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.

Wha are the benefits of online tutoring

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

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) April 24, 2020

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

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.

Source : Zimbabwe lndependant

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”.

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.

Marondera Central legislator Caston Matewu helps to distribute some of the items donated by the First Lady Mai Mnangagwa at Mahusekwa Growth Point. @GNyambabvu @JoshMunthali @EMupoperi @jeroldsasa pic.twitter.com/aSHsjOncB0

— ZBC News Online (@ZBCNewsonline) April 17, 2020

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 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.

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.

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.

-EWN

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.

-State Media

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.”

-State Media

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 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.

-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.”

-State Media

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.

-Newsday

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

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

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. 

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.

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.

29 Zimbabweans have died in the UK and 24 of them are nurses and doctors and care workers. This number is five times more than those who died in the whole of 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 family 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.

-Online

By Kudzai Mutisi| Your Excellency, Zimbabwe is my country of birth and, as such, it is natural that I am interested in what is happening or not happening there. Many Zimbabweans celebrated your ascension to power in November 2017 because, for them, it was an opportunity for launching a new political and economic dispensation. It is now 2 years and 5 months with you as the president of Zimbabwe, is there anything to celebrate?

The same bus with a new driver

Your excellency, when you were sworn in as the president of Zimbabwe in November 2017, your critics dismissed the change of leadership as nothing but a mere change of the bus driver while the bus remained the same.

They were right to some extent. You simply replaced Robert Mugabe as leader of ZANU PF and Zimbabwe. ZANU PF remained the governing party and Zimbabwe remained the governed country.

Is the change of the bus driver trivial?

The change of the bus driver can either be an inconsequential affair or a significant one. It is inconsequential if the new driver continues in the same direction and with the same speed as the old driver. Scientifically speaking, the change of the bus driver is trivial if the new driver continues with the same velocity as the old driver.

On the other hand, the change of the bus driver can be a very significant affair if the new driver continues in a different direction and with a different speed. In this case, the direction can either be the right direction or the wrong direction.But, Your Excellency, governance can’t be compared to the simple analogy of a bus and its driver.

Governance is an inherently important matter and, as such, the direction taken has serious consequences on the government and the governed. It is only right that, time and again, we take a pause and ask: whither are we bound?

The beginning of the second republic was awesome in many ways. You said all the right things and, to a greater extent, did all the good things. It was encouraging to hear you denouncing all the actions and inactions that ‘brought us to where we are.’ Your experience in government gave many Zimbabweans confidence that their new president knows what works and what does not work.Since you were finishing the presidential term of Robert Mugabe, most of us did not expect drastic changes politically and economically. Nevertheless, you ran a clean election campaign with a great manifesto.

The political ecosystem before and during the elections was perfect for democracy.On the economic front, the pre-election period saw an influx of investors flocking to Zimbabwe. Some of these investors have already started implementing their projects. In addition, some pending projects from the Mugabe era were also revived in the early days of your presidency. For example, most of the Chinese deals signed by President Mugabe in 2013 were revived and implemented after your visit to China.The coming of the second republic also saw lots of international goodwill towards Zimbabwe.

Several envoys and delegations from Western countries flew to Zimbabwe signalling a thawing of the previously frosty relations between Zimbabwe and the West. Moreover, Zimbabwe’s traditional allies were very supportive and swiftly embraced your presidency.

Your Excellency, as early as December 2017, barely a month after your inauguration, Zimbabweans witnessed an unprecedented upgrading of roads in urban and rural areas. Dam projects that had stalled for years were revived. Some bridges that were damaged as far back as 2000 were repaired. In many ways, we saw your desire to build and rebuild Zimbabwe’s infrastructure.

The post-election period

Despite the ugly events of 1 August 2018 and the tensions thereafter, you showed good leadership by calling upon your election rivals to work with you for the good of Zimbabwe. You also appointed the Montlanthe commission to deal with the unfortunate events of August 1.

After your inauguration, you appointed a cabinet with several technocrats and new faces. If anything, this was a great move on your part. To many Zimbabweans, this was a sign that our new bus driver is eager to take us in a new direction.The Transitional Stabilization Program launched in October 2020 as the government’s economic blueprint had all the good things needed to put Zimbabwe on a growth path.

In other words, the TSP was the embodiment of good policies needed to bring prosperity to Zimbabwe or any other country.After a full year of unpopular austerity, many economic indicators were coming right. From September to October 2019, the Zimbabwe dollar had largely stabilized. This period also a stabilization of prices of goods and services. In addition to this, the country also witnessed an unprecedented narrowing of the trade deficit.

On the fiscal side, the government’s books were in good order. In fact, the government achieved a budget surplus in 2019 for the first time in more than a decade.

The big mistakes of your presidency

Your Excellency, the major difference between successful and failed states is their approach to policy formulation and its implementation. The economic turmoil currently obtaining in Zimbabwe can be traced back to adoption of bad policies, piece-meal implementation of good policies, and policy inconsistency.

Mr President, good policies in themselves don’t produce good results if not implemented and implemented well. The piecemeal implementation of policies creates uncertainty and confusion. The reversal of good policies destroys investor confidence in our economy. Here are some of the big mistakes of your presidency:      

The forex market

The introduction of the interbank market in February 2019 was an exciting moment for local and foreign investors. If anything, it signalled your determination to return the Zimbabwean economy to normalcy.

