The ZBC Board has appointed Non-Executive Director Helliate Rushwaya as Acting CEO.
Helliate Rushwaya
In an announcement, the public broadcaster said:
The ZBC Board has resolved to second Non-Executive Director, Ms. Helliate Rushwaya, to the post of Acting CEO till a CEO is appointed in a substantive capacity. This is due to the fact that the incumbent had been serving in an acting capacity for over the recommended 6 months.
Rushwaya holds an MSc in International events management with a focus on broadcasting mega events.
She has worked at BBC Scotland and was Project Manager for the Host Broadcaster of the Commonwealth Games 2014. She also worked with the Host Broadcaster for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 in Harare.
She was appointed to the current ZBC board in 2019.
School pupils in Madagascar have been told they face expulsion if they refuse to drink a herbal tea their president claims prevents and cures Covid-19.
Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar’s populist leader, this week launched “COVID-organics” amid great fanfare, particularly on the radio and television stations he owns.
Developed from plants found in abundance on the Indian Ocean island, COVID-organics had allowed Madagascar to succeed where all other countries had failed, he said.
Not only would the product stop anyone who drank it from developing the virus, it would heal anyone who had caught it within seven days, the president told reporters. Two people had already been cured, he added.
“We can change the history of the entire world,” Mr Rajoelina said as he drank the first dose of the wonder drug. “Madagascar has been chosen by God.”
The product is being rapidly circulated on the island state. Soldiers in the capital Antananarivo went door-to-door on Thursday doling out sachets of COVID-organics, which can either be bought by the bottle or in powdered form to be mixed with water.
Not everyone has been as enthusiastic. Both the National Academy of Medicine of Madagascar and the World Health Organisation have expressed their concern, noting that there was no evidence to support claims it could cure the virus.
Clinical tests on the drug are understood to have involved just 20 volunteers and to have been conducted over a week.
Some Malagasy have also been sceptical. When schools re-opened on Wednesday after the Easter holidays, pupils were reportedly given the product and told that they had no choice but to drink it.
The parents of a 14-year-old boy in Antananarivo said their son had been told “to take it or leave”. Patrick Raharimanana, a senior opposition figure and former presidential candidate, alleged that some pupils had already been expelled for refusing to take the medicine.
A senior adviser to the president said that younger children would not be required undertake the COVID-organics course without parental consent.
None of the ingredients in the product is believed to be harmful.
It is chiefly derived from sweet wormwood and Ravensara. Sweet wormwood, a species of the artemisia genus that includes tarragon and mugwort, is known to have anti-malarial properties while Ravensara contains essential oils known to have medicinal qualities.
Several other world leaders, including Donald Trump, have advanced the unproven theory that another anti-malarial, hydroxychloroquine, can inoculate against the new coronavirus.
Mr Rajoelina’s television station, Viva, has sought to promote COVID-organics by screening a documentary featuring a Brazilian prophet allegedly predicting in November that a terrible disease would sweep the world but that Madagascar would save it.
Madagascar has recorded just 121 confirmed cases of COVID-19. No deaths have been reported.
By A Correspondent- Norton MP Temba Mliswa has donated groceries to s_ex workers in his constituency in a move aimed at easing their food challenges during the Lockdown period.
The Dictator of North Korea, Kim Kong, has been reported dead. The said leader was said to have a heart condition for some time and had to under a heart surgery. It is said that the heart surgery he had recently undergone left him in a “grave” condition. This is a shock to the people of North Korea as their Leader passes away.
However, the authenticity of this information has to be confirmed as this information did not come from a news agency in North Korean but from a news agency in China. A Beijing-backed satellite TV channel reported that the Korean Leader, Kim Jong, is dead. The Deputy director of the Beijing backed satellite Television, who is a very influential person in China and the niece of the Chinese foreign minister, reported that this information was disseminated to her from a ‘very solid source’, therefore the announcement that Kim Jong had passed away.
North Korea on the other hand did not release such news, neither was there any rumor amongst the North Koreans. No media outlet in the western world has received such and there remains no confirmation from North Korea, to certify that their Leader, Kim Jong, is dead.
There also was a viral image circulating on several social media platforms, showing the North Korean Leader, Kim Jong, lying dead in a glass coffin. Thought the image’s authenticity (to know if that wasn’t a made-up image) cannot be determined, the release by the Chinese news agency tends to approve that Leader Kim Jong Un, is dead.
If the Korean Leader, Kim Jong, really is dead, why was this information not released by the North Koreans, but came from China? Is it that, the North Koreans where trying to hide the information that their Leader is dead? If they were, then why? How come china is reporting such with claims that a ‘very solid source’ leaked this information and who is the source? There are many questions that need to be answered and so much to be clarified.
THE Covid-19 death toll among United Kingdom based Zimbabwean frontline workers against the pandemic continues to increase with yet another country health expatriate Herbert Chinzou succumbing to the dreaded ailment, this according to a social media post from Zimbabweans in the UK.
Below is a message shared on social media by the “Ladies of UK” and some images of the late Chinzou taken with wife and kids.
April 23 April 2020. A member of the SANDF is chasing illegal border crossers who want to buy food in SA from Zimbabwe these ladies come to the border line to see if they can’t ask those who are passing to Mussina to help them buy food. They vow that they are not and will never cut the 40KM R37m fence that is constructed on the border of the South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Sunday Times|A stream of people illegally transporting groceries and cigarettes between SA and Zimbabwe this week laughed off SA’s hastily constructed R37m border fence as a “joke”.
The Sunday Times visited Beitbridge, where the border post between the two countries has been closed to nonessential traffic in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
“This is not a fence,” laughed Busani Sibanda, moments after crossing the Limpopo River into SA.
“This thing doesn’t even take me five minutes to cut through. We make big holes so we can get suitcases with cigarettes through and small ones so we can get people and groceries through.”
Soldiers who patrol the fence admit they are fighting a losing battle trying to stem the flow of people across the border.
So far the department of public works has paid R21m to Magwa Construction for the 40km fence. At 1.8m high, it consists of six rolls of coiled razor wire and a razor wire grid.
The fence has been slated by governance experts as a “knee-jerk reaction” to seal off the border because of the Covid-19 crisis.
“The speed and timing point to concerns around gaps in planning and how these Covid-19 projects are being thought out and implemented,” said Sean Tait of the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, which monitors police accountability and governance in Africa.
The contract is to be investigated by auditor-general Kimi Makwetu for alleged procurement irregularities.
Makwetu this week said special measures need to be introduced to stop much-needed public funds from landing in the wrong pockets.
He has pledged to dispatch a team of auditors from his office to assist the government in preventing looting of the R500bn emergency coronavirus budget.
He cautioned that this budget was going to be spent through a system already plagued by “internal weakness, especially in the area of procurement”.
This week the Sunday Times spent three days on the border watching smugglers and ordinary Zimbabweans stream between the two countries, carrying groceries and contraband such as cigarettes.
Sibanda charges R500 to help someone cross the fence. He charges R2, 000 for arranging food purchases in Musina — the closest South African town to the border — and deliveries.
“We work in big teams. It takes about 40 of us 20 minutes to take a bakkie-load of food across the river. If the army brings their dogs, we move to where the fence ends and walk around it.”
A soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Not everyone coming across the river is a criminal. Most are starving. We find mothers who, when we arrest them, beg us not to send them home. They beg to be taken somewhere where they can eat.”
He said instead of closing the border, which has not stopped people crossing, the government should open it and test everyone who crosses for the virus.
The fence follows a servitude road patrolled by soldiers, police, private security firms and anti-poaching units.
It was erected over three weeks by Magwa Construction, which was carrying out maintenance work at the Beitbridge border post when the national lockdown was declared in late March.
Magwa’s Bertram Pringle said: “Our internal auditors are here. The external auditors are coming. SA will soon know that we did nothing wrong.
Kawia Rural Anti-Poaching owner Izak Nel, who conducts security for the contractors, said the fence breaches were really bad, especially on the eastern fence section.
“Last week my guys found 90 steel fence poles, which were taken from a 1km section of fence, in a donkey cart. They were about to be smuggled across the border.
“On Tuesday 22 holes were cut, with 14 on Wednesday. The breaches happen every day, all the time, especially during the day. That shows people’s desperation.”
Farmer Hannes Nel, whose property borders the fence, has been fighting for the fence to be repaired and upgraded. He said that though it addressed some security issues, it had been erected without any proper thought.
“The border closure cut people off from Musina, where they buy food supplies. People will do anything to feed their families, including cutting through the fence,” he said.
Mother of two Tracey Mabua, speaking moments after crossing the Limpopo River, said it cost her R3,000 to smuggle food into Zimbabwe.
“I don’t want to break the law but I have to. We are starving. The food our shops sell is too expensive. A 50kg bag of mealie meal costs R500. In Musina it is R150,” she said.
Jakkie Cilliers of the Institute for Security Studies said the current fencing system and lack of additional security systems reflect how far the country has rolled backwards since the 1980s, “when for all its mistakes and issues the country had an effective border management system, which has now fallen into disuse”.
“It is a complete waste of money to put up such a border fence unless it is under constant control and surveillance with patrols who are backed up by reaction forces,” said Cilliers.
Tait said that border security needs to be tightened up, but there needs to be careful management of and oversight over how the money is spent.
“Like the Strandfontein shelter for the homeless in Cape Town, the border fence construction raises questions,” he said.
“There are a number of things about how the government has responded to Covid-19 that need to be investigated.”
Eldred de Klerk, a comparative policing and social conflict specialist at the African Centre for Security and Intelligence Praxis, said: “We need to be spending the money very wisely, and in a targeted manner.”
He said a rudimentary border fence, which in extraordinary times could be seen as a stopgap measure, may not be a deterrent on its own.
Public works & infrastructure minister Patricia de Lille, whose department approved the construction, later asked the auditor-general to probe possible irregularities.
In e-mailed responses to questions from the Sunday Times this week, De Lille said critical areas relating to land borders, which need immediate securing, have been identified.
“The intervention was to ensure no persons cross into or out of the country … to contain the virus,” said De Lille.
“Magwa is appropriately qualified and was already working on a repair and maintenance project at Beitbridge. The overall sum, funded through the department’s infrastructure budget, covers materials; disposal of old damaged fence, accelerated construction, additional security.”
She said the fence, which was completed on April 20 as planned, was considered urgent because of the state of disaster that had been proclaimed.
By Josphat “Mzaca” Ngulube|Why was Josphat Mzaca Ngulube incarcerated? Now am free to talk about it because i was tried and found guilty for nothing! Josphat Mzaca Ngulube didn’t burn Zanu Pf cars or participated on what he was accused for!
On the day 14th of January 2019 he had gone for the burial of his grandfather Jimmy Ngulube at Athlone Cemetery and the burial order, funeral pictures and videos was produced as evidence in court. I want to tell fellow friends and Zimbabweans at large that your leader was arrested for nothing but only to be persecuted for being a political activists and a youthful leader who is destined for uniting and leading Zimbabwe at National level. I am a National leader not a regional leader as i have proved to you in my previous campaigns.I believe in unity and oneness for Zimbabweans. We should be brothers and sisters as citizens of this beloved nation but our leaders do not like it! They always want to label people so that they fuel tribalism and rule over a divided nation that will not see things the same way and fight for one purpose that will get rid of them. The 5months i spent in prison was an unfair one even though i am now a very strong and matured politician, l was initially at Khami remand prison transferred to Chikurubi Maximum and finally at Harare Central Prison where i was discharged from.
The whole thing was not fair from the time we were arrested last year January, The car that picked up the suspects was a CIO white mazda twin cab that had two black boots policeman with guns at the back of the truck, and two Zanupf supporters Geraldine Ndabambi and Tapiwa who were sitted on the back sits with tinted windows, they went around Sizinda pointing at Opposition members particularly Mdc that are very active on party activities and were turned suspects of the case of public violence and burning of two Zanupf cars. Out of 13 suspects two were said to be Zanupf G40 youths.It was Eva Bitu former Zanupf Bulawayo provincial chairlady who came out on National TV telling the nation that her two party vehicles were burnt by G40 youths and i have never been a Zanupf member and never been G40. She said this when she was sober minded and telling the truth just after the incident had happened and thats why Marshall Mpofu former Dj and Minehle Zanupf youths suspected to be G40 were among suspects.
We were just picked up without arresting officer no investigations and there was no investigating officer on our case. After days from 14 January the issue was hijacked but sinior party members who used it for getting rid of Josphat Mzaca Ngulube a threat in the 2023 parliamentary elections. I was called and surrendered myself to Tshabalala police station and was made a suspect on the 17th of January 2019. The case was used to eliminate political threats at Bulawayo south constituency,thats why Eva Bitu and all state witnesses denied their initial police statements in court and labeled police officers who recorded them as liers.
There is nothing that could have stopped Eva Bitu from lying and framing for Sizinda people, when she was staying with a state vehicle when she was just a Zanupf Boss not a government servant and she didn’t deny that in court. Oh what corruption is that? When government departments are struggling to function a party member with no drivers license had just parked cars to be used as pull vehicles.
Now i beg to differ with Chief Justice Malaba who came out gunblazing last year saying judiciary is not captured when someone can be convicted with no compelling reasons and given tongue waging sentence for public violence he did not commit,
Why was Bulawayo Magistrates courts were refusing with my record of proceedings for my bail application, it took them to be ordered by judicial service commission in Harare for them to release my record in just a week after my family and my lawyers tried to no avail wth local authorities at Bulawayo Tredgold magistrate court. Is it politics or corruption? What inefficiency and incompetence is that? Going to Harare was a blessing in disguise for me because i learnt a lot of things, this is where i penned a letter to the Secretary Judicial service commission Madam F. MASHURE who ordered release of my record of proceedings and it was released very fast l do not know where to say corrupt or incompetent servants. I edge all those with problems with courts to visit judicial services commission they are doing a great job and there is no one who is above the law. Again when my bail took 5weeks to be heard when it was filed on 13th of March 2020,procedural it was supposed to be heard in 48hours because my notice of appeal was filed within stipulated time of 10 days after i was sentenced last year November 21 2019,but it was heard after 840 hours.
We cant be marginalized on justice again as a region courts in Bulawayo should function the same way as Harare Mr Chief Justice Luke Malaba, if the judges are overloaded in Bulawayo at more they are a lot of judges in waiting recruit and serve Nation. Bail applications in Bulawayo are very stressing to be got especially by those who are in prison, because now there is now a way of applying even when you are in prison and its called self actor, in Harare the prisoners are respected of their rights to justice and the process is very fast, Judges should give deserving people bail its a right not a privilege.When i applied for review of my case last year after discharge at the close of state case i was not responded my high court Bulawayo until i was convicted and sentenced by the Magistrate Tinashe Tashaya i had queries and was violating my rights as someone who was on trial Chief Malaba you should probe the inefficiencies at Bulawayo courts,we are all Zimbabweans and we deserve same treatment whether in Bulawayo or Harare.
It is my observation that Zanupf is strategically deploying some judicial workers in Matebeleland to persecute any uprising leader in the region. I challenge the leadership of President Mnangagwa to be very careful with unity and Gukurahundi issue that they are trying to address once and for all. Leaders from Matebeleland have been abused arrested, jailed and killed badly in the past from Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, Lookout Masuku, Dabengwa, Siwela, Mzila, Cain Nkala, Gunda, Ntuta, Chief Ndiweni, Zenzele Ndebele, Moyo,Gazi Mbuso Fuzwayo to mention a few, Josphat Mzaca Ngulube is now a victim of the same thing. How do expect to deal with Matebeleland issues if you still fight them like Mugabe time? People are not happy with what you are doing!
The issue of Gukurahundi should be addressed by the current leadership at Zanupf because Mugabe is gone and if you fail to address it it will haunt the next generation to come, Mr President and your comrades you are not genuine with this Gukurahundi issue but very soon most of you God will rest you and you would have left a time bomb to your children and grandchildren. The only wrong history about Zimbabwe is the one tgat that you teach our kids at schools but the Gukurahundi history we were taught by our parents lives and its still painful. We are the leaders who should listen and be engaged properly and seek a way of addressing Gukurahundi issue amicably.Above all you need to apologize to Matebeleland people and compansate people not this barbaric and unrespectful way tthat is rushed by abazukulu bethu oJenny engawabiza amadlozi akwethu? Angabupheka utshwala?We don’t want short cuts to Gukurahundi issue.
When i went to defense of my case its when the court was degenerated in a Zanupf head office and my case was more of a Zanupf hearing and the professional exchanged his books to party loyalty, The Bulawayo based minister paid for my incarceration and paid all the for civil servants to sit on my papers. My sentence was cooked to make me to be released after elections of 2023,
My case was cooked and was political persecuted for being an activist and staying in Sizinda.the police and even the state intelligence knew it that i was never there and never committed the crime i was given.Thanks to high court for giving me a bail and am ready for actual appeal.
For the deep injury caused by Eva Bitu and other Zanupf supporters to heal i have forgiven them, Bitu you are my mother in Sizinda be truthful and love all your kids in Sizinda the same way.I accepted the apology you made to families after you went sober about the case.May God bless Bulawayo South and we stay in peace and learn to tolerate each other on political grounds!
Senegalese authorities have confirmed reports that they are expecting anti-Covid-19 traditional medicine from Madagascar where the locally prepared potion is being promoted as a remedy to the Coronavirus.
Government spokesperson Abdou Latif Coulibaly told public broadcaster RTS that Senegal was ready to test the “miracle” drug, officially known as Covid-Organics.
The Covid-Organics is a herbal concoction prepared by researchers from the Madagascan Institute for Applied Research (IMRA), which has cured 60 patients, according to officials in the Island country.
“Covid-Organics will be used in prophylaxis, that is to say in preventive, but clinical observations have shown a tendency to its curative effectiveness,” said Dr. Charles Andrianjara, director general of IMRA.
Madagascan president Andry Rajoelina drank the liquid in front of cameras during a public presentation in the country’s capital Antananarivo a few days ago.
Senegal president Macky Sall and his DR Congo counterpart Felix Tshisekedi have shown support for the project.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO), which did not attend the launch of the drug, noted that there is currently “no evidence” that the potion can “prevent or cure the disease”.
Marvelous Nakamba and his Aston Villa team-mates have accepted a 25% pay cut for four months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Premier League club’s CEO Christian Purslow confirmed the news in a statement on Saturday evening.
The first-team coaches and senior management will also get wage deferrals.
“First-team players, first-team coaches and senior management have all agreed to defer 25 per cent of their salaries for four months to assist the club during this period of uncertainty,” Purslow said.
He added that a further review would take place at the end of the initial four-month period.
Nakamba is believed to be taking home at least US$68,000 per week in wages.
