavirus.
The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) said that 41 people have also been tortured by the police during the same period.
“During this period, we have monitored and documented 41 cases of police torture, cruel and inhumane degrading treatment perpetrated by law enforcement agencies and an Assistant Chief.. Out of the 41 cases, 11 were deaths and 30 injuries from torture and ill treatment,” IMLU said in its report.
The Unit expressed grave concern following growing death and injuries incidences by police who have used the lethal force in the country during the initial 30 days curfew that ran between March 27 and April 26 this year.
“Out of the 41 cases that we have documented, 33 are male and 8 female aged between 13 and 65 years; 34 cases were perpetrated by police officers and 7 by an assistant chief,” IMLU said.
The Non governmental organization said that the curfew started off with police across the country using excessive force, thrashing and tear-gassing crowds of people on their way home from work.
“This is regrettable especially at a time when the country is fighting a global pandemic,” the NGO said.
They called on the police to uphold human rights standards while enforcing the dusk to dawn curfew in the fight against Covid-19.
IMLU commended police officers who have worked tirelessly, often in difficult circumstances to enforce the various preventive measures under the public Order Act and Public Health Act.
Human rights groups have condemned the “unnecessary and excessive use of force” by Kenyan police as the country imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew amid efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
On Friday, police fired tear gas at a crowd of ferry commuters in the port city of Mombasa before the 7pm to 5am curfew came into force, 20 human rights groups, including Amnesty International, said in a statement on Saturday.
This forced hundreds of people to touch their faces as they vomited, spat and wiped away tears, increasing the chance of the virus’s spread, the statement added.
Some health workers even reported being intimidated by police officers as they tried to provide services after the curfew, according to the rights groups.
Elsewhere, officers were captured in mobile phone footage beating people with batons, causing uproar in the country.
“We continue to receive testimonies from victims, eyewitnesses and video footage showing police gleefully assaulting members of the public in other parts of the country,” the rights groups said.
Kenya’s interior ministry on Saturday replied to the criticism in a statement saying the curfew “is meant to guard against an apparent threat to public health. Breaking it is not only irresponsible but also puts others in harm’s way”.
The guidelines issued to security forces on the curfew say that police can use “proportionate force where non-violent means are inadequate to achieve the objectives of the curfew”.
The government has not said how many people have been arrested. Because courts are also affected by the virus prevention measures, all but serious cases will now be dealt with at police stations, the government has said.
That means anyone detained for violating curfew faces time in crowded cells.
Kenya has so far confirmed 38 cases of the new coronavirus, which causes a highly infectious respiratory disease called COVID-19. The country has taken a series of measures to stop its spread, including shutting borders and banning most air travel.
The Law Society of Kenya will go to court to challenge the curfew on the grounds that it is “unconstitutional” and has been abused by police, President Nelson Havi said in a statement.
The penalty for breaking a curfew is not corporal punishment, he added.
“It is evident that COVID-19 will be spread more by actions of police than of those claimed to have contravened the curfew,” Havi said.
Mhondoro villager Mr Christopher Chitemere, who tested positive for Covid-19 and is in self-isolation, insists he is not sick. Here, he harvests maize at his homestead yesterday
State Media|The death of Gogo Nguni, nee Chitemere, has left the community in her village in Mhondoro puzzled, with some denying she succumbed to Covid-19, despite the positive test made when she was taken to Harare.
Most insist Gogo Nguni died of old age as she could no longer walk beyond her gated homestead. She moved about with the aid of a walker.
However, there are three positive tests in the area, with health authorities puzzled as to where the source could be, hence a mass test of all villagers.
Village speculation and other obvious gaps in local knowledge systems have led community leaders to call for better dissemination of information in rural areas, where many rely on word of mouth rather than getting correct facts from the media.
Gogo Nguni spent much of her time indoors as her health was failing, with two house helpers and two herders at the homestead.
Her way of life did not change with the lockdown as she was already almost totally isolated.
Both herders stayed within the compound, but have tested negative for Covid-19, while the helpers worked on two-week shifts, with one of them testing positive when mass testing of those in the area was conducted.
But the helper’s family, where she would go during her off days, are said to have tested negative, leaving health authorities puzzled.
The other helper and her family, where she went during off days, are said to have tested negative. The helpers are from Chegutu and Chinhoyi.
The nurse who had been attending to Gogo Nguni before she was evacuated to Harare has also been tested. Her results were pending at time of going to print.
Following Gogo Nguni’s death, two of her contacts tested positive — the helper and a nephew who stayed a stone’s throw away from her homestead.
In an interview yesterday, the nephew, Mr Christopher Chitemere, said he was shocked to hear that his aunt succumbed to Covid-19.
He was self-isolating because he was advised to do so by health workers, but he was neither exhibiting signs nor symptoms of any ailment.
“Well, yes, they told me that I tested positive and they advised me to self-isolate and practise good personal hygiene, which is what I am doing,” said Mr Chitemere.
“However, I am feeling all right. I do not have any sign or symptom of any disease. As for my aunt, we all know she was old and because of her age she was repeatedly falling ill.”
Mr Chitemere said apart from her two sons and daughter-in-law, no one else was visiting Gogo Nguni since the lockdown.
He was concerned over social media reports that a certain Christopher Chitemere, who was in the United Kingdom, had met his aunt.
“I am Christopher Chitemere and I was never in the UK,” he said. “We are hearing all this through social media. In fact, what we now hear is that there is another Christopher Chitemere who recently came back from the UK, but we are not related in any way. “
Mr Sylvester Nguni, one of the late Gogo Nguni’s children, has since revealed that he, together with his wife, have tested negative for Covid-19.
Mr Orevero Chauruka, one of the two herders, said they still can’t believe that Gogo Nguni succumbed to Covid-19.
“We are also keen to know what could have happened, but what I know is that for the past five months that I have been working here, Gogo never left this place,” he said. “She always stayed indoors.”
Mr Chauruka quashed speculation that they could have picked up the virus from other villagers during cattle herding, saying they do not mix with other herders for fear of having their cattle infected.
Other villagers interviewed were still in denial that Gogo Nguni could have died of Covid-19, attributing her demise to old age.
MP for Mhondoro-Mubaira Constituency, Freddy Kapuya, who has taken it upon himself to disseminate basic information on Covid-19, as well as hygiene materials such as masks, sanitisers and soaps, said there was need for health education and mass testing of people, not only in Mhondoro, but all rural areas.
He said although results of the health worker who was attending to Gogo Nguni before she was transferred to Harare were still pending, the community has begun labelling and discriminating against her, contributing to stigma around the disease.
“People lack knowledge,” said Cde Kapuya. “Unlike in urban areas where information is readily available through different media platforms, here it is directly the opposite.
“Information is usually disseminated by way of mouth and village heads are the key persons when it comes to information dissemination, but you will find that most of them do not know anything about the disease.”
Kapuya said health authorities should investigate all community deaths, arguing that the number of elderly people dying seems to have gone up of late.
The area’s traditional leader, Chief Nyamweda, buttressed the need for health education, saying most people were relying on hearsay.
“In the absence of official communication, hearsay carries the day and this is what is happening here,” he said.
No immediate comment could be obtained from Health and Child Care Ministry officials on progress regarding mass testing, as well as health education in the community, but unconfirmed statistics indicated that about 300 people have so far been tested in Gogo Nguni’s community.
Gogo Nguni became the 4th person to die of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe.
A fifty-Two-year-old man from Murehwa, who had been admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, last Friday suffering from malaria, has tested positive for Covid-19, becoming the country’s 32nd patient.
The hospital confirmed the case in a statement yesterday, saying measures were being taken to ensure the safety of staff and other patients.
“As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against Covid-19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a Covid-19 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on April 24, 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals,” said the hospital. “The patient had responded well to malaria treatment and was due for discharge.”
The hospital said the patient had been isolated in a private room while awaiting discharge formalities, and would continue his recovery at home where he will be followed up.
The hospital pledged to continue ensuring the safety of staff and other patients through strengthened infection prevention and control measures.
Exposed staff would be counselled, tested and managed accordingly.
The hospital said decontamination would be done in line with set guidelines, while exposed staff would be given psychological support.
“Testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those in need,” the hospital said.
The refurbishment of the hospital to enable it to admit Covid-19 patients is at an advanced stage.
Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr Agnes Mahomva, said the patient had a history of international travel and hosting international guests.
“By the end of day yesterday we had tested 6 834 and of that we have 32 who are positive,” she said. “The 32nd case is a 52-year-old man who is very much involved in foreign travel and entertaining guests from outside.”
Dr Mahomva said the patient was already recovering when the tests results came out and would be quarantined at home.
Cabinet yesterday recommended Presidential Regulations imposing a moratorium on evictions of tenants delaying rent payments during the lockdown and staying legal action against their landlords delaying mortgage instalments as a result.
Presenting the outcome of the 13th Cabinet meeting in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: “Further measures taken include the following, that His Excellency the President consider promulgation of Presidential Regulations to give relief to both tenants and landlords during the lockdown period.
“That both residential and commercial properties be afforded a moratorium on evictions in respect of applicable lease obligations due for the period from April to the end of the lockdown including payment of rentals due for those months.”
“Rent deferrals should be free of any interest or penalties of whatever nature,” continued the recommendation. Home owners and landlords who, as a result of delayed rent, had to delay repayments of mortgage obligations would be entitled to the same relief under the same conditions.
“Cabinet resolved that any unpaid rentals due for the period from April to end of the lockdown be paid in equal instalments after the declaration of the end of the lockdown period together with the rental payments due for those months,” she said.
“That all rent deferrals shall be free of any interest charges or penalties of whatever nature and that homeowners or landlords obliged to relief mutatis mutandis which will apply to tenants in respect of their mortgage obligations.”
Other measures adopted by Cabinet as part of the Covid-19 preparedness response included testing security personnel and their families, all medical staff and patients at all central hospitals, all returning residents from abroad in designated mandatory quarantine facilities, and all contacts of confirmed cases regardless of whether they showed symptoms.
All in the community around a cluster of cases had to be tested as well as and immigration officials at Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo and Victoria Falls international airports plus those at Beitbridge and Forbes border posts.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet approved the disbursement of $100 million by Treasury towards buying all available local stock of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza should now identify strategic truck stops along the country’s regional corridors to be gazetted as SADC Transit Truck Stops for use by regional transit traffic when trucks cross Zimbabwe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet approved the setting up of isolation facilities at Rowa Training Centre for those entering Zimbabwe through Forbes Border Post and at Vhuti High School for those entering through Kariba and Chirundu borderposts.
Cabinet approved the drilling of 13 boreholes at priority centres identified by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, including one at Wilkins Hospital and two at Beatrice Road Infections Diseases Hospital in Harare.
Disbursement by Treasury of $667 million of the budgeted $758 million towards the fight against Covid-19 was also approved.
Minister Mutsvangwa said several ministers presented progress reports on the 100-day priority projects.
AT least 148 more people from villages in Mhondoro-Mubaira are being tested for Covid-19 after a cluster of three known cases in the area.
