Cargo from China being offloaded at the Robert Mugabe International Airport In Harare.
An Air Zimbabwe charter flight from China with 30 tonnes of Covid-19 supplies worth US$3 million landed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport yesterday.
Sakunda Holdings, in partnership with the local Chinese business community, mobilised the resources.
Chief operating officer for Sakunda, Mr Mberikwazvo Charles Chitambo said: “The total cost of the consignment of Covid-19 supplies is US$3 million, including the cost of the charter plane.”
According to the arrangement, Sakunda chartered the Air Zimbabwe plane to ferry the cargo of personal protective equipment (PPEs), automatic spraying machines, ultrasound scans, ventilators and rapid testing kits.
Sakunda secured 23 tonnes, while the Chinese business community mobilised seven tonnes.
Part of the materials will be used to equip Arundel Clinic, whose requirements are fairly small, with the rest set to be donated to public hospitals.
A Chinese representative, Mr David Zhou Jin, said the consignment was part of the Chinese businesspeople’s commitment to help Government in the fight against the pandemic.
“We have sourced ventilators, equipment for ICUs, PPEs for frontline health workers such as doctors and nurses,” he said.
“The Chinese people are committed to helping Zimbabwe in the fight against Covid-19.”
Air Zimbabwe spokesperson Ms Firstme Vitori said the cargo charter flight UM456, landed safely at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport with the medical equipment.
Ms Vitori said Air Zimbabwe had capacity to ferry export cargo, which is an opportunity for local businesses and farmers.
Kenyan musician, Pastor Antony Musembi, has torched a storm after using elements of the late Dr Oliver Mtukudzi’s composition “Todii” for his Covid-19 awareness song without seeking permission from copyright holders of the track.
A video of the song, which was released last Saturday, was published by ZimEye.com on Monday, with many people praising the musician’s rendition and taking it as a development that shows Tuku’s great influence internationally.
But tables turned yesterday afternoon when Tuku Music, the custodians of most of Tuku’s composition rights, announced that Pastor Musembi had not sought permission to use the late legend’s material for his song, which features Esther Musembi.
Most Tuku music followers and social media commentators expressed disappointment over the Kenyan musician’s actions, saying the illegal move was in contrast to his noble cause of spreading awareness about the deadly Covid-19, which has ravaged the world.
Tuku’s “Todii” was composed to raise awareness on HIV and Aids and the Kenyans replaced the lyrics with a message about Covid-19.
“We encourage artistes to follow the correct protocols when they need to use copyright-protected material to avoid unnecessary issues that can arise from violations of these protocols,” noted Tuku Music in a statement.
“Pastor Athony Musembi, however, did not seek rights and permission to use the song for the ‘COVID -19’ awareness cover version for the song ‘Todii’.”
However, Tuku Music noted the musician had expressed willingness to rectify the mistake so that everything is knitted legally.
“He has shown willingness to rectify the mistake and will work with our publishers and legal team to make sure the necessary paperwork is in order. We believe his version of the song will complement efforts to flatten the curve in the fight against Covid-19 in Kenya and in Africa.”
Although Tuku Music officials refused to reveal finer details of their communication with Musembi, a source close to the development said they had given the Kenyan musician seven days to redirect his effort through the right channel.
Efforts to get a comment from Musembi were fruitless as he had not responded to questions sent to him by this publication by time of going to print.
In an interview over the issue, Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) chairperson Albert Nyathi condemned the Kenyan musician’s action.
“What this guy did is very wrong. Intellectual property is important to the creator and it should not be used without permission,” said Nyathi.
“We understand he was doing it for a good cause of fighting coronavirus, but the way he did it should be condemned. A thief cannot say I have stolen a cow because my children were starving. A situation should never be an excuse for theft.
“However, I believe Tuku Music guys were not hard on Musembi because of the situation, not the act. I understand they are working towards a mutual settlement.
“As Zimura we condemn such acts. Many musicians are doing it and we want them to know that theft of intellectual property is a serious crime.”
Pastor Musembi is a popular worship singer in Kenya who has several outstanding songs to his name.
Cabinet has directed all local authorities to take advantage of the national lockdown to clean-up and renovate workspaces occupied by informal traders to improve their state ahead of the resumption of business.
Once players in SMEs and informal sector get protective clothing and equipment, they will be categorised as “essential”.
This is contained in a circular dated April 8, 2020, written by Local Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary Mr Zvinechimwe Churu.
The circular was directed to all town clerks, town secretaries and chief executives.
“At the ninth Cabinet meeting, it was resolved that local authorities should take advantage of the national lockdown to clean up and renovate small and medium enterprise and informal traders’ workspaces so that these areas will be more conducive to operate from when business reopens,” said Mr Churu.
“Please, make every effort to comply with this resolution. To this end, workers in this area would be classified as ‘essential’ in terms of Circular Minute 2 of 2020 and they should be provided with necessary protective clothing and equipment while they undertake their duties.”
Harare City Council’s deputy chairperson responsible for the informal sector/SMEs committee, Councillor Denford Ngadziore, said they had specific areas targeted for demolition as part of the clean-up.
“The popular Mupedzanhamo Market in Mbare will not be demolished as is being said in various social media spaces,” he said.
“The place earmarked for construction of the state-of-the-art Chishawasha Market Mall is where demolitions are taking place.
“The intention is to pave way for the construction of the market mall.”
The new mall is expected to accommodate over 3 000 traders.
Clr Ngadziore said hygienic way key in fighting Covid-19, adding that council was creating a hospitable environment through the demolitions of illegal structures.
He said notices to occupants were issued, but the occupants resisted.
To find an amicable solution, Clr Ngadziore’s committee will meet informal traders’ representatives through the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), together with other associations.
Sanyati Rural District Council CEO, Mr Achim Shadaya, said they were busy trying to rehabilitate Sanyati Growth Point.
Chegutu Municipality town clerk, Mr Alex Mandigo, said poor revenue inflows were partially affecting them.
“We have not fully complied with the directive due to financial constraints,” he said.
“We are collecting a fifth of our normal revenue collection due to the lockdown.”
some of the people who returned from the UK at Belvedere Teachers College
Nick Mangwana
Sixty-five Zimbabweans returning from the United Kingdom yesterday refused compulsory quarantine at Belvedere Technical Teacher’s College citing “poor conditions”, and preferred to be checked into a hotel instead but they were kept there overnight while there is possible transfer to the University of Zimbabwe today.
According to Government officials dealing with the returnees, they knew that Zimbabwe wanted compulsory quarantine for everyone coming from Covid-19 hotspots, but they were expecting “something better”.
Some offered to meet own accommodation expenses at preferred places.
In an interview last night, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Secretary Mr Simon Masanga said alternative accommodation could only be arranged today.
This was the first time the Government had challenges with returnees on accommodation.
Over 1 000 other people have been quarantined so far.
The Government says it will continue looking for more facilities across the country to use for compulsory quarantine.
The stance taken by the 65 people received mixed feelings from most locals, with a majority supporting continued compulsory quarantine of all returning residents if Zimbabwe was to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 through imported cases.
The United Kingdom has extended visas to
May 31, 2020, for all foreigners who could not leave the country due to travel restrictions or self-isolation related to coronavirus.
Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana yesterday said Government could not afford “posh facilities” for returnees.
“We received 65 Zimbabweans from the UK. Available place of quarantine is Belvedere Teacher’s College. They are refusing this accommodation demanding hotels. Government can’t afford. Why come from a Covid-19 hotspot during a lockdown and demand posh facilities at stretched public cost,” said Mr Mangwana on his Twitter handle.
Already, two returnees, one from France and another from the UK in compulsory quarantine facilities, have since tested positive.
Latest statistics show that UK and France are in the top 10 of the world’s most affected countries.
A Chitungwiza man who allegedly authored and circulated a fake statement bearing President Mnangagwa’s signature announcing the extension of the lockdown period was arrested on Saturday.
The fake statement was circulated on social media platforms nearly two weeks ago when the country was still in the initial 21-day lockdown period.
Lovemore Zvokusekwa (36) of House Number 7094 Unit J, Chitungwiza, appeared in court yesterday before Harare magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State.
He was remanded in custody to May 13 with instructions to apply for bail at the High Court.
According to the court papers, Zvokusekwa is employed by High Range Resources (Pvt) Ltd.
Prosecuting, Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe alleged that sometime this month Zvokusekwa published a false Press statement purporting to have been issued and signed by the President.
It is the State’s case that the document was headlined, “Extension of lockdown period by 13 days only”.
The document was circulated on different WhatsApp platforms by Zvokusekwa using his Hauwei cellphone with an Econet line.
According to the State, President Mnangagwa did not originate or sign the said fake statement.