Meanwhile, Villa becomes the latest EPL club to announce a pay cut for players and coaching staff after Southampton, West Ham United, Watford and Sheffield United.- Soccer 24
South African football legend Jomo Sono says he is against the idea of not finishing the season and give the title to Kaizer Chiefs by virtue of being top of the log.
The Absa Premiership season was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus and its return has been delayed due to the escalating situation in the country.
Speaking on SAFM, as cited by Goal, Sono believes Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane would rightfully complain should the PSL decide to crown Amakhosi the 2019/20 champions.
Sundowns are lying in second place on the log with 44 points, just four behind Chiefs plus a game in hand.
“We don’t want people to turn around say, ‘Khoza had to give the league to Kaizer [Motaung] because they are friends’,” he said.
“And where does it leave Pitso? Pitso won’t keep quiet, day and night, and he’d be right because he wants to finish the league.
“He believes he can win the league and he’s got a chance of winning the league.”- Soccer 24
Farai Dziva|MDC MP for Mutasa South, Regai Tsunga has related how he was harassed and humiliated by police details last week.
Tsunga was arrested for “unnecessary movement” as he distributed mealie meal to the needy in the constituency.
Tsunga, quoted by NewsDay, said : “My councillor in ward 11 Farai Bhiza was taking names of residents who wanted to be assisted with subsidised roller meal that government had not still delivered after the 21-day lockdown phase.
I arrived at the scene at the conclusion of this exercise and within minutes, police officers arrived. I got out of my truck to greet the police officers who had positioned themselves around a section of the parking lot at Mac’s Business Centre in ward 11.
I was promptly ordered to jump onto the nearby police truck to Mutare Central Police Station because I was under arrest along with councillor Bhiza and other residents.”
He added: I was charged with unnecessary movement. My lawyer Innocent Gonese argued for me, but the police were adamant. Under protest, I paid $500 for my release. In my view, it was unreasonable to arrest me for doing work in my constituency. An area MP cannot be said to be moving unnecessarily in area that he represents in Parliament.
I had not strayed out of the constituency; I was implementing a local food security and nutrition programme to ameliorate the suffering of our people arising from COVID-19 and the attendant lockdown As we speak, government has still not made door-to-door mealie-meal sales as promised and people face starvation.”
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus.
The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person.
Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets.
This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.
WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.
Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be transmitted through the air?
Studies to date suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air.
Can COVID-19 be caught from a person who has no symptoms?
The main way the disease spreads is through respiratory droplets expelled by someone who is coughing. The risk of catching COVID-19 from someone with no symptoms at all is very low. However, many people with COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms.
This is particularly true at the early stages of the disease. It is therefore possible to catch COVID-19 from someone who has, for example, just a mild cough and does not feel ill.
WHO is assessing ongoing research on the period of transmission of COVID-19 and will continue to share updated findings.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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It is a day set aside highlighting global efforts to control malaria and celebrating the gains that have been made so far.
Malaria remains a big problem in other parts of the world and in Zimbabwe it’s a public health problem. It is common in areas that are hot and moist. The theme for 2020 is “Zero malaria starts with me”.
What is malaria? It is a disease caused by infection with a parasite female anopheles mosquito. The mosquito is the vector that transmits the infection. Found mainly where there are open water bodies.
In Zimbabwe malaria peaks from November to April. The most effective control and prevention strategy is through prevention of mosquito bites.
Symptoms include fever, chills, rigors, headache, nausea,anorexia, joint pains, malaise and sweating.
There is also a history of staying in an area known to be endemic of malaria or traveling to that area. However one might not present with all the symptoms. In this era of COVID-19 pandemic excluding it is also important in those diagnosed with malaria.
Treatment – Malaria is a treatable disease. There are oral medications and intravenous medicines that can be used to cure the disease.
The disease progress quickly therefore early treatment saves life than late treatment.
There is no vaccine for malaria. Malaria can affect anyone of any age and despite previous infection you can still get malaria.
Prevention – Sleeping under a treated mosquito net and using mosquito repellents.
Wearing long sleeved shirts at night to avoid mosquito bites. Spraying open water bodies and covering them.
Taking malaria prophylaxis when traveling to a malaria endemic area.
Malaria is still a disease that kills thousands to millions of people every year.
Therefore let’s prevent malaria in our communities.
Compiled by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Farai Dziva|Zanu PF has begun to belittle MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa, calling him “Secretary for Policy and Research” in a desperate attempt to discredit the youthful politician.
Surprisingly, Zanu PF accused Chamisa of “instructing MPs and councillors to distribute food aid to card- carrying MDC members.”
Political analysts say Zanu PF’ s line of argument reflects desperate measures to dilute the MDC leader’s growing influence.The argument is fraught with contradictions, according to political observers.
Zanu PF tweeted :MDC Alliance Secretary for Policy and Research @nelsonchamisa is said to have ordered MDC MPs and notorious councillors to overlook deserving beneficiaries of global aid, demanding MDC-cards for one to have their name enlisted as a beneficiary of donated basics.
This Must Stop! This trend has been observed in Highfields East and West, Harare East and Mabvuku.
This is in direct violation of President’s Directive to stop patronizing relief aid.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF MPs have been reminded to work with people in their constituencies regardless of political color.”
Commenting on the ruling party’s assertion, Masvingo based political analyst Jeffryson Chitando said:” Zanu PF is desperate to denigrate Chamisa.Zanu PF officials are losing sleep over Chamisa’ s growing influence.The argument is a smorgasbord of contradictions and half-truths. Can a secretary instruct MPs and councillors to do something?This is a weak line of argument.”
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE: 25 APRIL 2020 As of 25 April 2020, a cumulative total of 2 719 897 confirmed cases and 187 705 deaths were reported from more than 210 countries/territories globally (Source WHO Sitrep No.96).
The Ministry of Health would like to report that today, a total of 380 tests were done as detailed in table 1 below. giving a total of 6 067 screening and diagnostic tests done to date.
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe now has thirty-one confirmed cases, including two recoveries and four deaths.
Table 1. Distribution of tests done today Mat. North – 3 Manicaland – 5 Mat. South – 54 Midlands – 6 Harare – 161 Bulawayo – 151 TOTALS – 380 Of the PCR tests done in Harare today, three were positive for COVID-19 and all the PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were negative for COVID-19.
Table 2. Number of confirmed cases to date Matabeleland North – 1 Bulawayo – 10 Harare – 13 Mashonaland East – 4 Mashonaland West – 3 Total: 31 Two of the three cases confirmed today were due to local transmission. All the three cases are stable, and not in the hospital. More details on these cases to follow.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
When you use a mask, cover your mouth and nose, and make sure that there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
Avoid touching the mask while using it: if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
If masks are not used correctly, they can be a source of infection.
For assistance, please call the COVID-19 tollfree hotline number: 2019.
By Jane Mlambo| Deputy information minister Energy Mutodi is at it again this time accusing Kuwadzana legislator and opposition MDC Alliance Secretary General Charlton Hwende of dressing his supporters in Zanu PF regalia before handing them foodstuffs in front of cameras.
Mutodi who is no stranger to controversy said he condemned Hwende for engaging in primitive political posturing and grandstanding.
Hwende has appeared in pictures distributing food to Zanu PF supporters in his constituency, a move widely hailed by people as political tolerance the ruling Zanu PF has failed to implement amid rampant reports of politicization of food aid in the rural areas.
By A Correspondent| The government is reportedly planning to release funds due to the MDC under The Political Parties’ Act to the team that is temporarily in charge of the MDC.
A local publication has reportedly confirmed the development.
The Daily News On Sunday confirmed that authorities will release $7,5 million due to the MDC under the Political Parties (Finance) Act to the group that is temporarily in charge of the party following the recent court rulings in a move which strengthens them significantly in the unfolding battle for the leadership of the party.
This comes after the High Court delivered an academic judgement that declared Nelson Chamisa an illegitimate MDC leader and reinstated the party’s 2014 structures.-DailyNews
By A Correspondent- The MDC Alliance has defended its Marondera Central legislator Caston Matewu for taking part in a ceremony where a charity organisation linked to first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa handed over donations to vulnerable people.
Matewu (38) has come under fire from fellow opposition activists for travelling to Mahusekwa at the invitation of Mnangagwa’s charitable organisation, Angel of Hope, on Friday.
All the three legislators from Marondera took elderly people from their constituencies to Mahusekwa growth point for the donation, while Mnangagwa was executing the same programme in Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe.
MDC-A Mashonaland East provincial spokesperson and Marondera mayor Chengetai Murowa said there was nothing amiss about Matewu’s presence at the event as the coronavirus outbreak meant that Zimbabweans must put politics aside to assist the vulnerable.
“Giving food to the vulnerable is a noble idea and as the MDC-A, we are very clear, we do not segregate on political lines and our MP is doing great work here in Marondera Central,” Marowa said.
“This is the time to be united more than ever before.
“This coronavirus thing is real. Most Zimbabweans are informal traders surviving from hand-to-mouth and as patriotic Zimbabweans, let’s do our best to assist the vulnerable in our midst. aturity.”
Matewu said donations to aid vulnerable people during the lockdown must not be politicised.
“Reports that I was with Mai Mnangagwa are false and misleading,” he said on Twitter.
“I received donations for Marondera from Angel of Hope.
“We urge all those willing to donate to our people to do so in this time of need.
“We won’t look which party you came from.”
Angel of Hope donated an assortment of groceries in Mashonaland East province a fortnight ago-Standard
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has provisionally pushed back this year’s June examinations by a month.
The decision was reached by senior Zimsec officials last week at a meeting to consider the impact of the current coronavirus lockdown on the exams.
However, the exams management body has since completed printing the examination papers.
Zimsec board chair, Professor Eddie Mwenje, said the provisional dates were subject to change depending on the position taken by Government at the end of the extended lockdown period next week.
“We met on Friday and managed to check the level of preparedness by Zimsec and they have completed printing of the papers for the June examinations. We can say that they are ready to stage the examinations. What we have advised them to do is to push the starting date by two to four weeks,” he said.
He added that the body took into consideration that candidates for the June exams would ordinarily have been studying for a long time.
“So, we advised Zimsec to consider pushing the exams by a minimum two weeks and maximum of four weeks so that it does not clash with other lessons for the November examinations.
“Instead of the exams beginning late May, they may be pushed to begin mid-June.
“Although there is no extension for the June examinations registration, we are considering pushing the dates.
“We also spoke of social distancing during these examinations.
“However, all this is also subject to Government pronouncement on May 3 when the current lockdown ends.”
There had been debate on how the June examinations would be handled in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said it was possible for the exams to be written in June.
“Schools were closed in March, so candidates had enough time to prepare,” he said.
“I see no harm in starting the exams two weeks after the original date.”-StateMedia
According to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana, an army truck was involved in a fatal accident in Kariba while on it’s way to Harare.
“An Army truck involved in managing the #lockdownzim was involved in a fatal crush about 49km from Kariba on its way to Harare. One soldier lost his life while 24 others were injured. The injured were rushed to Kariba District Hospital. Condolences to the family of the deceased,” said Mangwana.
By A Correspondent- Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe are currently assessing the cost of basic goods in retail shops following a price freeze announced by the government.
A recent government directive did not only order a price freeze but also directed manufacturers and retailers to revert to price levels that existed as at March 25, just before the coronavirus national lockdown.
Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza said her ministry will reveal what will be done to retailers that have ignored the price moratorium as soon as the teams have completed their assessments. She said:
We agreed in good faith with the businesses that during the lockdown prices should come down to March 25 levels.
We reached this understanding in order to protect the consumer while also taking in the views of the retailers and manufacturers.
We have a task force from our ministry as well as another team from the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe and these are on the ground to monitor what is happening in the shops.
When they are done with the monitoring, we will then make an assessment of their reports before announcing the next steps.
Last Wednesday Vice President Kembo Mohadi announced that prices of basic foodstuffs – including maize-meal, rice, cooking oil, sugar, salt, flour and bread — will revert to the levels of March 25.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The Covid-19 isolation ward at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital in Bulawayo has been temporarily closed to allow for further renovations.
The facility, which closed on April 22, is expected to reopen after two weeks.
This was confirmed by Bulawayo City Council health services director Edwin Sibanda.
“As of April 22, the isolation ward at Thorngrove was closed for renovations to make sure that when it reopens in 14 days’ time, it will be ready to admit patients and treat those that are mild to moderate effectively unlike what we had previously,” Sibanda said.
“The rest of the hospital is also going to receive a facelift thanks to donors as well as the central government, which has provided some funding for that.”
Sibanda revealed that the government gave the local authority $10 million for the rehabilitation of the isolation centre while some companies donated materials and labour.
A month ago the local authority raised an alarm that the hospital was ill-equipped to handle Covid-19 cases and appealed to the government and well-wishers for assistance with equipment to respond effectively to possible coronavirus cases.
Since then various companies and organisations, as well as individuals, have made a beeline to donate various items such as bed linen, personal protective equipment and other consumables to the hospital.
Last week the hospital admitted its first Covid-19 patient, who was accused of violating self-isolation regulations.
However, the patient was later discharged and returned home for continued self-isolation.
Asked what would happen if a patient needed to be admitted to the isolation ward while the renovations were going on, Sibanda said there was still room to accommodate a patient if the need arises.
“It is not the whole hospital that is being renovated, there is still some space that can be created for those patients,” he said.
“Our prayer and hope is that the renovations are done quickly and the hospital reopens to take care of the patients that may come soon after the renovations are over.”-StateMedia
Stringent conditionalities placed on the recently announced government Youth Relief Fund meant to help youths whose businesses were affected by Covid19 lockdown makes it difficult for many youths to access the grant.
There is a whole lot of requirements like bank statements and Zimbabwe Youth Council affiliation fee that makes it difficult for ordinary youths to meet.
More so, the online application process marginalizes those who are in the periphery of the periphery where issues of internet connectivity is a major blow.
The MDC Youth Assembly also bemoans the information gaps as far as the Relief Grant is concerned especially to the ordinary rural youths.
As such, we call upon the government and relevant Ministry to unconditionally remove stringent conditionalities like bank statements if real youths are to benefit from the grant.
It is public knowledge that the majority of ordinary youths survive from hand to mouth and they operate informal businesses hence they do not have bank statements.
That the majority of ordinary youths operate informal businesses automatically marginalizes them from the grant as many of their businesses are not formally registered.
It is also our hope that political colour is not going to be the prime determinant as to who benefits from the Relief Grant.
As an Assembly, we also call upon for the removal of a discriminatory clause which states that only businesses that were in existence 6 months prior to the lockdown announcement should be sole beneficiaries to the grant.
It is also our major underlining that the stringent, cumbersome and discriminatory conditionalities and secrecy surrounding the whole grant makes it appear more of a political grandstanding by the ruling party to pacify the increasingly restive youths.
As such, the grant remains a pie in the sky and dead aid for the majority of youths in informal businesses!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
By A Correspondent- The first person to be quarantined at Beitbridge’s coronavirus isolation centre says he tested negative to the disease and now hopes to be released to go home.
Justin Mutandwa said:
“My results are negative and I hope I will be allowed to leave.”
He is an international haulage trucker and was held because he left behind his truck whose cargo was classified as non-essential.
Mutandwa was ferrying plant equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo.-Standard
By A Correspondent- There have been claims that the South Africa-Zimbabwe border will reopen on May 3, 2020 to May 10, 2020 to accommodate Zimbabweans who are stranded in South Africa.
The message running viral on several WhatsApp groups in Zimbabwe supposedly from a news site called The South African news is fake. The site is nonexistent.
When Zimbabwe went into a coronavirus lockdown on March 30, 2020, the government said the borders would remain open to all returning residents, but the returning residents would be subjected to a mandatory quarantine to screen for coronavirus.
The South African Home Affairs department through its website also announced that: “During the lockdown, except for cases relating to expatriation initiated by another state, all foreign nationals who are currently in South Africa may not depart.”
Zimbabwe, as other States, has continued to accept citizens returning from abroad. however, no special arrangement to open the Beitbridge border post for a specific period has been announced.
The South African lockdown, which began on March 27 and was initially expected to end on April 16, was extended for another two weeks and will end on April 30, 2020, and not in August as claimed by the message.
Zimbabwe home Affairs and Cultural heritage deputy minister Mike Madiro said: “All plans to repatriate citizens will be announced through the formal channels and not through WhatsApp.”
Conclusion A social media post claiming that the Beitbridge border post will reopen for a specific period is false-ZimFact
#TeamLenon has made it to $10,000!!! We are SO grateful for your generous support. I now owe you a before & after interview. Hoping the interviewer is kind & that @lgwaunza brings his A-game. A pandemic, generous hearts & a man shooting his shot. Who knows what could happen?❤?? https://t.co/tttsfWjHW9pic.twitter.com/zJW3cnwHje
By A Correspondent- A retired top official in the Zimbabwe National Army caused a stir at the Beitbridge border post, as he resisted mandatory quarantine on his return from South Africa.
The ex-soldier, now among the 18 people held at the giant National Social Security Authority (NSSA) building that formerly housed Rainbow Hotel Beitbridge, was enraged when he was told that he would be quarantined for 14 days until certified Covid-19 free.
Beitbridge district medical officer Linus Samhere however said he had not handled that particular case, but confirmed several people had tried to evade quarantine through negotiations or otherwise.
Some, he said, even employed excuses as to have South African officials making calls that they were “authorised” to avoid quarantine.
Sources at the health port said the former soldier, who is now quarantined like everyone else, arrived from a business trip in South Africa, but did not take it kindly when health officials told him he would be quarantined.
By Nomazulu Thata- The cynical weapon that Zimbabweans know best is betrayal of one another in various aspects of our lives.
NOMAZULU-THATA
The cynical weapon of an African is best described as betrayal of self and the other to get piecemeals not worth by any measure of decency. Betrayal runs deep in our African societies and has its origin that predates colonialism.
We wake up today with a story that has been taking rounds in the social media of a woman returnee from UK who was part of a demonstration that hackled the current Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo.
Someone in the UK must have known that this woman was travelling home to Zimbabwe and waited for an opportune time to betray her to Zanu PF notorious secret service with clear intentions to harm her.
Whoever did that did not consider much about the consequences of her fate at the hands of a brutal regime called Zanu PF government.
Today’s story on Bulawayo 24 social media read: “Confirmed – Mugabe coup announcer’s attacker among UK returnees.”
I felt a deep sense of sadness when I read the article, but at the same time I realized that what has happened in Harare is typical the mentality of Africans generally, Zimbabwe included.
For centuries, the history of Africans are narratives imbedded with betrayal of one another. It is so sad that we have not come off this hateful, detestable and invidious habit.
To betray anybody to Zanu PF government disregarding what would happen to the fate of this woman is satanic but last. She/He knows exactly, intentions to betray her determined by hate.
It is betrayal done consciously with intentions to revenge, crush fatally once and for all with Mnangagwa’s CIO, whatever vendetta the betrayer has about her.