However, the excitement quickly evaporated when the Reserve Bank kept interfering with the market in a series of incoherent policy introductions and reversals.Your Excellency, Zimbabwe receives more foreign currency than most countries in Africa. Just like fuel and maize meal, there is no shortage of foreign currency in Zimbabwe, but there is no functional forex market. Again, just like in the fuel and mealie meal issue, the government is distorting the market through its communist policies.

A transparent and efficient forex trading platform is key in ensuring the efficient distribution of foreign currency in the economy. As it stands, businesses and investors either have to rely on the black market or the ‘mercy’ of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for foreign currency.

Who, in their right mind, would want to invest in such an economy? You always say capital goes where it finds comfort, but your government has dismally failed to provide the basic things that gives comfort to capital!      

The currency problem

The Zimbabwe dollar was formally reintroduced as a currency in June 2019. Despite the introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar as the sole legal tender, the government made no effort to introduce new Zim Dollar notes and coins with sufficiently high denominations.

Why keep people stuck in the ‘bond note’ mode that they so much despised? A smart government makes one bold decision to abandon the past instead of sitting on the proverbial fence.Your Excellency, corruption is endemic in our societies. When government officials like the Reserve Bank governor deliberately create inconvenience to the general citizenry, it is usually meant to benefit them.

There is no reason for cash shortages in banks except that it benefits those with access to cash.The shortage of cash and the resulting cash premium has made the Zimbabwean dollar unattractive as a currency. The reckless printing of money to fund fuel, mealie meal, and electricity subsidies is causing runaway inflation and currency depreciation. Such reckless actions of your government are causing real pain to ordinary citizens.

People’s savings have been wiped out by inflation. How can an ordinary citizen save money to start a business when, time and again, her savings are wiped away by government induced inflation?Mr President, even the poorest countries in this world have their own currencies that are largely stable. It is possible for Zimbabwe to have a stable currency, the government must follow proper economics, not the failed communism of the 20^th century. You have economic experts in government and outside, listen to them!      

Inefficient subsidies

Fuel queues are now the norm in Zimbabwe. These queues, like most of the queues in Zimbabwe, are not caused by the shortage of fuel, they are caused by market distortion. Zimbabwe has enough fuel, but it is channelled to the black market where it is sold at higher prices than at fuel garages.In many ways, most Zimbabweans buy the fuel at the black-market prices. This means the government is subsidising fuel only for the benefit of fuel companies and a few other black-market traders.Since the introduction of the mealie meal subsidy, long queues of people waiting to buy the subsidized roller meal have become the norm.

These queues are only found in the big supermarkets that sell the mealie meal at the recommended price. The bulk of the maize meal is diverted to the black where it is sold at higher prices. In the end, the majority of Zimbabweans buy the subsidised product at market price even though the government paid the subsidy to millers.

Mr President, the intention of the subsidy programs might be good, but the model is bad. The only people benefitting from the subsidies are the fuel dealers, the grain millers, and some well connected queuepreneurs (queuepreneurs are people who queue to buy the subsidised goods for resale on the black market).

The continuation of these subsidies has substantially eroded confidence in your government, locally and internationally. The IMF monitors attributed the continuation of these subsidies to ‘vested interests.’ Locally, many Zimbabweans believe that the continuation of the fuel subsidies is meant to benefit the so-called ‘fuel dealers’ while the continuation of the maize meal is meant to benefit the ‘grain millers’ cartel.

Indeed, fuel companies and grain millers are the ones benefitting from these subsidies.Have you chosen to be the president of the few? Why continue wasting taxpayer money on subsidies that, in effect, lead to unjust enrichment of a few people at the expense of the majority?      

The land issue

The land reform program is irreversible and was largely successful. Since all agricultural land now belong to the state, the government should prioritise productivity above anything else.

Foreign and local investors should be given the opportunity to invest in agriculture freely. In this regard, the government should provide a mechanism through which local and foreign investors can apply for access to agricultural land for a certain period.

This will ensure that land is in the hands of people who are willing and capable of utilising the land productively.Your excellency, there is absolutely nothing wrong with leasing state land to former white farmers or foreign investors. What is important is that the land now belongs to the state, everyone else will only have access not ownership. Zimbabwe must cease being a house of hunger; we have enough land and water to grow enough food for the nation.      

Social safety nets

Even the most capitalist governments in the world provide social safety nets for the vulnerable groups. These groups include the elderly, orphans, the disabled, widows and the unemployed.

Your Excellency, apart from the random acts of charity done by the First Lady and other government officials, the vulnerable groups have largely been ignored by your government. The government, through the Ministry of Social Welfare, should have well designed policies and programs to help the vulnerable in our midst.

The money being wasted on fuel and the mealie-meal subsidy should be directed to these groups.As much as I am strong proponent of free markets, I am cognisant of the fact that some people will be left behind. These people will always require the assistance of the government. There is need for a concrete government policy on the assistance of vulnerable citizens. Poor people shouldn’t be left at the mercy of politicians and NGOs, the government should provide budgeted and targeted assistance to them.