Spreading fake news on social media and mainstream media about coronavirus (Covid-19) has been categorised as a Level 14 offence, the highest in the country and people convicted of the crime face up to 20 years in jail.
Recently, President Mnangagwa warned peddlers of falsehoods regarding coronavirus (Covid-19) issues saying they faced a 20-year jail term if convicted.
He said this at his Precabe Farm in Sherwood, Kwekwe, last week after returning from a tour of Mkoba and Senga suburbs in Gweru to assess residents’ levels of compliance to regulations of the previous 21-day lockdown.
The President dismissed as nonsensical, social media reports then claiming that he had extended the initial lockdown when no such decision had been made.
He then ordered an investigation into the origins of such messages circulating on social media.
“I have never made such a statement and that social media statement is absolute nonsense. We now have a law which punishes those who produce fake news and I have ordered an investigation into those behind the fake statement and if found, we want that person to be an example by getting up to 20 years in prison. It’s bad to peddle falsehoods, especially about a President,” President Mnangagwa said then.
State Media|The 2020 tobacco marketing season which was scheduled to open yesterday has been postponed to allow stakeholders to devise mechanisms to sell the crop while ensuring minimum risks of spreading the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Douglas Karoro while addressing stakeholders in the tobacco sector at an online mock sale of the crop.
The sale was conducted at Northern Tobacco Auction Floors to showcase to stakeholders an online mechanism to sell the crop without farmers being physically present at the floors.
“I know the people out there want to know the exact date of the start of the marketing season. This is part of the assessments that we have done and we are going to inform our colleagues and the minister so that he also prepares a statement for onward transmission to the President and I am sure if we are happy here with these preparations, then the minister and the President will also be happy and they will guide us accordingly on the final date,” said Deputy Minister Karoro.
Announcing the extension of the lockdown on Sunday, President Mnangagwa called for the decentralisation of tobacco auction floors.
He said decentralisation would allow the enforcement of social distancing measures adopted to curb the spread of the virus.
The demonstration yesterday was led by Northern Tobacco chief executive Mr Glen Youngs and will see farmers sending their tobacco to the floors through a representative that would interact with potential buyers online in real time.
Co-Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Vangelis Haritatos said farmers should consider selling their crop online.
“We had read about the mock sale and the issue of a virtual sale in our research but certainly we have never seen it first hand and I think it’s a wonderful thing and there is greater transparency in the system. I think every farmer out there should go the virtual way if they can.
“I also liked the issue of having a grower representative on the floor. It shows they know the system and they can be trusted. I think we need to look at that now and going into the future there is no need to congest tobacco floors,” he said.
Mr Youngs said while the issue of decentralising was welcome, it would be difficult to implement this marketing season because of limited space in other areas outside of Harare.
“The idea of decentralisation makes perfect sense to me and as we speak, some competitors are also sharing floors but what might be a problem is that the physical space may not be enough. The square metres may not be enough to cater for huge number of farmers,” Mr Youngs said.
Zimbabwe’s 25th coronavirus patient is a 29-year-old woman from Harare who returned from France on 15 April and was placed on mandatory quarantine and was only diagnosed positive on Saturday.
The Ministry of Health said it tested 225 people yesterday and all were negative.
It has so far tested 2 851 and only 25 are positive. Three of them have sic died and two have recovered.
The ministry also said one of the patients reported under Manicaland was a returning resident from the United Kingdom with a Mutare address but is currently under mandatory isolation in Harare and has therefore not been to Mutare since the return.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday extended the national lockdown to help curb the spread of coronavirus by two weeks to 3 May.
A 20-YEAR-OLD man and a 21-year-old woman from Bulawayo allegedly committed suicide in separate incidents.
The man allegedly killed himself yesterday in New Magwegwe suburb while the woman is suspected to have taken her life on Saturday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the man, whose name was not given, was found hanging at his home by his brother-in-law who had had tea with him hours earlier.
“I can confirm that we recorded a case of a man from Magwegwe suburb who committed suicide by hanging himself.
“The man whose name was not given and is aged 20 was allegedly drinking tea and chatting with his brother-in-law when he indicated that he was not feeling well.
“He went to a room in the house and at around 9AM his brother-in-law found him hanging from a roof truss with a nylon rope,” said Insp Ncube.
He said police took the body to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for post-mortem and a case of sudden death was opened.
Scores of residents were gathered outside the house, disregarding social distancing, until police dispersed them.
Efforts to get a comment from the family were fruitless as they said they were still grieving.
Magwegwe residents’ association chairperson Mr Phillip Karanda said he knew the man as a vegetable vendor who used a pushcart to sell his produce around the suburb.
“Moments before the death, a colleague of his passed by my home after being with the deceased in the morning.
“A few minutes later he informed me that he had received a call that his friend had committed suicide.
“As the local leadership we would like to tell the youths to be open to their elders in future and tell them if they have problems so we can come to their assistance,” said Mr Karanda.
A resident who declined to be named said the deceased was known as Nkosi and was reportedly having domestic issues with the people he stayed with.
“I heard that Nkosi had issues with the people he stayed with who are said to have been abusing him.
It’s said he had earlier sent a message to one of the people he stayed with, telling him that he wanted to commit suicide,” said the resident.
Insp Ncube said police are worried about the number of suicides involving young people after a woman allegedly hanged herself on Saturday at a house she rented.
“On April 18, a 21-year-old woman from Nkulumane area who was staying alone was found hanging at the house she rented,” he said.
Insp Ncube said the deceased in both suicide cases did not leave suicide notes.
He urged the community, especially youths to seek counselling instead of taking their own lives.-State media
LOCAL Premiership clubs have come out in full support of the extended two-week national lockdown extension by the authorities on Sunday.
The country’s Big Three clubs — Dynamos, CAPS United and Highlanders — have welcomed the development.
Bosso chief executive, Nhlanhla Dube, said football could only be played in a healthy community.
“The extension of the national lockdown was inevitable given the spiralling numbers of new infections from the novel coronavirus,” said Dube.
“As a football club, we are fully supportive of the stance, which is a noble one.
‘‘We can do nothing without a healthy staff. We cannot play football when there is a threat of the spread of this disease within the community.
‘‘We have to be calm as a team and support the efforts by the authorities to try and contain the spread of the epidemic.”
Bosso have since launched a crowd-funding initiative to help in the fight against the disease which has claimed over 165 000 worldwide.
Dynamos chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze, said his team have since activated channels to ensure continued compliance among their members, especially players.
“This is not something to be taken for granted. We are fully behind the extension.
Football is a beautiful game but it ceases to be beautiful if it was to be played amid this pandemic,’’ he said.
‘‘This is a good decision taken by the authorities. If we were to to train, where would we be training without putting ourselves and members of the public at risk? “It was going to be difficult. “We need healthy players to be able to play football.
These are not normal times in which we are in. ‘‘We have to support the extension and pray that this will be over soon.”
CAPS United vice-president, Nhamo Tutisani, said nothing was more important than health.
“It is all about staying healthy and, for that matter, we can only applaud the move made by the authorities,’’ he said.
‘‘This is a delicate time we find ourselves in.
‘‘In as much as we would want to be playing football, we also have to acknowledge that football is played by healthy staff, and administered by equally healthy personnel.
‘’It won’t make any sense to risk our lives just for the sake of playing football.
It’s a good step taken.’’ Other clubs have also come in full support of the extension.
Black Rhinos secretary-general Edward Mutukwa, Herentals coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, Yadah mentor, Genesis Mangombe, and Nesbert Saruchera, the coach of newly-promoted Cranborne Bullets, have all been speaking with one voice in support of the extension.-State media
A Chitungwiza man who allegedly authored and circulated a fake statement bearing President Mnangagwa’s signature announcing the extension of the lockdown period was arrested on Saturday.
The fake statement was circulated on social media platforms nearly two weeks ago when the country was still in the initial 21-day lockdown period.
Lovemore Zvokusekwa (36) of House Number 7094 Unit J, Chitungwiza, appeared in court yesterday before Harare magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State.
He was remanded in custody to May 13 with instructions to apply for bail at the High Court.
According to the court papers, Zvokusekwa is employed by High Range Resources (Pvt) Ltd.
Prosecuting, Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe alleged that sometime this month Zvokusekwa published a false Press statement purporting to have been issued and signed by the President.
It is the State’s case that the document was headlined, “Extension of lockdown period by 13 days only”.
The document was circulated on different WhatsApp platforms by Zvokusekwa using his Hauwei cellphone with an Econet line.
According to the State, President Mnangagwa did not originate or sign the said fake statement.
Spreading fake news on social media and mainstream media about coronavirus (Covid-19) has been categorised as a Level 14 offence, the highest in the country and people convicted of the crime face up to 20 years in jail.