Who betrayed an African to the European slave traders and the slave trade was a booming and lucrative industry that saw millions of Africans sold to America to work as slaves: What did those Africans who betrayed their own get from the trade?
They got, with all disgust it deserves, a “piece of cloth and Whiskey!” West African monarchs sold the other Africans as merchandize devoid of Ubuntu to get a piece of cloth! It was the Africans wholly in cahoots with Europeans slave traders who waged wars with other Africans, captured those who lost the battle by transporting them to Goree, a Slave-market place, were the trading took place.
In 1979, my mother, Mrs Louisa Sihwa was then Chief Representative of Zapu in Senegal. She visited an island called Goree, a place that was built by an Afro-French in 1784, used as a house of slaves, a transit to no point of return. It took me decades to understand those letters my mother wrote describing what she saw in that island of Goree.
Those pictures of the island never escaped her: the horror of the gate so vivid as if it were yesterday. She wrote me letters extensively about Goree and the lessons we learn from such history of betrayal of your own to get in return for “perishables” a cheap barter exchange of trade: the cloth and whiskey drinks.
The next question we have to ask ourselves is: knowing how notorious Zanu PF regime is and how they will respond to this case with the woman who demonstrated against Minister Sibusiso Moyo: I feel sick right down the pit of my stomach just by imagining what will happen to her.
The nauseating feeling comes again when I think about the betrayer, what is he/she going to get if this woman was murdered by Zanu PF by torture. All those are possibilities that are real for us who know Zanu PF right from the time of the liberation struggle to today.
A piece of cloth and whiskey determined the lives of millions of Africans who are now called Africa-Americans today. We Africans are lucky in that the African Americans can speak to us despite the betrayals of centuries. It would appear the African has not learnt anything; this betrayal continues to this day because we have not revised this devilish aspect of Africa and Africans: we need to revisit the devilish in us.
We are quick to talk about racism, especially black-white racism. We have books about racism that can fill libraries and bookshops. Truly little is spoken about how Africans betrayed Africans to the very white people they condemn racist.
It escapes us completely that sad and dark chapters of our African history has not been adequately addressed by almost all communities, governments and academics in Sub-Sahara continent, we wonder still when we experience xenophobia in South Africa:
This brute force against Africans exclusively has not stopped. Its pain and violence punctuating the African lifestyle.
My topic is not far from talking about “betrayal” in the liberation struggle for independence. How many people were murdered because of “Betrayal” that saw commanders, freedom fighters right down to ordinary citizens killed by burning in open fires, so many of them were shot dead without thorough investigation.
Some were made to dig their own graves and were buried alive: remember Dr. Edgar Madekurozva. The most excruciating stories are told about the nastiness of the struggle for independence of Zimbabwe.
A traitor must be killed was the mantra in liberation movements but there was no clear demarcation line that determined the traitor and the innocent. In most cases personal scores were given a new definition: betrayal.
It was easy to label one as a traitor to the higher authorities in the liberation struggle not for any reason but was the way to square up personal differences.
There were some ludicrous punishments that were given to freedom fighters from both Zanu and Zapu. If there was a renegade in the army, he will be dispatched to the war front to fight the enemy Smith’s army: (there will always be some people in any given organisation who found loyalty of any kind a difficult thing to do)
Of course there were other reasons that were deemed as traitorous and inconstant, must be punishment. In some strange cases they will be told to go to the war front without arms. How can sending a freedom fighter to the front to fight a noble war be made punishment measures again?
The struggle for independence was a noble war, supposed to be a noble war and a battlefield was not to be punishment by any stretch our anyone’s imagination. This punishment on freedom fighters betrayed the values and principles of the liberation struggle altogether.
In most cases logic was not questioned at all because it would mean you are not down the line, unfaithful to the commanders.
There are some questions about the struggle for independence that still linger in our minds till today. How did the Smith regime get INTELLIGENCE information about the whereabouts of the camps for freedom fighters in Zambia and Mozambique?
It is widely whispered that some commanders betrayed the struggle by collaborating with Smith regime for monetary reasons noticeable by their lavish lifestyles in the middle of the struggle.
They gave military information to Smith’s Ken Flower he needed to bomb those camps with precision. A good example is Freedom Camp situated 35 kilometres away from Lusaka. When the camp was bombed by Rhodesian forces, those that survived the bombing were sent to Solwezi, away from the front line. (Solwezi is near Congo border with Zambia) Smith’s intelligence got it from the traitors inside Zapu.
The Smith’s military got the exact location of the camp and bombed the Solwezi camps once more. Curiously, the sell-outs were not punished. They are known by those that were in Zambia during the struggle till today.
This brings me to the argument about the demarcation line between a sell-out and an innocent freedom fighter who will be sent to the front to fight a liberation was as punishment, just flimsy accusations.
Betrayal, pain and violence play a big role in Zimbabwe politics today. Pain and violence are the stick that the government has used since independence, curiously there is no carrot.
Other organisations in the region have, replicated, copied the style of violence to reduce its citizens they purport to protect from Zanu PF regime. The Mthwakazi MLO, one of whose leadership is Israel Dube does not hesitate to warn all those traitors not loyal enough: they do not want to subject themselves to Mthwakazi political party ideology of cessation.
Israel Dube’s party MLO have literally replicated the killing art of Zanu PF in their struggle for independence of Mthwakazi Republic; they warn gloatingly, without shame how traitors will be executed by burning: Winnie Mandela necklace.
It can be said with equal truth that Israel Dube admires Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s brutality when dealing with perfidious citizens. This is what is meant when they say: pain and violence is easily replicable and contagious. Brute force brings the citizens to submission – coercion.
This is the rhythm and grammar we have known before independence and after independence, a sad legacy for the coming generation to leave behind when we pass on.
Betrayal runs in families too. We need not discuss this now because we know what betrayal in family setups is like. One thing stands out of our history as a nation and nations of this great continent: This country’s habitual lies in the fact that there is a lot of pain and blood that was spilt that liberated this country and most of other countries in the African continent.
This pain and violence are lingering in our psyche, we have internalized pain and violence in every respect or our daily lives. The liberation of this country was because of the use of brute force yes but even after independence we remained in the “struggle mindset” and hence pain and violence has defined us in various forms of our interaction with one another in our societies.
Violence and pain are so evident in our society, worse still we experience structural violence on daily basis, and we see this as normal. We ceased to recognize and realize the pain of pain; we have normalized violence and pain with time because pain has manifested in other forms of societal violence subconsciously and consciously?
Whoever betrayed this woman who demonstrated against Minister Sibusiso Moyo in London, I can say he/she is a poor soul. She/he is putting the life of this woman on the line. How is she/he going to feel if the brutal regime of Zanu PF murdered her? How is she/he going to spend the rest of her/his with blood on her/his hands.
There is a place in hell for such people who betray other people in exchange for a “cloth and whiskey” as payment. To appeal to his/her conscience is a waste of time because such people do not have it. When you hear Africans speaking about UBUNTU as if they have it!!
By A Correspondent- The MDC Alliance has defended its Marondera Central legislator Caston Matewu for taking part in a ceremony where a charity organisation linked to first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa handed over donations to vulnerable people.
Matewu (38) has come under fire from fellow opposition activists for travelling to Mahusekwa at the invitation of Mnangagwa’s charitable organisation, Angel of Hope, on Friday.
All the three legislators from Marondera took elderly people from their constituencies to Mahusekwa growth point for the donation, while Mnangagwa was executing the same programme in Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe.
MDC-A Mashonaland East provincial spokesperson and Marondera mayor Chengetai Murowa said there was nothing amiss about Matewu’s presence at the event as the coronavirus outbreak meant that Zimbabweans must put politics aside to assist the vulnerable.
“Giving food to the vulnerable is a noble idea and as the MDC-A, we are very clear, we do not segregate on political lines and our MP is doing great work here in Marondera Central,” Marowa said.
“This is the time to be united more than ever before.
“This coronavirus thing is real. Most Zimbabweans are informal traders surviving from hand-to-mouth and as patriotic Zimbabweans, let’s do our best to assist the vulnerable in our midst. aturity.”
Matewu said donations to aid vulnerable people during the lockdown must not be politicised.
“Reports that I was with Mai Mnangagwa are false and misleading,” he said on Twitter.
“I received donations for Marondera from Angel of Hope.
“We urge all those willing to donate to our people to do so in this time of need.
“We won’t look which party you came from.”
Angel of Hope donated an assortment of groceries in Mashonaland East province a fortnight ago-Standard
By A Correspondent- Under the current regulations, public gatherings are prohibited, except for funerals, where attendance is limited to 50. However, the clandestine gatherings that are being convened by some teachers threaten to reverse some of the gains made in fighting the virus.
Many learners are being put in harm’s way as some serving and retired teachers are secretly conducting private lessons during the lockdown period, raising the likelihood that they could be increasingly exposed to the deadly coronavirus, The Sunday Mail Society can reveal.
The government closed all schools and colleges on March 24 2020, a week earlier than scheduled and four days after reporting its first confirmed coronavirus case. However, the growing uncertainty gripping the nation on when schools will reopen has led some individuals to capitalise by offering lessons at their residences.
Our investigations last week confirmed that unregistered schools had indeed resurfaced in most parts of the country. Most parents prefer tutoring to online-based studies, which are being offered by registered institutions, because of the high cost of data.
Backyard schools are operating mainly in high-density suburbs. Grade Seven, Ordinary and Advanced Level students who are set to sit for their national examinations this year make up the bulk of the clients.
In most cases, the lessons are conducted behind precast walls during the day, while others prefer the cover of darkness. However, it is feared that inasmuch as these makeshift profit-making “schools” are helping learners keep up with their studies, this might come at a very high cost to public health.
Recent Government data indicate that there could be over 219 unregistered schools in Harare alone compared to 205 registered institutions.
The makeshift schools are common in areas such as Kuwadzana, Mabvuku, Dzivaresekwa, Hopley, Tynwald, Glen View and Warren Park. Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe’s claims there could be more than 1 200 makeshift schools operating across the country.
Meeting the culprits
Disguised as guardian to a prospective learner, The Sunday Mail Society managed to interact with some of the defiant teachers. In Kuwadzana, an educator confirmed he was aware of the lockdown regulations but still decided to disregard them.
“Education has to carry on. We maintain social distancing and we have since contributed money to buy hand sanitizer that we apply before commencing studies,” Mr Arnold Chirikure proudly asserted. He is presently tutoring more than 20 students at his home.
Half of the learners attend classes during the day, while the remainder comes for evening classes. “I charge as little as US$7 per month for each child. I have since employed two qualified teachers,” he added, as he spiritedly tried to convince this writer to bring his child on board.
Separately, Mr Tafadzwa Mberi (not his real name) and his colleagues conduct lessons in Dzivaresekwa Extension. They charge US$6 per learner per month.
Mr Mberi has a class of 30 primary school learners and he claims to be conducting lessons in batches of not more than three “in line with social distancing”. But after we smuggled ourselves into the premises, we managed to do a headcount of about 15 learners.
“I have been offering extra lessons before and during the lockdown. That has been my only source of income. I retired from active teaching as a civil servant some 10 years ago,” said Mr Mberi, who is presently being assisted by his wife — a lecturer at a local university. He claims to attract as many as 50 learners, translating to about US$300 per month income.
Parents’ thumbs-up
But these illegal activities are unfortunately being aided and abetted by parents and guardians. “I do not know when this Covid-19 crisis will end. I cannot sit and watch my son miss out on his studies. Initially I was sceptical but all my friends are sending their children for these lessons,” said Kuwadzana-based Mai Tinashe.
“My daughter is supposed to be writing her Ordinary Level examinations this year. Some of her colleagues are studying online but I cannot afford that. The extra lessons are risky but an easy option for us. There is not much we can do under the circumstances,” said Mr Richard Madondo, a Warren Park resident.
Condemnation
Government, however, thinks otherwise. Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Patrick Zumbo said the public should report such illegal activities for appropriate action to be taken.
“It is against the law to conduct extra lessons either at home or schools. This applies to periods before, during and after the lockdown. Report such people and they will be brought to book,” urged Mr Zumbo.
Opportunists seem to be taking advantage of the nationwide shortage of schools. According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education 2016 annual statistical report, the country has a shortage of over 2 000 schools. But some of the teachers that are employed in these makeshift schools are not qualified, which could adversely impact on learners.
Online schools
Under-the-tree classes are the most affordable to most families due to the prevailing economic challenges. Online schools are an alternative, albeit an expensive one. Professor Donald Rukwata, a part-time university lecturer, says Covid-19 has brought a different dimension to local education.
“This is a global problem. But the sudden shift from conventional classes gives rise to temporary learning mechanisms and online learning processes. Traditional schools have to up their online learning options so that they counter the makeshift school challenge,” said Prof Rukwata.
He adds that online studies require tutors to think about courses in a new way that accommodates new learning tools and techniques. But online learning is considered to be unfriendly to disadvantaged groups, especially those with limited access to the internet.
New School Term
Government is reportedly working on a new school calendar for 2020. Speaking during a recent media training workshop involving the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Higher Life Foundation, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said schools would have to cover for lost time.
The Government was deliberating on the way forward, said Mr Mangwana. Overall, the Government is working on a plan to construct at least 10 schools per province this year to cater for the growing number of learners.
About $400 million has already been allocated for the project. Last year, a total of 18 schools in eight provinces were built, while private organisations and individuals constructed 150. Building more schools is expected to lower the educator-to-learner ratio from 1:60 to the standard 1:35.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The report contradicts the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s daily updates which have consistently put at 2 the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the entire country.
The Provincial Medical Director for Mashonaland East has reported that all four COVID-19 patients have recovered from the disease.
The COVID-19 situation report by Mashonaland East dated 23 April 2020 reads in part:
A total of 71 suspected cases have been reported in the province. These cases have either tested within the province (58) or were referred to either Wilkins or Beatrice Infectious Disease Hospital (13).
The total number of received results was 65 of which 4 were positive and 61 negatives whilst 6 are still pending.
The province has tested 377 people using RDT test and 3 tested positives. The three who tested positive are health workers at Mount St Mary’s Hospital(2) and Ruwa Rehab (1) and specimens for PCR were collected and sent to NMR. At the moment these three health workers are in self-isolation pending the results from NMRL.
Four cases of Covid-19 have recovered from the disease after having two samples collected and tested negative. Surveillance: Screening at all ports of entry Nyamapanda boarder Post and Robert Gabriel International airport is being done routinely.
The province had a total of 217 cases put under surveillance to date, 175 of those have finished the 21 days without developing any signs and symptoms, 35 have returned to the countries where they came from, 3 cases are lost to follow up (1 never came to the given address, 1 went to look for employment in Ruzawi no address or phone and 1 false address and phone not reachable) which leaves the province with 4 currently under surveillance.
Last Week, RBZ Governor suspended two bureau de change agents and has also put a further two on spotlight. Do you think this will work in controlling exchange rates
By A Correspondent- Prominent apostolic church prophet Biggie Musanzika populary known as Madzibaba Jonah of Johane Masowe sect has gone digital in respect of the country’s total lockdown.
The Centenary based prophet is now conducting his prayer sessions on social media and has since urged his congregants to follow health tips being issued by the government.
“We have gone digital and all our prayer sessions are now being conducted on social media in respect of the country’s lockdown,” said Madzibaba.
Madzibaba touched the storm last year after he gave a prophecy of the covid-19 on December 31 and a video of him went viral.
He told Bulawayo24.com that he is preparing to donate food humpers to the elderly and the needy in Mashonaland Central province.
Meanwhile, a lot of churches have gone digital to avoid mixing in a bid to fight the deadly Covid-19 pandemic
By A Correspondent- Two men were sentenced to six months in prison by Bindura provincial magistrate Tinashe Ndokera for possessing dangerous weapons yesterday.
The state led by Thembinkosi Mananga said on April 22 the duo Chipadze Kudzai (18) and Mashayahembe Anyway (21) were stopped at a roadblock while travelling in an unregistered Nissan Carravan by a uniformed forcer.
They complied and a search was conducted in their vehicle where an axe, Columbia knife and chisels were found under the driver’s seat leading to their arrest.-Online
Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa real name Shingirai Chirume founder of United Family International Church.He's also a business man rumoured to have purchased a 1.3million
363chat|Church leaders threatening to reject possible covid-19 vaccination over conspiracy theories should be held accountable for disseminating information that puts the public in danger Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has said.
This comes on the backdrop of United Family International Church (UFIC) founder, Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s sentiments in which he vowed not to accept covid-19 vaccination while address his followers a few weeks ago.
In a statement, ZimRights noted that Makandiwa’s stance retards the progress made through efforts that have in place for years targeting to convince apostolic church sects into accepting conventional medicines instead of relying on prayers and faith alone.
“Over the years, a number of campaigns have been launched to convince the religious sects to embrace modern medicine especially for the benefit of vulnerable groups like women and children. Significant gains have been made. But a new threat to these gains emerged in the third week of the lock-down as some church leaders started spreading conspiracy theories about COVID 19, including threatening to reject any vaccination against the disease,” said the human rights body.
ZimRights further highlighted that the spread of covid-19 conspiracy theories by church leaders puts the public in danger as it may persuade some to disregard the safety precautions treating the pandemic like a myth.
“In times of crisis, the church plays a critical role in being a source of hope and information.
Reports of church leaders disseminating conspiracy theories about COVID 19 raise a real danger of the return to those early days of religious defiance to medical health facilities, raising fears that these may lead to people undertaking dangerous behavior, like treating COVID 19 as a myth,” reads the statement.
They further noted that if lives are lost due to this misinformation the church leaders should be held accountable.
“While the constitution guarantees freedom of worship, ZimRights further believes that church leaders have a role to play in helping protect societies against disinformation. It is dangerous to disseminate information that is likely to place people in danger. If because of dissemination, lives are lost, leaders must be held accountable for such loss.”
According to the Zimbabwe lndependant,the Covid19 health frontline personnel have had enough of the government’s false promises.
This comes against the backdrop of the government’s disregard of their general welfare.The health staff said they have not received any allowances that they were promised since the beginning of the outbreak.
ln the meantime,Medics from the army have been called in at Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital in Harare to replace the nurses who refused to attend to patients until their issues have been addressed.
Apparently,the nurses are currently working for a mere ZW$1000 – ZW$2000.
“This week, the nurses wrote to the City of Harare’s director of health Services, Prosper Chonzi, stating they were disappointed that they were being expected to work in a highly infectious environment without any monetary incentives. The nurses are only being paid monthly salaries, ranging between ZW$1 000 and ZW$2 000, which they say are not enough to sustain them”,said Bridget Mananavire.
Several nurses at the infectious diseases hospital are now eyeing greener pastures, especially at the private Covid-19 facilities that are being established in the capital,this according to Zimbabwe lndependant.