The Mhondoro samples are still being processed to determine the level of exposure of villagers who came into contact with the late Gogo Nguni nee Chitemere, who succumbed to Covid-19 last week.
Two people in the area already tested positive for Covid-19, but one had never been in contact with Gogo Nguni, so there is mass testing to try and find the source of the cluster of infections.
Mashonaland West provincial medical director, Dr Wenceslaus Nyamayaro confirmed that a significant number of samples had been collected by yesterday.
“We have collected a significant number of samples in Mhondoro-Mubaira. We first collected 75 samples and then a further 73 other samples. We now await the results.”
BULAWAYO continues to top the number of people arrested for lockdown defiance with a total of 3 775 people having been arrested in the city since the commencement of the lockdown period on March 30.
A total of 15 545 people had been arrested countrywide by late afternoon yesterday for violating Covid-19 stay-at-home regulations.
Statistics obtained from the Police General Headquarters show that Manicaland follows Bulawayo closely with 3 137 arrests followed by Harare with 1 973.
In Midlands 1 693 people have been arrested while in Mashonaland West Province 1 396 people were arrested. In Masvingo 649 people were arrested while 530 were arrested in Mashonaland Central.
Matabeleland South has recorded 1 057 arrests while Matabeleland North province has 733. In Mashonaland East Province 549 people have been arrested while the Support Unit separately arrested 107 people countrywide.-State media
GIANTS Dynamos have become the latest high-profile local football club to join the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Glamour Boys have chosen to drive awareness campaigns.
Zimbabwe, along with most of the countries across the world, is in a national lockdown as authorities battle to contain the spread of the epidemic.
Several football clubs, including those in South Africa, have since launched initiatives aimed at fighting the pandemic.
And Dynamos have seen it fit to join forces with other international partners to battle the pandemic. Team spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo, yesterday told The Herald they were due to release a coronavirus awareness video next week.
“The coronavirus epidemic is real and ought to be given the special treatment it deserves,” Farawo said.
“The fight against the disease is everybody’s responsibility. People have to support the authorities in fighting the epidemic.’’
“As Dynamos Football Club, we know that our business is solely dependent on a healthy society.’’ ‘‘Our business has been impacted upon big time and we know that the sooner this is contained, the better for our business.’’
“This is one of the many reasons why we have decided to join hands with some partners to spread awareness about the epidemic.’’
“As we speak, we have already done a video jingle, which will be released next week. Our players, as well as other stakeholders, feature in that video. It’s all about awareness.”
Farawo said the team wouldn’t rush into doing any fund-raising initiatives but, instead, saw it fit to use their influence to spread the word.
“Our power is in numbers and, since we are one of the biggest teams in the world, this has driven us to choose the awareness route.’’
‘‘We are urging every member of society to play their role in complementing authorities’ efforts to stop the spread of the virus.’’ “Depending on the time the coronavirus scourge will be upon us, we will always revise our intervention strategies but, certainly, we have to play a role in the fight against the ailment.”
The Glamour Boys join rivals Highlanders, who have since launched a crowd-funding initiative aimed at raising funds for one of the coronavirus isolation centres in Bulawayo.
Bosso have already raised a significant amount. “The crowd-funding initiative is aimed at raising money to be given to one of Bulawayo’s coronavirus isolation centres.
‘‘We call upon people, and other football clubs, to join hands with us. Together, we will win the war against this pandemic,” said club spokesperson Ronald Moyo.-State media
Government has sent a condolence message to the Johns family following the passing on of one of the country’s finest radio and television presenters, Peter Johns, popularly known as “The Radio Driver”.
The former Radio 3 (now Power FM) DJ died at a hospital in London on Monday, after battling three strokes and a heart operation.
In a statement yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: “It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing on of one of the country’s prolific radio presenters, DJ Peter Johns ‘The Radio Driver’.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, I want to express heartfelt condolences to the Johns family, friends, and media fraternity at large during this difficult time. DJ Peter Johns’ mark on Zimbabwe’s radio will forever be etched in the annals of history.
May his soul rest in peace.” Johns joined the ZBC’s Radio 3 in 1981 and acquitted himself brilliantly until he left the corporation in 2002.
During his career at Radio 3, he pioneered interactive radio and was famous for programmes such as Coca-Cola on the Beat and Weekend Love.
He later relocated to the United Kingdom, where he pursued studies in digital radio broadcasting and packaging and continued with his passion as a club DJ, Internet radio broadcaster and events host.-State media
Cabinet yesterday recommended Presidential Regulations imposing a moratorium on evictions of tenants delaying rent payments during the lockdown and staying legal action against their landlords delaying mortgage instalments as a result.
Presenting the outcome of the 13th Cabinet meeting in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said:
“Further measures taken include the following, that His Excellency the President consider promulgation of Presidential Regulations to give relief to both tenants and landlords during the lockdown period.
“That both residential and commercial properties be afforded a moratorium on evictions in respect of applicable lease obligations due for the period from April to the end of the lockdown including payment of rentals due for those months.” “Rent deferrals should be free of any interest or penalties of whatever nature,” continued the recommendation.
Home owners and landlords who, as a result of delayed rent, had to delay repayments of mortgage obligations would be entitled to the same relief under the same conditions.
Other measures adopted by Cabinet as part of the Covid-19 preparedness response included testing security personnel and their families, all medical staff and patients at all central hospitals, all returning residents from abroad in designated mandatory quarantine facilities, and all contacts of confirmed cases regardless of whether they showed symptoms.-State media
A TOTAL of 14 774 people were arrested countrywide for violating Covid-19 orders since the beginning of the lockdown period on March 31.
Statistics obtained from the Police General Headquarters show that Bulawayo still tops the numbers with 3 578 people arrested so far, followed by Manicaland Province at 2 990 arrests.
Harare comes third in arrests at 1 866 while 1 589 people have been arrested so far in Midlands Province.
In Mashonaland West Province, 1 321 people were arrested while 487 were arrested in in Mashonaland Central.
Matabeleland South has so far recorded 1 035 arrests while Matabeleland North province has 667.
In Mashonaland East Province, 529 people have been arrested while the support unit separately arrested 107 people countrywide.
In a telephone interview, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were concerned with continued violation of lockdown orders and the increasing number of pirate taxis, popularly known as mushikashika, illegally transporting commuters during this period.
“We continue to make arrests and Bulawayo still tops the statistics chart in terms of arrests of violators, with Manicaland Province following closely.
We are now also worried by the number of pirating taxis that are operating during the lockdown and we warn offenders that they will be arrested.
We also have a problem of people roaming aimlessly in residential suburbs after 6pm and we also warn them strongly that they will be arrested under section 4 of S.I 83 of 2020,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
In Bulawayo 25 members of the group of 48 Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide Revelation group who were arrested on Sunday while holding a church service in Tshabalala suburb have since paid $500 fines while the rest of the church members were released to look for the money as police considered that keeping them in cells would put them at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus.-State media
By Dr Masimba Mavaza| Zimbabwe counts for over 30% of the total number of health workers who have died in the U.K. The Health Secretary has said over a hundred health workers have died in the frontline in UK.
The risks taken daily by the armies of British doctors, nurses and healthcare workers treating coronavirus patients have been starkly illustrated by a growing number of deaths.
The rising tally comes amid mounting concerns over the testing crisis, with ministers under increasing pressure to explain when NHS workers are to be tested and why Britain lags behind other nations in testing. Zimbabwean nurses based in the United Kingdom (UK) have taken the toll position in the number of those who have died in the fight against the Corona virus.
Nurses and other health care workers are particularly vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus as they work on the frontlines in combating the disease. The number of Zimbabweans working in the health sector is over 60.000. This figure could be more considering that most Zimbabweans came to the United Kingdom on Malawian, South African and Tswana passports, so if they die, they are counted as the nationals of the country they hold passports of. Being that as it may, the number of Zimbabweans officially counted is thirty percent of the whole number of the dead workers in the United Kingdom. May God Bless their Souls and may they rest in peace.
The ZANU PF Commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda describes these as double heroes who are heroes in the U.K. and heroes in their own country Zimbabwe. They deserve medals they laid down their lives for the lives of others. Such unlimited love create heroes and indeed these are unsung heroes. If someone lays down his life for another person, he died so that the other person can live.
One can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. Such was the bravery shown by the Zimbabwean nurses in the U.K. Nursing is a profession of care love and passion and bound by Nightingale’s pledge which says
“I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practise my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping, and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavour to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
The Nightingale Pledge is a statement of the ethics and principles of the nursing profession. But when pushed to the point to chose between their lives or that of their patients they opt to die in the place of the sick. The Zimbabwean nurses have laid their lives down in the difficult situations without considerations to colour or nationality. The Corona virus situation proved that nurses are autonomous professionals on whom patients can rely. By laying their lives for others to live nurses have shown that they are modern science professionals who protect and advocate for patients and strive very hard to meet those challenges. The sacrifices made by these nurses brought about the care environment and assuring patients and the nation at large that nurses are there to fend for them.
But why Zimbabwean nurses are the ones who are taking the fall in the U.K. Most Zimbabweans almost 75% of Zimbabweans in the U.K. are nurses or health care workers. Most Zimbabweans work in the NHS from Cleaners to Executive officers they grace the NHS with their services. Despite NHS some work in the care homes and some private hospitals. Some Zimbabweans work in a one on one basis staying at the home of the service user commonly known as leave In.
In that scenario Zimbabweans have flooded the health and care industry. This then justifies why are Zimbabweans easy targets of the Corona’s evil bullet.
The other problem with Zimbabwean nurses is that they work very hard. Zimbabwean nurses most of them work three jobs a day. This wearies them and they then make mistakes in their last job of the day. They then will have their guards down and sometimes forget to use the Protective Equipment.
This they become victims in the process of their work. They are highly blinded by money and as a result they will contract the diseases in the wake of their service. Another problem is that the nurses at work do work to impress their bosses and want to be on the side of the manager. The reality is Zimbabweans sometimes become good boys do everything impression management actors. This then sees them being asked to Doris my jobs. In the quest to be good girls they come back with the virus. Because of our soft culture we stand today morning our friends our mothers our children. Zimbabweans in most cases will only stand up for their rights when it’s too late. The amount of abuse our friends get to get used with is disposable.
Many Zimbabwean nurses got the virus because they did not believe the virus was real. This was our most downfall. We have lost many brothers many countrymen because of impression management.
Even though the government has pledged sixty thousand pounds to every family which lost a member this does not give a life back.
Most if not all these nurses went to work with the hope of coming back with money. They sadly come back home with a virus. Some have taken the whole family down with Corona. Our thoughts are with the families left and indeed the families still waiting for the sick in hospital who are supposed to come back home. They put their faith in God and hope that they will come back.
Please stay safe. This virus is real. We have lost enough relatives.
Farai Dziva|The Movement for Democratic Change has dismissed Zanu PF MP for Chivi South, Killer Zivhu’s claims that the opposition is finished.
Writing on twitter, the cornered Zanu PF politician claimed the ruling party would win the 2023 elections by a huge margin.
“In 2023 Zanu PF will win elections with big margins -more than the1980 gap, mark my words. Kana uchida (if you love) politics just join Zanu PF now, the opposition party is finished.