Recently, President Mnangagwa warned peddlers of falsehoods regarding coronavirus (Covid-19) issues saying they faced a 20-year jail term if convicted.-State media
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery, it has been reported.
Several news networks including the CNN, report saying this is according to a US official with direct knowledge.
Kim Jong Un
The report says – Kim didn’t attend the celebration of his grandfather’s birthday, which immediately raised speculation about his well-being. He had been seen four days before that at a government meeting. Kim didn’t attend April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung, one of the biggest days on the North Korean calender.
The country’s Unification Ministry on Friday said it was “inappropriate” to speculate about the reasons for Kim’s absence.
The health of North Korea’s leader is one of the state’s most closely guarded secrets.
Kim, 36 who is a heavy smoker, has been shown in state media in recent months appearing at military drills and riding a white horse on the country’s revered Mt. Paektu, where state propaganda says his grandfather used as a guerrilla base to fight Japanese colonial occupiers. – Agencies
Masvingo Province has received a second consignment of 200 rapid results test kits as the Government moves to ensure more people get tested for Covid-19 and curb its spread.
The province exhausted its initial allocation of 200 rapid results test kits last week after expanding the fight against the pandemic to remote areas.
Masvingo is still to record its first Covid-19 case, with all results from tests conducted coming out negative.
Provincial medical director Dr Amadeous Shamu yesterday said testing for Covid-19 was being expanded to contain the spread of the disease.
Testing enables those infected with Covid-19 to be isolated early and get treatment under quarantine before they infect more people.
“We are expanding our testing for Covid-19 to all parts of the province as Government continues to avail more test kits,” he said.-State media
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF’ s Pupurai Togarepi has accused the United States of America of “hypocrisy.”
Below is Togarepi’s statement: ON Saturday Zimbabwe marked the four decades of Independence, 40 years to savour our hard won freedom, albeit the celebrations were muffled by the diabolical novel coronavirus that has killed three of our compatriots.
The shadow of the novel virus, that has wrecked world economies, infected more than 2 million people and killed more than 140 000 worldwide made it impossible for us to gather as is customary around the country to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and indeed some of our heroes who have been preserved by time to be with us to present day.
We salute the gallant sons of the soil who include our President Emmerson Mnangagwa who made it possible for us to be where we are today, content with intentions of scaling dizzy heights and ensuring that we achieve our Vision 2030.
As we introspect we prospect that the next decade will be a defining decade that will see Zimbabwe improving the welfare of its populace.
It was indeed heart warming that even under the sullen shadow of the callous coronavirus the world took note of our country’s 40th Independence Day that is celebrated each year on April 18.
World leaders, our celebrities and patriots sent their heartfelt felicitations which inspired us even as we navigate the horrors of the coronavirus that has separated us from our loved ones and left some among us with little for sustenance, yet there is always a silver lining in every dark cloud.
Together, arm in arm we will confront whatever challenges that are strewn in our way.
However, some wolves in sheep clothing, hypocrites masquerading as friends, people and nations who wish us doom and ill wanted to use the momentous occasion to lecture us on human rights and democracy.
Isn’t it ironic that countries imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe like the United States of America would want to lecture us about democracy and economic reform, they might as well as keep their insincere felicitations.
We cannot be hectored by archbishops of violence and human rights violations to do pander to their whims and caprices.
Lest Uncle Sam forgets, the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for the independence of Zimbabwe did so to achieve self-determination.
Because of the blood of Zimbabweans we are now free and free to determine our destiny. If the US really wishes us well then they should remove the sanctions they imposed on us and that have stymied growth of Zimbabwe.
And to Pompeo, is Tendai Biti the people of Zimbabwe?
My sincere condolences to Mrs Phiri, family and the entire media fraternity.
In April 2001 when my friend, businessman Obert Sibanda a past ZNCC president and I, then Controller ZBC Montrose Studios established the first journalism training college in Bulawayo namely BES School of Journalism housed at BES College, Beverley building near Haefelis food court, Gift Phiri was in the pioneer class(see attached first register in my own handwriting).
When, a few months after opening he attempted to drop Journalism studies altogether and take up culinary management training at Innscor’s Chicken Inn Victoria Falls, Sibanda, his friends and I persuaded young Gift to rejoin class and complete the two year diploma course. He agreed after almost two months absence but quickly caught up with others very fast.
Long after completing his Journalism studies and working for different media houses, scooping awards of excellence and getting promoted, I would always tease ‘Givy’, as I affectionately called him, about his yester-year AWOL (absence without leave) at college and he would just laugh it off saying ‘No more of that, my teacher, I am now a grown up.I thank you’ Gift excelled extremely well especially in Print courses where his lecturers were Miriam Madziwa Sibanda(then Sunday News), Loughty Dube and Busani Bafana (then with Zimbabwe Independent) among other guest tutors.
Tula Dlamini (then ZBC) now lecturing Journalism at Monash University in South Africa, Sihlangu Dlodlo of Amakhosi Theatre Production taught Television Production, Selina Chitsiga Moyo (then ZBC Montrose) taught Radio and TV News Reporting while Tapfuma Machakaire(then ZBC bureau chief) was a great course content resource person from a distance.
I taught Radio Production in addition to managing the entire journalism school.
Sam Mkhithika(then ZBC Radio 2 Chief Producer) assisted when I was not available and was to take over when I relocated back to Harare permanently.
Last Madiwa Moyo (Nust, later Wits) and Thabani Mpofu (of Sunday News & later Nust…not to be confused with the two prominent lawyers) taught Media Law and Ethics as well as Creative Writing & Authorship. Mr Kanengoni (BES staffer) taught Public Relations and Advertising. Another Mr Moyo, Selina’s husband made available his music production studios near NRZ main station and a dear friend (I am forgetting, remind me please Useni Sibanda & Thabang Makwati Nare Dumisani O Nyongolo Nkomo, since you guys were my excellent fixers) provided television production equipment and facilities which enabled us to be easily licensed by ZIMDEF as a fully fledged skills training college.
I last interacted with Gift, who was currently with ANZ’s Daily News for a number of years early this year when I facilitated a Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF) organised training workshop on Development Journalism held at the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Kodzero/Amalungelo House in Harare. I repeated our usual two decades old ‘awol’ greetings joke, but alas, little did I know that I was saying my last good byes to an affable, trendsetting, gifted former student.
Arriving after the course, arranged by Zinef coordinator Njabulo Ncube aka JB had already started,Gift got a massive approval via all sorts of official and unofficial sign languages from those already in class to show that he was a man of the people. One colleague even loudly asked “Gift why are you not wearing one of your designer suits today?” to which Gift responded with his usual captivating and approving smile, waiving.
In mourning Gift Phiri, who joins another 2001-2002 classmate Qonda Senda-Moyo who died in Ireland a fews ago, I join hands with BES College owner Obert Sibanda aka Vodloza and those journalists from our BES pioneering journalism class, most of who have risen quite admirably in the profession including Mqhele Tshuma, now heading ZBC Classic263, Dumisani Sibanda,heading another ZBC station in Gweru, Ntungamili Nkomo (Anchor Studio 7, VOA,Washington DC), Sifiso Mpofu, ZBC news bureau chief in Gwanda, Matebeleland South, SA-based Simba Nembaware former Radio VOP reporter and Coordinator of satellite television radio channel Channel Zim, Davison Mohlomi Mudzingwa now a top film producer behind feature ‘Lost Tongue’, Tichaona Mezah who joined ZBC News,Valentine Mabhugu a top Classic263 anchor, Albert Ncube – Mazhale (Newsday and VOA Studio 7 reporter),Jessie Bore (Kwekwe),Hilton Mavise (Classic 263) and Mayenziwe Ndlovu now a top customer care official in the eSwatini Kingdom civil service.
I have lost touch with our pioneer students I did not mention.
I shall also include Thandazani Zimbwa although he did not complete the course with BES but was an inspiration to the ‘fresh ones’ due to his excellent sports reporting at the time.
Zimbwa also reported about the official opening ceremony on radio and television at which guest speakers were the late grey haired Mr Dube who had worked for the 1950s African Daily News and UNESCO in Addis Ababa as well as Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu who worked for the Chronicle, Lonrho’s Observer and was with the ZAPU information department in Lusaka during the liberation struggle.
Pindai Dube Nqobani Ndlovu Magugu Nyathi Linda Mpofu Busi Ndlovu aka Mamjapani and many other alumni of later BES journalism streams that followed Gift Phiri and the 2001 pioneers I extend my deepest condolences to you as well.
Fare thee well Gift Phiri my brother, former student and colleague
Farai Dziva|The media community has been plunged into mourning following the death of two seasoned journalists, Gift Phiri and Muzambiringa Ray Matikinye over the weekend.