The frontline team stressed their inability to perform their duties anymore because they are hungry and they cannot fend for their families. They have been working since January on the frontline of this pandemic, but up to today,they have not received any salary increment and no allowance,” the Wilkins nurses said in one of the letters under the subject matter: “Incapacitation of frontline workers”.
As of the 19th of April, the nurses were not attending to patients, as their concerns had not yet been addressed.
They further demanded a written document stating that they would receive risk allowances as well as life insurance in United States dollars.
The Zimbabwe government should make sure they do something very soon.They simply cannot afford to have such a strike in the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak.This could lead to an escalation on the cases of the epidemic.
Allowances aside,$1000 – $2000 is very little as salary for nurses.They deserve much more than that.
The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease, a novel infectious disease was spread to the United States in January 2020. Cases have occurred in all fifty U.S. states and all inhabited U.S. territories except American Samoa. All 50 states received disaster declarations from the federal government.
On friday, United States of America recorded its lowest number of virus deaths 1257 since it peaked the nation some months ago.
According to John Hopkins Saturday night current report,United States have recorded 2,494 more coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours.
The country now has an overall death toll of 53,511, with 936,293 confirmed infections, according to a tally by the Baltimore-based university today.
The United States is by far the hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, in terms of both confirmed infections and deaths. Americans, especially those who are vulnerable, may need to stop attending large gatherings as the Coronavirus spreads through US communities.
Corby, England. (News of The South) -About 37 Zimbabweans have died in the UK and Twenty four Of them are nurses and doctors and care workers. This number is five times more than those who died on the whole country in Zimbabwe. It has been said Coronavirus does not discriminate – but some evidence has suggested it does affect some communities far more than others.
Zimbabweans and all other Asian and black communities in the front line are dying. The majority of the Zimbabweans in the UK have chosen nursing as their profession. They are the ones in the front line. Most black nurses are bullied in the hospitals some have complained of being forced to be in contact with positive patience despite the fact that they have underlying conditions
Most Zimbabwean nurses have died on duty. The government has announced a review into the disproportional impact Covid-19 has on ethnic minorities in the UK, including British Muslims and black nurses.
Risking their lives’ Zimbabwean nurses have always dreamed of being big nurses. In line of duty 18 Zimbabwean nurses have died and their families said they had been considered fit and healthy before they contracted the virus. They never believed that they were seeing them for the last time alive.
“Any death is devastating but losing one of our own is beyond words,” Zimbabwean nurses in the UK are described as professional, passionate nurses who always put their lives in front. Every where you go Zimbabwean nurses a very, very, respected and valued members and they are absolutely valued. Now the community sits down behind the closed doors wondering who is next.
Every house in a Zimbabwean family in England has a person working as a nurse or a care worker. Care workers work with vulnerable population of the society. This puts of sixty thousand Zimbabwean in England at Risk of getting Corona virus.
“It shows the incredible bravery of every member of the NHS who goes into work knowing that these dangers are there.”The Corona virus continues its grim march’ but ‘every life lost makes me Zimbabwean determined than ever to push for victor.
“It shows the incredible bravery of every member of the NHS who goes into work knowing that these dangers are there.”The Corona virus continues its grim march’ but ‘every life lost makes me Zimbabwean determined than ever to push for victory’.
The NHS’s chief nursing officer Ruth May also paid tribute to the medics who have given up their lives, but added that she is concerned the fallen heroes will not be the last to die.
Ms May urged the public to shun sunny weather this spring and stay home to honour the memories of nurses who are dying.
As we write now twenty Zimbabwean nurses have died in the course of duty. Look at all the lives they have looked after and all the families they comforted when patients passed away.
Zimbabwean nurses are angels and they will wear Zimbsbwean flag above the NHS crown forever more because they earned that crown the very first day they started.
One report, from the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre, has found 30 per cent of Covid-19 victims were from Black, Asian and other minority backgrounds, whilst people from these backgrounds make up just 13 per cent of the UK’s population. This is scary because you ask yourself exactly what is happening if this Corona has no discrimination why are the hospitals having different statistics which is actually accurate. Is there a sinister thing happening in the hospitals. Is this a conspiracy against the blacks. Nowhere has Covid-19 hit minority communities more than those working on the frontline of the NHS, where doctors and nurses have been trying to save their lives of their fellow colleagues. Those from ethnic minority backgrounds constitute two thirds of NHS deaths; on Friday two more doctors from BAME backgrounds lost their lives to the virus, it was announced.
ITV News has been examining the causes, we have learnt that socio-economic factors such as deprivation, underlying health conditions and cultural differences, like inter-generational households which more common in ethnic minority communities, could lead to an increase in the transmission of Covid-19. Health literacy is definitely an issue in Black and Ethnic Minorities, again, this is partly linked to socio-economic deprivation and language barriers that may exist,” Dr Hina Shahid told ITV News.
“Cultural and faith factors may also change a way a person perceives health or health information. We know that there is also this mistrust in health and healthcare professionals and also accessing healthcare itself.” She added: “People tend to present when they are sicker and that can make it more difficult to treat so we do have a big role to play in assembling or disseminating the correct information in ways that people can understand, in ways that take into consideration their beliefs about health and illness because that’s how the message is going to resonate for them.”
We need to lol at at faith and religion…which we know is an important determinate of health – we don’t have this data so it makes it difficult to unpick and understand what is going on.”But on the ground churches were meeting in house and unknown to them they were spreading the virus. One small church in the midlands had six people in hospital. Each day one Zimbabwean dies of Corona. Today every family knows one family which has a victim of the virus. This means almost every Zimbabwean in the Uk has a risk of catching the virus. We have many Zimbabwean men who are working as bus drivers,delivery drivers train drivers and train assistance.
These jobs exposed the man to the virus and as a result the diseases is exported in the houses. The nature of jobs Zimbabweans do in the UK is such that the interaction with the public is inevitable. This has seen so many Zimbabweans at risk. There is a great mm number of nurses in the Zimbabwean community and since they are in the frontline they the soft targets of the virus. whilst there are socio-economics differences; but cultural differences – which could lead to more disproportionate ethnic minority Covid-19 cases and deaths – have a part to play.
Within the Zimbabwean community community. Many feel the need to visit loved ones who are ill with virus symptoms, or go to a family or friend’s house to pay their respects for someone who has died from Covid-19 as culturally this is what many would do. The issue of social distancing from a Somali context is to be honest alien to us, we shake hands, we go to our houses for condolences.” “The other issue is that when you have families that are visiting each other where there are funerals, condolences, we do share this with other communities…but for us it’s more alarming.” How can the socio-economic factors affect ethnic minorities amid the coronavirus outbreak? The first ten doctors to died of coronavirus in the UK were from ethnic minority backgrounds. In that ten three were Zimbabweans. The virus’ impact across all minorities may be because many of them work or live in the most “at risk” scenarios which often don’t allow for social-distancing at home or at work. For instance, the frontline of the NHS and care work to public transport and the “gig economy”. Ethnic minorities are often over represented in high-risk key jobs where they can’t afford to stay at home; including taxi, bus and delivery drivers. Some communities may have a mistrust of healthcare systems so don’t go to their GP or seek medical advice until it is late. One Zimbabwean nurse said It is a tragic loss for, you know, I lost my brother, two of my uncles were critically ill, and I had lost a cousin and a friend, a very close friend of mine. “And it has psychological impact on the whole family, it’s a really difficult time and I’m sure there’s others, we’re all in this together and sharing the same pain but words cannot describe. We’re just going to have to continue with his legacy and try to move on.” She continued: “It’s very difficult, you know I still look after my dad who’s critically ill and he’s bed bound, it’s very difficult but we try to do the best that we can.” “Even within my community I know a lot of family and friends who have lost loved ones due to coronavirus.” “You get to a point where I don’t want to pick up the phone, you’re just constantly worried and you’re frightened who’s next…or who’s been taken to hospital, it was already traumatising enough with my uncle and brother taken from the same house and another uncle I admitted myself,” she added. It is indeed painful each day does not pass without a death of a Zimbabwean nurse or any in the care work. The British government only praises NHS workers nothing for the care workers or any other frontline job. Our greatest prayer is that this virus ends now. If Zimbabwe Is to be ravaged like Europe surely we will not stand.
Beijing: Chinese and Japanese media have been claiming that North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is dead. At the moment, pictures of a funeral on Twitter are going fiercely viral. As reported by Express, the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong-backed news channel, which claims to be the niece of a Chinese foreign minister, has announced Kim Jong-un’s death.
Shijian Xingzhou, deputy director of HKSTV Hong Kong satellite television, says a ‘very solid source’ has informed him of Kim Jong Un’s death. Shijian Xingzhou reported on a social media app called Weibo for her reading of about 15 million followers, claiming Kim Jong Un is dead.
However a Japanese magazine reports that Kim is in a very critical condition after failing heart surgery. In the US, TMZ has confirmed Kim Jung Un’s death. However, no official information has yet been revealed from North Korea regarding the matter. Kim Jong is seen on those last R 11 April, after which he has not appeared in the media.
PREPARATIONS for the second school term have begun but opening will now be delayed as authorities roll out changes to how the academic institutions will operate in view of the Covid-19 scourge.
They were scheduled to open on May 5. Zimbabwe’s lockdown was last week extended by a fortnight to May 3.
But with Government planning to overhaul the learning environment through a raft of changes that include reducing class sizes to enforce social distancing, this is no longer possible.
The reorientation, necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, will also involve provision of protective wear for educators and regular disinfection of schools.
Further, Government is mobilising a budget to procure sanitisers for all schools and new single-student desks.
Authorities told The Sunday Mail that schools will only open when the Covid-19 outbreak has been sufficiently contained and a safe learning environment for pupils has been fashioned.
Plans being considered include provisionally allowing pupils sitting for public examinations this year to return to school while measures are put in place to allow for the rest to resume classes.
Grade 7, Form 4 and 6 classes sit for public examinations towards the end of the third term.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said only President Mnangagwa would issue a proclamation to reopen schools.
“In terms of the school opening calendar we are still looking at the dates,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
“We will stand guided by any pronouncement made by His Excellency the President after consultations with his team and advisors. We will look at the progression of the disease in terms of how well we manage to contain it.
“We are preparing at the moment, but we cannot anticipate when schools will be opened because this is a function of reading how well we manage the disease.”
He said the school calendar will most likely be altered as a result of the disruption occasioned by Covid-19. Social distancing will be enforced at all schools once they reopen.
“We are looking at how, when schools eventually open, we will deal with things like enforcing social distancing at the schools especially in classes. We are looking at things like reducing class sizes, school furniture for single student sitting and how this can be used to enforce social distancing.
“We are also looking at how we can provide the relevant protective equipment for our teachers and school staff, and how we can also protect our children. Provision of sanitisers is also important as well as disinfecting schools which will be prioritised,” he said.
Deputy Minister Moyo said Government is consulting stakeholders so that in the event that the President makes a pronouncement, they are not caught off guard.
“Right now we are working on budgeting for procurement of the requisite stuff we need, this includes sanitisers, furniture and disinfectants.
“We are working with our partners as well as looking at what contribution Treasury can make. What is certain is that our schools will never be the same when they reopen.”
“We are not yet there and we cannot speculate on the position that will be taken (regarding partial opening of schools) and that may turn out to be the way.
“It is one of the options that we are considering but it is only as part of preparations, we cannot discount any option now. In short, we are developing a plan in anticipation of the pronouncement.”
Zimbabwe Schools Development Associations/Committees secretary-general Mr Everisto Jongwe said schools should be the last institutions to open after the lockdown.
“It’s a Catch-22 situation,” he said.
“For a start enforcing social distancing is very tricky in schools. We have schools that have up to 4 000 pupils and to ask them to enforce social distancing is impossible, worse still if it is a boarding school.
“Then you look at the issue of providing protective equipment, and asking Government to provide that for teachers, support staff and pupils is a huge ask.
“We have to be very careful about what we do before we can reopen schools. Reopening schools should be the last issue on the table after we have reopened the rest of the country.”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Dr Takavafira Zhou urged Government to consult widely before reopening schools.
“The most important lesson we have is that schools cannot reopen for the second term but can open for the third term this year. It is noble that Government is considering all these options but as you know saying one thing and doing it are two very different things,” said Dr Zhou.
“What Government needs to do is engage us as teachers unions so that we can agree on the way forward together and this is so that we can also share our concerns.
“The idea of opening schools later in the year is very noble but it has to be supported by all because the security of teachers and pupils is paramount.”
All schools and tertiary institutions closed on March 24.
Announcing the closure, President Mnangagwa said Government “will advise on dates for the reopening of all teaching institutions in the country once the threat of the virus is adjudged to have receded”.
Beyonce and Jay Z have been a power couple for over a decade. She has made recent appearances at the Golden Globes after releasing her song Before I Let Go. There’s no denying that the pair are secretive, so today we are going to look at their various properties, homes and mansions (including their home in Bel Air which cost 88 million dollars, their House in Tribeca, New York and their Mansion in The Hamptons, Long Island) and give you a complete house tour.
FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday visited the family home of her aide Albert Vunganai (36), who passed away in an accident in the Mavhuradonha mountain range during a tour of duty to Muzarabani on Friday.
Earlier, she had visited her three other hospitalised aides, who were in the same vehicle as the deceased, and wished them a speedy recovery.
The First Lady paid homage to her aide and gave mourners an emotive account of how tragedy struck.
Amai Mnangagwa was deeply moved that she joined other mourners who collected the deceased’s remains from a city funeral parlour. She spoke glowingly about Vunganai, whom she said worked hard and acted professionally in the discharge of his duties. She wished Vunganai’s team strength in the face of calamity and praised his parents and church for bringing up such an “upright, honest and hard-working gentleman”.
“To the family, I want to say that I am here for you and I will ensure that each time you are in need of something I will assist where I can. Kuna mai nababa vaVunganai, I thank you for raising an upright child who did not betray your family’s image. He was an upright young man who was the envy of everyone,” the First Lady said while fighting back tears.
“He worked hard with his team, giving them direction and ensuring that everything was done to perfection.”
The First Lady showered praises on the deceased’s mother for having played her motherly role well in bringing up her child, who she said always demonstrated unimpeachable integrity. Vunganai, she added, was more of a son than aide to her.
The deceased’s father, Mr Calvin Vunganai, said he was humbled to have been visited by the First Lady in his moment of grief. He chronicled his family history and described his son as a hardworker.
“I wish to thank the First Lady for coming to commiserate with us in this dark hour. I have no power over God and I will have to look after my grandchildren so that they can have a bright future,” he said tearfully.
When tragedy struck, the First Lady and her team were on a tour of duty to Muzarabani, where they were distributing foodstuffs to the elderly and vulnerable families. She also used the opportunity to raise awareness about the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, which has killed thousands worldwide. The country is currently under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
However, this has exposed the elderly and vulnerable members of society, most of whom are food insecure, hence the First Lady’s interventions countrywide. Vunganai was a principal security aide in the President’s Office having joined the organisation in 2008. He leaves behind his wife Nancy and two children — Nyevero (9) and Jefferson (4). He will be buried in Harare today.
The MDC-A has defended its Marondera Central legislator Caston Matewu for taking part in a ceremony where a charity organisation linked to first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa handed over donations to vulnerable people.
Matewu (38) has come under fire from fellow opposition activists for travelling to Mahusekwa at the invitation of Mnangagwa’s charitable organisation, Angel of Hope, on Friday.
All the three legislators from Marondera took elderly people from their constituencies to Mahusekwa growth point for the donation, while Mnangagwa was executing the same programme in Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe.
MDC-A Mashonaland East provincial spokesperson and Marondera mayor Chengetai Murowa said there was nothing amiss about Matewu’s presence at the event as the coronavirus outbreak meant that Zimbabweans must put politics aside to assist the vulnerable.
“Giving food to the vulnerable is a noble idea and as the MDC-A, we are very clear, we do not segregate on political lines and our MP is doing great work here in Marondera Central,” Marowa said.
“This is the time to be united more than ever before.
“This coronavirus thing is real. Most Zimbabweans are informal traders surviving from hand-to-mouth and as patriotic Zimbabweans, let’s do our best to assist the vulnerable in our midst. aturity.”
Matewu said donations to aid vulnerable people during the lockdown must not be politicised.
“Reports that I was with Mai Mnangagwa are false and misleading,” he said on Twitter.
“I received donations for Marondera from Angel of Hope.
“We urge all those willing to donate to our people to do so in this time of need.
“We won’t look which party you came from.”
Angel of Hope donated an assortment of groceries in Mashonaland East province a fortnight ago.
THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has provisionally pushed back this year’s June examinations by a month.
The decision was reached by senior Zimsec officials last week at a meeting to consider the impact of the current coronavirus lockdown on the exams. However, the exams management body has since completed printing the examination papers.
Zimsec board chair, Professor Eddie Mwenje, said the provisional dates were subject to change depending on the position taken by Government at the end of the extended lockdown period next week.
“We met on Friday and managed to check the level of preparedness by Zimsec and they have completed printing of the papers for the June examinations. We can say that they are ready to stage the examinations. What we have advised them to do is to push the starting date by two to four weeks,” he said.
He added that the body took into consideration that candidates for the June exams would ordinarily have been studying for a long time.
“So, we advised Zimsec to consider pushing the exams by a minimum two weeks and maximum of four weeks so that it does not clash with other lessons for the November examinations. Instead of the exams beginning late May, they may be pushed to begin mid-June. Although there is no extension for the June examinations registration, we are considering pushing the dates. We also spoke of social distancing during these examinations.
However, all this is also subject to Government pronouncement on May 3 when the current lockdown ends.”
There had been debate on how the June examinations would be handled in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said it was possible for the exams to be written in June.
“Schools were closed in March, so candidates had enough time to prepare. I see no harm in starting the exams two weeks after the original date.”
The Bulawayo City Council has permanently closed some informal markets in the Central Business Centre (CBD) including the popular Khothama Market to bring order in the city beyond the lockdown period.
In a notice, Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube said the streets that were used as markets were now open to traffic and pedestrians. Mr Dube said council had identified certain portions in the CBD as temporary facilities to accommodate informal traders but the declaration has now been cancelled.
“The said portions of roads shall be open to normal vehicular and pedestrian traffic with effect from midnight Sunday 3 May. This action is in the national interest and is in line with actions taken by Government to deal with the threat of the Covid- 19 (coronavirus) pandemic,” reads the notice.
The areas that will now be opened for vehicular movement include 8th Avenue between Josiah Tongogara Street and Robert Mugabe Way, portion of 5th Avenue between Robert Mugabe Way and George Silundika Street, portion of 5th Avenue between George Silundika Street and Fife Street, portion of 5th Avenue between Fort Street and Herbert Chitepo Street and portion of 5th Avenue between Herbert Chitepo Street and Lobengula Street.