Responding to Zivhu’s remarks, MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:
“Killer Zivhu is daydreaming and must be smoking palm leaves.
Before hitting a dog maybe let us identify its owner!
Killer Zivhu is a ZANU PF Member of Parliament (MP) and the very same MP who was suspended by his party for calling for dialogue between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Advocate Nelson Chamisa political sometime last year.
This is a man in a tight corner and he is clearly singing for his supper and political survival!
Zivhu by his own admission knows Mnangagwa is illegitimate and was outsmarted by Advocate Chamisa in 2018 polls and the trend is set to continue in 2023 until maybe such a time when ZANU PF fields an electable candidate.
Of which as it stands there is none from ZANU PF circles who can compete against the People’s President, Nelson Chamisa.
Zivhu should learn table manners and enjoy his fair share of cross borders loot without making noise to those that he prejudice of their hard earned monies.”
“Winning an election is different from wearing a scarf in humid heat!
In this 4th Industrial Revolution Age no one is going to vote for ZANU PF leaders who are still cast in Stone Age mode.
Maybe by claiming victory before 2023, Zivhu is acknowledging the rigging machinery is already in motion but this time around there is not going to be another 2018 in 2023.”
State Media-A fifty-Two-year-old man from Murehwa, who had been admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, last Friday suffering from malaria, has tested positive for Covid-19, becoming the country’s 32nd patient.
The hospital confirmed the case in a statement yesterday, saying measures were being taken to ensure the safety of staff and other patients.
“As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against Covid-19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a Covid-19 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on April 24, 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals,” said the hospital. “The patient had responded well to malaria treatment and was due for discharge.”
The hospital said the patient had been isolated in a private room while awaiting discharge formalities, and would continue his recovery at home where he will be followed up.
The hospital pledged to continue ensuring the safety of staff and other patients through strengthened infection prevention and control measures.
Exposed staff would be counselled, tested and managed accordingly.
The hospital said decontamination would be done in line with set guidelines, while exposed staff would be given psychological support.
“Testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those in need,” the hospital said.
The refurbishment of the hospital to enable it to admit Covid-19 patients is at an advanced stage.
Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr Agnes Mahomva, said the patient had a history of international travel and hosting international guests.
“By the end of day yesterday we had tested 6 834 and of that we have 32 who are positive,” she said. “The 32nd case is a 52-year-old man who is very much involved in foreign travel and entertaining guests from outside.”
Dr Mahomva said the patient was already recovering when the tests results came out and would be quarantined at home.
Schools should reopen when it is safe for pupils and teachers and in the meantime e-learning needs to be tailored so that children can benefit, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, said yesterday.
She felt that e-learning needed to be available regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic, to help children who find it difficult or impossible to attend school.
Her committee was engaging the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on the appropriate time to reopen schools for the second term, with the gazetted date being the second week of May.
Recommendations would be made to the ministry once all had been consulted.
Schools were closed on March 24, almost a week before the closing date, as a precaution against infection by Covid-19.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe recently wrote to Government calling for a delay in the reopening of schools, with the union’s secretary general, Mr Raymond Majongwe, stating that reopening schools early could put learners, teachers and stakeholders at risk, and proposing mid-July.
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga confirmed that teachers’ unions had proffered scientific reasons on why reopening of schools early was discouraged.
Stakeholders had been discussing other available options such as e-learning so that children continue to learn at home.
“At the moment, it is premature for anyone to take any position,” said Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga. “We should ensure there is safety for both the children and teachers. Parliament has not been sitting, but we are organising to meet with support from Unicef so we can have an oversight on the issue. Parliament committees should not stop because of Covid-19.
“The closure of schools came from the debate we had in Parliament with the ministry and it was felt that it was not safe for children. Let us have consultations.”
A number of people have raised concerns over e-learning, considering that pupils in remote areas may not access computers and other e-learning requirements, and some parents have said data costs are too high.
Many organisations have come up with e-learning platforms and recommendations will be made.
Expressing her opinions, Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said: “There are other gadgets that can be used for learning. Most people are thinking of e-learning considering platforms that involve use of videos whereby the teachers and students can see each other, but there are other basic learning opportunities available.
“With a simple gadget or phone that has WhatsApp, a parent can help the children follow through educational modules. We should also look at the opportunities brought by e-learning with or without Covid-19. If we invest in information technology, it will help children even those who have been walking long distances to school.”
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga said some parents had passed responsibilities to nurseries and schools and were now faced with helping their children learn at home.
“Now we are going into winter and if we allow schools to open, what is likely to happen?
“We are also having a pilot project with girls who fall pregnant in schools.
“This girl is at home and wants to continue learning,” she said, in support of extending e-learning regardless of Covid-19 requirements. – state media/Herald
Four people narrowly escaped death in Hwange when a five-year-old boy allegedly set fire to his elder sister’s clothes in a wardrobe before the fire spread through the eight-roomed house and burnt all property.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at a house in Empumalanga suburb.
The boy confessed that he started the fire with matches in the main bedroom while his 16-year-old sister and maid (30) were in the kitchen. A 10-year-old sibling was in a separate room and all escaped unscathed.
The siblings’ mother who was not at home when the fire broke out around 1pm, was rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital where she was admitted with shock after she collapsed upon hearing about the fire.
Hwange Local Board chief executive Mr Ndumiso Mdlalose confirmed the inferno but said he was still waiting for a detailed report from the fire brigade.
“Yes, there was a fire but I have to get a report from the fire brigade before I can comment,” he said.
Circumstances around the matter are that on Friday around 1pm, the boy who cannot be named because of his age, allegedly set fire to the family’s eight roomed house which was completely burnt.
His sister and the house maid were in the kitchen when they smelt some smoke in the house. They discovered that there was fire coming out of the main bedroom and alerted neighbours who phoned the Local Board fire brigade.
The fire fighters arrived at the house at 2pm and put out the fire but the entire house had been burnt.
Only three sofas and a kitchen table were salvaged.
Chronicle was told that the boy later told the family members that he started the fire when he used matches to burn his sister’s clothes which were in wardrobe in the main bedroom.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese encouraged members of the public to always monitor minors and ensure that offensive objects are always out of their reach. The value of the burnt property, she said, is yet to be ascertained.- state media
Farai Dziva|The Movement for Democratic Change has dismissed Zanu PF MP for Chivi South, Killer Zivhu’s claims that the opposition is finished.
Writing on twitter, the cornered Zanu PF politician claimed the ruling party would win the 2023 elections by a huge margin.
“In 2023 Zanu PF will win elections with big margins -more than the1980 gap, mark my words. Kana uchida (if you love) politics just join Zanu PF now, the opposition party is finished.
Responding to Zivhu’s remarks, MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:
“Killer Zivhu is daydreaming and must be smoking palm leaves.
Before hitting a dog maybe let us identify its owner!
Killer Zivhu is a ZANU PF Member of Parliament (MP) and the very same MP who was suspended by his party for calling for dialogue between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Advocate Nelson Chamisa political sometime last year.
This is a man in a tight corner and he is clearly singing for his supper and political survival!
Zivhu by his own admission knows Mnangagwa is illegitimate and was outsmarted by Advocate Chamisa in 2018 polls and the trend is set to continue in 2023 until maybe such a time when ZANU PF fields an electable candidate.
Of which as it stands there is none from ZANU PF circles who can compete against the People’s President, Nelson Chamisa.
Zivhu should learn table manners and enjoy his fair share of cross borders loot without making noise to those that he prejudice of their hard earned monies.”
“Winning an election is different from wearing a scarf in humid heat!
In this 4th Industrial Revolution Age no one is going to vote for ZANU PF leaders who are still cast in Stone Age mode.
Maybe by claiming victory before 2023, Zivhu is acknowledging the rigging machinery is already in motion but this time around there is not going to be another 2018 in 2023.”
Farai Dziva|Youthful Harare West MP Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe has donated sanitizers to police stations and clinics in her constituency as part of efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Below is Mamombe’s statement :
Zimbabwe has 31 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 4 deaths of which 2 cases are from the Constituency I represent, Harare West.
Among the 4 deaths, we lost one man from Bluffhill, Westgate.
It’s really been a tough time for us the local representatives to provide leadership during this crisis.
Thank God for the strength, we are managing!
Under JoKuDe, referring to myself as the MP, Clr Kudzai Kadzombe Ward 41 & Clr Denford Ngadziore Ward 16, we donated sanitisers to our local clinics and police stations in both Marlborough and Mabelreign.
Last week, we facilitated a delivery of subsidised Roller meal into different supermarkets in our constituency including OK Mabelreign, Spar Greencroft and Pick n Pay Westgate.
And this week we are expecting another delivery by Friday.
When Lockdown started, we donated food hampers to different vulnerable groups and we are still appealing to well wishers to help us in this regard so that we can help those families living in compounds.
No one has ever become poor by giving! Instead, blessed is the hand that gives than the one that receives.
We also took time to dialogue with management at the most crowded place in our constituency, the N Richards Wholesale market where we agreed that police force must be deployed at all times to ensure social distancing.
Together we can We shall Overcome! For those who would like to assist, kindly get in touch.
Farai Dziva|MDC president Nelson Chamisa believes the wave of freedom will sweep across Africa.
According to Chamisa, the wave of freedom is unstoppable.
Today (Monday) is Freedom day in South Africa. May the breeze of freedom blow across Africa esp north of Limpopo to shake all the pillars of tyranny &roots of injustice.
Let the wave of freedom engulf the African continent for the eternal joy of its people!Happy freedom day South Africa.”
“I’ve just been following online a prayer for revival project led by South Africa’s Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in conversation with Christian leaders in SA on hope,healing & restoration.
I love it when faith flows in the veins and heart of justice. Africa,this is your time…”
Farai Dziva|MDC president Nelson Chamisa believes the wave of freedom will sweep across Africa.
According to Chamisa, the wave of freedom is unstoppable.
Today (Monday) is Freedom day in South Africa. May the breeze of freedom blow across Africa esp north of Limpopo to shake all the pillars of tyranny &roots of injustice.
Let the wave of freedom engulf the African continent for the eternal joy of its people!Happy freedom day South Africa.”
“I’ve just been following online a prayer for revival project led by South Africa’s Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in conversation with Christian leaders in SA on hope,healing & restoration.
I love it when faith flows in the veins and heart of justice. Africa,this is your time…”
By Showbiz Reporter| A woman caught in the act hiding a man she says is a fellow colleague at work, has announced to her father-in-law claiming that she is an intelligence officer who must be allowed to continue her “work.”
Her red-tracksuited “male work colleague” has refused to reveal his identity saying he is an intelligence officer, this will put him in trouble with his bosses. VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
The couple was pounced on while inside the house and told by a Mr Matenga’s wife [ the woman at the centre of the scandal] to rush into a room and hide in there.
Soon after being caught, the man was filmed as he was grilled by a large team led by the woman’s father in law. The development as ZimEye reveals, comes at a time when the husband is away on a trip.