It was a catastrophic weekend for the country’s media fraternity following the painful departure of two scribes.Gift Phiri worked as reporter for The Zimbabwean, Daily News and several media organizations while Matikinye worked for ZIANA and was the editor of Masvingo Provincial Star in 2001.
In a Facebook journalist Loughty Dube said:
First it is Gift Gift Phiri and on the same day another journalism great Ray Matikinye breathes his last, shattered to learn of your passing, your laughter Muzambiringa was infectious, you helped a lot of young men climb the journalism ladder, ‘Njaninjani’ you had a lot of advice for me when was leading the Zimbabwe Independent Bureau. Go well big man, go well.”
Luke Tamborinyoka wrote: Gift Phiri believed in telling truth to power.
Gift had a gift in writing. He waa a gifted wordsmith who loved his profession.
He was passionate about media freedom and democracy. Rest in peace, brother.”
If there were some doubts about who exactly is behind the country’s snail pace character on critical developmental issues, election results announcement delays and rigging, then all that has been erased by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s lockdown extension speech.
Typical of ZANU PF fraudsters, delay and keeping people in suspense on issues of national interest has become a habit.
Remember March 2008 elections that took a month to be announced!
In 2018 too, the elections were announced as a last minute resort after growing impatience from masses who threatened to take to streets.
The lockdown extension announcement has all but cleared doubts about the crook behind all these delays in announcement of election results!
The culprit behind election results announcement delays and rigging since 1980 has unmasked himself.
Either Emmerson is slow on critical issues or rather he is just careless when it comes to issues of national interest.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
By A Correspondent- Permanent Secretary in the Information ministry Nick Mangwana has revealed that 65 Zimbabweans who landed in the country from the UK are demanding to be quarantined in hotels.
65 Zimbabweans who today returned from the UK are reportedly refusing to be quarantined at Belvedere Teachers College demanding instead posh hotels says @nickmangwana . Where should they be quarantined?
The passengers arrived in Zimbabwe using the Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner flight ET-873 from Addis Ababa are, according to Mangwana demanding to be isolated at posh hotels instead of the available Belvedere Teachers College.
He said: ” We received 65 Zimbabweans from the UK. Available place of quarantine is Belvedere Teachers College.
“They are refusing this accommodation demanding hotels.
“Govt can’t afford.
“Why come from a covid19 hotspot during a lockdown & demand posh facilities at stretched public cost?”
We received 65 Zimbabweans from the UK. Available place of quarantine is Belvedere Teachers College. They are refusing this accommodation demanding hotels. Govt can't afford. Why come from a covid19 hotspot during a lockdown & demand posh facilities at stretched public cost?
Farai Dziva|Two prominent human rights activists have challenged the government to stop, with immediate effect, harassment of civilians and partisan distribution of Coronavirus Relief Aid.
In a joint statement, the two human rights defenders, Blessing Matasva and Tatenda Maposa, expressed concern at the persecution of citizens by security forces.
The two also condemned the politicisation of aid.
Read full statement below:
The government of Zimbabwe joining the rest of the world in fighting covid-19, introduced prevention measures to curb the spread of this pandemic.
While the lockdown is a very good measure, as human rights activists we feel the government is not prepared enough for this initiative, given the current status of our economy which is 90% informal.
The majority of citizens in Zimbabwe, particulary in Masvingo Province survive on informal trading (hand to mouth).
This shutdown has exempted essential service provision- such as grocery shops, a welcome move, given our economic status.
Since the start of the lockdown on the 30th of March, we have witnessed numerous human rights abuses.
Police brutality has been the song on ordinary citizens.
We urge the government to respect human rights and they should have a robust disaster preparedness plan for such incidents.
It is also disheartening to note that some Members of Parliament and District Administrators in the province are politicizing Covid-19 rapid response food distribution programmes.
Mealie meal is being distributed on political basis.
As human rights defenders we castigate such mischievous behaviour from some politicians who are seeking to gain political mileage during such a time.
Food items must be fairly distributed regardless of one’s political affiliation, age, race, creed, disability or gender.
Now that the lockdown has been extended, we implore the government to respect citizens’ rights at all levels.
We strongly feel citizens should not be denied access to medication, food – among other basic needs.
Farai Dziva|Two prominent human rights activists have challenged the government to stop, with immediate effect, harassment of civilians and partisan distribution of Coronavirus Relief Aid.
In a joint statement, the two human rights defenders, Blessing Matasva and Tatenda Maposa, expressed concern at the persecution of citizens by security forces.
The two also condemned the politicisation of aid.
Read full statement below:
The government of Zimbabwe joining the rest of the world in fighting covid-19, introduced prevention measures to curb the spread of this pandemic.
While the lockdown is a very good measure, as human rights activists we feel the government is not prepared enough for this initiative, given the current status of our economy which is 90% informal.
The majority of citizens in Zimbabwe, particulary in Masvingo Province survive on informal trading (hand to mouth).
This shutdown has exempted essential service provision- such as grocery shops, a welcome move, given our economic status.
Since the start of the lockdown on the 30th of March, we have witnessed numerous human rights abuses.
Police brutality has been the song on ordinary citizens.
We urge the government to respect human rights and they should have a robust disaster preparedness plan for such incidents.
It is also disheartening to note that some Members of Parliament and District Administrators in the province are politicizing Covid-19 rapid response food distribution programmes.
Mealie meal is being distributed on political basis.
As human rights defenders we castigate such mischievous behaviour from some politicians who are seeking to gain political mileage during such a time.
Food items must be fairly distributed regardless of one’s political affiliation, age, race, creed, disability or gender.
Now that the lockdown has been extended, we implore the government to respect citizens’ rights at all levels.
We strongly feel citizens should not be denied access to medication, food – among other basic needs.
Farai Dziva|Controversial Masvingo based clergyman, Isaac Makomichi has predicted “sudden economic revival in Zimbabwe under Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership.”
Makomichi, known for distributing what he calls “the anointed love portion herb”, believes Mnangagwa has the capacity to revive the waning economy.Makomichi is also known as the Lion of Witches by his followers.
Said Makomichi : There is need to follow President Mnangagwa’s manifesto.
In his manifesto he addresses key issues such as human rights, constitutional principles, among other factors.
He (Mnangagwa) is a principled leader.
People should stop blaming ED for the economic crisis.”
He added:”Let us give him(Mnangagwa) a chance.What I know is opposition parties cannot remove the President from office before the 2023 elections.
In addition, the issue of sanctions is really disrupting economic recovery efforts.
However, there will be a dramatic turnaround of the economy.I believe the President will abide by his 2018 election manifesto”
Farai Dziva|Controversial Masvingo based clergyman, Isaac Makomichi has predicted “sudden economic revival in Zimbabwe under Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership.”
Makomichi, known for distributing what he calls “the anointed love portion herb”, believes Mnangagwa has the capacity to revive the waning economy.Makomichi is also known as the Lion of Witches by his followers.
Said Makomichi : There is need to follow President Mnangagwa’s manifesto.
In his manifesto he addresses key issues such as human rights, constitutional principles, among other factors.
He (Mnangagwa) is a principled leader.
People should stop blaming ED for the economic crisis.”
He added:”Let us give him(Mnangagwa) a chance.What I know is opposition parties cannot remove the President from office before the 2023 elections.
In addition, the issue of sanctions is really disrupting economic recovery efforts.
However, there will be a dramatic turnaround of the economy.I believe the President will abide by his 2018 election manifesto”
Cant believe you want people to be in a facility with shared bathrooms during a pandemic. WHO guidelines are clear that people should not share bathrooms and they help prevent cross contamination. Why cant you understand that?
Thats not during a pandemic. WHO has guidelines for quarantine facilities which include private bathrooms to prevent cross contamination. They need to put in the proper facility or its useless.
Senator Morgen Komichi has said opposition leader @NelsonChamisa is an invited delegate at the forthcoming MDC-T congress set to be held following the Supreme Court Ruling. Should Chamisa attend this Congress?
By A Correspondent- A herdsman in Binga’s Lusulu area has gone into hiding after he allegedly detained a girl in the bush and raped her.
The 16-year-old girl who cannot be named for ethical reasons was also herding cattle in Chibila village grazing area, under Chief Sinamagonde when Khenzani Mavundla (18) approached her and demanded to have sex with her.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said the girl refused to have sex with Mavundla and he allegedly forced her to sit on the ground.
He allegedly told the complainant that she would not go home until he had sex with her.
“We confirm receiving a case of rape where a minor girl was raped while herding cattle alone. We would want to urge parents not to allow minor girls to go to fetch water, firewood or herd livestock alone while members of the public are also warned against taking advantage of the lockdown to commit crime,” said Chief Insp Makonese.
She said Mavundla grabbed the complainant by the hand and neck and forced her to her feet before dragging her to a nearby field where he raped her, on 15 April at 4pm.