Meanwhile, refuse collection will now be done fortnightly in the city as the council is experiencing cash flow problems.
“Residents are advised of the changes in the refuse removal collection schedule. Refuse will now be collected fortnightly on the same day that it was being collected on during the weekly regime until further notice. These disruptions are due to reduced cash inflows currently being experienced. These changes in refuse collection are for the eastern areas which will now be collected fortnightly and the Central Business District which will now be collected thrice a week instead of daily,” he said.
Sen Komichi you're this doc was not signed by you but it's a document that you yourself submitted before the Con Court and you labelled the MDC Alliance, a political party.
Pretoria — South Africa’s main opposition on Friday criticised that country’s Public Works and Infrastructure minister for the massive expenditure amounting to R37 million for the construction of a 40km Beibridge border fence that was quickly damaged. “South African taxpayers have forked out a whopping R37 million for what is effectively a ‘washing line’ to keep Covid-19 from reaching South Africa from Zimbabwe.
“Almost R1 million per kilometre was spent on a 1.8-metre-high wire fence meant to halt illegal border crossings into South Africa along the Beitbridge border post,” said the Democratic Alliance’s Samantha Graham-Maré.
Graham-Maré said the announcement by Patricia de Lille (pictured right), that repairs totalling R37m would be effected to 40km of the border fence, should have signalled a new era in tackling South Africa’s “almost non-existent border” with Zimbabwe.
“It would have ensured that kilometres of fencing stolen for animal kraals around the Beitbridge border area would have been replaced and restored,” she said. “According to the minister, all emergency procurement protocols had been adhered to.
“A contractor had been duly appointed to do a fast-track job to secure our country against the movement of undocumented illegals with the potential to infect South Africans.
“Regrettably, within days, pictures emerged of gaping holes in the new fence. Reports of stolen fence posts followed.
“The minister responded that there would be increased security around the fence to ensure that there were no more breaches.
“What sort of border fence did we procure that required its own security?
“What quality of material was used that it can barely withstand a wire-cutter, and who drafted the specifications for this fence?
“A game fence on an ordinary game farm stands between 1.8 metres and 2.4 metres high.”
The DA pointed out that a border fence, such as the one erected on the Morocco-Spain border, was6m high.
“This border fence, costing R37 million, should be impenetrable — and built to last. It clearly is not.
“The minister has subsequently backtracked on her earlier assertions that the appointment of Caledon River Properties trading as Magwa Construction was within the procurement guidelines of the declared national state of disaster,” said Graham-Maré.
“In addition, the department has admitted to having deviated from procurement processes by appointing Magwa Construction through a nomination process.
“After stoically defending the appointment, the minister has now requested an audit into the entire project by the attorney-general.
“We can only hope that their audit will also reveal the basis on which Magwa Construction was selected above other, more well-known companies.”
On Friday, the DA said it had submitted questions to De Lille about the appointment of the contractor as well as the specifications of the fence and the value for money that South African taxpayers received.
“If the purpose of the fence was merely a temporary cessation of the influx of illegal immigrants to protect our populace against Covid-19, then perhaps the fence built would have been sufficient.
“But it was not. It has been hailed as the new border fence between South Africa and Zimbabwe,” said Graham-Maré.
“Sadly, minister de Lille’s fence is a R37 million band-aid on a bullet wound.
“If we are going to protect our borders, we need a ‘snake of fire’, not a washing line costing almost R1 million per kilometre.”
In March, de Lille announced that the construction of a new fence at the Beitbridge border between South Africa and Zimbabwe was beginning and would be completed within 40 days.
“In terms of Section 27 (2) (l) of the Disaster Management Act, No. 57 of 2002, I have invoked emergency procurement procedures in relation to the erection and repairs of the border fences, east and west of the Beitbridge border post,” De Lille said at the time.
The step followed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation when he declared a national state of disaster in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, saying that the country’s borders would be secured.
State Media|PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday sent a condolence message to the family of Mr Albert Vunganai, a close aide to the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, who died from injuries sustained in a car accident in Mt Darwin on Friday.
Three other security officers were injured in the accident and are in hospital. In a statement, the President described Mr Vunganai as an exemplary security and intelligence officer.
“It was with great shock and deep grief that my wife and I received yesterday the tragic news of the untimely death of Mr Albert Tonderai Vunganai, principal security officer, following a car accident in Mavhuradonha, Mt Darwin district, Mashonaland Central Province,” said the President.
He said Mr Vunganai’s death pained them (President and First Lady) the most considering that the accident happened in the course of duty.
“The late Vunganai was known very well to both of us, the First Lady and myself, having worked with him since 2014 when he joined my staff as a member of the close security unit during my tenure as Vice-President of the Republic of Zimbabwe before he was reassigned to the First Lady’s close security unit in 2017, where he worked until his untimely death yesterday (Friday).”
The President said the late Vunganai discharged his duties with professionalism and was a team player.
“Vunganai was a very good and exemplary security and intelligence officer, who discharged his duties with absolute loyalty and dedication, which are the hallmark of a professional cadre.
“His untimely departure, therefore, leaves a deep void among his colleagues which will be difficult to fill as he was such a good team player. On behalf of Government, my wife, and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to express our sincere condolences to the Vunganai family, especially his wife Nancy and the children, during this dark hour of grief,” said the President.
“May they take comfort in the knowledge that we grieve with them, as their loss is ours together.”
Earlier the President visited the three injured security details at West End hospital in Harare.
“I have come to see my officers who were involved in an accident yesterday. It is good they know I have compassion towards them so I visited them. They are in capable hands and I’m assured everything possible is being done and I wish them a quick recovery.”
I just wanted to thank you for reporting on the status of the trial for Munyaradzi Mawadze and his two accomplices who murdered Sipho Ncube . You reported the case on Friday the 24th of April. When the body was found after their confession, every publication in Zimbabwe had the report however subsequent to that and when these bail hearings etc were applied for, no publication has followed through with the exception of yours. I state this on the basis that through a simple good Gel search you’re the only ones coming through as having the latest reporting on this situation.
Given that, l would like to say hats off to you and your team because I’m the absence of organisations like yours, some cases that have a high probability of being quashed (due to corrupt practices) without the public’s knowledge can actually go that way and it’s the family of the deceased that goes without the necessary closure of knowing the perpetrators are behind bars for taking the life of their love ones .
State Media|Workers in various sectors of the economy, particularly the hospitality and tourism industry, are bearing the brunt of the novel Coronavirus, and there are growing fears of job losses if the global economy continues worsening.
The local tourism industry employs more than 40 000 workers. Most companies are considering cost-cutting measures in order to stay afloat as revenues decline. The country’s five-week national lockdown is set to end on May 3. Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) president Mr Israel Murefu said the tourism, hospitality and airlines industries were the most affected by the pandemic.
“Some companies may not be able to come back to life when the current extended lockdown is over. This is because many, especially the so-called non-essential businesses, have lost production, markets or consumers, as well as suppliers. The companies have employees sitting at home but have valid contracts of employment and therefore expect to be remunerated even though they have not been rendering any services,” said Mr Murefu.
He warned that many companies would not be able to sustain salaries beyond this month.
“This is what the companies have actually said and it is on record. I am not sure how one could preserve jobs if they cannot remunerate those jobs,” he said.
Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) vice president Mr Farai Chimba told our Harare Bureau yesterday that the tourism sector was bleeding as hotels, restaurants and bars remained closed. The sector’s 40 154 workers, most of whom are female employees, are presently working from home. It is believed that women make up 61 percent of the tourism and hospitality sector, accommodation and food services.
Overall, the tourism industry contributes 1,4 percent to national employment, according to HAZ. Mr Chimba, however, said various companies were implementing measures to reduce the impact of Covid-19.
“As this is a very diverse sector, there is no one solution that fits all. Re-evaluation of costs, reducing the seasonal staff complement, sending staff on leave, salary and wage cuts are some of the cocktail of measures that have been implemented in various businesses based on their business model positions,” he said.
Mr Murefu also weighed in: “Our advice is that labour should be managed in terms of the Labour Act and workplace or (National Employment Council) NEC consultations are the way to go if an employer wants to do something that may adversely affect labour. While everyone is encouraged and is being called upon to protect employment, if one is unable to open or can only open at very low capacity owing to financial constraints, they may not be able to carry as many jobs as they were before the crisis. This is where joint workplace or industry consultations on the way forward are needed in terms of the law.”
Mr Murefu said EMCOZ was pushing for a Distressed Relief Fund to be established to assist companies come back to life. He also suggested measures including tax relief, revisiting the two percent tax, National Social Security Authority (NSSA) contributions holiday, reviewing Value Added Tax (VAT) levels, subsidies as well as lowering electricity tariffs. Other recommendations are softer bank loans and easier access to working capital for small to medium enterprises and big businesses.
However, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima recently issued a statement urging companies to avoid retrenchments, unpaid leave and unfair terminations during the lockdown period.
Furthermore, Government has come up with a $600 million package to support the informal sector and vulnerable households. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that globally over 25 million jobs will be lost due to the coronavirus.
TESTING of Covid-19 at the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo might grind to a halt as it has emerged that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that workers put on when conducting tests has run out.
The centre started testing for Covid-19 (Corononavirus) on 13 April and is one of the only two centres in the country. The other testing centre is the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory in Harare. Workers at the centre revealed yesterday that they have run out of PPE and if no supplies are made by today, testing would stop with effect from tomorrow. They raised concern that part of the equipment was allocated to areas that did not need sophisticated protective equipment like security guards.
Chairman of the National University of Science and Technology Applied Genetics Testing Centre, Mr Zephania Dlamini who is part of the team leading the testing at Mpilo said the situation was dire.
“We are left with five suits only to work with. We received 10 suits yesterday (Friday) and used five today (yesterday). We cannot have any results coming from this centre if there is no protective equipment. People cannot work,” he said.
However, contacted for comment, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo, said there was no need for panic as there was enough PPE for hospitals.
“There is plenty of PPE that has arrived in the country and is being dispatched as we speak from Natpharm in Harare. I visited Natpharm this morning (yesterday) and all hospitals are going to get their share of PPE. They were preparing to ship out the consignment to various destinations across the country. The people at Mpilo should not worry too much, by tomorrow, their consignment should have been delivered,” he said.
Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director Dr Welcome Mlilo said the hospital administration could have misallocated the equipment, with some of the critical equipment sent to the main hospital and given to among others, security guards. He however, could not reveal how many PPE sets were given to Bulawayo hospitals by Government, which sourced the equipment and also received donations from various organisations.
“Some of the equipment was probably sent to the main hospital so we need to liaise with them so that people work. I will have to consult with Natpharm on how many PPE sets were supplied to Mpilo, United Bulawayo Hospitals and to the Bulawayo City Council,” said Dr Ndiweni.
However, Sunday News observed that five guards who were manning entrances at the hospital were clad in full PPE suits. Apart from providing security, they were also applying sanitiser to visitors. Mr Dlamini, however, said the laboratory was managing to cope with tests for both Covid-19 and tuberculosis (TB).
“We are giving the TB lab a chance to run their samples in the morning, so they run from around 6am to about 1pm and then the Covid-19 samples come in from 2pm going late into the night. This is also dependent on the number of TB samples that are there and how many Covid-19 samples are there,” he said.
Mr Dlamini, added that they were not satisfied with the flow of resources to the facility.
“We are not satisfied. We are not getting enough consumables. We only get polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Kits and the instruction kits, that’s all. Consumables like pipette tips, centrifuge tubes, we are not getting those and we have been cannibalising from our National University of Science and Technology (Nust) laboratory and we hope we will be able to reimburse our laboratory. The Minister of Finance (and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube), however, promised to assist us if we give him the list of our requirements,” he said. Speaking after the tour of the facility yesterday, Minister Ncube said Government will look at the concerns raised by Mr Dlamini and his team.
“Our role in Treasury is to ensure that they are supplied with resources. I can find additional resources so that tests can happen rapidly and massify them. I am pleased to see the workforce of people here. They are highly dedicated people who work long hours. They are here at 6am and can leave at midnight.”
Mpilo Hospital acting chief executive officer, Dr Solwayo Ngwenya, said he had reprimanded the official who gave out PPE suits to security guards.
“Everyone has to be safe but PPE suits can not be given to security guards. Giving them was a mistake and I have since reprimanded the official who gave them the suits. That will not happen again. I have also been running around since morning to source some PPE suits for the lab because I also knew that their stocks were low. Iam confident they will continue with their work. In fact the hospital has been supportive to them ever since they started working from the lab in the hospital,” he said.
Funny things continue to happen during the Coronavirus shutdown in Zimbabwe.
Members of Parliament in most constituencies have had the responsibility to check on the welfare of the people in their constituencies.
Parliament forms one of the three pillars of government, hence Parliamentarians have a role to play in circumstances such as these.
The wife of the President has no official role in the country and given that every the constituency has an MP and councillors, the First Lady has no role to play during a shutdown.
The arrest of Mutasa Member of Parliament Regai Tsunga after as he went to check on people who have failed to access subsidised mealie-meal is clear evidence that the Government of Zimbabwe is up to no good.
Did the Government expect the Member of Parliament to ignore hungry people from his constituency who had failed to access mealie-meal?
Did the Government ever want the people of Mutasa to access the mealie-meal in the first place?
While some opposition Members of Parliament are arrested for trying to help people in need of food, the First lady is travelling around the country at will.
This is evil, and anyone associated with Government should be ashamed of such behaviour.-Kennedy Kaitano
Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has announced that wearing cloth masks will become compulsory for all South Africans once the country enters level 4 of the lockdown.
The minister said it will be mandatory for all citizens to have their mouths covered when leaving their homes in order to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
She was speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday afternoon, where she fleshed out the details of the government’s risk-adjusted strategy aimed at easing lockdown regulations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa this week announced a five-phased relaxation of regulations that will kick-start from next week Friday.
Dlamini-Zuma said government will not hesitate to revert to a hard lockdown if there is a surge in infections.
“If the numbers go up, we go back to level 5. So it’s all in our hands South Africans, whether we stick to what we do, so we must make the choice ourselves.”
The minister said the adjustment does not mean government has completely lifted the lockdown.
With over 4,200 infections and almost 80 deaths, Dlamini-Zuma said everyone will be expected to wear masks to guard against the disease.
“We know that these masks may not be easily available. If you don’t have a mask, use a scarf, use a t-shirt – so you have to have your nose and mask covered in public.”
Several South Africans had raised concerns around their health and keeping fit.
The minister said there will be provision for this, but with limitations.
“Exercise will be allowed but under strict conditions. Gyms will remain closed and organized sports or walking or jogging is not allowed. We will put very strict regulations under which exercise can be done.”
Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel will provide detail on how the new restrictions under level 4 are going to impact on businesses.
Over 200 supermarket workers have tested positive for the coronavirus in the Western Cape, the province which is now the epicentre of the virus with 1314 infections and 28 deaths.
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said food shops are proving to be the new breeding ground for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, more than 100,000 face masks and other protective gear have been donated to workers in the agriculture sector.
The provincial agriculture department said farm workers and those in food processing are just as essential as nurses and doctors.
Officials told members of the provincial legislature on Friday that more resources are being pumped into rural areas with high COVID-19 infections.
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE: 25 APRIL 2020 As of 25 April 2020, a cumulative total of 2 719 897 confirmed cases and 187 705 deaths were reported from more than 210 countries/territories globally (Source WHO Sitrep No.96).
The Ministry of Health would like to report that today, a total of 380 tests were done as detailed in table 1 below. giving a total of 6 067 screening and diagnostic tests done to date.
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe now has thirty-one confirmed cases, including two recoveries and four deaths.
Table 1. Distribution of tests done today Mat. North – 3 Manicaland – 5 Mat. South – 54 Midlands – 6 Harare – 161 Bulawayo – 151 TOTALS – 380 Of the PCR tests done in Harare today, three were positive for COVID-19 and all the PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were negative for COVID-19.
Table 2. Number of confirmed cases to date Matabeleland North – 1 Bulawayo – 10 Harare – 13 Mashonaland East – 4 Mashonaland West – 3 Total: 31 Two of the three cases confirmed today were due to local transmission. All the three cases are stable, and not in the hospital. More details on these cases to follow.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
When you use a mask, cover your mouth and nose, and make sure that there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
Avoid touching the mask while using it: if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
If masks are not used correctly, they can be a source of infection.
For assistance, please call the COVID-19 tollfree hotline number: 2019.
THE 15 Ethiopian illegal immigrants who had been quarantined in Gwanda for coronavirus assessment have been reportedly released to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPSC) after they all tested negative for the virus.
The group was arrested last month after they failed to cross to South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post after it was closed for passengers due to Covid-19. The illegal immigrants were being housed at a homestead in Mawane One Village in Swisha.
They were subsequently tested and quarantined to ascertain whether they had Covid-19. One of the immigrants was detained at Gwanda Provincial Hospital where he was recovering from dehydration.
In an interview with Sunday News last Thursday, Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director, Dr Rudo Chikodzore said the illegal immigrants tested negative and have been released from the quarantine to the care of ZPCS.
“The group was released after they tested negative for Covid-19. All due processes were then followed leading them to be released from the quarantine and handed over to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services,” said Dr Chikodzore.
Before the quarantine, the 15 Ethiopians had appeared in court and remanded in custody facing a charge of contravening Section 11(1) of the Immigration Act Chapter 4:02, entry by evasion.
Due to the communication barrier it was only ascertained that the accused persons were from Ethiopia without valid travel documents but the port of entry which they used could not be established since their Zimbabwean assistant had escaped. They were allegedly left by Ethan Ndlovu, a cross-border transporter under the care of his friend only identified as Bheki.
The group was reportedly housed at Mr Fani Ndlovu’s homestead with the assistance of a cross-border transporter based in Beitbridge, Ethan, who is Mr Ndlovu’s son, and Bheki. Ethan was also assisting with groceries while Bheki who reportedly fled from the homestead when police arrived, was their caretaker.
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF has begun to belittle MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa, calling him “Secretary for Policy and Research” in a desperate attempt to discredit the youthful politician.
Surprisingly, Zanu PF accused Chamisa of “instructing MPs and councillors to distribute food aid to card- carrying MDC members.”
Political analysts say Zanu PF’ s line of argument reflects desperate measures to dilute the MDC leader’s growing influence.The argument is fraught with contradictions, according to political observers.
Zanu PF tweeted :MDC Alliance Secretary for Policy and Research @nelsonchamisa is said to have ordered MDC MPs and notorious councillors to overlook deserving beneficiaries of global aid, demanding MDC-cards for one to have their name enlisted as a beneficiary of donated basics.
This Must Stop! This trend has been observed in Highfields East and West, Harare East and Mabvuku.
This is in direct violation of President’s Directive to stop patronizing relief aid.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF MPs have been reminded to work with people in their constituencies regardless of political color.”