The video footage begins right in the middle of the confrontation with the father inlaw saying: No, it”s very simple shamwari, you yourself if you leave here and go to your house in Chishawasha Hills, where you are building a house…”
The accused then quips in screaming, ” I don’t stay in Chishawasha Hills,” to which the father continues –
“Either in Chishawasha or in Zengeza Four, in Nehanda road, at No 10760, if you go there and see your wife and there is another man inside, surely you would ask questions, you are inside my house, if this is a work issue, what are you doing here? “
An elderly woman jumps in saying: Besides, it is an illegal meeting. He said it himself that it is an illegal meeting, why are you coming to hold an illegal with somebody’s wife inside their house?
The father continues saying:
“Because here in this house, this lady has got a husband, he is not here. And this morning you came picked her up, you went and came back again to be inside this house.
“Today, this is the third time, and three or four days ago, you came in with a car, ADU 8581, you came here on Tuesday or on Monday, you slept here and left at 9am the following day, so why shouldnt we ask you questions?
“We have no problem with you. Actually if you had replied us, we would have opened the gate for you to leave, and we would have let you off.”
To this, the woman, then pleads with her father in law asking if the accused man can be allowed out of the house. She says, ” is it okay if I can excuse him, because I feel like those other things don’t actually concern him because he is just purely coming here for my work?”
The father in law, however appears unperturbed, and shoots in saying: “yeah, we are a little bit baffled because this is the Matenga home, and we don’t appreciate to see a person coming here, a man, and then he rushes to hide inside one of the rooms. “
Another Matemga family man says” it still feels strange for me and hard to believe that this man he doesn’t want to give identification, to which the muroora says it’s:
“because of the nature of our work.”
But if he is caught by the police who does he say he is?
The confrontation continues with more details being revealed.
Towards the end the father in law appears as if pulling back to say:
“That’s fine shamwari, I think what we just want you to do – to realise and accept is we as The Matenga family, and where her husband comes from, we are deeply upset with your presence, and it’s probably you are not the only person who comes here . I think there is quite a few guys , if you are not Linos, then it means it is now you, Kwaramba, and there is Linos, there is Chinyani and all sorts of people who have been coming in and out, whether it is the kind of work this Amai does or not, …”
Is this your first time to be here?, a female family member asks.
No it is my second time, he answers.
When was your first time?
He then answers saying, “I think it was three weeks ago.”
So when Mr Matenga is here do you come here?, he is questioned, to which he replies saying, “I don’t even know that there is a Mr Matenga, he says.”
VIDEO LOADING BELOW
Efforts to get a comment from the accused woman’s husband were fruitless at the time of writing.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY-
ANNOUNCEMENT: Mr Matenga, please urgently get in touch with ZimEye concerning the leaked family video currently doing rounds. We have battled reaching you for a comment to guide us. Thank you – [PLEASE NOTE – WE CHOSE TO WITHHOLD MATENGA'S FIRSTNAME ON ETHICAL GROUNDS]
As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against COVID- 19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a COVID-I 9 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on 24 April 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The patient had responded well to the malaria treatment and was due for discharge.
As management, we have since activated the COVID-I9 Rapid Response Team and we are taking the following measures:
Continued isolation of the confirmed case in his private room while awaiting for discharge formalities and recovery at home where he will be followed up.
Ensuring safety of staff and other patients through strengthened Infection Prevention and Control measures. Exposed staff will be counselled, tested and managed accordingly.
Giving psychosocial support to the exposed staff.
Decontamination will be done in accordance with national guidelines.
Testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those A need.
Refurbishment of the Premier COVID-19 Treatment Centre A Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is almost complete. As such, the hospital will soon be able to admit COVID-19 patients.- Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals
As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against COVID- 19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a COVID-I 9 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on 24 April 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The patient had responded well to the malaria treatment and was due for discharge.
As management, we have since activated the COVID-I9 Rapid Response Team and we are taking the following measures:
Continued isolation of the confirmed case in his private room while awaiting for discharge formalities and recovery at home where he will be followed up.
Ensuring safety of staff and other patients through strengthened Infection Prevention and Control measures. Exposed staff will be counselled, tested and managed accordingly.
Giving psychosocial support to the exposed staff.
Decontamination will be done in accordance with national guidelines.
Testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those A need.
Refurbishment of the Premier COVID-19 Treatment Centre A Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is almost complete. As such, the hospital will soon be able to admit COVID-19 patients.- Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals
PTUZ SUBMISSIONS ON EDUCATION RE LOCKDOWN AND POST-LOCKDOWN SCENARIOS
The PTUZ wishes to make the following submissions on what we believe should be the way forward in relation to Covid-19 and the education sector.
Background As we are all aware, schools were closed on 24 March 2020 in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, which was just making inroads into the African continent. At the time schools were shut, we were exactly nine working days away from the planned closing date. The country had barely registered a case and there was palpable fear and apprehension in the country towards the virus, which was wreaking havoc in Europe and China.
South Africa had closed down schools and engaged in a lockdown, which Zimbabwe also declared on 29 March 2020. Developments since then Since the lockdown that was declared on 29 March, Zimbabwe has officially registered 31 cases, 4 deaths and two recoveries to date.The country has also tested a bit more than 5 thousand people for the virus. Our major fear is that winter is also kicking in, with cases expected to soar as a result of the cold conditions that will be prevailing. That being the case, we are presenting our document under two broad categories, best case scenario and worst-case scenario respectively.
There is talk that the Ministry expects to get permission to re-open schools, without specifying when exactly that could happen. Our submission is that at the moment, it would be grossly irresponsible for the government to re-open schools at a time when it is not clear whether we are moving forward, backwards or stationary in terms of managing the novel disease. We are actually in a worse position than we were when we closed schools. There are also many people returning from abroad, and we do not know what danger they pose or whether they do carry the Coronavirusornot. Granted, some may have been tested, but the fact that the number of asymptomatic cases is rising elsewhere in the world works glaringly against early and haphazard opening of schools without taking a systematic, empirical, realistic and informative environmental scan.
We cannot put learners, teachers and stakeholders at risk of contracting the disease by opening schools now. We should wait at least until mid-July and review the situation then, in view of the fact that winter is a time of flu and other respiratory illnesses and it is easy to conflate the ordinary flus with Covid-19. We need to be careful about the timing of the opening of schools. There is no prize for exhibiting Dutch courage against a disease that has brought even countries with the best health care systems to their knees. In fact, in the worst-case scenario, it may even be necessary to re-open schools post-winter, possibly in August going forward.
In relation to the usual ZIMSEC examination schedule, which is meant to start towards end of May, we again suggest an extreme cautionary approach. It is, therefore, prudent that we learn from regional and international jurisdictions on how other Education ministries and examination boards have done. As you may be aware, some countries such as Britain have deferred the scheduled examinations as the full impact of the pandemic is yet to be assessed, analysed and felt. In the worst-case scenario, it may be necessary for us to do the same until there is clarity and certainty on the scale of danger posed by this coronavirus within our borders. In the best-case scenario, examinations may continue later on as indicated by the latest Zimsec statement, but only subject to the following rigorous conditions, interalia, being met: a) There should be no other activity at a centre on a day exams are being written, including learning, in order to minimise the possibility of cross-infections and to ensure the efficacy of the social distance operational matrix; b) Exam rooms should be fumigated before and after every examination session at govt or Zimsec cost; c) All candidates and invigilators must be provided with PPEs by the government at zero cost. ZIMSEC should, therefore, ensure both candidates and invigilators are provided with PPEs during the duration of the exam; d) There should be a health inspector at each centre to ensure the right procedures are adhered to including the use of sanitisers at gates to the school as well as into the examination rooms; e) All invigilators should be provided with all PPEs such as work suits, gloves and masks by ZIMSEC and/or the government; f) All those involved in the administration of examinations must be paid a meaningful COVID-19 risk allowance by ZIMSEC given the risk they take in running these examinations; and g) all centres administering examinations must have running water or copious amounts of water to enable the necessary hygienic conditions to prevail.
It is our fortified view and conviction that schools should be opened in phases rather than at once. For this reason, it may be prudent to start with only examination classes given the absolute necessity of social distance and the existence of over-crowding in the generality of our schools.
That way, these examination candidates would be spread as much as possible in the whole school so that the concept of social distance is observed and takes premium.
After a full month the situation can be reviewed to see the possibility and feasibility of admitting other grades and forms.
We want to reiterate that our emphasis as a country should be meeting the criteria set by WHO as a precondition for re-opening schools before trusting our instincts as well as personal and national egos.
We have 9159 schools on the country,6.5 million students covering ECDA to Upper Sixth,135000 teachers and more than 60000 ancillary staff. As you can see this is more than half the country and thus endangering them by opening schools without following the necessary WHO regulations would beak into mass murder of Hitlerian proportions.
The govt should endeavor to meet the following WHO guidelines for removing the lockdown before we start entertaining the idea of reopening schools for all;
Disease transmission is under control
Health systems are able to”detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact”
Hot spot risks are minimized in vulnerable places, such as nursing homes 4Schools, workplaces and other essential places have established preventive measures
The risk of importing new cases “can be managed”
Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to live under a new normal.
Furthermore, we are calling on the government to take full responsibility of the payment of salaries and allowances of all School Development Committee/School Development Association workers in the interim given that schools will be unable to pay them if schools do not open soon as there is no payment of fees during this period and schools are running or have already run out of financial reserves.
When schools finally open It is a fact that sooner or later, schools are going to open. We are, therefore, proposing the following minimum conditions to be in place as much as is practically possible when schools reopen:
The Ministry should ensure that all teachers and learners have all necessary PPEs of the very minimal standard such as disposable gloves and reusable masks. There should also be adequate test kits for all school no matter how remote they are from urban centres;
Before schools open, teachers should be trained on handling and managing learners and other stakeholders during the course of their duties with a view to eradicating the possibility of transmission of the disease;
All schools to be compelled to have sanitisers and thermometers at entry points to the school, every classroom and staffroom;
The government should pay a meaningful risk allowance to teachers in view of the fact that they are frontline workers in the fight against the disease since it is an uncontestable fact that teachers interact with thousands of children from a diversity of backgrounds per day;
Classes to be immediately de-congested through splitting and lowering the current high teacher-pupil ratios in schools to 1:15 at most so as to reduce the possibility of infections. This can be done through the employment of more teachers since we already have a low hanging fruit of a pool of unemployed qualified teachers; We want to state without any equivocation that our members are not prepared to take the risk of teaching classes with more than 20 learners for nothing as the consequences are dire.