A villager who was passing by heard some noise and found Mavundla raping the complainant.
Mavundla fled from the scene and his whereabouts are not known.
The villager escorted the girl to her home where she narrated what had happened to her parents.
A report of rape was made to the police who have launched manhunt for Mavundla.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- Senator Morgen Komichi has said opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is one of the invited guests at the soon to be held MDC-T congress.
In an interview loading below, Komichi said he embraced the Supreme Court ruling because he had noticed that the party had diverted from constitutionalism.
The president’s coordinating council on Saturday agreed to the gradual easing of regulations after the lockdown period in an effort to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Cyril Ramaphosa chaired the virtual meeting that brought together ministers, premiers, mayors and local government leaders to assess the government’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“The PCC today agreed on the need for a risk-adjusted approach to the resumption of economic activity at the completion of the lockdown period,” a statement from the presidency read.
This means there would be a gradual easing of regulations after the lockdown at the end of the month in various sectors until the economy is operating at full capacity once again.
Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko said the government will be guided by available evidence that supports the ongoing containment of the virus.
This comes after local government minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said this week that the government will not “open the floodgates” by allowing a wholesale end to the lockdown at the end of the month.
This, the government conceded, will further impact an already ailing economy. “The meeting was unanimous that the impact on the SA economy would depend on the pace and magnitude of the interventions which would be required of all social partners,” Diko said.
The PCC meeting agreed that government must put measures in place “to ensure that more cash is put in the hands of households to induce economic activity in the medium term”.
She said this includes the need to fast track the implementation of identified structural reforms — without detailing what this would be.
“Government must also develop an economic recovery plan for municipalities which are expected to bear the brunt of the economic, political and social fallouts from Covid-19 as engines of our national economy and the coalface of delivery.”
Cabinet was expected to come up with an economic plan on Wednesday but that was deferred to a meeting on Monday after consensus could not be reached.
“The meeting further made inputs for Cabinet’s consideration when it meets on Monday, 20 April 2020, relating to the need for an economic reconstruction plan which appreciates the huge damage that Covid-19 would have wrought on the SA economy,” Diko said.
“Since the lockdown, over 100,000 households across the country have been provided with food parcels, with further households being targeted through the Solidarity Fund and department of social development’s Disaster Relief Fund. The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has also set aside over R400m for social relief of distress through food parcels and vouchers to be rolled out on a larger scale.
The PCC agreed that these efforts needed to be significantly expanded as a matter of urgency. PCC further emphasised the need for social distress efforts to be dispensed in a manner that upholds the dignity of all beneficiaries,” Diko said.
The top tier of government also agreed to ramp up water provision across the country. On Friday, there were 50 deaths linked to Covid-19 with 2,783 confirmed cases.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken to Twitter to call on South Africans to remain vigilant and continue abiding by the rules inspire of the challenges presented by the lockdown.
In his weekly statement he acknowledged the fault line in society that reveals how grinding poverty, inequality and unemployment is tearing communities apart.
“Many countries around the world have imposed coronavirus lockdowns with a view to saving the lives of their citizens. We have done the same in our country, but our lockdown has revealed a very sad fault line in our society that reveals how grinding poverty, inequality and unemployment is tearing the fabric of our communities apart,” reads his statement.
Ramaphosa further said that there can be no greater anguish than that of a parent whose children cry out to them for food, but they have none to give.
“There can be no greater injustice than a society where some live in comfort and plenty, while others struggle at the margins to survive with little or nothing at all,” he added.
The president stated that these are the residual effects of a fractured and unequal past but also a symptom of a fundamental failing in our post-apartheid society.
“The nationwide lockdown in response to the coronavirus has gravely exarcerbated a long-standing problem,” Ramaphosa added.
He also raised a grave concern about distressing images of desperate people clamouring for food parcels at distribution centres and of community protests against food shortages.
The president acknowledges the shortfalls from government’s side that occurred by imposing a nationwide lockdown at very short notice, saying it presented several challenges. However, he is confident that the lockdown was indeed necessary.
“We ultimately chose to err on the side of caution. And as the presentation by the Ministry of Health last week indicated, enforcing a lockdown at the time we did has slowed down the rate of infection and, more importantly, bought us time to prepare for a probable surge in infections in the coming weeks and months,” he added
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said that there are now 21,317 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in 52 countries across Africa.
Africa CDC stated this in a tweet on its official Twitter handle on Sunday evening.
According to the tweet, COVID-19 has killed 1080 people in Africa, while a total of 5,203 patients have recovered from the deadly disease across the continent.
South Africa is now the highest country in Africa with 3034 cases and 52 deaths, followed by Egypt with 3,032 cases and 224 deaths, Morocco with 2,820 cases and 138 deaths, while Algeria follows with 2,534 cases and 367 deaths.
By Own Correspondent| The US$3 million Sakunda Holdings’ equipment and supplies meant to fight COVID-19 has arrived in Harare as preparations for the opening up of Arundel Hospital gathers momentum.
The arrival of the equipment is a timely boost as rennovations at the hospital, which will be open to every Zimbabwean, have also been completed.
Part of the $US 3 million equipment will be donated to public hospitals fighting the pandemic.
A refreshing look inside one of the medical centres set up for COVID-19 response
The supplies, which include ventilators and rapid testing kits, came aboard Air Zimbabwe’s chartered plane this morning at the Harare international airport.
Sources close to the private initiative by Sakunda said all was set for the opening of Arundel Hospital popularly known as Rock Foundation Medical Centre.
An inside picture of one of the medical facilities
“Sakunda Charterded an Air Zimbabwe plane to ferry a acrgo of PPEs, Automatic spraying machines, ultrasound scan, ventilators and rapid testing kits from China worth about usd 3 million including the cost of the chartered plane,” said the source at the airport.
The cargo also included some materials meant for donation by Sakunda to public health centres.
Sakunda Holdings also freely gave space in the aircraft to Friends of China who were also bringing in their supplies to fight the virus.
“The cargo is 30 tonnes and a small part will be used at Arundel while most of the equipment will be donated to public hospitals. It must be noted that Sakunda also gave Friends of China free space to bring in their equipment,” the source explained.
Sakunda Holdings came up with a multi million dollar initiative to resuscitate and equip Arundel Clinic (Rock Foundation Medical Centre) as a way of complementing Government efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
an outside view of one the facilities renovated by Sakunda
The virus has so far claimed three people in Zimbabwe while 25 have tested positive to the pandemic.
President Mnangagwa has already put the country under lockdown for a further 14 days after the initial 21 days lapsed yesterday as a way of limiting the spread of the disease.
Zimbabwe has implemented raft of measures to curb and control the outbreak of the disease albeit under tough economic circumstances.
65 Zimbabweans who today returned from the UK are reportedly refusing to be quarantined at Belvedere Teachers College demanding instead posh hotels says @nickmangwana . Where should they be quarantined?
Nonsense, take them to army barracks, avail a warehouse for them there. The rest will be taken care of by capable brothers and sisters.
— ?? ZANU PF PATRIOTS ?? (@zanupf_patriots) April 20, 2020
surprisingly UK is calling their citizens out of ZIM for fear of covid while ours are leaving UK for same fears…. as for those ones just take the to defence college..
— Kudakwashe Mavula Munsaka (@fazPresident) April 20, 2020
Since when does this government care about the public purse ?. I know some goons in ZANU Pf who have been staying at Rainbow towers at government cost . Should I continue? Musatijairia imi
Quarantine is mandatory in most countries worldwide …. don’t risk maybe infecting other Zimbabweans who weren’t abroad because you want special treatment as diaspora or as returnees ….
Yu wll never understand the pain of kurariswa muma classroom jus coz iwewe u r in the comfort of yo home n i wonder why yu r not supportive to those pple varikuda mahotels,they pay taxs let the government go for tht duty we r paying them for,only officials are bennefiting
ZIMBABWE could get another window of opportunity to fix its condemned stadia to meet international standards after Fifa on Saturday confirmed that all national team matches that were scheduled to be played between June 1 and 9 be postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus outbreak
The country risked playing home matches abroad after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in February banned local stadia from hosting senior men’s football competitions as they don’t meet required standards.
Caf had given Zimbabwe until June 15 to upgrade the stadiums to the expected standards so that if the coronavirus is contained, they can host their matches in the country. But with the pandemic showing no signs of abetting anytime soon, there are fears that no international matches would be played at all this year.
Zimbabwe were scheduled to travel to Botswana for a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group H qualifier between June 1 and 9, but that match has been shelved.
This follows the cancellation of the back-to-back qualifiers against Algeria last month also being put on hold by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
The home match against the African champions had been set for a neutral venue in South Africa after Caf had condemned all local stadia from hosting international matches.