Commenting on the ruling party’s assertion, Masvingo based political analyst Jeffryson Chitando said:” Zanu PF is desperate to denigrate Chamisa.Zanu PF officials are losing sleep over Chamisa’ s growing influence.The argument is a smorgasbord of contradictions and black propaganda.Can a secretary instruct MPs and councillors to do something?This is a weak line of argument. The whole thing reflects desperation of the worst kind.”
THE Government is finalising modalities that will see primary and secondary school learners receiving lessons through radio in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has disrupted the school calendar leading to cancellation of Cambridge international examinations for May and June.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo told Sunday News in an interview yesterday that they have since reached an agreement with the national broadcaster – ZBC on having school lessons broadcast on its radio stations.
He however, could not reveal when the programme will start.
“We are not yet sure as of when the schools are going to open. That will be said by the President after consultations with the relevant stakeholders and in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
“We, however, admit that a lot has been disturbed in our learning. As you are aware, we closed schools early and we are not yet sure of the dates of opening. We are still under lockdown. We have examination classes and we are just preparing ourselves for the realities that we are going to open schools one day. So, in that regard we have engaged ZBC and agreed to have lessons on radio for both primary and secondary classes,” he said.
Asked what would happen to those that have no access to radios because of poor radio signal reception and other social factors, Deputy Minister Moyo said material would be printed and distributed to rural communities that have no access to radio.
“We are developing printed material for those that will not be able to access radio lessons. We are mindful of the rural communities who have no access so a plan is in place for them. We know that some school work has been going on, on various social media platforms accessible to learners where teachers are sending their classes work to do but that is not formal, but it is not bad. It, however, only disadvantages those learners from poor backgrounds who have no access to gadgets and we hope the teachers will take that into consideration when schools open,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
He added that the ministry was also preparing online lessons and material development through Ruzivo pushed by High Life Foundation which was a Government partner under Curriculum Development and Technical Services (CDTS).
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, he said, was working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure there would be adherence to guidelines such as social distancing, wearing of masks and use of sanitisers when schools open.
“Teachers will have to undergo sensitisation workshops, so it’s a whole lot of work that we are doing as we want to ensure a safe learning environment in our schools,” he said.
Deputy Minister Moyo encouraged innovation at school level saying items such as masks could be made at schools by those doing Design and Technology.
“There is a school in Karoi called Chikangwe High that is into manufacturing masks and that is the type of innovation that we want in schools,” he said.
In a statement released by Cambridge Regional Director in Sub-Saharan Africa Mr Juan Visser, the international examination board said it had cancelled the May/June 2020 examinations in all countries.
“Our decision not to hold our international examinations in the May/June 2020 series in any country was taken after much consideration; not least because many schools are closed and countries are under lockdown. This cancellation is not unique to Cambridge, most awarding bodies and ministries of education have taken similar decisions,” reads part of the statement.
Meanwhile, universities and colleges have also adopted online learning due to restrictions on travelling and social distancing.
Most of the country’s universities have, however, turned themselves into innovation centres where they have been capacitated to manufacture sanitisers. The Covid-19 pandemic has so far killed more than 198 000 people with more than 2.83 million confirmed cases worldwide. Zimbabwe, by Friday had 28 confirmed cases and four deaths.
Meanwhile, our Harare Bureau reports that preparations for the second school term have begun but opening will now be delayed as authorities roll out changes to how the academic institutions will operate in view of the Covid-19 scourge.
They were scheduled to open on May 5. Zimbabwe’s lockdown was last week extended by a fortnight to May 3. But with Government planning to overhaul the learning environment through a raft of changes that include reducing class sizes to enforce social distancing, this is no longer possible.
The reorientation, necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, will also involve provision of protective wear for educators and regular disinfection of schools. Further, Government is mobilising a budget to procure sanitisers for all schools and new single-student desks.
Authorities told our Harare Bureau that schools will only open when the Covid-19 outbreak has been sufficiently contained and a safe learning environment for pupils has been fashioned. Plans being considered include provisionally allowing pupils sitting for public examinations this year to return to school while measures are put in place to allow for the rest to resume classes. Grade 7, Form 4 and 6 classes sit for public examinations towards the end of the third term.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said only President Mnangagwa would issue a proclamation to reopen schools.
“In terms of the school opening calendar we are still looking at the dates. We will stand guided by any pronouncement made by His Excellency the President after consultations with his team and advisors. We will look at the progression of the disease in terms of how well we manage to contain it. We are preparing at the moment, but we cannot anticipate when schools will be opened because this is a function of reading how well we manage the disease.”
He said the school calendar will most likely be altered as a result of the disruption occasioned by Covid-19. Social distancing will be enforced at all schools once they reopen.
“We are looking at how, when schools eventually open, we will deal with things like enforcing social distancing at the schools especially in classes. We are looking at things like reducing class sizes, school furniture for single student sitting and how this can be used to enforce social distancing. We are also looking at how we can provide the relevant protective equipment for our teachers and school staff, and how we can also protect our children. Provision of sanitisers is also important as well as disinfecting schools which will be prioritised,” he said.
Zimbabwe Schools Development Associations/Committees secretary-general Mr Everisto Jongwe said schools should be the last institutions to open after the lockdown.
“It’s a catch 22 situation. For a start enforcing social distancing is very tricky in schools. We have schools that have up to 4000 pupils and to ask them to enforce social distancing is impossible, worse still if it is a boarding school.
“Then you look at the issue of providing protective equipment, and asking Government to provide that for teachers, support staff and pupils is a huge ask. We have to be very careful about what we do before we can reopen schools. Reopening schools should be the last issue on the table after we have reopened the rest of the country.”
By A Correspondent- Preparations for the second school term have begun but opening will now be delayed as authorities roll out changes to how the academic institutions will operate in view of the Covid-19 scourge.
They were scheduled to open on May 5. Zimbabwe’s lockdown was last week extended by a fortnight to May 3.
But with Government planning to overhaul the learning environment through a raft of changes that include reducing class sizes to enforce social distancing, this is no longer possible.
The reorientation, necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, will also involve provision of protective wear for educators and regular disinfection of schools.
Further, Government is mobilising a budget to procure sanitisers for all schools and new single-student desks.
Authorities told the state media that schools will only open when the Covid-19 outbreak has been sufficiently contained and a safe learning environment for pupils has been fashioned.
Plans being considered include provisionally allowing pupils sitting for public examinations this year to return to school while measures are put in place to allow for the rest to resume classes.
Grade 7, Form 4 and 6 classes sit for public examinations towards the end of the third term.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said only President Mnangagwa would issue a proclamation to reopen schools.
“In terms of the school opening calendar we are still looking at the dates,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
“We will stand guided by any pronouncement made by His Excellency the President after consultations with his team and advisors. We will look at the progression of the disease in terms of how well we manage to contain it.
“We are preparing at the moment, but we cannot anticipate when schools will be opened because this is a function of reading how well we manage the disease.”
He said the school calendar will most likely be altered as a result of the disruption occasioned by Covid-19. Social distancing will be enforced at all schools once they reopen.
“We are looking at how, when schools eventually open, we will deal with things like enforcing social distancing at the schools especially in classes. We are looking at things like reducing class sizes, school furniture for single student sitting and how this can be used to enforce social distancing.
“We are also looking at how we can provide the relevant protective equipment for our teachers and school staff, and how we can also protect our children. Provision of sanitisers is also important as well as disinfecting schools which will be prioritised,” he said.
Deputy Minister Moyo said Government is consulting stakeholders so that in the event that the President makes a pronouncement, they are not caught off guard.
“Right now we are working on budgeting for procurement of the requisite stuff we need, this includes sanitisers, furniture and disinfectants.
“We are working with our partners as well as looking at what contribution Treasury can make. What is certain is that our schools will never be the same when they reopen.”
“We are not yet there and we cannot speculate on the position that will be taken (regarding partial opening of schools) and that may turn out to be the way.
“It is one of the options that we are considering but it is only as part of preparations, we cannot discount any option now. In short, we are developing a plan in anticipation of the pronouncement.”
Zimbabwe Schools Development Associations/Committees secretary-general Mr Everisto Jongwe said schools should be the last institutions to open after the lockdown.-StateMedia
THE Government is considering reviewing this year’s National Budget allocations as spending dynamics have changed following shifts in resource use by various ministries as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Budget was presented by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube in November last year, with supplementary budget announcement tentatively set for August.
However, this year, spending in most ministries has been disturbed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) prompting most ministries to allocate the bulk of their resources to fight the pandemic. Speaking on the sidelines of a tour of Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo yesterday, Prof Ncube said most ministries were now resource constrained, hence a decision for a quick top-up of budget allocations.
He said despite the fight against Covid-19, ministries still needed to be capacitated to carry out their mandates.
“The first order was to shift budget so we have shifted our budget to focus more on health issues around Covid-19 and also on social protection. Basically, it’s saving livelihoods, giving people money, saving jobs as well as spending on health in the first place. That is the first phase. And then obviously we have to top that up, which is the second phase so when we talk about budget revision it’s really that second phase after the shifting,” he said, although he could not elaborate when the budget review would be done.
Prof Ncube said it was necessary to have a budget review in order to streamline activities of various ministries with the work being done on Covid-19 and to alleviate the pressure that has been exerted on initial budget allocations. He said the most targeted ministry would be that of Health and Child Care which is directly at the centre of fighting the pandemic.
Last year, the ministry was allocated $6,5 billion while the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry got $8,5 billion. Prof Ncube paid tribute to development partners who have also supported Covid-19 initiatives in the country.
“What we have also seen is that development partners have also come on board to give us additional resources and counting so far, we have about US$70 million from the development partners, that is very welcome indeed,” he said.
Prof Ncube said institutions involved in the fight against Covid-19 would also be capacitated.
“This is a key institution (National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory at Mpilo) and such institutions will not be joining a long queue to get resources; we will release resources soon, now we just need to fine tune their budget which they will submit but obviously we will do it speedily. Private players have come on board donating consumables and cash, they are also donating their services and this is welcome.
“I have come to see the laboratory that is testing for Covid-19. I came here to see for myself what is needed and how we can support them to become more effective and assisting with scaling up the testing process. It’s very clear that we need more capacity in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. I was taken through the whole process and it all starts with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), we need to buy more for the frontline testers and in addition to that they need other material for the testing process to be beefed up,” he said.
Prof Ncube also said the laboratory needed a facelift.
“I have a full appreciation of what is needed. I am also aware that over time the centre itself needs to be upgraded so that it can maintain its level pre-rating as a quality global testing centre. Our role in Treasury is to ensure that they are supplied with resources. I can find additional resources so that tests can happen rapidly and massify them. I am pleased to see the workforce of people here; they are highly dedicated people who work long hours. They are here at 6am and can leave at midnight. We appreciate the long hours they put in and as Government we stand ready to appreciate them more. We have put in place a risk allowance that is tax free and going forward we will see what else we will do to support them and keep the moral high,” he added.
The minister was accompanied during the tour by the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) Vice-Chancellor Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, chairman of Nust Applied Genetics Testing Centre Mr Zephania Dlamini, Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Dr Solwayo Ngwenya and Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director Dr Welcome Mlilo.
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care in Midlands has expressed concern over the reluctance by frontline workers to get tested for coronavirus despite the risky nature of their work.
The province has received 200 rapid test kits from Government as part of decentralising Covid-19 testing.
The Government recently announced mandatory testing for frontline workers particularly health care workers to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
In an interview, Midlands Provincial Medical Director Dr Reginald Mhene said there was a low turnout by frontline workers for Covid-19 testing.
“The challenge we have as a province is that there is a low turnout of frontline workers who are being tested.
“We recently received 200 test kits from Government so that we do rapid tests of suspected cases as well as frontline workers.
“The challenge is the workers are reluctant to get tested in some instances we would test three people a day.
“These are the people who interact with several people on a daily basis but they do not get tested,” he said.
Dr Mhene also allayed fears of Covid-19 cases in Mberengwa and Shurugwi following the death of an artisanal miner after suffering from acute respiratory challenges accompanied by fever and headache.
It is understood that the artisanal miner, who was working at a mine in Mberengwa, succumbed to Covid-19 like symptoms while five of the deceased’s colleagues are said to be suffering from similar ailments.
Dr Mhene said the patient tested negative to Covid-19 but the provincial rapid response team has also tested the deceased’s workmates.
“We received a report that there were people from Mberengwa who were having symptoms similar to Covid-19.
“One of the patients was in Zvishavane. We made a follow up to Mapazuli Clinic but unfortunately the person died. We took specimen from the body for testing and the results came out negative. We also established that the person was working in Shurugwi also and has not been feeling well for two months. We are yet to record a single case of Covid-19 in Midlands,” he said.
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday sent a condolence message to the family of Mr Albert Vunganai, a close aide to the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, who died from injuries sustained in a car accident in Mt Darwin on Friday.
Three other security officers were injured in the accident and are in hospital. In a statement, the President described Mr Vunganai as an exemplary security and intelligence officer.
“It was with great shock and deep grief that my wife and I received yesterday the tragic news of the untimely death of Mr Albert Tonderai Vunganai, principal security officer, following a car accident in Mavhuradonha, Mt Darwin district, Mashonaland Central Province,” said the President.
He said Mr Vunganai’s death pained them (President and First Lady) the most considering that the accident happened in the course of duty.
“The late Vunganai was known very well to both of us, the First Lady and myself, having worked with him since 2014 when he joined my staff as a member of the close security unit during my tenure as Vice-President of the Republic of Zimbabwe before he was reassigned to the First Lady’s close security unit in 2017, where he worked until his untimely death yesterday (Friday).”
The President said the late Vunganai discharged his duties with professionalism and was a team player.
“Vunganai was a very good and exemplary security and intelligence officer, who discharged his duties with absolute loyalty and dedication, which are the hallmark of a professional cadre.
“His untimely departure, therefore, leaves a deep void among his colleagues which will be difficult to fill as he was such a good team player. On behalf of Government, my wife, and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to express our sincere condolences to the Vunganai family, especially his wife Nancy and the children, during this dark hour of grief,” said the President.
“May they take comfort in the knowledge that we grieve with them, as their loss is ours together.”
Earlier the President visited the three injured security details at West End hospital in Harare.
“I have come to see my officers who were involved in an accident yesterday. It is good they know I have compassion towards them so I visited them. They are in capable hands and I’m assured everything possible is being done and I wish them a quick recovery.”
Yesterday Zimbabwe recorded three new Covid-19 positive cases bringing the total number to 31 with the new cases worrying as they are local Transmissions.
According to the health ministry, the three new cases were from Harare whose total number now stands at 13 followed by Bulawayo with 10 while Mashonaland East cases remain at four followed by Mashonaland West with three and Matebeleland with one case.
Find the ministry of health and child care report below…
Parents and guardians have called on the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) to postpone the 2020 June and November examinations to December considering that lessons have been affected by the lockdown which has been extended to May 3.
NewsDay spoke to a number of parents most of whom called for the postponement of the local examinations.
The call came after Zimsec continued with the registration for the June and November public examinations amid uncertainty.
“The exams should just be moved to December. Continuing with June exams is tantamount to dilution of the education system because candidates did not have much time to prepare. As for November, maybe the situation would have improved,” a parent, who chose to be anonymous, said.
Otillia Meda said: “June examinations should not continue because we don’t know how many times the lockdown can be extended. As for November examinations, responsible authorities need to assess the impact of the lockdown on the learning process. There may be need for online learning during this period.”
Another parent, Perkins Nyakudya suggested that if the examination dates were not moved, there was need to lower the grading system.
“There is need to move these exams to accommodate both fast and slow learners. Postponing will work well with the ‘naturally bright’ students who happen to be few. If the dates are set anywhere close, there will be need to be lenient when marking and consider lowering the grading system.”
Zimsec spokesperson Nicky Dhlamini however, said a decision on whether to postpone or not would be made in consultation with the ministry.
“We don’t work independently. We work with the ministry and government. The latter is the supreme authority of the nation, so we don’t go ahead of them. Just like when the President announced that schools were closing early, he will announce the dates when they will open. We will not make decisions independently,” she said.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Patrick Zumbo, who had earlier referred questions pertaining to examinations to Zimsec, said: “Of course, we are also an interested party, but the rightful people who can answer about exams are at Zimsec. You need to engage them and find out their position so far. However, we were supposed to be on holiday according to the original school calendar. We may not necessarily open on the originally set date,” he said.
ZIFA has clarified the issue of a pay cut for Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic during the coronavirus outbreak.
The pandemic has caused the suspension of football around the globe, leaving several FAs and teams asking their staff to take pay cuts or deferrals until the situation gets under control.
England coach Gareth Southgate has since agreed to a 30% reduction after the English FA projected a loss in their financial year due to the coronavirus.
But at Zifa, operations are ongoing despite the lockdown and Logarusic, who is paid around US$6000 per month plus other allowances, is fulfilling his other duties, according to spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela.
He also revealed that there hasn’t been any pay cut for all employees at the association.
“Remember, coaches are not only employed to preside over matches, and this case coach Loga is a full-time Zifa worker just like everyone else at the association,” Gwesela told the Daily News.
“So everyone is at work including him. For now, we haven’t discussed any pay cut with any Zifa employee including him (the coach), so it’s business as usual at Zifa.”
Logarusic’s first assignment as the Warriors head coach was supposed to take place in March in back-to-back Afcon qualifiers against Algeria.-Soccer 24
It is a day set aside highlighting global efforts to control malaria and celebrating the gains that have been made so far.
Malaria remains a big problem in other parts of the world and in Zimbabwe it’s a public health problem. It is common in areas that are hot and moist. The theme for 2020 is “Zero malaria starts with me”.
What is malaria? It is a disease caused by infection with a parasite female anopheles mosquito. The mosquito is the vector that transmits the infection. Found mainly where there are open water bodies.
In Zimbabwe malaria peaks from November to April. The most effective control and prevention strategy is through prevention of mosquito bites.
Symptoms include fever, chills, rigors, headache, nausea,anorexia, joint pains, malaise and sweating.
There is also a history of staying in an area known to be endemic of malaria or traveling to that area. However one might not present with all the symptoms. In this era of COVID-19 pandemic excluding it is also important in those diagnosed with malaria.
Treatment – Malaria is a treatable disease. There are oral medications and intravenous medicines that can be used to cure the disease.
The disease progress quickly therefore early treatment saves life than late treatment.
There is no vaccine for malaria. Malaria can affect anyone of any age and despite previous infection you can still get malaria.
Prevention – Sleeping under a treated mosquito net and using mosquito repellents.
Wearing long sleeved shirts at night to avoid mosquito bites. Spraying open water bodies and covering them.
Taking malaria prophylaxis when traveling to a malaria endemic area.
Malaria is still a disease that kills thousands to millions of people every year.
Therefore let’s prevent malaria in our communities.