As a union, it would be an abdication of responsibility if we sacrifice the lives of our members at the altar of national expediency;
The government should subsidise the fees of all learners by at least 50% in view of the fact that most parents were unable to scrounge for money during the lockdown. This should be done for at least one term;
There should be an ad Infinitum suspension of learner seminars, sporting activities, school assemblies, prize-giving ceremonies and Annual General Meetings in respect of social distance and also to minimise the possibility of infections from outside;
We also demand an immediate review, de-bunching and regrading of our salaries and education sector-specific allowances so that they are commensurate with our experience, qualifications and responsibilities;
For the avoidance of doubt, we demand the payment of our salaries at the prevailing interbank rate in view of the fact that the government has presided over inordinate price increases. Zimstats figures supported by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe indicate that the consumer basket is now well above ZWL$6680 as was highlighted at the latest government Price Moratorium presser recently held;
The government should set up quarantine centres for learners affected by the disease;
The usual behaviour of Ministry officials where they move around schools under the guise of supervision should be stopped in order to avoid the possibility of them carrying the virus from one station to another. In fact, movements should for now be restricted to the ritual of home station-home until it is safe to wade out of that schedule;
We have also noted that some schools such as Mosi High, Plumtree and others have been used as quarantine centres for those returning from the diaspora. There should be fumigation of these centres before they can be used by learners again; and
There is need to monitor school buses so that they are fumigated as per regulations, whenever they are used to transport learners and teachers to and from schools.
In fact, it is imperative that the govt reserves some buses strictly for learners and teachers so that they reduce mingling with ordinary people during the course of moving to and from schools.
There is nothing like being too careful. We have to protect the lives of these learners and teachers.
Hope you will seriously consider these views gathered from the PTUZ members scattered around the country.
Yours faithfully RAYMOND MAJONGWE (PTUZSecretaryGeneral)
PTUZ SUBMISSIONS ON EDUCATION RE LOCKDOWN AND POST-LOCKDOWN SCENARIOS
The PTUZ wishes to make the following submissions on what we believe should be the way forward in relation to Covid-19 and the education sector.
Background As we are all aware, schools were closed on 24 March 2020 in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, which was just making inroads into the African continent. At the time schools were shut, we were exactly nine working days away from the planned closing date. The country had barely registered a case and there was palpable fear and apprehension in the country towards the virus, which was wreaking havoc in Europe and China.
South Africa had closed down schools and engaged in a lockdown, which Zimbabwe also declared on 29 March 2020. Developments since then Since the lockdown that was declared on 29 March, Zimbabwe has officially registered 31 cases, 4 deaths and two recoveries to date.The country has also tested a bit more than 5 thousand people for the virus. Our major fear is that winter is also kicking in, with cases expected to soar as a result of the cold conditions that will be prevailing. That being the case, we are presenting our document under two broad categories, best case scenario and worst-case scenario respectively.
There is talk that the Ministry expects to get permission to re-open schools, without specifying when exactly that could happen. Our submission is that at the moment, it would be grossly irresponsible for the government to re-open schools at a time when it is not clear whether we are moving forward, backwards or stationary in terms of managing the novel disease. We are actually in a worse position than we were when we closed schools. There are also many people returning from abroad, and we do not know what danger they pose or whether they do carry the Coronavirusornot. Granted, some may have been tested, but the fact that the number of asymptomatic cases is rising elsewhere in the world works glaringly against early and haphazard opening of schools without taking a systematic, empirical, realistic and informative environmental scan.
We cannot put learners, teachers and stakeholders at risk of contracting the disease by opening schools now. We should wait at least until mid-July and review the situation then, in view of the fact that winter is a time of flu and other respiratory illnesses and it is easy to conflate the ordinary flus with Covid-19. We need to be careful about the timing of the opening of schools. There is no prize for exhibiting Dutch courage against a disease that has brought even countries with the best health care systems to their knees. In fact, in the worst-case scenario, it may even be necessary to re-open schools post-winter, possibly in August going forward.
In relation to the usual ZIMSEC examination schedule, which is meant to start towards end of May, we again suggest an extreme cautionary approach. It is, therefore, prudent that we learn from regional and international jurisdictions on how other Education ministries and examination boards have done. As you may be aware, some countries such as Britain have deferred the scheduled examinations as the full impact of the pandemic is yet to be assessed, analysed and felt. In the worst-case scenario, it may be necessary for us to do the same until there is clarity and certainty on the scale of danger posed by this coronavirus within our borders. In the best-case scenario, examinations may continue later on as indicated by the latest Zimsec statement, but only subject to the following rigorous conditions, interalia, being met: a) There should be no other activity at a centre on a day exams are being written, including learning, in order to minimise the possibility of cross-infections and to ensure the efficacy of the social distance operational matrix; b) Exam rooms should be fumigated before and after every examination session at govt or Zimsec cost; c) All candidates and invigilators must be provided with PPEs by the government at zero cost. ZIMSEC should, therefore, ensure both candidates and invigilators are provided with PPEs during the duration of the exam; d) There should be a health inspector at each centre to ensure the right procedures are adhered to including the use of sanitisers at gates to the school as well as into the examination rooms; e) All invigilators should be provided with all PPEs such as work suits, gloves and masks by ZIMSEC and/or the government; f) All those involved in the administration of examinations must be paid a meaningful COVID-19 risk allowance by ZIMSEC given the risk they take in running these examinations; and g) all centres administering examinations must have running water or copious amounts of water to enable the necessary hygienic conditions to prevail.
It is our fortified view and conviction that schools should be opened in phases rather than at once. For this reason, it may be prudent to start with only examination classes given the absolute necessity of social distance and the existence of over-crowding in the generality of our schools.
That way, these examination candidates would be spread as much as possible in the whole school so that the concept of social distance is observed and takes premium.
After a full month the situation can be reviewed to see the possibility and feasibility of admitting other grades and forms.
We want to reiterate that our emphasis as a country should be meeting the criteria set by WHO as a precondition for re-opening schools before trusting our instincts as well as personal and national egos.
We have 9159 schools on the country,6.5 million students covering ECDA to Upper Sixth,135000 teachers and more than 60000 ancillary staff. As you can see this is more than half the country and thus endangering them by opening schools without following the necessary WHO regulations would beak into mass murder of Hitlerian proportions.
The govt should endeavor to meet the following WHO guidelines for removing the lockdown before we start entertaining the idea of reopening schools for all;
Disease transmission is under control
Health systems are able to”detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact”
Hot spot risks are minimized in vulnerable places, such as nursing homes 4Schools, workplaces and other essential places have established preventive measures
The risk of importing new cases “can be managed”
Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to live under a new normal.
Furthermore, we are calling on the government to take full responsibility of the payment of salaries and allowances of all School Development Committee/School Development Association workers in the interim given that schools will be unable to pay them if schools do not open soon as there is no payment of fees during this period and schools are running or have already run out of financial reserves.
When schools finally open It is a fact that sooner or later, schools are going to open. We are, therefore, proposing the following minimum conditions to be in place as much as is practically possible when schools reopen:
The Ministry should ensure that all teachers and learners have all necessary PPEs of the very minimal standard such as disposable gloves and reusable masks. There should also be adequate test kits for all school no matter how remote they are from urban centres;
Before schools open, teachers should be trained on handling and managing learners and other stakeholders during the course of their duties with a view to eradicating the possibility of transmission of the disease;
All schools to be compelled to have sanitisers and thermometers at entry points to the school, every classroom and staffroom;
The government should pay a meaningful risk allowance to teachers in view of the fact that they are frontline workers in the fight against the disease since it is an uncontestable fact that teachers interact with thousands of children from a diversity of backgrounds per day;
Classes to be immediately de-congested through splitting and lowering the current high teacher-pupil ratios in schools to 1:15 at most so as to reduce the possibility of infections. This can be done through the employment of more teachers since we already have a low hanging fruit of a pool of unemployed qualified teachers; We want to state without any equivocation that our members are not prepared to take the risk of teaching classes with more than 20 learners for nothing as the consequences are dire.
As a union, it would be an abdication of responsibility if we sacrifice the lives of our members at the altar of national expediency;
The government should subsidise the fees of all learners by at least 50% in view of the fact that most parents were unable to scrounge for money during the lockdown. This should be done for at least one term;
There should be an ad Infinitum suspension of learner seminars, sporting activities, school assemblies, prize-giving ceremonies and Annual General Meetings in respect of social distance and also to minimise the possibility of infections from outside;
We also demand an immediate review, de-bunching and regrading of our salaries and education sector-specific allowances so that they are commensurate with our experience, qualifications and responsibilities;
For the avoidance of doubt, we demand the payment of our salaries at the prevailing interbank rate in view of the fact that the government has presided over inordinate price increases. Zimstats figures supported by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe indicate that the consumer basket is now well above ZWL$6680 as was highlighted at the latest government Price Moratorium presser recently held;
The government should set up quarantine centres for learners affected by the disease;
The usual behaviour of Ministry officials where they move around schools under the guise of supervision should be stopped in order to avoid the possibility of them carrying the virus from one station to another. In fact, movements should for now be restricted to the ritual of home station-home until it is safe to wade out of that schedule;
We have also noted that some schools such as Mosi High, Plumtree and others have been used as quarantine centres for those returning from the diaspora. There should be fumigation of these centres before they can be used by learners again; and
There is need to monitor school buses so that they are fumigated as per regulations, whenever they are used to transport learners and teachers to and from schools.
In fact, it is imperative that the govt reserves some buses strictly for learners and teachers so that they reduce mingling with ordinary people during the course of moving to and from schools.
There is nothing like being too careful. We have to protect the lives of these learners and teachers.
Hope you will seriously consider these views gathered from the PTUZ members scattered around the country.
Yours faithfully RAYMOND MAJONGWE (PTUZSecretaryGeneral)
THE State has made a dramatic U-turn in the case of a Chitungwiza man who is accused of generating a fake press statement in the name of President Emmerson Mnangagwa announcing a 13-day extension of the current national coronavirus lockdown.
After prosecutors had initially consented to Lovemore Zvokusekwa’s bail at magistrate’s court, the State yesterday opposed his bail at the High Court.
The 36-year-old, who is facing charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State, through his lawyer Thomas Machinga, was forced to approach the High Court after Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga denied him bail.
The State argued it had a strong case against Zvokusekwa and that there was overwhelming evidence, showing that he was the one who originated the fake statement. While the matter had been set down for hearing yesterday, High Court judge Jacob Manzunzu deferred it to today, saying he needed time to go through the record of proceedings.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has sourced for equipment to assist Bulawayo’s Thorngrove Hospital to fight the deadly Coronavirus that has infected about 31 people in the country.
An MDC news alert message released on Tuesday said, “Today at 2PM the MDC will handover COVID-19 preparedness equipment to the Bulawayo City Council for use at Thorngrove Hospital.
“The equipment was sourced by President Nelson Chamisa. We hope that this will go a long way towards prevention, management, and possible treatment of the virus.”
Chamisa is on record calling for families affected by the deadly virus to be given money to assist them during the trying times.
“Those who are tested and confirmed positive must get a form of financial support for a month while they fight and the deceased family a government relief fund for their beneficiaries,” said the opposition leader during a live broadcast recently.
“Bereaved families need a Government Relief Fund for the beneficiaries so that we are able to create a social safety net.
“Cushioning citizens from economic distress and speed up roll out of humanitarian support is vital. We must put in place social protection nets.”
Zimbabwe will fail to meet its ambitious target of collecting 40 000 samples for Covid-19 testing because of the delayed of personal protective equipment (PPE), health minister Obadiah Moyo has said.
The Zimbabwean government had announced that it would test 40 000 samples by the end of April but by Tuesday, had tested just over 5 000 samples.
Moyo said the PPEs had since been delivered and going forward they were targeting 2 000 samples per day.