Zimbabwe can afford to do so; the government should just stop wasting public money enriching a few businesspeople.      

Infrastructural development

Mr President, Zimbabwe needs good roads, railways, new schools, new hospitals and, power stations. These are public goods that private capital may not be interested in funding. Instead of wasting public money on inefficient subsidies, the government should focus on building infrastructure and create more direct and indirect jobs.

For many Zimbabweans, it really doesn’t matter who gets the tenders for infrastructure projects, all they want to see is good infrastructure. Mr President, during the 2023 elections, you can brag about the infrastructure you built, but you can’t brag about food subsidies that people never benefitted from. In fact, people prefer jobs than handouts from the government.Without proper infrastructure, Zimbabwe would be closed for business. Many Zimbabweans were encouraged by your government’s initial thrust in building roads and bridges, you need to accelerate such projects now and into the future.

The government can explore other funding models like BOT arrangements with local and international companies. In the end, there must be significant infrastructural development in Zimbabwe!      

Foreign policy

Your Excellency, Zimbabwe’s foreign policy is outdated. It is important that we move away from the foreign policy of the Cold War era. There is no benefit derived from befriending weak and pariah states that have no political and economic clout on the world stage.

Our foreign policy should put the interests of Zimbabwe first. As much as we love Palestinians and Yasser Arafat, we can benefit more from befriending Israel! After you were invited to Israel by the Israeli Foreign Minister, I expected you to accept the invitation, but you didn’t.

Zimbabwe has a lot to benefit from Israel’s agricultural technology and Israel’s diplomatic clout. What is it that we benefit from being close to North Korea, Syria, Iran, Cuba, and Palestine? We can still have good relations with these countries while opening new relationships.Zimbabwe’s pariah status is cemented and perpetuated by the way we vote in the United Nations. Many a time, we choose to vote with the rogue nations of this world.

It is high time we separate our nation from these pariah states and join the normal world.Mr President, diplomatic clout comes from economic clout. We can only be taken seriously by other countries if our economy is doing well. As it is, we are the sick man of our region. Even our neighbouring countries laugh at us because of the crappy economic policies we embrace. It is time to restore the dignity of Zimbabweans wherever they are!      

Political and legal accountability

Your Excellency, in all successful countries, people and organisations that flout laws/regulations are held accountable for their actions through the justice system. In the same manner, public officials and civil servants who fail to discharge their mandate are forced to resign or are fired.

This is a culture that your government has failed to promote.The White City bombing was a huge security breach that claimed the lives of several Zimbabweans and injured top government officials yet, to date, nobody was held accountable for it. Those in charge of security before and during the event were supposed to be held accountable for failing to prevent the security breach. You were supposed to fire some people at least.On the business front, companies flout government regulations at will. The government must be strict in enforcing its own regulations/policies.

Market discipline has to be instilled. The best way to instil market discipline is to charge huge fines to those companies that flout regulations. The government must never control the market, government must only regulate the market!

Mr President, Zimbabwean security forces have been a source of international embarrassment for the government and the nation at large. Many a time, security officers have acted beyond the limits of their mandate and thus creating unnecessary negativity against the country.

However, these incidences are never unique to Zimbabwe. All over the world, police and military brutality are common. What is important is to hold them accountable for their actions. This, again, is a culture that we need as Zimbabweans. We should never allow impunity to be the norm!      

Economic model

When you took over from Robert Mugabe, many observers described you as a proponent of free markets. This, to me, was a breath of fresh air after years of the failed communist policies of the Mugabe era.

Mr President, you signalled the desire to establish a free market economy in the early days of your presidency as you chanted the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ slogan. Sadly, it turned out to be an empty slogan because of the reluctance of your government to make bold policy decisions that would open Zimbabwe for business.

Zimbabwe is not open for business if it does not have an open and transparent forex market. Foreign investors want to invest in a country where they can easily and freely turn their profits into foreign currency for repatriation.

There is no reason for delaying the implementation of a managed floating exchange rate policy. The delay is destroying the Zimbabwean economy!Zimbabwe is not open for business if the government is actively involved in creating massive market distortions through inefficient subsidies. Zimbabwe can only be open for business if government leaves the market alone and focus on collecting taxes, regulating the market, and providing incentives to businesses.

Your Excellency, it is important that you establish yourself as a supporter of a free market economy with targeted social safety nets for vulnerable groups. Countries with free market economies are thriving while those that love communism are the poorest countries.      

A cabinet shakeup

Your Excellency, most of your ministers are underperforming or not performing at all. The young Ministers you appointed are invisible, tired and have no new initiative to their names. They have nothing to show for the time they have been in office so far.Zimbabweans don’t care about propaganda and rosy reports from ministers, they want to see meaningful change in their lives.

The finance minister can harp about a balanced budget but that doesn’t mean anything to a civil servant struggling to pay his bills. The minister of energy can brag about paying off the Eskom debt, but it means nothing to a citizen experiencing more than 8 hours of load shedding. Mr President, we can’t say we have a minister of home affairs, yet citizens struggle to get passports and ID cards.