“All Caf matches were postponed indefinitely. In fact all Caf and Fifa matches are suspended until further notice,” Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said yesterday.
However, it is the home match against Zambia in the same qualifiers set for the first week of September that is giving Zifa huge headaches.
If the country’s international stadia, the National Sports Stadium in Harare, Barbourfields in Bulawayo and Zvishavane’s Mandava Stadium are not spruced up to meet the recommended levels in time, this match against Chipolopolo would be played at a neutral venue outside the country.
Work had already started on the National Sports Stadium and Barbourfields but the renovations had to be stopped after government announced a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The first phase of the lockdown ended yesterday and was extended to May 3.
Gwesela said Zifa has since written to Caf to request them to delay their inspection visit to Zimbabwe since work on the stadiums had been disrupted by the virus outbreak.
“We highlighted that to them in response to their stadium reports. The association also advised Caf of the enormity of the task of refurbishing our facilities during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Unfortunately, stadium renovations may not fit the criteria of essential services waived in the Public Health (lockdown) order to continue operations during the lockdown,” Zifa said.
Caf is yet to respond to Zifa’s request although it is likely that the continental football governing body would soften its stance on Zimbabwe.
Zifa will be hoping that the coronavirus spread will be contained soon so that work on refurbishing the local stadia will resume before September when Zambia is expected to arrive for the critical qualifier.
The Warriors currently sit second in the 2021 Afcon Group H qualifiers with four points, two behind group leaders Algeria, after two rounds of matches.
After an uninspiring goalless draw in their group opening match against Botswana, the Khama Billiat-inspired Warriors brought life back to their campaign with a valiant 2-1 win away to Zambia.
With the possibility of further disruptions to the 2021 Afcon qualifying programme‚ Caf might be forced to postpone the actual tournament‚ which was set for January and February next year in Cameroon.
The Warriors are also scheduled to start their 2022 World Cup qualifiers later this year, although the matches are also in danger of postponement due to coronavirus.
There is also a looming danger of Zimbabwe playing home matches on foreign land after a Fifa inspection team condemned the National Sports Stadium and Barbourfields, two facilities that Zifa had selected as potential venues for the matches.
The world football governing body in March sent its assessors led by South African soccer legend Mark Fish to check if the two stadia were suitable for international matches, but the inspectors indicated that the facilities were below the required standards.
They gave Zifa a report on the areas that need to be refurbished, and will return again later this year for another assessment.
Zimbabwe are in Group G for the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers together with South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia.
This campaign has been tentatively set to start between October 3 and 5. Matchday two fixtures will be played in November, while the rest of the matches are set for next year.
By A Correspondent- Permanent Secretary in the Information ministry Nick Mangwana has revealed that 65 Zimbabweans who landed in the country from the UK are demanding to be quarantined in hotels.
Situation Reaches Another Level In Lesotho As Nation Continues Demands For Prime Minister’s Resignation https://t.co/I3DdVlN5yD via @ZimEye
The passengers arrived in Zimbabwe using the Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner flight ET-873 from Addis Ababa are, according to Mangwana demanding to be isolated at posh hotels instead of the available Belvedere Teachers College.
He said:
We received 65 Zimbabweans from the UK. Available place of quarantine is Belvedere Teachers College. They are refusing this accommodation demanding hotels. Govt can't afford. Why come from a covid19 hotspot during a lockdown & demand posh facilities at stretched public cost?
Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Namibia have sent packing hundreds of Zimbabweans.Zimbabwean migrants unload their belongings from a truck upon their arrival in Harare on April 22, 2015, after fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa.
IN SUMMARY
Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Namibia have sent packing hundreds of Zimbabweans in what many believe is necessitated by measure to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The deportees will be housed at government colleges around the city where they will undergo testing for the coronavirus infection .
South Africa started the deportations poon after the country imposed a lockdown on March 27.
Several southern African countries are deporting hundreds of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, putting a strain on a country already struggling under the weight of a collapsing health delivery system and weak economy.
So far Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Namibia have sent packing hundreds of Zimbabweans in what many believe is necessitated by measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Botswana alone has deported over 500 illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe in the past fortnight and indications are that hundreds are on their way home, authorities have revealed.
Buckling under
But Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo has said his country is buckling under the sudden influx. South Africa started the deportations poon after the country imposed a lockdown on March 27.
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“We have suddenly seen a large influx of returning residents through our Beitbridge border post,” Dr Moyo said.
“For instance we were advised that initially there was a group of 500 nationals who came from South Africa, having been returned by the South African government.
“That group we have recommended that they be put under self-quarantine at controllable venues.” An official in Plumtree, a town on Zimbabwe’s border with Botswana, said they continued to receive Zimbabweans deported by Gaborone.
The deportees were being housed at an isolation centre in the town before they are allowed to go their homes to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We received 87 deportees on Tuesday who came from Botswana in two batches and they have been placed under quarantine,” said Fanisani Dube, the Plumtree council chairman.
“So far none of them are showing any symptoms of the virus and they were screened as they came into the centre.”
Numbers of deportees, however, kept swelling until the government moved 400 of them this week to the second city of Bulawayo following concerns about overcrowding at the isolation centre near the border.
Quarantine
In Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube said the authorities were already overwhelmed as they did not have enough resources to look after the deportees for at least 14 days.Advertisement
Ms Ncube appealed for donations in the form of food and blankets for the deportees.
“It is now our turn to reciprocate and help in taking care of them while they are on quarantine before going home to their families.”
The deportees would be housed at government colleges around the city where they would also undergo testing for coronavirus also known as Covid-19.
Batirai Mukonoweshuro, Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Botswana said more of his countrymen who were in that country illegally were handing themselves over to the authorities so that they could be deported.
Mr Mukonoweshuro said Zimbabwe should expect to receive another 500 deportees in the coming few days, with at least 230 arriving in Plumtree Thursday.
He said most Zimbabweans surrendering themselves to the police were illegal immigrants who were running out of food because of Botswana’s state of emergency.
The flood of Zimbabwean economic refugees being pushed out of neighbouring countries is set to stretch the government’s resources as the country was already mired in an ever worsening economic crisis.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been struggling to put a coherent response to the pandemic. The country has recorded 23 cases and three deaths as of Thursday.
Donations
The country’s Health sector is grossly underfunded and the government is struggling to provide safety nets for the vulnerable during the 21-day lockdown that began on March 30.
Deportees being held under quarantine in Bulawayo depend on hand-outs from well-wishers, the authorities said.
“As we can all see the situation in the country, there is need, in terms of food, toiletries and clothing,” said Ms Ncube as she appealed for donations.
Martin Ncube, who said he was deported just before Botswana declared a state of emergency on April 2, said employers who wanted to avoid paying wages were reporting them to authorities so that they could be sent back home.
The father of four, said his employer owed him two months wages and reported him to the police after an argument over the outstanding payment.
“I am a victim, but as soon as this problem is over I am going back because if I stay in Zimbabwe my family will starve.”
By Patrick Guramatunhu- There is one thing to be said about Zimbabweans, we are a naïve and gullible lot!
Nowhere is this naivety more obvious that in the nation’s collective belief that Zanu PF’s imposed lockdown would make the corona virus disappear! The price of our naivety has never been higher than it is now!
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs, after 40 years of misrule and the country in economic ruins and political paralysis one would have thought there will be no Zimbabwean out there who still doubts Zanu PF is a curse to the nation.
When the details of the seriousness of the corona virus start to spread in the first few week of January 2020 and how easily the virus could find its way into Zimbabwe; this should have helped focus all Zimbabwean minds on the critical importance of the country having a competent government. The last thing any nation would ever wish for is to have a corrupt and incompetent government during a crisis and corona virus was the mother of all crisis!
Throughout January, February and March, Mnangagwa repeatedly assured the nation that Zimbabwe was ready to deal with the corona virus threat. The blundering incompetence with which the regime handled the late Zororo Makamba, may his soul rest in peace, said it all!
Zororo Makamba had all the usual symptoms of corona virus infection and the immigration officials had rightly detained him. Mr Makamba phoned his high ranking Zanu PF connections, an everyday occurrence in a country were corrupt is the norm, and Wala! he was allowed to go.
Of course, everyone knew just how contagious and dangerous corona virus is. In China, where the first outbreak had occurred, it was known that an infected person could pass the virus to two other a day. The three on start of the second day will become nine at the end of the day. By the end of the first week the one infected person has turned into 2 187. Give it another week the number swells to 4 782 969!
What makes corona virus so dangerous is that there is no vaccine and no cure. About 10% of the infected suffer from excruciating pains and have breathing difficulties requiring hospitalisation – overwhelming the health care services. About 1% of the infected die.