He said they had trained samplers who will collect samples across the country.
“We had challenges with PPE but they have been delivered and are there. We have put a system to test 2000 samples a day and have come out with composite teams to go out to collect as many samples as possible,” he said.
He said with everything in place, the exercise should be smooth flowing.
“PPEs have been distributed to all centres right round the provinces in Zimbabwe so the programme is proceeding with ease. We will see how much we will be able to collect, we want to see how much we will be able to collect on a daily basis,” said Moyo.
Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced that government has resolved that there be a moratorium on both commercial and residential evictions due to applicable lease obligations from April to end of #LockdownZim, including payment of rentals for those months.
She also said government resolved that unpaid rentals from April to end of #LockdownZim be paid in equal instalments after the declaration of the end lockdown period together with rentals due for those months.
HEALTH Services Board (HSB) bigwigs have controversially awarded themselves hefty additional allowances, at a time that frontline health workers are getting measly salaries and incentives despite the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic.
An HSB payment schedule that is in the possession of the Daily News shows that its top office bearers recently got huge added “coronavirus” allowances for just two weeks of work.
For example, HSB chairperson Paulinus Sikhosana received a further 480 litres of petrol for his use, despite him already having a monthly allocation of 600 litres a month.
He also got $800 worth of airtime, $2 250 for data bundles and $3 050 for transport.
Sikhosana confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that he had approved the hefty allowances, adding that these were not enough as he worked in Harare while his home was in Bulawayo.
“It is actually not enough because we do a lot of travelling. I am sometimes with the minister (Obadiah Moyo) when he visits institutions.
“At times we will be working online. So, we need data … there is nothing unusual about the allowances. The officers have less because they do not come to work every day because of the lockdown shifts.
“You can get more from (Ruth) Kaseke (HSB executive director) because she has more information than I have,” Sikhosana said.
Meanwhile, his deputy Auxilia Chideme-Munodawafa was also given an additional 360 litres of fuel, on top of her monthly 600 litres.
In addition, she received $750 for airtime, $2 250 for data bundles and $3 000 for transport.
Other board members who are full time got 280 litres of fuel, $700 for airtime and $2 250 for data, while their part-time colleagues received 130 litres for fuel, $350 for airtime and $1125 for data.
Kaseke was allocated an additional 360 litres of fuel, over and above her usual monthly allocation.
She was also allocated $650 for airtime and $2 250 for data bundles — while general manager Englebert Mbengwa and four others, who have monthly fuel allowances of 200 litres, were each given 200 more litres, $380 for airtime and $1 500 for data bundles.
Their deputies got allowances ranging between 40 and 80 litres of fuel, between $150 and $300 for airtime, and between $400 and $900 for data bundles — depending on the number of days they were on duty during the two weeks.
The allowances come hard on the heels of deliveries to HSB bosses and other high ranking government officials of top-of-the-range vehicles.
The hefty allowances also come at a time the government has been ordered by the High Court to provide health workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) among other essentials, in the fight against Covid-19.
Aggrieved health workers told the Daily News yesterday that they were receiving $100 for airtime and the same for data bundles.
“They (HSB bosses) have these fat allowances yet all they do is seat in their plush offices while we take the risk on the ground.
“As you can see from the schedule, the foot soldiers have nothing except the $290 for transport, which is not even enough for a week. We call upon the ministry to intervene in this blatant abuse of resources,” one of the workers said.
Five soldiers, who were critically injured in an accident along the Kariba-Makuti Road on Sunday, have been airlifted to Harare for more advanced treatment.
Four are now being treated at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks, while the most critically injured is at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The rest of the 21 injured officers have been released from Kariba District Hospital and are back in Harare.
One solider was killed in the accident.
Director Army public relations Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore yesterday said: “Initially, the injured were evacuated to Kariba District Hospital to receive medical assistance. Five of the seriously injured were then airlifted by an Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopter to Harare.
“One member who has serious head injuries has been admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital for specialist attention and his condition is stable,” said Lt-Col Makotore.
The rest of the injured soldiers remained at Kariba District Hospital until being moved to Harare and are all in satisfactory condition.
Lt-Col Makotore said preliminary investigations into the cause of the accident have established that the driver lost control of the vehicle while on a sharp and steep curve.
It is suspected the vehicle must have developed a mechanical fault.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s, they do not reflect the views of Opera News.
Outspoken South African Palamentarian and a senior member of the Economic Freedom Fighters, the third largest political party in South Africa , has once again come ok come on the spotlight with his strong remarks.
This time around he was stamping his party’s stance on the issue of foreign nationals in the country , how they should be treated.
It comes after to Economic Freedom Fighters’s made a controversial freedom day speech yesterday were he called for inclusive policies that enable foreigners to receive food parcels as well.
The party which is famous for Africanism saw it’s leader Julius Malema saying in his speech that he advocated for one Africa State, with one leader and one currency as a feasable way of solving Africa’s woes.
His statements caused a stir on social media with many saying that the party was pro foreigners at the expense of South Africans.
Ndlozi then responded in a tweet saying ” We will never apologize for asking South Africans to be human. To treat visitors among them with dignity. We refuse to spread the message of hate & Afro-phobia.'”
He went on to say “We have an obligation to our neighbors, in particular black people. This is who we are & we will NEVER change!”
He was stamping his party’s stance on the treatment of non South Africans during this difficult times that the nation and the world have found themselves as a result of the coronavirus.
Many South Africans though still stand with their opinions of the fact that South Africa is not a government of Africa.
Over the past 24 hours, some materials in the form of campaign posters have been posted on the social media suggesting that various leaders are campaigning for the office of president at the Extraordinary Congress of the party to be held soon.
In particular portraits of Senator Komichi, Senator Mudzuri and myself have been used.
These materials are not coming from us nor were they ever authorized by us. We urge our members to ignore them.
It is coming from those people who want to disturb the people’s congress by sowing the seeds of division and confusion among our ranks.
They want to paint a picture of a leadership that is divided and that is obsessed with political office.
To the contrary we are a united and focused leadership preoccupied with the single objective of returning our party to its founding values.
Currently, we are busy with the logistical and financial arrangements for the Extraordinary Congress in line with our party constitution.
We are very happy at the level of enthusiasm that our structures have shown towards returning our party to the path to Democracy, Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.
While our detractors had predicted that the Congress would not form a quorum, indications so far are that it will be fully attended by the eligible delegates.
More than 3000 delegates contacted so far have confirmed that they will attend. We also notice that there is a lot of propaganda and hate language being churned out against our leaders.
Unfortunately, for the people engaging in this propaganda we shall never engage them in the race to the bottom.
Lastly, we wish to reiterate that it is only the people who will decide on which particular office each leader will run for when the time comes and nominations are opened. We are a party of rules and values!
Yesterday, government reported that 20 more Zimbabweans had arrived in the country aboard an Ethiopian Airways with two indicating elevated temperatures while the rest were taken to Belvedere Teachers College for mandatory quarantine.
Most of the recorded COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe have been imported with only a few local transmissions.
Recently, among a group of Zimbabweans who returned from the United Kingdom, more than three people have tested positive for the virus which has killed four in the country and more 200 000 around the world.
In a statement, Permanent Secretary in the Information Ministry, Nick Mangwana said another batch of 20 was received yesterday aboard Ethiopian Airways.
“Today we received 20 Returnees aboard Ethiopian Airways from different places. 2 indicated elevated temperatures and were taken to a health facility. The other 18 have been taken to Belvedere Teachers’ College. If a different placement is procured then they may be moved there,” Mangwana said.
He also noted that other returnees in Victoria Falls were put in at a designated quarantine centre in the resort town.
“The number of returnees at Mosi oa Tunya High School Quarantine Centre has gone up to 60. There is one person with disabilities and two minors among the returnees. There was one late arrival from Botswana last night. Today they received 8 eight from Namibia, two (20 from Botswana and one from Zambia,” Mangwana added.
FOUR people narrowly escaped death in Hwange when a five-year-old boy allegedly set fire to his elder sister’s clothes in a wardrobe before the fire spread through the eight-roomed house and burnt all property.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at a house in Empumalanga suburb.
The boy confessed that he started the fire with matches in the main bedroom while his 16-year-old sister and maid (30) were in the kitchen. A 10-year-old sibling was in a separate room and all escaped unscathed.
The siblings’ mother who was not at home when the fire broke out around 1pm, was rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital where she was admitted with shock after she collapsed upon hearing about the fire.
Hwange Local Board chief executive Mr Ndumiso Mdlalose confirmed the inferno but said he was still waiting for a detailed report from the fire brigade.
“Yes, there was a fire but I have to get a report from the fire brigade before I can comment,” he said.
Circumstances around the matter are that on Friday around 1pm, the boy who cannot be named because of his age, allegedly set fire to the family’s eight roomed house which was completely burnt.
His sister and the house maid were in the kitchen when they smelt some smoke in the house. They discovered that there was fire coming out of the main bedroom and alerted neighbours who phoned the Local Board fire brigade.
The fire fighters arrived at the house at 2pm and put out the fire but the entire house had been burnt.
Only three sofas and a kitchen table were salvaged.
Chronicle was told that the boy later told the family members that he started the fire when he used matches to burn his sister’s clothes which were in wardrobe in the main bedroom.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese encouraged members of the public to always monitor minors and ensure that offensive objects are always out of their reach. The value of the burnt property, she said, is yet to be ascertained.
Seventy-seven high profile corruption cases, with a potential prejudice of US$500 million, are being investigated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) as it deepens its fight against the vice.
ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo said this today while giving a lecture at the Zimbabwe National Defence University.
She said there have been attempts by some political forces to scuttle investigations into corruption cases, but stressed that ZACC will remain committed to fighting the scourge with fear or favour.
The city first recorded a positive case on April 8 and by April 15 the cases had risen to 10.
Five of the cases were recorded in a single day on April 15, a time when Bulawayo had the most cases in the country followed by Harare which then had eight cases.
As of yesterday morning, the city still remained with 10 positive cases, going for 12 days with no recorded positive case.
Harare was topping the list with 13 positive cases out of the 31 cases recorded nationally.
Although the country’s first case was confirmed on March 20, 2020 and involved a 38-year-old male from Victoria Falls who had returned from the United Kingdom, he self-isolated at home and so far, none of his contacts have tested positive. That patient is among the country’s five recovered cases, with four others from Mashonaland East Province.
Eight of Bulawayo’s cases could be traced to patient 11, the late Ian Hyslop (79) who lived at Qalisa Retirement Village before his death at Mater Dei Hospital, making him the first person to succumb to the virus in the city after being in contact with a United Kingdom tourist. The other positive case at Qalisa, a 79-year-old woman is said to have also met the UK tourist.
For now, the city appears to have managed to prevent further local transmissions which were threatening efforts to flatten the curve to ensure that cases remain at manageable levels to avoid overwhelming local health facilities and personnel.
Health officials say contact tracing and the lockdown has helped the city “forestall a disaster for now”.
Also, police in Bulawayo have been arresting those violating the lockdown and the city has the highest number of those arrested so far.