The performance of ministers should be linked to real change in the lived realities of our people.With almost 2 years into your 5-year mandate, it is time to shake up your cabinet and bring life to it. There are lots of capable people in parliament and outside who can be better ministers than some of your current ministers. Zimbabweans deserve ministers that are accessible, responsive, and visible.

In the digital era, cabinet ministers should be active on social media and regularly interact with citizens. Apart from posting pictures of unproductive functions, there is nothing useful posted by the majority of your ministers. Zimbabweans deserve better!In order to broaden the choice for ministers, I suggest that the constitution be amended to allow the president to appoint as many non-MP ministers as he wishes. In fact, Ministers shouldn’t be MPs at all.

If an MP is appointed a minister, she should cease to be an MP and be replaced by someone appointed/elected by the party/people. Zimbabweans deserve capable ministers, not incompetent partisan appointees.Mr President, your two and half years in power have shown us that you can take Zimbabwe in the right direction. In the first 2 years, your government largely implemented good policies required to make Zimbabwe a prosperous country.

Sadly, the last four months saw the complete reversal of those good policies in favour of meaningless communist policies. Your government introduced very inefficient subsidies, scaled back infrastructure projects, reversed the monocurrency regime, and delayed the introduction of the managed floating exchange rate policy. All the good work of the first two years of your presidency have been thrown down the drain.Your Excellency, you are on the wrong path.

Zimbabwe will not prosper unless you change the way your government is operating. Most of your government’s policies are uniquely Zimbabwean, no other country has such self-destructive policies. ZANU PF has a whopping two thirds majority in parliament, you have the ability to implement good laws/policies and to repeal/amend bad laws/laws without any hindrance. You have nobody but yourself to blame if you fail to enact good laws and implement good policies, the people gave you a very strong mandate!

By A Correspondent- Government yesterday provided a Zupco bus to transport part of the 100 female returnees and deportees from Botswana who were dumped at a hiking spot by officials from the Department of Social Welfare and also apologised to the affected individuals and their families.

The returnees and deportees who were staying at the United College of Education (UCE) in Bulawayo were on Thursday evening ordered to vacate the institution following the expiry of the 21-day Covid-19 mandatory quarantine period.

The group was part of the 456 returnees who were recently brought from an isolation centre at Plumtree High School to provide them with better living conditions and ease crowding. The group, most of whom were deported from the neighbouring country, were released from the quarantine centre on the same day after testing negative for Covid-19.

Their male counterparts who were staying at Bulawayo Polytechnic were released on Wednesday. Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube condemned the manner in which officials from the Department of Social Welfare handled the issue, saying Government does not condone such actions.

“It is unfortunate that our people were subjected to inhuman treatment and what is more worrying is the fact that there are also vulnerable babies involved. I had an opportunity to listen to the complaints of the affected people and their sad story after they were dumped at the hiking spot,” she said.

“These are Zimbabweans hence the Government has an obligation to cater for their needs, especially during this Covid-19 period. The Government, through the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has a responsibility to address the plight of its returnees and no one can do that if we don’t. I met the officials from the Department of Social Welfare and a Zupco bus was arranged to take the returnees to Harare from where they will proceed to their respective homes.”

Minister Ncube said she regretted the actions by social welfare officials. She said her office will not allow recurrence of such incidents.

“On behalf of the President and the Government, I wish to apologise to the affected returnees, their families and the generality of Zimbabweans for this mishap, which should not be allowed to occur again. Whosoever decided to release these people at 5PM acted irresponsibly,” she said.

The Minister also commended Reverend Pedzisai Sam Sithole of the Crown of Glory Ministries for assisting the affected returnees and deportees by offering them accommodation.

“The pastor who rendered assistance to these people did a great job and we really appreciate his gesture and the spirit of humanity. May God bless him. We really need such people because as Zimbabweans we all have a role to play in the fight against Covid-19,” she said.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lovemore Matuke said officials in his ministry have an obligation to treat returnees with dignity upon their arrival and departure at quarantine centres.

“Social welfare officials have a duty to handle returnees with due respect and dignity. However, we have a challenge in that these people will be coming from different parts of the country making it difficult to organise one bus as they will be fragmented in terms of their destinations,” he said.

Deputy Minister Matuke also condemned the actions by officials in his ministry to order the returnees to vacate the quarantine centre at night.

“We need to come up with a strategy where a majority of people coming from the same areas are provided with a bus for convenience purposes,” he said. When Chronicle arrived Rev Sithole’s house there was a hive of activity as the excited returnees were busy loading their luggage into the Zupco bus. Those who spoke to the Chronicle thanked the pastor for his hospitality and the news crew for the expose.

Ms Rumbidzai Maguta of Harare said: “I am so excited we are now finally heading home after going through this unfortunate incident. We would like to thank you (Chronicle news crew) for highlighting our plight as well as the pastor who offered us overnight accommodation and food.”

Ms Stella Munemo from Mutare who was also visibly excited said she was worried her her two-year-old son would catch a cold after they were dumped at the hiking spot without transport. However, Ms Yvonne Ndlovu of Gokwe, who is a mother of a week-old baby and Ms Privilege Ndlovu of Nkayi, remained behind since the bus was not using their route and they are set to leave Bulawayo today.