Compiled by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Covid-19 screening and testing will be integrated into malaria response to mitigate the recent spike in deaths and cases, with the death toll hitting 205, so far this year.
This would mean capacitating community health workers who are instrumental in malaria response in most rural communities to screen and test for Covid-19 and providing them with personal protective equipment.
The consideration followed challenges noted by Government that were prompted by the outbreak of Covid-19, although malaria so far remains the most dangerous.
Statistics on malaria availed by Government showed that deaths shot up from 127 between January 1 and April 23 last year to 205 in the same four months this year.
Similarly, cases have also increased from 117 715 last year to 203 964 this year between January and April.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the World Malaria Day today, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said Zimbabwe had made great strides in reducing the burden of malaria in central and southern western parts of the country and was now concentrating on the eastern and northern parts, which border Mozambique and Zambia.
He said malaria incidences had gone down by about 83 percent from 36 per 1 000 people in 2 000 to 22 per 1 000 people in 2019.
Similarly, Dr Moyo said mortality had declined by 75 percent from 1 069 deaths in 2003 to 266 deaths in 2019.
He said 28 malaria endemic districts were already recording less than five cases per 1 000 people — a stage referred to as pre-elimination.
“However, these gains are being threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic, a disease which has common initial symptoms to malaria, which include fever, headache, generalised body pains and weakness,” said Dr Moyo.-State media
By A Correspondent| North Korean President Kim Jong Un is said to be in a vegetative state with other reports suggesting that he has died.
John Un has not been seen in public since April 11 and his absence has fuelled speculation about his health. This was following a botched operation.
None of these claims had been either confirmed or denied at the time of writing, and with no denial from the state media, attention in military circles has turned throw suggestions on the possible scenarios of the strongman’s death.
A retired special forces colonel and now senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, David Maxwell forecasted what could happen in Pyongyang.
He told the Military Times: ‘Units of the North Korean People’s Army are going to compete for resources and survival.
‘This will lead to internal conflict among units and could escalate to widespread civil war.’
The man who was arrested for killing a leopard that had attacked him in January while on a mopane worm (amacimbi) harvesting expedition at a farm in Matobo District, Matabeleland South Province has been acquitted.
Abednigo Moyo’s story, which was first broken by Sunday News made headlines internationally when he was arrested and faced a possible jail-term for poaching after he wrestled and killed the wild cat at Mgumela Farm.
However, on 23 March Plumtree court magistrate Ms Nomusa Ncube acquitted Moyo together with two other accused persons, Isaac Moyo and Walter Ncube. The trio was facing a charge for contravening Section 59 (2) of the Parks and Wildlife Act.
However, the owner of the farm, William Ncube was convicted and sentenced to three months in prison or a fine of $2 000 for being found in position of the dead animal. The court felt another man Majoni Dube who had accompanied Mr Ncube to his homestead carrying the carcass had no case to answer. Ms Rosemary Mbeure prosecuted.
In his submissions the accused persons’ lawyer, Mr Prince Butshe of Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers argued that the leopard was killed in defence of human life. Contacted for a comment Mr Butshe confirmed the development.
“The three Abednigo Moyo, Isaac Moyo and Walter Ncube were all acquitted. The old man, William Ncube was convicted and sentenced to pay $2 000 or three months in prison. The three were acquitted because there was no evidence that they carried the carcass of the leopard after they killed it in defence of Abednigo. Ncube carried it to his home and he skinned it hence the conviction,” he said. – state media
By Dr Masimba Mavaza| Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister Of Defence who is the National Political Commissar of the ruling ZANU PF party Hon Cde Victor Matemadanda has sent a message of condolence to the families of the Zim nurses as well as others who have died during the ongoing Corona epidemic.
Hon Matemadanda said following the loss of lives due to a tragic virus which has ravaged the world Zimbabwe has learnt to push and come out victors in such an evil virus. Comrade Matemadanda’s message read as follows “On behalf of our revolutionary party ZANU PF I want to convey our heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and relatives.”
He continued to say, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the devastating and emotional loss in a foreign land of our nurses care workers and doctors.
At this time of national grief, the Government and the people of Zimbabwe and the revolutionary party ZANU PF join me in conveying our profound sympathy to Your loss my dear country men. I wish success in the research for a cure to this pandemic.
Please also convey our sincere condolences to the members of the bereaved families.”
Cde Matemadanda asked the ZANU PF District chairperson Cde Masimba Tawengwa and General Secretary Cde Xavier Zvavare and all their executives members and all cares in Europe to comfort where possible and assist where possible On behalf of the party and the nation the downtrodden the bereaving and their families. He expressed deep condolences over the passing away of our heroes in the foreign land. Cde Matemadanda extended sincere condolences to the Zimbabwean nurses and doctors and care workers and those in the different capacity but in the front line and people of The United Kingdom at large.
Comrade Matemadanda said Zimbabweans are an outstanding people in whatever they do. No other nationality abroad had made remarkable contributions to promoting the friendship and cooperation between Zimbabwe and the country my they visit. Zimbabweans in most cases have made us proud and indeed we feel the pain of losing our children in the foreign land. Their passing is a huge loss to the Zimbabwean people, and UK has also lost a lot. There is no doubt that the UK side cherishes its brotherly traditional friendship with Zimbabwe, and is willing to work with the Zimbabwean government and people to continue expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation in all areas, and push for the constant development of UK -Zimbabwe comprehensive relations.
Cde Matemadanda said” despite that England is groaning under the virus and and are at the receiving end more than us they found in their hearts the need to give Zimbabwe millions of pounds to fight the Corona virus in Zimbabwe. Cde Matemadanda said the tragic and untimely death of our own in the UK frontline shows the dedication of our people to save lives even if they are not on their country.
Comrade Matemadanda said the whole country mourns the passing of “a great team of health workers fighting a virus far away from home. They are the towering figures of our time who have left an indelible imprint on the history of health in Zimbabwe and in the UK.
Cde Matemadanda further observes that due to the dedication of the nurses in the UK the virus has been stopped in its tracks. It would have been different if it was not for our dear nurses in the wilderness.
“The entire Zimbabwean Community and I share with the families of the bereaved and the government of UK and people of Zimbabwe the feelings of great loss at this moment of deep sorrow”,
The efforts of the departed nurses and those who will die in the coming days is not in vein. I urge all Zimbabweans anywhere in the world please listen to the advise of the authorities where you are. If they say stay at home please stay at home. This virus is real and we want you all to come home safe. Those who have paid by their lives we pray that God will receive you as more heroes. Angels will sing songs of the brave to you as you will enter the pearly gates stepping on the golden streets of heaven.
May their souls rest in peace” Cde Matemadanda thanks the president of Zimbabwe for his dedication in fighting this virus. “I urge the relatives of the departed to take comfort in the fact that our president His Excellency cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is ahead in the frontline fighting this pandemic. He will deliver that blow to end the pandemic and to give your death a purpose worthy dying for. May God bless you all and to those in hospitals I wish you more strength to be able to fight this pandemic.
Funny things continue to happen during the Coronavirus shutdown in Zimbabwe.
Members of Parliament in most constituencies have had the responsibility to check on the welfare of the people in their constituencies.
Parliament forms one of the three pillars of government, hence Parliamentarians have a role to play in circumstances such as these.
The wife of the President has no official role in the country and given that every the constituency has an MP and councillors, the First Lady has no role to play during a shutdown.
The arrest of Mutasa Member of Parliament Regai Tsunga after as he went to check on people who have failed to access subsidised mealie-meal is clear evidence that the Government of Zimbabwe is up to no good.
Did the Government expect the Member of Parliament to ignore hungry people from his constituency who had failed to access mealie-meal?
Did the Government ever want the people of Mutasa to access the mealie-meal in the first place?
While some opposition Members of Parliament are arrested for trying to help people in need of food, the First lady is travelling around the country at will.
This is evil, and anyone associated with Government should be ashamed of such behaviour.-Kennedy Kaitano
ZBCtv has been affected by the national lockdown due to Covid-19, as some of its programmes like soapies and talk shows have run out of episodes.
Among those affected are soapies Indlalifa- The Heir, Estate Blues and Zvazviri.
As such, the national broadcaster is looking to partner online productions such as Wadiwa Wepa Moyo for possible showing and also bring back old shows to ensure people are entertained during the lockdown.
ZBCtv’s head of production and television services, Godknows Chera said the national broadcaster approached producers of hit online soapie Wadiwa Wepa Moyo to find out how they can have the soapie that was shown weekly on YouTube, on television. “The lockdown has affected our programming as ZBCtv.
We have programmes such as Estate Blues, Bvunze and soapies like Zvazviri and Indlalifa being affected.
We’re now discussing with producers, some whose productions are doing well online such as Wadiwa Wepa Moyo to see how we can partner with them,” Chera said.-State media
Farai Dziva|Overzealous ZRP Cops brutally assaulted the director of Masvingo based NGO, Community Tolerance Reconciliation And Development (COTRAD), Gamuchirai Mukura on Friday.
Mukura was assaulted for allegedly violating lockdown restrictions.
He was bashed despite possessing an approval letter authorising him to carry out his duties during the lockdown.
“Mukura was stopped by the police at a roadblock in the city and as he was reaching out for his papers, they arrested him.
Despite producing an approval letter, the cops accused him of flouting lockdown restrictions. They bashed him in the process,” a Masvingo based human rights activist told ZimEye.com on Friday.
Human rights activists have expressed concern at the high incidence of harassment of citizens by the police.
Speaking to ZimEye.com, Mukura confirmed the incident.He urged police officers to respect citizens’ rights.
“I was harassed and forced to pay a fine.This happened despite the fact that I had a letter of approval,” said Mukura.
Farai Dziva|Overzealous ZRP Cops brutally assaulted the director of Masvingo based NGO, Community Tolerance Reconciliation And Development (COTRAD), Gamuchirai Mukura on Friday.
Mukura was assaulted for allegedly violating lockdown restrictions.
He was bashed despite possessing an approval letter authorising him to carry out his duties during the lockdown.
“Mukura was stopped by the police at a roadblock in the city and as he was reaching out for his papers, they arrested him.
Despite producing an approval letter, the cops accused him of flouting lockdown restrictions. They bashed him in the process,” a Masvingo based human rights activist told ZimEye.com on Friday.
Human rights activists have expressed concern at the high incidence of harassment of citizens by the police.
Speaking to ZimEye.com, Mukura confirmed the incident.He urged police officers to respect citizens’ rights.
“I was harassed and forced to pay a fine.This happened despite the fact that I had a letter of approval,” said Mukura.
By A Correspondent- Prison officers, court officials and other inmates are feared to have contracted the virus after a COVID-19 suspected case was directly and indirectly in contact with them as he was being processed after being arrested for stealing a firearm and attempting to sell it.
A police source that spoke to the publication said:
The accused was put in remand prison for a case of theft of a firearm. He was denied bail and his next remand date is May 5.
We don’t know if this accused has been tested at prison, but the detectives who dealt with them have been self-isolated for now.
Details about the inmate testing positive for the virus are still not available as the publication could not access them.-Newsday
President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday visited three Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents critically injured after their vehicle overturned in Muzarabani as they drove behind first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.
One CIO agent was killed after their vehicle overturned in a bendy section of the Centenary-Muzarabani road near the Mavhuradonha Mountain Range on Friday.
The first lady, who was unhurt, was on her way to Muzarabani where she was due to hand out food parcels to families hard hit by the 35-day coronavirus lockdown imposed by the government.
Mnangagwa spoke to one of the security agents who was not on life support during a visit to the West End Hospital in Harare, wishing them a speedy recovery.
Initial reports suggested the driver of their vehicle, a Toyota Hilux, was avoiding slamming into the first lady’s vehicle which slowed down directly in front of them, forcing him to leave the road. The vehicle overturned and rolled down a sharp embankment before coming to a stop against a tree.
The fatal accident has raised questions over whether the first lady should have been going to Muzarabani, in apparent breach of lockdown regulations which state that only people providing “essential services” are allowed free movement.
Mrs Mnangagwa appears to be exploiting an unofficial role as “health ambassador”, which she was given by embattled health minister Obadiah Moyo, to break the lockdown rules.
She travels with a dedicated team from the state broadcaster, ZBC, and the Herald newspaper – but both outlets did not report the fatal crash on Friday.
By A Correspondent- The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe decentralised mealie meal distribution program has received endorsements from various eminent personalities who view it as a timely intervention at the time that the country is grappling to contain the deadly Coronavirus.
GMAZ is currently distributing roller meal to local shops as a means of decongesting the CBD and promoting social distancing in accordance with government regulations.
South African based radio personality and Hillbrow FM presenter Audrey Ndimande manufactured a social media video asking consumers to practice social distancing in mealie meal queues.
Ndimande’s efforts were complemented by sungura upcoming sensation Romeo Gasa who made his own video clip asking Zimbabweans to be careful and observe social distancing in mealie meal queues.
Ellen Gwaradzimba the Minister of State for Manicaland Province said she was very grateful to GMAZ for the wonderful initiative. The resident Minister spoke on the first day of the roller meal distribution program in Manicaland.
Norton firebrand legislator Temba Mliswa also heaped praises on GMAZ for the initiative. The MP told his constituents not to hoard the mealie as there is plenty which will be supplied to the people.
Mliswa said, “The only way to curb corruption in mealie meal distribution is to flood the market with the commodity.”
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF on Twitter took a swipe at MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and addressed him as the Secretary for Policy & Research in a tweet that claims Chamisa ordered his people to overlook the status of food aid beneficiaries and demand MDC Alliance cards from people for them to access food aid.
Zanu PF using their official Twitter handle tweeted:
MDC Alliance Secretary for policy & research @nelsonchamisa is said to have ordered MDC MPs & notorious Councillors to overlook deserving beneficiaries of global aid, demanding MDC-cards for one to have their name enlisted as a beneficiary of donated basics. This Must Stop!
This trend has been observed in Highfields East & West, Harare East & Mabvuku. This is in direct violation of President’s Directive to stop patronizing relief aid. Meanwhile, ZANU PF MPs have been reminded to work with people in their constituencies regardless of political color.
It is still not clear if these allegations are true or it was just a jibe aimed at the youthful leader. Meanwhile, in Gutu a councillor is actually politicizing food aid, publicly proclaiming that food aid is not going to end up in the hands of MDC supporters.
The KwaZulu-Natal woman who referred to President Cyril Ramaphosa as an “ape trying to act like a first-world president” has apologised and said the incident was “blown out of proportion”.
The woman, from the upper Highway region west of Durban, briefly spoke to TimesLIVE on Friday.
“It was blown out of proportion and I apologise profusely, but I cannot talk to you right now,” said the woman, whose identity is known to TimesLIVE.
Her apology may be too little too late as she now faces a charge of crimen injuria, which is defined as an act of “unlawfully, intentionally and seriously impairing the dignity of another”.
A screenshot of a comment made by a KwaZulu-Natal woman on Facebook
This comes after a Bluff father took it upon himself to formally open a case at the Brighton Beach police station.
The man, who preferred to remain anonymous, said a screenshot of her comment had been forwarded to him on WhatsApp, prompting his disgust.
“I was completely shocked. I hardly slept because when I am angry and running through emotions I lose sleep.”
He said he was not buying into the woman’s apology.
“For her to say this was blown out of proportion tells me she doesn’t understand the significance of her actions. She knows she did something terribly wrong because she deactivated her Facebook account not long after.”
” She knows she did something terribly wrong because she deactivated her Facebook account not long after “
He emphasised that he was counting on the law to take it course
“I’m waiting for her to go to a court of law to defend her case because I believe the onus is on her.”
He said issues such as these reiterated that SA still had a long way to go in terms of racism.
“I live in an integrated community. My son goes to an integrated school and we all go to an integrated church, but it is things such as this incident that make me lose trust in people,” he said.
Police spokesperson Brig Vishnu Naidoo confirmed on Wednesday that a case had been opened.
Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko did not respond to queries for comment.
By A Correspondent- Gogo Nguni was reportedly in contact with a UK retainee nephew who was released before the quarantine.
On arrival in Zimbabwe, the UK returnee – together with others – was immediately whisked to Zipam, a COVID-19 quarantine facility in Norton.
According to information, this publication is in possession of, Chitemere landed in Zimbabwe from his United Kingdom base on April 11, aboard an Ethiopian Airline ET 863.
Former government minister Sylvester Nguni’s mother – who died of COVID-19 last week – reportedly contracted the virus after coming into contact with one Christopher Chitemere, Zim Morning Post can reveal.
As per COVID-19 World Health Organisation guidelines, Chitemere and others were supposed to stay at the quarantine facility for at least 21 days while under observation. There are, however, allegations that Chitemere – who is said to be Prosper Chonzi (Director of Health at Harare City Council)’s relative – was released unprocedural from Zipam.
But Chonzi denied a personal role in the release of Chitemere from the COVID-19 Zipam facility, saying that may have been done by his juniors. “Such things as the release of COVID-19 suspects is not a role specifically meant for me. That could be done by other health professionals upon carrying out relevant tests,” he said.
Chonzi also said gogo Nguni (nee Chitemere) and UK-based Chitemere were not related. “Gogo Nguni (nee Chitemere) and Chitemere you are talking about are not related. Someone may be trying to be mischievous,” Chonzi said.
But Zim Morning Post has it on good ground that after his ‘clandestine’ release from Zipam Chitemere, who calls gogo Nguni, nee Chitemere aunt (tete), invited the latter to his Borrowdale home.
It is suspected that gogo Nguni may have contracted COVID-19 after she came into conduct with Chitemere. However, some family members insist gogo Nguni never got in contact with anyone suspected to be COVID-19 positive
In the ensuing confusion, the late gogo Nguni was allegedly posthumously tested for COVID-19, whose result also ascertained her previous positive status for the virus.
This publication understands that Chitemere is now wanted by the police in connection with how gogo Nguni may have contracted the deadly virus that eventually killed her.
POLICE will arrest any of its members that will cunningly abuse their uniforms to circumvent queuing to purchase maize meal at retail shops, an official said.
In a communique to all police stations in Bulawayo, Officer Commanding Bulawayo Commissioner Parton Mbangwa said it has come to his attention that some unscrupulous members of the force are unwarrantedly using their uniforms as “passports” to purchase maize meal at shops.
“This office observed with great concern the level of serious contempt and disregard of Police Standard of discipline in Central Business District and various locations in Bulawayo. Members are seen moving around carrying bags of mealie-meal in uniform. It is against this background that, with immediate effect cease to purchase mealie-meal in police uniforms,” he said.
Comm Mbangwa said further said: “Anyone who shall be seen loaded with mealie-meal in their person whilst in police uniform will be arrested and disciplinary action taken”.
He said arrangements have been made for members of the force to buy maize meal from their stations.