Council has also been pulling down vending stalls and clamping vehicles whose owners have no authority to be in the central business district as part of efforts to prevent large gatherings in the city.
In a telephone interview, acting Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo yesterday commended Bulawayo City Council’s contact tracing team for a sterling job which he said was critical in controlling the spread of the virus.
He said the number of confirmed Covid-19 positive cases in Bulawayo remained at 10.
“In terms of contact tracing, Bulawayo City health is doing a great job and is tracing the contacts of the cases that have been diagnosed to date. Contact tracing is an ongoing process and the Rapid Response Teams are going about this on a daily basis,” said Dr Mlilo.
“All Covid-19 cases in Bulawayo are now being managed at home. These cases are being followed up and managed at home until recovery. They’re all stable and doing well. Health care workers are making follow up visits to ensure that self-isolation protocols are adhered to. Health Education is being provided to the patients which improves adherence to self-isolation protocols. We are also working closely with the relevant government authorities in this regard.”
He said to ensure that Covid-19 is not discovered after death, the Ministry of Health and Child Care was stepping up screening and training of health workers.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) has stepped up screening and testing for Covid-19. Once we have enough data, then we can appreciate how well we are doing in terms of performance in managing the pandemic. This will also give guidance on the next steps and measures to be taken,” he said.
He said the ministry’s thrust on training was focused on health care worker trainings on surveillance and contact tracing, case management, infection prevention and control.
Dr Mlilo said the training is ongoing with more training scheduled this week and support was being rendered by multiple partners in the private sector.
“A number of different organisations like WHO, Save the children, MSF are partnering with MOHCC and the local authority to cascade these trainings to health workers. ZITF management under the leadership of the chairman Busisa Moyo has supported the MOHCC through availing the ZITF facilities for these trainings,” said Dr Mlilo.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said Bulawayo’s Covid-19 cases remain subdued due to the lockdown.
He warned that Bulawayo is not out of the woods yet.
Dr Ngwenya said if it were not for the lockdown announced by President Mnangagwa, positive cases in Bulawayo could be spiralling out of control.
“Remember we recorded our first case when we already had implemented the national lockdown. So, this has enabled the city’s rapid response team to effectively trace suspected cases and contain them.
“They have managed to test cases containing local transmission. If we were not on lockdown, we could have recorded thousands of cases as most of our people are not observing social distancing,” said Dr Ngwenya.
Botswana has extended locked down by another week until May 7, with the view of easing restrictions thereafter.
The diamond-rich nation went on a 28-day lockdown to keep the spread off the coronavirus in check. Botswana has 22 infections confirmed and one death so far.
Botswana leader, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said in the second week of May they would start introducing relaxed phases.
“As government our strategic focus as advised by the Covid-19 Presidential Task Force is the containment of the spread and transmission of the pandemic in the country. Therefore, the discovery of locally transmitted cases has prompted us to ramp up our testing through contact tracing,” he said in a televised national address broadcast on Btv.
He added a new cluster of Covid-19 outbreak was being investigated in Metsimotlhabe, just outside the capital Gaborone, where a total of seven Batswana tested positive for Covid-19.
The seven cases were reportedly exposed to Covid-19 prior to the national lockdown. Masisi said the outbreak in the small village has forced them to treat several surrounding public and private areas as infectious.
“It’s important to inform you that the extended lockdown also involves an exit plan which is based on the success we anticipate. The extension of the current 28 days lockdown period will be implemented in phases,” he said.
Phase one is merely a continuation of the 28-day lockdown in which all travel, schools, liquor stores and non-essential businesses were closed. He said government would develop and finalise regulations for a phased lifting lockdown rules in low risk sectors.
Phase two will start on May 8 to 14 while phased three from May 15 to 22.
Masisi said the plan to relax the lockdown would depend on the Covid-19 level remaining low and if it grows a hard lockdown would be implemented.
Botswana’s parliament okayed a six-month long state of emergency earlier this month in a bid to limit the spread of Covid-19. Masisi said 21 people were recovering and would soon be released from quarantine.
Own Correspondent|For over a month, ZimEye.com has been running a concern that Zimbabweans are dying of a rather unusual infection which the Ministry of Health and Child Care insisted to be ordinary Malaria.
In its latest reports, the Ministry disclosed that since February, 152 people have succumbed to the unusual malaria throughout the country.
What has been of major concern is that the Ministry has only been testing the concerned patients for malaria only and ignoring extending test to Coronavirus as the two diseases somehow are of extremely similar characteristics.
Communities have been up in arms with government demanding for Coronavirus testing to clear their fears and all this has been falling on deaf ears.
Government has now been caught napping after the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Zimbabwe’s biggest referral hospital revealed on Monday morning that they discovered that one of the patients who was being treated for malaria was actually Covid-19 positive.
Below is the statement that the hospital released on Tuesday morning on the issue.
As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against COVID- 19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a COVID-19 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on 24 April 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The patient had responded well to the malaria treatment and was due for discharge. As management, we have since activated the COVID-19 Rapid Response Team and we are taking the following measures:
1. Continued isolation of the confirmed case in his private room while awaiting for discharge formalities and recovery at home where he will be followed up.
2. Ensuring safety of staff and other patients through strengthened Infection Prevention and Control measures. Exposed staff will be counselled, tested and managed accordingly.
3. Giving psychosocial support to the exposed staff.
4. Decontamination will be done in accordance with national guidelines.
5. Testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those A need.
6. Refurbishment of the Premier COVID-19 Treatment Centre A Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is almost complete. As such, the hospital will soon be able to admit COVID-19 patients.
By Own Correspondent|Informal traders and residents have filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court seeking an order to stop local and central government from demolishing their vending stalls and tuckshops across the country.
In an application filed on Sunday 26 April 2020 by Dr Tarisai Mutangi and Moses Nkomo of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the informal traders and residents together with some residents associations, protested that the widespread demolition of tuckshops, vending stalls and other property belonging to or used by small and medium enterprises and informal traders by local and central government personnel was unlawful and should be stopped immediately.
The informal traders, residents and residential associations represented by Chitungwiza Residents Trust and Kushinga Epworth Residents Association, which have some members, who are individual owners and users of tuckshops and vending stalls, want the High Court to interdict local authorities and central government from demolishing any tuckshops and vending stalls.
Local and central government authorities have been demolishing informal traders’ market stalls and tuckshops across the country after Moyo issued Circular Minute 3 of 2020 addressed to leaders of local authorities advising them of a recent Cabinet resolution and instructing them to “take advantage of the national lockdown to clean up and renovate small and medium enterprises and informal traders’ workspaces” and implored them “to make every effort to comply with the resolution”.
In purported compliance with Moyo’s circular, local authorities and their associations by way of random verbal announcement, supposedly notified owners and users of tuckshops and vending stalls to pull down their tuckshops and vending stalls or face demolition and immediately commenced destruction of properties.
The informal traders and residents argued that Moyo’s circular is unlawful as it was not issued in terms of any provision of the law and that there is no law which requires local authorities to execute Cabinet resolutions outside the provisions of the applicable laws. The unlawful instruction, the residents and informal traders charged, appears to have been taken seriously by some local authorities which commenced demolitions in an apparent compliance with Moyo’s circular.
Informal traders and residents argued that the demolition of tuckshops and vending stalls by local authorities amounts to compulsory deprivation of property in violation of the fundamental right to property enshrined in section 71 of the Constitution to the extent that the affected owners and users of tuckshops and vending stalls pay fees and levies to local authorities and had not consented to the pulling down of their properties.
Local authorities, the informal traders and residents said, have been indiscriminately demolishing tuckshops and vending stalls without any consultation with the affected citizens including those who have been paying fees and levies to councils. By demanding such fees and rates, local authorities do acknowledge the legal existence of the affected vending stalls and tuckshops and cannot suddenly deem them illegal structures, the informal traders charged.
The informal traders and residents said local councils have not complied with section 199(3) of the Urban Councils Act, which requires proper notice of any proposed demolition of illegal structure to be given to the owner of such a structure, a provision which provides for an appeal against the notice to be filed with the Administrative Court within 28 days, during which period no action may be taken on the basis of the notice until the appeal is either determined or abandoned.
Moyo’s circular, the residents and informal traders charged, is a blatant violation of the lockdown measures announced by government through Statutory Instrument 83 of 2020 as it necessitates the congregation of people among them vendors and local authorities’ personnel at the vending stalls and tuckshop sites to carry out the instructions issued by local councils thus exposing citizens to infection by the deadly coronavirus.
Furthermore, local authority employees deployed to carry out the illegal demolitions of vending stalls and tuckshops, the residents and informal traders argued, were doing so in their regular workplace attires contrary to the instruction in Moyo’s circular and World Health Organisation Guidelines that they ought to put on personal protective equipment to prevent contracting and spreading coronavirus.
Residents and informal traders noted that the workers conducting the demolitions have not been declared as essential service employees as required by the law and that the demolition of citizens’ only source of legitimate livelihood, especially as government is struggling to provide social support to those in need of it due to resource constraints exacerbated by inability of people to work during the national lockdown, does not meet the definition of essential service and can wait.
The informal traders said the state, with all its might and resources, can always clear up and renovate workspaces without violating the fundamental rights of its citizens and moreover, Moyo’s circular did not mandate local authorities to demolish any structures, but simply requires them to clear and renovate and hence it is possible for them to rearrange small to medium enterprises’ workspaces without demolitions.
Farai Dziva|Four Ghanaian soccer players were reportedly swindled by a Cameroonian man masquerading as an agent and are still stuck in the sugar producing town of Chiredzi amid the extended lockdown.
The four Adjetey, Peter Tibila (24), John Adu Poku (22) and Nelson Adenyo (23) sold their valuables in Ghana for air tickets to try their luck with a Zimbabwean team they were told was named Khaya Africa Football Club and according to the fake agent, only identified as Oliver, the so called outfit would pay them signing on fees of up to $US10 000 each plus winning bonuses of US$2000, only for the four to realize upon arrival that the team doesn’t even exist.
One of the them, 23 year-old Francis Adjetey, opened up on how a said to be promising and lucrative move to Zimbabwe has now turned into a nightmare.
“When we arrived in Zimbabwe, we discovered that there was no such team as Khaya Africa FC. After we touched down at the airport we met Gomba and Energy Zava and we were told that we should imme- diately pay US$250 each for logis- tics which included work permits. They managed to collect a total of US$800 from all of us,” he told NewsDay.
“They went on to tell us that we are going to a nice club house with free WiFi. They bought us soft drinks and chips.
That was all we got for that day. What surprised us was that they were stopping to buy beer at every bottlestore along the way until we got to Chiredzi.
We were taken to a local lodge where we were left for the night with- out food despite our pleas, only for them to come back at about mid- day the following day.”
“We want the whole world to know that these guys are just conmen. The authorities should investigate this issue because I feel there is an element of human trafficking. We are the third batch of Ghanaian players who went through this kind of ordeal and some have since returned home.
Only a few are here. One is playing for Green Fuel FC while the other is at Chiredzi Stars FC,” said Adjetey.