They were given money for transport. Ms Ndlovu voluntarily returned from Botswana where she was employed as she wanted to give birth at home, but ended up delivering at Plumtree High School where they were initially quarantined before being later moved to Bulawayo.-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Two men have appeared in court for allegedly defrauding Econet Zimbabwe of $14 million.

The duo, Gavin Tinashe Guwu (31) and Tshambo Madhava (41), appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mrs Elizabeth Hanzi, facing fraud charges on Friday.

Guwu and Madhava were not asked to plead when they appeared in court.

They were ordered to pay $10 000 bail each.

The matter was remanded to May 15 for trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Timothy Katsande told the court that from December 30 last year to March 27 this year, the two connived with Mukai Mapanzure a sales consultant in Chipinge, to defraud the telecommunications giant.

“Mapanzure had access to the database. He replaced a sim card for Econet’s merchant mobile broadband number 0784953460 and processed a private identification number to access the complainant’s merchant.

“Mapanzure then transferred $6 million from Econet’s account into Guwu’s agent number 0784718093,” said Mr Katsande.

On another occasion, Madhava received $8million on his agent number 0771337884.

It is the court’s case that the $14 million was used to buy United Stated dollars on the black market.

“Guwu then handed US$40 000 over to Madhava for temporary safe keeping. When Guwu collected the forex, he handed it over to Mapanzure.”

Only $3 million was recovered.

By A Corresondent- Police have arrested two self-styled prophets following the death of a Harare woman while they were exorcising evil spirits out of her.

The woman died of severe burns after the prophets made her cover her face with a blanket under hot water mixed with herbs. Police said in a statement:

Two self-styled prophets and a traditional healer have been arrested in Harare following the death of a 44-year-old woman whom they were “treating”.

The victim complained of a headache and was referred to the 2 prophets for assistance to no avail.

She was then referred to the self-styled traditional healer in Epworth who concluded that she was being attacked by evil spirits. In order to cleanse the spirits, he mixed some herbs and boiling water and made the victim cover herself with a blanket (kufukira) and the suspects tightly held the blanket and the victim sustained serious facial burns.

She later passed on whilst admitted at a local hospital.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwean authorities on Friday 24 April 2020 charged a Chipinge man with undermining authority of or insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa after he allegedly circulated a message on WhatsApp in which the ZANU PF party leader was accused of ineptitude.

Said the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights in a statement:

Chrispen Rambu of Chipinge in Manicaland province, who is an
opposition MDC Alliance party Councillor for Ward 8 in Chipinge urban
constituency was summoned by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members to appear at Chipinge Central Police Station, where he was charged with
insulting and undermining authority of President Emmerson Mnangagwa as defined in section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform)
Act.

ZRP members claimed that Rambu denigrated Mnangagwa when he allegedly forwarded a message onto a local WhatsApp group which reads “Ramaphosa just announced R500 billion SA ‘Stimulus package. Seeing him
addressing and comparing him with E.D you won’t doubt that we are
having a fool for a head of state”.

Rambu, who is represented by Mekias Gwamanda of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is expected to appear at Chipinge Magistrates Court on
Saturday.

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

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.

But, even if the broadcaster gets content from Wadiwa Wepa Moyo, it will not last long as the show, which came to an end this week, only has 10 episodes. Its production has also been halted due to the pandemic.

“We’ve engaged them (Wadiwa Wepa Moyo producers) but they’ve also cited that their last episode was aired on Wednesday. They’re also failing to produce more content because of the lockdown. If we take their content, we’ll be getting one season and when that is over, we’ll be stuck as a broadcaster. So, these are the challenges that we’re facing,” said Chera.

He said some production houses had shown willingness to supply content such as producers of Indlalifa who requested for clearance letters from the national broadcaster for them to continue shooting.

“Indlalifa wanted a letter giving them permission to shoot. But we said in as much as a letter can be provided, there are regulations that have to be adhered to such as social distancing etc.

“So, we might not be able to provide the letter because of that,” said Chera. The station’s in-house shows such as Talking Sport, Munhandare and youth programme Hashtag Drive have also been affected.

“Hashtag Drive, a youth-driven show in its first season, which was gaining momentum, has since been dropped. Because of the social distancing requirement, we as the national broadcaster cannot then contravene that regulation. “As such, we can’t be inviting guests to the studio.”

Quizzed why they cannot conduct some of the interviews online, Chera said it was not that easy as some of the interviewees do not have Internet access.

“Most of the people don’t have access to the Internet as it’s expensive. So to do a Skype call will be a challenge for the guests and presenters,” said Chera. However, to mitigate this problem, Chera said they were digging into their archives for shows.

“Like any other broadcaster, we’re digging into our archives to check for content. So, in the meantime until things normalise, we’re bringing back shows like Dlala Ngamla, Tiriparwendo, Madlela Series and Amakorokoza.”

To try and keep people entertained during the lockdown that has been extended by two weeks, Indlalifa has since uploaded four of its episodes online on YouTube channel AJV Afri – Art to cater for audiences there. ZBCtv is not the only one with the headache of lack of content as broadcasters in South Africa are facing the same predicament.