In Zimbabwe our health care services has already all but collapsed before the added burden brought on by the corona virus, thanks to the four decades of Zanu PF misrule. Without the medical help, even more people will die and the death toll could soar to 10% plus!
So, knowing just how deadly corona virus is, how was it possible that anyone, much less one in a position of power and authority could let the late Zororo Makamba go free knowing he had the virus? Worse still, why has President Mnangagwa failed to institute a full investigation into the matter and have all those responsible so such a serious dereliction of duty held to account? He has never lifted a finger!
Zororo Makamba and his family were shocked to see how ill prepared the nation was for the corona virus when he was admitted in Wilkins Hospital a few days after his release by immigration officials.
Mnangagwa and the country’s opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, had assured the nation the hospital was ready to treat corona virus patients. “So, encouraged by the preparedness!” Chamisa twittered.
Zororo was offered a bed, a bucket for a toilet and in attendance health workers with no protective clothing. There was no medicine to ease his pain, in running water in the tapes next to the bucket toilet, no ventilator, no monitors, etc. Once again no one was held to account for all the lies about the nation being prepared to deal with virus!
The decision to impose a nationwide lockdown on the basis of 10 confirmed corona virus cases has to be the most idiotic decision this idiotic Zanu PF regime has ever made! Surely it would have made more sense to trace all the 10 cases and their contacts and make sure they are isolated.
During the first 21-day lockdown this government has done little to test, trace, isolate and treat all those who are infected with the virus. This Zanu PF regime was more interested in enforcing the lockdown, flexing its tyrannical muscle, than in eliminating the virus.
No doubt the regime believed the virus will disappear completely after 21-days! Since it did happen, President Mnangagwa, in his infantile wisdom, has extended the lockdown by another 14 days – cocksure the virus will finally disappear!
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are corrupt and incompetent, God only knows we should all know this by now. It is totally irresponsible for us to let such buffoons govern especially during a time when the nation’s very existence is at stake.
On its own, corona virus is set to cause the death of 1% on the population but given the assistance of a blundering regime many, many more, will die, as much as 10%!
By demanding democratic change and good governance Zimbabweans will save the country from the curse of bad governance, curse of Zanu PF dictatorship, and save hundreds of thousands of lives. Indeed, the life you save may well be your own!
“And so, my fellow Zimbabweans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do to save your country from peril and, in doing so, save your own life!” to paraphrase USA President JF Kennedy.
Nurses affiliated to the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) have accused their executive of unilaterally increasing monthly subscriptions from $5 to $100, thus impoverishing them at a time their salaries have been eroded by inflation.
The new subscription fees come into effect this month, although Zina members claimed they were not consulted over the increases. Contacted for comment yesterday, Zina president Enock Dongo demanded that the disgruntled members should identify themselves.
“Do not hunt me down. We are used to people who want to spoil other people’s names. We are already soiled and what can only surprise us is being considered clean,” he said. Nurses who spoke to NewsDay said they were not happy with Dongo’s administrative decisions, which went against the constitutional provisions of their association.
“They did not consult the members when they increased and this is despite that in 2019, they failed to hold the annual general meeting (AGM).”
“It only means they are cushioning themselves with our money and this is not in the interests of the members,” a ZINA member based in Gwanda complained.
“An increase of subscription fees can only be approved by 75% of the members at an AGM. Not even the courtesy to make a consultation, but just taking all that money,” another nurse from Hwange said.
Some people from Limpopo are already short of food and water supply. Recently photos emerged of women digging a dry riverbed for water. There are speculations that some of them crossed the border during Easter to purchase alcohol and cigarettes for sales in the black market.
Now, the food shortage may also prompt them to go in search of food in Zimbabwe very soon if nothing is done by the government as a matter of urgency. The issue here is not if Zimbabweans have food to give people, the issue is, are our people not actually in need of food? A hungry man is an angry man and an angry man is the one who breaks laws.
I think the relief from the government of our distinguished president, Cyril Ramaphosa should focus on the villages and the interiors. Water is a very essential element that no human can do without.
The government should first supply them water. Then the food distribution should be closely monitored to ensure that the poor ones have a fair share first. The government also appealed that if you can substain yourself, leave the food packages for those in dire needs. It will be a shameful thing if our people keep crossing the border fence we erected to go to Zimbabwe in search of food when the food in Zimbabwe is even barely enough for the people there. Let what happened between the US and Mexico not happen.
The US erected a security fence between them and Mexico. Their citizens were the ones who broke the fence to gain entrance into Mexico. The government should take action immediately.
Lesotho troops deployed by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane amid a showdown with opponents demanding the octogenerian leader resign withdrew from the capital’s streets on Sunday.
Thabane faces mounting calls to step down from rivals within his ruling party and opposition groups over suspicions he had a hand in the murder of his estranged wife in 2017.
An AFP journalist in the capital Maseru reported that soldiers backed by armoured vehicles had returned to barracks by Sunday morning.
Thabane had deployed them the day before to “restore order” while accusing unnamed law enforcement agencies of undermining democracy.
The army spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Diplomatic moves to calm the situation were meanwhile gathering pace.
A South African envoy has arrived in Lesotho, Thabane’s senior private secretary Thabo Thakalekoala told AFP on Sunday.
He did not elaborate but many in Maseru suspect President Cyril Ramaphosa had dispatched the envoy to the tiny kingdom surrounded by South Africa in a bid to facilitate talks between Thabane and his opponents.
US, British and European Union (EU) ambassadors and commissioners, leaders called on Maseru to remember “the importance of maintaining stability and the rule of law”.
“We urge a united approach that prioritises the protection of citizens and the provision of essential services,” they said in a signed statement.
– Grip on power –
In power since 2017, Thabane, 80, deployed troops on Saturday a day after the constitutional court overturned his decision to suspend parliament for three months.
The premier has been under immense pressure to step down after police investigations suggested his involvement in the murder of his late wife, Lipolelo Thabane, three years ago.
In March, Thabane imposed a three-month suspension of parliament shortly after the national assembly passed a bill barring him from calling fresh elections if he loses a no-confidence vote hanging over his head.
He ordered the security forces and intelligence service to probe his ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) party rivals, whom he accused of plotting to topple his government.
Although no case of coronavirus has yet been reported in the mountain kingdom, citizens were last week placed under confinement until at least Tuesday to stem any spread of the disease.
Thabane’s order took it a step further, deploying the army against unnamed “rogue” national elements he said wanted to destabilise Lesotho.
– ‘Seriously concerned’ –
Dropped by his own party, the Convention of all Basotho (ABC), Thabane has promised to retire by the end of July because of his age but the ABC and the opposition demand his immediate departure.
ABC deputy leader Professor Nqosa Mahao said the party was “seriously concerned” that the prime minister was determined to misuse security agencies to derail a multi-sector reform process inspired by the South African Development Community.
In a joint statement with opposition groups including the Democratic Congress, Basotho National Party and Popular Front for Democracy, Mahao said: “The prime minister’s actions clearly point out that he is no longer fit to hold office.
“To protect his own integrity, we therefore advised the prime minister to reconsider and leave office ahead of the time that he had communicated to Basotho.”
Police commissioner Holomo Molibeli confirmed that he had been abruptly removed from office.
“I am aware that an instruction was given to the Lesotho Defence Force for me to be arrested… that plan did not materialise,” he told AFP on Sunday.
Molibeli added that he had approached the courts to “protect” him.
Thabane’s re-election in 2017 had brought hopes of stability to landlocked Lesotho, which has a long history of turmoil. It has been more than a decade since a prime minister served out a full five-year term.
Own Correspondent|Two earth tremors or earthquakes with magnitude 4.0 were recorded in the Zambezi Valley around Kariba Dam on the 1st and 2nd April 2020 at 19.29 hours and at 17.31 hours respectively.
The epicentre of the April 1st earthquake was approximately 3 km south-west of the Spurwing Island Lodge or 27 km south of the Kariba Dam and the epicentre of the April 2nd earthquake was approximately 65 km east of the Kariba Dam wall.
Besides the vivid scientific explaination of the two earthquakes, local Tonga people on both sides of the dam strongly believe that the tremors were movements of the revered Nyami Nyami spirit at the lake.
The Nyami Nyami, otherwise known as the Zambezi River God or Zambezi Snake spirit, is one of the most important gods of the Tonga people. Nyami Nyami is believed to protect the Tonga people and give them sustenance in difficult times. The River God is usually portrayed as male.
These tremors are a common occurrence in the area around the Kariba Dam.
Scientifically, the tremors are referred to as load induced tremors or specifically reservoir induced tremors in the case of the Kariba Dam and are a result of the earth crust’s response to the water load or weight of water given the size of the dam.
These tremors have been occurring since 1963 when the Kariba Dam started filling. Over 1000 tremors of magnitude 4.0 as the most recent tremors occurred since filling of the dam in 1963.