By A Correspondent| Workers at a Chinese Gold mine in Sanyati are updating ZimEye following a police investigation over how they were subjected to dodgy Coronavirus tests that have left some of them totally blind.
The incidents investigated by ZimEye.com earlier in the month, also drew attention of Ministry of Health officials who traveled to the mine 2 weeks ago and ordered the practice to stop. While the act was initially reported to ZimEye as involving infra-red light machines, other workers the following week updated saying it was more than that, one of them endured bleeding fingers, saying he almost lost them.
Update comments from the police and the ministry of Health were awaited at the time of writing, but not forthcoming.
Others however are complaining about itching eyes, while others say they can no longer see. One of them narrates the matter in the below voice note:
“Chinese people are too clever gogo, the machine they brought to test Corona. It has now affected people, we are now asking them why their machine affects people, causing blindness.
CHINESE GOLD MINE SANYATI SUBJECTED US TO DODGY COVID TESTS THAT HAVE LEFT SOME OF US BLIND https://t.co/E8ISdubTMc
“We shall see how far this goes, right now I am waiting for the doctor.
“Right now, one of them is Sepo and many others they are the ones who were affected. It was two weeks ago.
“They were affected for over 2 to 3 days, but others the problem has continued.
“Others we recovered.
“So this is the problem we have. This is the story, we will tell you later how it goes.”
“So right now I have come to the Chinese company we were working. How it all happened – they came with a machine saying they wanted to test Coronavirus, so the machine began affecting people.
“Others got affected, and the company was reported to the police, so today we have come to Kadoma, so we get assessed.”
Former Warriors striker Tendai Ndoro has said he does not mind not being paid for months provided the money goes towards the fight against Covid-19.
Ndoro plies his trade for Highlands Park in the South African top flight where many clubs have taken the stance of pay cuts for their players and employees, a suggestion which has generated a lot of debate but Ndoro has taken a radical attitude competely, suggesting that even not get anything is still fine.
“I don’t mind if Highlands Park can go 4 months without paying my salary, aslong they use that money to help on Covid19. Stay home, save lives,” wrote the former Orlando Pirates man on Twitter.-Soccer 24
Rampant corruption, maladministration, lack of accountability in form of missing money, flawed or non-existent accounts, forged transfers and registration documents, rigged elections, age manipulation, match-fixing, gambling, violence and intolerance among other ills, are the order of the day in African football in general and Zimbabwean football in particular. In Zimbabwe, these negative practices are very evident in both primary and secondary schools in the administration and practice of the games.This clearly shows that there is overwhelming evidence of absence of Ubuntu in African soccer today.
For millions of people in Africa, poverty is their daily bread and for these, the importance of beautiful game cannot be underestimated.
Football has the power to create riches from rugs, unity out of division, joy from sadness and bring welcome to a continent bursting with problems. The fact that soccer is followed by millions of people in Africa and the world makes it a potentially fertile ground for for impacting positively upon the people by embracing Ubuntu values.
The missing link is that Ubuntu is absent in the administration and practices of football in Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular.
Shutte(2001) explains that Ubuntu is an African philosophy which states that being human is to be able to live with others.It emphasizes on relatedness and inclusion of others and thus considers group success above the individual.
The philosophy of Ubuntu is best captured in aphorism; ubuntu ngumuntu ngabantu(Ndebele/Zulu) or kunzi munhu vanhu(Shona) translated, ” a person is a person through other persons”.
Shutte(1993) adds that to be human is to affirm one’s humanity by recognizing the humanity of others in it’s infinity variety of content and form.
The current state of football administration and practice in Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular clearly highlights the erosion of Ubuntu both at junior and senior levels.
Samkange and Samkange (1980) explain that emphasis in traditional African societies was on the transmission of Ubuntu values, which aimed at producing products that fitted well into a well-organized social and political system, developing social cohesion and human relations.
On the contrary, as a result of colonization, the thrust on Ubuntu among Africans was heavily compromised as Carlin in Sichermann(1995) observès that “colonial education was a day in day out practice which was true subversion of the African mind, the breaking down of mental tissues, their reconstruction in western mode, re-ordering of thoughts, feelings, habits, responses, of every aspect of the mind and personality.”
Kanu(2007) further observes that since independence, education in Africa has been the characterized by the same western instrumental, technical and human capital approach which rests on the assumption that formal education is highly instrumental in improving productive capacity of population without putting emphasis on Ubuntu philosophy.
The columnist, therefore argues that the rain started beating us in African football where we abandoned the Ubuntu philosophy.
The challenges being faced in football administration and practice at both junior and senior levels in Zimbabwe and Africa such as corruption, maladministration, age-manipulation and violence among ills, are a result of the exclusion of Ubuntu in administration and practice.
The columnist Mugova Benjamin Makanyire is a football enthusiast, football junior and top flight coach, Fifa grassroots coaching ambassador,sports medicine practitioner, educationist.
Fifa has proposed that teams should be allowed to make up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, to help cope with the return to action amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The substitutions will be allowed at a maximum of three slots plus the half-time interval to avoid unnecessary stoppages.
The idea will help teams to counter fatigue due to possible fixture congestion coming after the restart of the campaign.
Fifa confirmed this on Monday in a press release which read: “Each team would now be given the possibility to use up to five substitutions during the match, with the possibility of an additional substitution remaining during extra time, where relevant.”
Meanwhile, the proposal will have to be approved by soccer’s rule-making body IFAB and the final decision would rest with competition organisers.-Soccer 24
The MDC Alliance notes with great concern the precarious situation concerning Zimbabwean citizens in foreign countries during this time when the Covid-19 pandemic is causing havoc around the world.
Being away from home is hard enough; it is far worse during conditions of unprecedented crisis.
We would like to pay tribute to fellow citizens who have lost their lives to the pandemic. Each day, we receive distressing news of yet more deaths.
This is a terrible time for families, losing their loved ones and breadwinners to the pandemic. The majority, as we understand it, are frontline healthcare staff. As in war, they are dying in the line of duty.
They are being described quite rightly as heroes in the family of humankind. We honour them.
Their untimely departure is a great loss to our nation for they are not just breadwinners for their families. They are community champions too who never forgot where they came from.
The remittances they send from the Diaspora have been a great lifeline for our economy.
In the spirit of ubuntu, every time one of us dies, we are left poorer as a community.
We are also aware that hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens find themselves stuck and stranded in neighbouring countries.
With countries enforcing lockdowns around the world, many of our fellow citizens find themselves without jobs, incomes and access to food.
Being foreigners, some of them undocumented, they are excluded from the support being given to citizens in those countries.
These are terrible conditions at any given time, made far worse during a pandemic. We empathise with them and call upon fellow citizens who are better-placed to extend a hand of assistance where possible.
We also call upon our sister countries to exercise compassion and empathy and to treat foreigners in distress the same way they would treat their own citizens.
It is a time of crisis and again, in the time-honoured spirit of ubuntu, it is right to treat others humanely, their circumstances notwithstanding.
Even in war, humankind has established rules and norms to protect those who find themselves in positions of vulnerability.
That said, we must face our harsh reality as a nation.
Our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora are not there and facing these challenges out of free choice.
If they had an easy choice, they would never have left home in the first place.
It is common knowledge that they were forced by our home-grown crisis to leave the country and eke out a living in foreign lands.
If they are not political refugees, they are certainly economic refugees.
There was a time when an average Zimbabwean did not need to have a passport. This was because the country was generally able to provide for its citizens.
Now it is an essential possession and getting one is a struggle. This is because of the broken state of our economy and the accompanying political crisis.
They have made conditions unbearable, forcing many to flee away leaving their families behind not out of choice, but out of necessity.
Their loss and their predicament may be on account of the COVID19 pandemic, but the real cause is the political and economic crises authored by the ZANU PF regime.
They are victims of a catalogue of greed, corruption and incompetence which has reduced our country to a farcical state.
As we mourn and bury our fellow citizens, and as we seek to help those who are stuck and stranded in foreign lands, let us not forget that they never needed to be out there but for the gross mismanagement, callousness and misrule of the ZANU PF regime.
As Zimbabweans, we indeed face a double pandemic – one caused by COVID19 and another authored by ZANU PF. Both pose an existential threat to our nation. We have to remain steadfast and escalate the struggle.
As long as the current clueless regime is in charge of national affairs, we will remain in a political and economic morass.
May God bless and protect you all in these challenging times.
Please do not forget to wash your hands; to practice social distancing and to stay at home. Be thy brother’s and sister’s keeper.
Politics can only be transacted where there is human life and as a party, we are putting a premium on the sanctity of human life in the wake of this pandemic.
Gladys Hlatywayo MDC Alliance Secretary for International Relations
By A Correspondent| Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals recently discovered that a malaria patient is COVID-19 positive forcing the hospital to activate the COVID-19 rapid response team as well as taking several precautionary measures.
In a statement, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals said the COVID-19 rapid response team was activated as part of the mitigatory measures to curb the spread of the virus.
“As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against COVID-19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a COVID-19 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on the 24th of April 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. the patient had responded well to malaria treatment and was due for discharge,” said the hospital.
The hospital revealed that it had undertaken several measures after this development which include continued isolation of the confirmed case in his private room while awaiting for discharge formalities.
The state media reported that the patient will be discharged and taken to his home where he will be followed, ensuring the safety of staff and other patients through strengthened infection prevention and control measures.
“Exposed staff will be counselled, tested and managed accordingly. Giving psychosocial support to the exposed staff, decontamination will be done in accordance with national guidelines, testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those in need, refurbishment of the Premier COVID-19 treatment centre at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is almost complete. as such, the hospital will soon be able to admit covid19 patients,” said the hospital.-Statemedia
Ngezi Platinum captain Frank Makarati has revealed they are doing online training sessions which are being monitored by the technical staff.
Makarati said every player is required to send videos to a platform for a review by the coaches.
“In line with social distancing we are training from home. We have accepted that this is the situation we surviving in so it should not stop us from training.
“Every player got their individual training from the coaches, programmes are set online all we do is to comply.
We are doing visual trainings. Players are sending video of what they are tasked to do to show that they are following instructions.
“We are doing online sessions for us to stay fit because it’s important for an athlete to stay in shape also there’s no one who knows when the virus is going to end, anytime anything can happen games can start.
“Those sessions are the same with what we do together in the field, the only difference there is that it’s done individually from home.”
He said they have adapted and embraced life under lockdown. The lockdown was extended with further 14 days after the lapse of 21 days last Sunday.
“Covid-19 has affected everyone in the world but we are following the Presidential directive as a team to stop the spread of the virus.”
Makarati, however, said the situation is hurting them financially as most players depend on winning bonuses and allowances “I can say the lockdown has affected us financially as players.
When things are normal we get winning bonuses and some other allowances which add up to the salary. If there are no games those allowances does not exist of which the salary alone is not enough, but for now we only focusing on basics.
Things are not balancing but there is nothing we can do except to adjust and meet the budget,” he added.- H-Metro
It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses.
Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.
This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Is it safe to receive a package from any area where COVID-19 has been reported?
Yes. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Credit :WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses.
Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.
This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Is it safe to receive a package from any area where COVID-19 has been reported?
Yes. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Credit :WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