Soapies such as Uzalo on SABC 1, Scandal!, Rhythm City, Imbewu: The Seed on eTV, Isibaya and Gomora on Mzansi Magic all stopped shooting when the lockdown in their country was introduced weeks ago. This has seen them run out of new episodes. The likes of Gomora and Isibaya will stop showing this week and will be replaced by Somizi and Mohale: The Union and The River which will have double episodes shown.

Dear Editor

Morgen Komichi was not the National Chairman of MDC -T as of 2014 Congress . Can we hear from the National Chairman who was Mr Lovemore Moyo.

I thought the Congress is organized by the National Council not by individuals, so why are we hearing that there are only 3 individuals running around saying they are organising the Congress.

In an exclusive interview with ZimEye Friday, Senator Morgen Komichi said he took it upon himself to address the anomalies withing the MDC T in a move aimed at restoring the party’s legacy following the Supreme court ruling that nullified Nelson Chamisa’s presidency.

Said Komichi:

“… what has been happening is that the victims that you are mentioning …were fighting for certain core values, they were fighting for the rule of law, justice, the Constitution, freedom….But what has been happening for the last two years has been a total betrayal of those values, which these women and men died for.

So what we then did on the 31st of March was to restore that legacy, restore the order putting back the party to where it was, this is what we are correcting. Many of the people within the MDC are very happy with what we have done….

There are many people who will turn up for our Congress. All the 12 Provinces of the party are in touch with me, you will be shocked.”

Watch the live video loading below….

By A Correspondent- The Deputy Labour and Social Welfare minister Lovemore Matuke has revealed that among the returnees are convicted criminals who were granted clemency by the Botswana government and deported.

There are also Zimbabweans working in the neighbouring country as well as shoppers who were stuck on the other side of the border while trying to stock up food supplies in preparation for the lockdown.

“In the group, there are criminals who were deported because of this Covid-19 in Botswana. As the government, we have ensured they are free from Covid-19,” the deputy minister said.

Matuke tasked the social welfare department to follow up on the deportees to check if they have enough food when they get home so that the government can provide basic commodities to enable them to settle without challenges.

He also urged them to stay at home when they get there, adding that rapid response teams would make follow-ups for another round of Covid-19 testing.-Daily News

By A Correspondent- Scores of people are flocking self-styled prophet, Madzibaba Nzira’s shrine in Hobhouse, Mutare, as they seek spiritual healing in breach of the national lockdown restrictions, the Weekender has established.

Early this week, police had to disperse the crowd that was queuing up to consult the prophet on various spiritual problems.

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa said law enforcement agents are determined to ensure that physical distancing is observed so as to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“People should take heed of the lockdown restrictions and desist from such gatherings. They should abide by the lockdown rules and regulations for the sake of their own safety,” he said.

When contacted for comment, Madzibaba Nzira defended himself.

“I have been encouraging people to maintain physical distancing and follow the lockdown restrictions. However, some of them do not take heed and end up stampeding to get into my shrine,” he said, adding that some have even vowed not to return to their homes until they consult him.

“This leaves me very worried because Covid-19 is real,” said Madzibaba Nzira.

Covid-19 has claimed thousands of lives globally.  On Sunday, Government extended Zimbabwe’s lockdown by 14 days. The lockdown seeks to contain the spread of the pandemic.-ManicaPost

By A Correspondent- The Founding ZAPU leader and ZPRA Commander General Joshua Nkomo is a character larger than life and who is known for many great exploits that led Zimbabwe to attain her Independence from the white minority regime in 1980.

One tiny juicy story that has not been told in full concerning the life of General Josh, as he was affectionately known, is that he married his step mother’s sister.

The later Father Zimbabwe gives us a peep into this intimate secret in his book The story of my life on page 39.

The story is confirmed by his son Michael Nkomo during an interview with journalist Garikai Mazara in 2017.

Thomas Nyongolo Nkomo was married to Gogo Mlimo Hadebe and the couple was blessed with seven children: Paul (died at 7), Alice (died in 1998), Joshua, Otillia (and her twin, who passed away in infancy), Stephen (died in 2003) and Edward.

In 1942, Gogo Hadebe passed away, and Thomas Nkomo had to look for a new wife and he settled for Mama Elizabeth Mafuyana, who is still surviving. She bore him four children: Patrick, Regina, Margaret and Clara.

At the wedding of Thomas and Elizabeth, Joshua met Joanna, sister to Elizabeth and fell in love and they later married and were blessed with  Themba, Thandiwe, Tutani, Michael and Louise.-Byo24

By A Correspondent- First lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s aide died while three others got injured when a speeding Toyota Hilux vehicle he was travelling in veered off the road at Mavhuradonha range, Muzarabani in Mashonaland  Central province.

Sources familiar to the incident allege the speeding vehicle failed to negotiate a curve on their way to Muzarabani for a COVID-19 awareness campaign by Mnangagwa.

“The speeding vehicle overturned soon after completing Mavhuradonha range and five people who were on board were injured,” said the source.

“We rushed  to the scene where we rendered first aid before taking them to Muzarabani clinic.”

It is further alleged that the security details were subsequently airlifted to Harare where one aide died.