“Officers and member-in-charge stations are thus directed to compile lists of members under their command and forward them to this headquarters as arrangements have already been made with millers to deliver the commodity at police camps for your convenience,” said Comm Mbangwa.
There has been an adverse shortage of maize meal as the country grapples from two consecutive dry spells.
Kim Jong Un is rumored to be dead, according to a Hong Kong broadcast network, while a Japanese magazine is reporting that North Korea’s rocket man is in a “vegetative state” after he underwent heart surgery earlier this month.
A vice director of HKSTV Hong Kong Satellite Television, a Beijing-backed broadcast network in Hong Kong, claimed that Kim was dead, citing a “very solid source.” Her post on the Chinese messaging app Weibo has been shared widely on social media, according to a report in the International Business Times.
Other unconfirmed reports, attributed to senior party sources in Beijing, said an operation to insert a stent went wrong because the surgeon’s hands were shaking so badly.
State Media|Universities that suddenly came to life following the outbreak of Covid-19, rolling out manufacturing lines for materials for the prevention of Covid-19, should be a good example of how Zimbabwe can successfully promote local production.
Government could have spent millions of foreign currency importing the materials that the universities have been manufacturing.
Perhaps the major take-away from the efforts being done by the institutions of higher learning is that indeed it is possible for local industries to produce goods and services, instead of entirely relying on imports.
The work being done by the universities should be taken as the first steps for the country to push towards import substitution industrialisation, which is necessary to save the scare foreign currency.
What everyone has seen is the potential that exists within local universities of taking a lead in the re-industrialisation process through various innovations.
The innovation hubs that have been set up at most of the universities by President Mnangagwa should be further utilised to continue leading in research and development of concepts that can then be put to production lines in industries.
In fact, when the Covid-19 virus is finally taken care of, the momentum started by the innovation hubs should continue and be expanded so that industrial growth and manufacturing spread to other industries.
There is no reason why people should continue using rudimentary tools in their work, like in farming, when there are innovation hubs at universities that can produce tools which can be used efficiently for farm production.
The innovation hubs, for example, can come up with simple and small engine-powered tractors that even communal farmers can afford and use on their plots.
The authorities should ensure that they put everything in place so that after the fight against Covid-19, the re-industrialisation process kicks off in earnest.
The local universities should be able to partner with manufacturing industries for further development of their ideas into mass production of machinery.
There are also a lot of goods that are being imported for daily consumption, which can easily be manufactured locally, and these innovation hubs can lead in innovations that will translate into mass production of goods.
The production of Covid-19-related materials, which is going on at several universities, should be cascaded as an industrial development concept to industries in other areas.
This will contribute to the transformation of Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy by 2030.
The manufacturing units set up at the universities should reflect the situation in other industries where manufacturing of goods locally should be a priority.
This is why the National Venture Capital Fund should be capacitated so that industries can get support to translate their innovations into mass production of equipment and other materials.
The National Venture Capital Fund is meant to provide venture capital financing to start-ups and small to medium enterprises with strong growth potential.
The informal sector, which is growing exponentially in Zimbabwe, also stands to benefit from this fund, which can provide capital for start-up industries.
What is unique about Zimbabwe’s informal sector at places like Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, is that a lot of experienced and qualified artisans have set up their projects there, and are producing equipment of high quality, albeit on a small scale.
The invasion of the informal sector by the qualified people follows the closure of some manufacturing industries in recent years, which left many qualified people jobless.
The people who drive the manufacturing in the informal sector are the same people who were producing goods of high quality in the formal manufacturing industries.
With the provision of access to capital, these artisans can still do the same high quality job they were doing for the industries.
If production by local industries is handled deliberately and purposefully as witnessed with the manufacturing of Covid-19 materials at the institutions of higher learning, then the country might soon be coming out of the import syndrome.
The manufacture of Covid-19 materials locally is a clear indication that there are many other goods which are being imported that can actually be produced in the country locally.
The venture by the institutions of higher learning provided a synopsis of the country’s capabilities in producing goods locally, given a deliberate strategy and clear manufacturing roadmap.
Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) has been manufacturing personal protective equipment, face masks and sanitisers.
The Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) announced it had developed a ventilator which it was testing before trials begin, with the potential of making 40 such gadgets per day.
HIT Vice Chancellor Engineer Quinton Kanhukamwe said a team of engineers at his institution were working on the ventilator, which they were improving.
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo is also making masks and has been roped in by the Government to do laboratory testing for Covid-19 specimens.
Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) launched a sanitiser production project that will supply the entire Masvingo province.
The Bindura University of Science Education is making sanitisers.
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) has chipped in with the production of face masks which are being used by security forces as they carry out their duties during the lockdown.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) also confirmed its capacity to produce face masks.
CAPS Holdings is producing paracetamol syrup and Vitamin C and multivitamin tablets.
If these efforts are properly harnessed and spread to other industries, Zimbabwe can emerge out of Covid-19 to become self-reliant, especially with regards to goods that can be manufactured locally.
Depending on imports even for commodities that can be manufactured locally has its own repercussions on the economy, and from now henceforth, the country should examine its advantages and potential in local production.
Just like the way Covid-19 jolted the country into realising the efficacy of self-reliance, let the economic problems facing the country spur the desire to mitigate some of the deficiencies through local production.
This means that local industries should be capacitated to produce competitive goods and services that cut the heavy dependence on imports.
Attraction of new technologies can help fast-track the revival and establishment of new industries that can produce goods, with the excess being exported.
Implementation of the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy (2019-2023) blueprint should be accelerated, as it provides for the enhancement of the country’s manufacturing sector.
The policy’s broad aim is to make Zimbabwe self-reliant when it comes to the production of goods and services required on a daily basis.
The industrial development policy is premised on efforts to open the country for business, modernise, industrialise and promote investment.
What is important is also to develop linkages across key sectors of the economy such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing and services, which are all linked to industrial growth, and eventually self-reliance.
By A Correspondent- Retailers have disputed a statement that was issued on Thursday night by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa who said prices of basic goods have started to go down following a moratorium announced by the Government on Wednesday.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Association (CZRA) president Denford Mutashu said the retail sector will start reducing prices in the coming week. Mutashu said:
We should begin to see comprehensive changes from next week. Remember this is a product of dialogue and engagement so we are in the final stages.
We are having meetings and these meetings are very crucial to map the implementation strategy.
But so far, the same spirit of negotiations which founded the moratorium continues.
We continue to carry the same spirit under the tripartite arrangement.
The tripartite in the sense that we have Government, manufacturers and retailers and consumers.
On Wednesday, Vice President Kembo Mohadi announced that the government and business leaders had agreed that prices of basic foodstuffs – including maize-meal, rice, cooking oil, sugar, salt, flour and bread — will revert to the levels of March 25, just before the lockdown.-StateMedia
As of 1 May, a national curfew from 20:00 to 05:00 will be in place and it will be applicable to everyone except essential workers traveling to and from work.
The country is expected to move from a Level 5 to a Level 4 lockdown, allowing limited economic activity but keeping most existing measures in place.
On Saturday, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel addressed the media on the Level 4 lockdown.
While restaurants will be closed for sit-down meals when the country moves to Level 4 next Friday, the movement of takeaway food will be allowed.
Until now, restaurants and takeaway food outlets have been closed. But Patel said on Saturday that they will be open for takeaways only. Takeaway deliveries can only occur from 09:00 to 20:00.
Limiting movement
Patel said it was important that customers did not go to the shop or restaurant, but that the food be transported to customers. He said this was a better way of limiting the movement of people, according to international experience.
While regulations regarding the details of the Level 4 rules will be published next Thursday, Dlamini-Zuma and Patel announced the broad outlines.
The wearing of cloth face masks will be mandatory under Level 4. Hygiene and social distancing will remain of critical importance and there will be screening for Covid-19 symptoms in workplaces that reopen.
Lotto tickets are still not allowed to be sold and visiting of any kind and all social gatherings, including religious gatherings, are still banned.
The following wholesale and retail sectors will be open under restricted circumstances:
– food
– hygiene
– protective and baby care
– stationery
– medical supplies
– fuel, coal, wood, gas and tobacco
– hardware supplies for qualified tradespersons and emergency repairs for homes and essential services
– vehicle components for essential workers
– chemicals, packaging and supply of level 4 products
Winter clothing and bedding, as well as heating products, will be available for purchase.
Cargo for domestic and neighbouring countries and the transport of essential goods, as well as e-hailing and limited public transport will be allowed. This is subject to the current limitations on the number of passengers that can travel.
Emergency repair work will be allowed, including plumbers, electricians, glaziers and roof repairs and locksmiths.
The agriculture, forestry and fishing industries will also now be able to operate, including livestock and agriculture exports, essential harvesting and storage activities, essential fishing operations, flori-culture and forestry.
Critical civil engineering and construction for public works projects will be allowed, as well as critical maintenance and repairs.
Live-in staff and support for Level 4 personnel be allowed to go to work. However, staff will not be allowed to travel to and from their places of work over weekends.
Essential staff
Trade union essential staff, all social workers and caregivers, veterinary and medical service employees will be allowed to work.
Funeral and cremation services and wildlife management will also be operational, as well as sanitation, pest control, sewerage and refuse removal.
Fifty percent of recycling operations, including informal traders, will be allowed to return to work.
Paidamoyo Muzulu Writing For NewsDay|When President Emmerson Mnangagwa on March 27 decreed the national lockdown to combat the ferocious COVID-19 epidemic, in many ways it signalled the death of a country more than the symbolic death of Zororo Makamba the first casualty of COVID-19.
Many poured their hearts out on social media, but the family and close friends never had time to decently mourn, grieve for him or send him to the other side of life in a dignified manner. Dignified in our African tradition.
Many families are wailing, grieving after their lives were killed by COVID-19 and the attendant economic collapse the lockdown has caused.
In one full swoop on independence weekend, many poor people who survived on informal trade had their livelihoods killed, sparking the silent wails in homes that will not be muted for good.
After the lockdown fatwa, many had not foreseen the death of informal trade in Mbare or any other high-density suburb.
The front-end loaders ploughing into the vending stalls heralded the deaths of many – poor working class.
In a blink of a moment, their sources of income were razed to the ground and most likely never to rise again in the short-to medium-term.
The stench of death from that action will be fully felt in the African summer heat after the lockdown.
Many will not be able to pay rentals at their lodgings, send their kids back to school for the second term and others will struggle to put a hot meal on the table.
This death cannot be quantified like the COVID-19 deaths. It is more than that. It is the death of a generation. A generation that will most likely never get a job to sustain its livelihoods or give hope to their children to dream of a future.
This informal category includes many in the public transport sector.
Many kombi drivers and their conductors after the lockdown will come to the realisation that their jobs ended the day the lockdown was proclaimed.
These are not the only casualties. Many thousands of people in the formal sector too are going to be laid off as struggling companies fail to absorb the losses of the COVID-19-induced lockdown.
It is not only the workers who suffer this anguish, but also some of the business owners will be left in deep debt and their companies liquidated.
These companies range from media, manufacturing, finance and banking, information technology and tourism sector, among others.
The new norm after lockdown will be a life of despair.
People will not be able to pick up the pieces.
The government will be watching hopelessly, waiting for capital to show the way as has been its clarion call since assuming power via a coup in November 2017.
The regime has no fiscal space to bail out the economy. It has an unsustainable public debt to gross domestic production of 135%. This is more than twice the regional average of 60%.
To further compound the woes, Zimbabwe is regarded a bad debtor by many international financial institutions and, therefore, cannot access any new lines of credit.
The country is at deep sea on its own on makeshift raft.
The sad economic scenario is the blank slate that Friedman economists were waiting for to introduce disaster capitalism.
A capitalism without a human face. A capitalism built on privatisation, deregulation of foreign exchange and limited government control on economics.
The crudest form of free market economics and profit is the only imperative.
The earliest signs of disaster capitalism are the privatisation of health services and education.
Private capital, Sakunda Holdings, has found its way into the health sector under the guise of helping tame the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, conglomerate behemoth Econet has carved itself market shares in financial sector (EcoCash), health sector (Maisha), cleaning services (Clean City), water provision and most of all the education sector.
In handing over the education sector to Econet, the Cabinet said: “Authorisation of an online education programme, Ruzivo Platform, by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to offer learning to pupils and ensure they do not regress while observing the COVID-19 lockdown.”
And Econet is smiling all the way to the bank. There was no consideration of the poor who cannot afford to purchase tablets or smartphones let alone have the means to buy data.
These are the silent deaths that no one talks about as the country fights COVID-19, the novel flue like epidemic that has brought the world somewhat to a standstill.
This is a funeral dirge to all these deaths that will occur, and a lot of healing is needed. The country needs a lot of financial and psychological healing or else the citizens will be scarred for good. What a death, the eerie wailing will be around for a while.
Ninety-nine workers at a single Cape Town factory that the labor department closed this week screened for Covid-19 tested positive.
GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical corporation, announced the number on Saturday, four days after the department said that production and operations at the Epping factory must be suspended until the safety measures have improved.
“Sadly we currently have 99 workers who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 said Natasha Carnow, human resources manager at the Cape, GSK.
“We are committed to supporting these isolated workers at work, including the provision of necessary food and medical supplies, and full pay.
“We will continue to manufacture important consumer health goods for SA while keeping our own people safe,” said Carnow’s announcement on Saturday that the labor department approved the reopening of the factory “based on the on-site health and safety measures.”
“Our focus is the safety of all of our employees. We are working to reopen the site while safeguarding our team’s health and safety. We continue to work with our global experts and members of our unions to ensure we do everything we can, and will announce our decision to reopen in due course.
RUSAPE: A local farm worker and his accomplice were recently caged a combined 18 years for stealing a cow from his employer, Patrick Sagandira who is the MDC Alliance treasurer for Manicaland.
Timothy Gwenjere, 24, was employed as a general hand by Sagandira at his Plot 11 Sable Range in Rusape.
Gwenjere and his accomplice Itai Muchekanyanza were convicted after a full trial and were slapped with the mandatory sentence for stock theft.
The court heard the two connived to steal the cow on December 20, 2018, and on the same night, Muchekanyanza drove to Sagandira’s plot.
Gwenjere took a rope and led Muchekanyanza to the cattle pen where they tied the cow and drove to Rusape river to slaughter it.
While attempting to axe the cow, Gwenjere missed and cut the rope freeing the cow which then fled into the night.
On December 21 the same year and at around 1400 hours, Gwenjere informed Muchekanyanza that the cow they had tried to slaughter and failed the previous day was back at the plot and they planned to accomplish their mission.
Muchekanyanza went to the farm at around 2200 hours and the pair took the cow to Rusape River where they slaughtered it.
They ferried the carcass to Blessing Makuvire’s home in Vengere, Rusape where some of the meat was recovered.
Moses Chunga says the lack of appreciation to football legends in the country is one of the reasons local football is struggling to grow.
The former Warriors captain who now coaches Chapungu revealed this during an interview with NewsDay.
“One of the reasons our game continues to lag behind is that we don’t recognise and appreciate the role our football legends played,” he said.
The gaffer also lamented the issue of money they received during the Warriors legends’ match against their Barcelona counterparts played in Harare in 2017.
He said: “For example, you can imagine we were paid a paltry US$3 000 each while the Barcelona legends went home with around US$50 000.
“These are issues that you as reporters should be highlighting because you fail to understand why we are treated differently like that.
“Even at stadiums, those that have played the game for the country struggle to enter to watch matches. You can even have dogs being unleashed on you.”- Soccer 24
ZIFA has clarified the issue of a pay cut for Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic during the coronavirus outbreak.
The pandemic has caused the suspension of football around the globe, leaving several FAs and teams asking their staff to take pay cuts or deferrals until the situation gets under control.
England coach Gareth Southgate has since agreed to a 30% reduction after the English FA projected a loss in their financial year due to the coronavirus.
But at Zifa, operations are ongoing despite the lockdown and Logarusic, who is paid around US$6000 per month plus other allowances, is fulfilling his other duties, according to spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela.
He also revealed that there hasn’t been any pay cut for all employees at the association.
“Remember, coaches are not only employed to preside over matches, and this case coach Loga is a full-time Zifa worker just like everyone else at the association,” Gwesela told the Daily News.
“So everyone is at work including him. For now, we haven’t discussed any pay cut with any Zifa employee including him (the coach), so it’s business as usual at Zifa.”
Logarusic’s first assignment as the Warriors head coach was supposed to take place in March in back-to-back Afcon qualifiers against Algeria.-Soccer 24
It is a day set aside highlighting global efforts to control malaria and celebrating the gains that have been made so far.
Malaria remains a big problem in other parts of the world and in Zimbabwe it’s a public health problem. It is common in areas that are hot and moist. The theme for 2020 is “Zero malaria starts with me”.
What is malaria? It is a disease caused by infection with a parasite female anopheles mosquito. The mosquito is the vector that transmits the infection. Found mainly where there are open water bodies.
In Zimbabwe malaria peaks from November to April. The most effective control and prevention strategy is through prevention of mosquito bites.
Symptoms include fever, chills, rigors, headache, nausea,anorexia, joint pains, malaise and sweating.
There is also a history of staying in an area known to be endemic of malaria or traveling to that area. However one might not present with all the symptoms. In this era of COVID-19 pandemic excluding it is also important in those diagnosed with malaria.
Treatment – Malaria is a treatable disease. There are oral medications and intravenous medicines that can be used to cure the disease.
The disease progress quickly therefore early treatment saves life than late treatment.
There is no vaccine for malaria. Malaria can affect anyone of any age and despite previous infection you can still get malaria.
Prevention – Sleeping under a treated mosquito net and using mosquito repellents.
Wearing long sleeved shirts at night to avoid mosquito bites. Spraying open water bodies and covering them.
Taking malaria prophylaxis when traveling to a malaria endemic area.
Malaria is still a disease that kills thousands to millions of people every year.
Therefore let’s prevent malaria in our communities.
Compiled by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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By Dr A Shamu Provincial Medical Director -Masvingo
COVID-19 is an infectious disease which is caused by newly discovered strain of coronaviruses.
Normally one acquires this disease through contact with infected surfaces or directly from someone with the disease through coughing, sneezing, talking, shaking of hands and if one touches the mouth, nose or eyes one can be infected.
So mainly we encourage good hygiene (hand washing) so that if you have touched some infected surfaces if you wash your hands with water and soap and then use alcohol based hand sanitizers to disinfect your contaminated hands you will not be infected.
We also encourage social distancing that is a distance which is more than one metre so that if someone sneezes, the chances of getting the infection will be minimized.
The symptoms mainly are fever, dry cough, general body weakness (flu like symptoms)- that is blocked nostrils or running nostrils and coughing. Some can still have headaches.
We advise that if one suspects that he or she has COVID-19 he or she should call our rapid responds teams.
The video was produced during a COVID-19 awareness program supported by Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD):