However, Mnangagwa could not proceed to Muzarabani after the accident and had to send a representative who concertized people donated food jumpers and sanitizers at Chidikamwedzi primary and Kabatamukombe primary in Muzarabani district respectively.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting, Energy Mutodi, said on Friday that the consumption of dogs and other animals by the Chinese and other countries had left the world exposed to COVID-19.

Posting to his Twitter, Mutodi also said people in Asia and some African countries who eat “dogs, cats, snakes, bats, monkeys, baboons, and other wildlife” were putting the rest of the world at risk.

He, however, singled out China and Indonesia as countries to which Zimbabwe would like to export beef, apparently to provide alternative meat.

Said Mutodi:

The consumption of dogsDog, cats Cat, snakes Snake, bats Bat, monkeys Monkey, baboons & other wildlife in Asia & some parts of Africa has left us all at risk of contracting the COVID-19 & Ebola viruses. We hope to up our game on beef exports to China, Indonesia & others soon.

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday morning visited officers from the President’s Department assigned to the First Lady, who were involved in an accident on Friday.

Three of the officers are admitted at Westend Hospital in Harare while a fourth died at the accident scene when the Totoya Hilux they were travelling veered off the road soon after Mavhuradonha Range.

Reports indicate that the accident occurred after the driver failed to negotiate a curve and rolled down a steep embankment before hitting a tree as the convoy was en route to Muzarabani, Mashonaland Central Province.

An airforce helicopter was scrambled from Harare and transferred the injured from a clinic in Muzarabani where they had been taken.

The First Lady was on her way to donate food hampers and sanitisers at Chidikamwedzi and Kabatamukombe primary schools.

Following the accident, Mnangagwa reportedly abandoned the journey and sent representatives to deliver the donations on her behalf.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) commissioner Jessie Majome will not be rejoining MDC-T regardless of the Supreme Court ruling which reinstated structures elected at the party congress in 2014.

Majome insisted that she left the party voluntarily in 2018 and is reluctant to be dragged into the “mess”.

Said Majome:

Which part of the ruling says one should go back to the MDC no matter what… I left the MDC voluntarily, I was not even fired so I don’t see why I should be dragged into a mess that I am not part of.

Majome’s remarks come after a youth pressure group, the Zimbabwe National Youth Advocacy Group, called on National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda to act on Majome whom they alleged to be a political player in the MDC.

Majome was appointed deputy secretary for legal affairs at the MDC-T Congress that was held in 2014.

She however contested in the 2018 general elections as an independent candidate following a fallout with her party in primary elections and lost.

President Mnangagwa appointed Majome as a ZACC commissioner after the elections, a position she currently holds.-Newsday

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE: 24 APRIL 2020

As of 24 April 2020, a cumulative total of 2 626 321 confirmed cases and 181 938 deaths were reported from more than 210 countries/territories globally (Source WHO Sitrep No.95).

The Ministry would like to report that today, a total of 237 tests were done as detailed in table 1 below giving a total of 5 687 screening and diagnostic tests done to date.

Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has twenty-eight confirmed cases, including two recoveries and four deaths.

Table 1. Distribution of tests done today
Mash. West – 22
Mat. North – 16
Manicaland – 10
Mash. East – 5
Mat. South – 38
Midlands – 6
Harare – 93
Bulawayo – 47
TOTALS – 237

All the PCR tests done in Harare and Bulawayo today were negative for COVID-19

Table 2. Number of confirmed cases to date
Matabeleland North – 1
Bulawayo – 10
Harare – 12
Mashonaland East – 4
Mashonaland West – 1
Total – 28

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 A Correspondent- Mutasa South MP Regai Tsunga (MDC Alliance), who was arrested by police on Tuesday for “unnecessary movement” during the lockdown after addressing a gathering of vulnerable members of his constituency described his arrest as “unreasonable”.

Tsunga was arrested together with ward 11 councillor Farai Bhiza and other residents and were each fined $500.

The MP said he had not strayed from of his constituency and was doing his work as an MP.

He accused the government for failing to assist residents in his constituency with subsidised mealie-meal during the lockdown.

“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,” he said

“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,” he said.

“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.

“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,” he said.

He added: “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.”

He said the police actions did not benefit anyone. Residents, Tsunga said, had lost immensely because the police denied them their right to food.

“As we speak, government has still not made door-to-door mealie-meal sales as promised and people face starvation.”

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwean doctors have urged authorities to make it mandatory for citizens to wear face masks in public places in the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA) said the country’s growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases is worrisome and calls for an aggressive response.

SHDA president Shingai Nyaguse said:

With community transmission underway, on a balance of probabilities, it is worthwhile to make face masks use mandatory in public places.

We need to up our game in the COVID-19 fight.

Chitungwiza Residents Trust (Chitrest) president Alice Kuvheya queried why the government is not giving residents face masks when research has shown that they mitigate the spread of the virus.

She said:

If the use of a face mask can mitigate the spread of coronavirus, why is the government not giving it to residents? Are they waiting until someone is infected?

As residents, we are worried, we thought by now, things like masks and sanitisers should be available to everyone?-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Second Covid-19 tests done on samples taken from the late Gogo Nguni, who became the fourth Zimbabwean to succumb to the disease locally, have come out positive.

The Nguni family demanded second tests to be done because the now-deceased person lived in a self-isolated homestead and had never got in touch with anyone from Covid-19 hotspots and never left the country.

The principal director policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Robert Mudyiradima revealed that authorities are now trying to establish the source of the virus.

He said:

Obviously someone brought the virus to Gogo and this is what we are trying to establish. Our teams are already seized with the matter and we are hoping to have a clearer picture as soon as possible as contact tracing progresses both in Harare and Mhondoro.

Gogo Nguni, nee Chitemere passed on at West End Hospital on Wednesday morning soon after she arrived at the medical facility.

Before receiving treatment at West End Hospital, Gogo Nguni had earlier experienced a bout of flu, from which antibiotics were prescribed and seemed to have gotten better.

By A Correspodent- A Mutare man hanged himself on Monday in the eastern border city over his wife’s alleged infidelity.

The now-deceased Leeroy James Marifiye (27) alleged committed suicide early in the morning of Monday.

His wife, Shamiso Magosvongo (24) woke up around 3am, only to find her husband hanging from a roof truss.

Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the suicide.

Kakohwa said Magosvongo rushed to inform her friend Silva Maudze (43) who went to report the matter at the Area 3 Dangamvura Complex Police Base.

Marifiye’s body was taken to Dangamvura Police Station for post-mortem.

Kakohwa said no suicide note was left and they are yet to know why he committed suicide, but sources in the neighbourhood told this publication that the pair had a misunderstanding over Magosvongo’s alleged infidelity.

One neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “What I know is that the now-deceased was not happy with his wife whom he accused of infidelity. Maybe that is the reason why he killed himself,” he said.

Another neighbour weighed in saying: “The pair had a misunderstanding, that is what we are aware of so we are positive that led the husband to kill himself.”-Online

By A Correspondent- The police have warned commuter omnibuses and pirate taxis (Mushikashika), who are routinely flouting lockdown restrictions by ferrying people to and from the Central Business District as well as around high-density suburbs in Harare that they face arrest.

The transporters ferry desperate vendors to and from fresh produce markets as well people who sneak into town early in the morning before police officers are on the roads.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi warned that if caught, the vehicles will be impounded and the drivers and owners arrested.

Said Nyathi:

We are concerned with some pirate taxis which are ferrying people from one point to another. Some are transporting people from suburbs into city centres.

We have observed that they evade checkpoints and sometimes they drop people before police checkpoints. We are going to impound their vehicles and the drivers or owners will be arrested.

Since they are not offering any essential service this lockdown period, we urge them to stay at home.

Zimbabwe has been on lockdown since March 30, with the restrictions extended from the initial 21 days by another 14 days to May 3.

However, the implementation of the stay-at-home order has left a lot to be desired as crowds of hungry citizens jostle for foodstuffs at supermarkets and produce markets.-Statemedia

GOVERNMENT yesterday said it will not be able to increase its cushion payouts of $200 per family because it has no resources in its coffers to provide more cover for workers, traders and distressed families facing an uncertain future owing to disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Paul Mavima yesterday said the $200 represented the resource base that government had in the face of competing interests and could not be increased at the moment.

“The $200 represents the resource envelope that is available given the fiscal space that we are operating in,” Mavima said.

“We will continue to engage Treasury not only about the $200, but also about the $180 that is being given under the traditional food mitigation programme, or the cash transfer for cereals programme.

“Obviously, there are competing needs and values for whatever budget the nation has, so we can only advocate and negotiate with Treasury. If it becomes possible given the resources that they are collecting, then we may have to revise upwards this allowance that we are giving.”

He said the payout was not supposed to be the only money that vulnerable families and workers in distress were supposed to have at their disposal, saying it was just only a top-up to what was already there.

“We have also said that it was not supposed to completely replace whatever families were providing for themselves, but it was just supposed to supplement to provide some relief,” Mavima said.

South Africa on Tuesday unveiled a R500 billion economic support package to support vulnerable companies, people and to protect jobs as part of its response to COVID-19, which has seen the country being placed under lockdown for five weeks.
Its cases have passed 3 000, with 58 deaths.

Zimbabwe’s offer, equivalent to US$8 at the official rate and US$4 on the black market rate, to cushion vulnerable communities was only enough to buy a 10kg bag of mealie meal.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Peter Mutasa said workers were facing retrenchments, layoffs and salary cuts at a time the bread basket has risen to $7 000 for a family of four, meaning the government offer was a drop in the ocean.

“In other countries, governments are providing relief for workers who have been laid off, sent on unpaid leave or forced to take pay cuts. Here, we have to make do with a $200 payout decided in unclear methods,” Mutasa said.

“There are no stimulus packages to save jobs or put money in the pockets of the suffering workers. This is a painful period in the life of workers who are alone in this.”

Through the Tripartite Negotiating Forum, labour and business have asked government to come up with interventions that would save many from hunger and job losses.

Mavima confirmed receiving requests which include bailouts, unemployment benefit claims and stimulus packages, saying he had since presented them to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who will soon meet with business and labour to chart a way forward.

NewsDay