African mythology of the local Tonga tribe of the Zambezi Valley states that Nyami Nyami the River God who lives in Lake Kariba is believed to be a serpent-like creature. He is said to be about three metres wide, but nobody dares to guess at his length.
Legends has it that the water stains red when he swims past. Chief Sampakaruma saw him on two occasions many years ago, but the river god has been in hiding since the white men arrived in the country.
According to African mythology he lived under a large rock close to the present day Kariba dam wall. No tribesman would venture near it those few who did were sucked down with their canoes in the whirlpools and never seen again. They called the rock Kariwa, the “trap” and hence the name of the lake, Kariba.
The rising water of lake Kariba covered the rock Kariwa and it now lies 30 metres below the surface annoying Nyami Nyami. The Tonga people also believe that Nyami Nyami is married and that the building of Kariba Dam wall would separate him from his wife, this would anger him greatly and the river god threatened the peace of the valley.
Traditionalists believe that the latest tremors were not an earthquake but it was the Nyami Nyami moving at the base of the dam.
The Kariba Dam’s water level ended last year at its lowest in 23 years, but in the last three weeks data from three major river flow stations along the Zambezi River, show a tremendous water flow towards the giant lake.
Kariba Dam is Zimbabwe’s largest power station, with capacity to produce 1 050MW, but is currently generating electricity at curtailed level due to critically low water levels following the drought experienced in the catchment area of the dam’s main feeder river.
When the water levels dwindled last year, the traditionalists believed that the Nyami Nyami was angry.
It is the traditional role of tribal elders and spirit mediums to intercede on behalf the inhabitants of the river valley when Nyami Nyami is angered.
What’s surprising is that the tremors of this magnitude have never affect the structural integrity of the dam. However, as a precaution, the Kariba Dam is inspected after each event and the instruments records analysed for any anomalous behaviour irrespective of the magnitude. The dam was inspected on the 2nd and 3rd April 2020 and the dam instrumentation data was analysed. Analysis of instrumentation data showed that the dam was not affected which was also corroborated by the visual inspections of the dam and its appurtenant structures which showed no structural damage to the dam and its related structures.
President Magufuli’s blunder is increasingly deepening as the Coronavirus puzzle becomes more and more complicated in Tanzania.
It is a blow for Tanzania to receive more bad news on the discovered 23 additional cases in Zanzibar. The news which are trending on social media have raised alarm in and out of Tanzania as President Magufuli remains silent on way forward on possible lockdown or closure of public gatherings like church services.
The realization of the additional 23 cases poses more challenging to both Tanzania and East African countries in her neighborhood.
Several sources have confirmed these reports as in the below photos:
BBC have already confirmed the news.
The confirmation of this brings the total Cases in Tanzania to 170 Coronavirus positive patients.
The virus have affected nearly every country in Africa, raising concern of a collaborative approach between the countries to deal with the pandemic.
The victory against the virus shall purely depend on the willingness of the government’s to collaborate with the members of public and other countries, as one will be assured of safety if the other person is safe.
MR. VILKAS: Good morning, and welcome to the IMF virtual spring meetings. My name is Gediminas Vilkas, and I am with IMF Communications Department. We are rolling out for you different press briefings, and now this is time for a briefing on the African region. This is also a special briefing because we are launching a regional economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa. I am pleased to announce to introduce Mr. Abebe Aemro Selassie, IMF African Department Director who will be giving introductory remarks and presenting the main outcomes, the main results of the outlook. Now, after the introduction we will have some time for questions and answers.
As this is somewhat different press briefing, a virtual one, we will be taking your questions online. We have some, but will be encouraging you to send those questions online. So, without further ado, I give the floor to Mr. Selassie, please.
MR. SELASSIE: Gediminas, good morning, and thank you so much. Good morning. Before taking your questions, I would like to briefly summarize some of our, some aspects of the outlook that as we see them today.
First, thank you for joining us remotely for the launch of our regional economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa. Unsurprisingly, the outlook this spring is tightly focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region, an unprecedented crisis which is threatening to reverse the region’s recent development and policy gains.
To summarize briefly, the impact that this crisis is having on the region and the policies that are needed to protect lives, and allow a swift recovery, I would like to make a few points. First, outlook in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to contract by 1.6 percent in 2020, and highest, you know, in per capita terms, this would be higher still at close to 4 percent. This is the lowest growth number that we can find for the region going back at least to 1970.
The possibility that growth could be contracted more still is quite high, and even if the contraction is limited to this level, it is worth nothing that it represents a 5 percentage points downward revision since last October. And it is, as I noted, the worst performance that we’ve seen going back at least to 1970.
The hit to growth reflects a poisonous cocktail of shocks that is affecting livelihoods and economic activity. Swift and decisive measures, closing borders, shattering businesses, requiring people to stay at home have had to be adopted to halt the advance of the virus before it overwhelms already stretched health services, but will also disrupt production and reduce demand sharply.
Of course, worth bearing in mind is that these measures will have the greatest impact on the region’s most vulnerable. People, who in many cases, have to go out every day to earn income to put food on the table are now being required to stay at home now.
Coupled to this plummeting global demand will exacerbate the economic impact greatly by reducing demand for the region’s goods and services, tourism, remittance flows, tighter global financial conditions have already triggered significant capital outflows from the region, and will also adversely impact the prospect for investment going forward. And commodity exporters, will suffer from an additional sharp decline in key commodity prices adding significantly to the region’s difficulties.
As a result, no country will be spared. As elsewhere, the region faces a synchronized and deep economic downturn with less diversified economies. All exporters’ tourism dependent economies set to be very hard. Against this difficult backdrop, several urgent and decisive measured are needed to limit the humanitarian and economic cost of this crisis. The immediate priority is to do whatever it takes to protect people’s health, boosting health spending as needed regardless of fiscal space concerns.
We also see a significant role for fiscal policy in this crisis to mitigate the impact of the crisis. Targeted cash transfers and similar measures to support people whose livelihoods are being upended by the containment and mitigation measures government’s adopted are needed. Where feasible, consideration also needs to be given to temporary and targeted support for hard-hit small and medium scale enterprises.
It is only when the health and acute part of the economic crisis have subsided that fiscal policy can revert to medium-term past consistent with debt sustainability considerations.
Critically, the ability of the countries to mount an adequate response will depend on assistance from the international community. With domestic savings and financing options severely limited, as countries have been shut out of capital markets, excellent financing on concessional and grant terms has an inordinate important role to play.
Looser monetary policy can complement these fiscal efforts and financial measures can help minimize credit or liquidity disruptions for businesses. Countries with flexible exchange rates can consider a combination of currency movement and the drawdown on reserves, while countries facing sizeable and disorderly outflows might consider temporary capital flow measures as part of a wider policy package. This crisis is unprecedented and equally calls for bold and decisive support from the international community.
I will stop here Gediminas.
MR. VILKAS: Yes, thank you very much. So, I would encourage journalist to submit questions online. Some of them are coming in. We also had some questions that’s sent by email. So, I will start with Simon Ateba from Today News Africa, and he has a question on outlook. He is quoting IMF projection for Sub-Saharan Africa and saying that the continent’s lowest growth record in 2020 coming from additional forecast of 3.6 percent before the corona pandemic hit the world to -1.6 percent from now on. So, he is asking in terms of losses, what does that translate into. He also added to that the projection is somehow bigger for the growth of about 4 percent in 2021; and he also wants to know in terms of gains, what does that translate into. Thank you.
MR. SELASSIE: Good question. So, as I noted in my opening remarks, contraction in the size of the economy means that there’s less income that’s being generated, and that will translate into a decline in standard of living. Now, going back to at least 1970, we have not seen the region’s economy contracting because the region, you know, has a lot of potential growth possibility because there’s been a lot of catch-up growth. In general, throughout the last 40 or more, 50 years, we’ve seen positive growth for the region as a whole. So, the fact that the region’s economy is contracting, itself, means that, you know, there’s less income; and per person, per capita terms because population is growing very rapidly, fairly rapidly each year of the order of 2-1/2 percent for the region as a whole, what it will mean is that per person in the region income levels are going to be dropping by around 4 percent. So, it really is a grave, as bad a economic hit as the region has had, has seen for decades.
Now, for next year, our projection is, indeed, for growth to recover to around 4 percent. This is subject to a lot of uncertainty. It will really depend on how the pandemic plays out through the region. Our assumption now is that the impact on the region will be limited to the closed, you know, the shutdowns that we’ve seen in the region, mitigation measures that countries have adopted will be limited to about 1 quarter, about 12 weeks or so, followed by a gradual recovery into next year, and this is what the reason behind our expected pickup in growth next year. That will still not mean that the losses this year will be made up for but, at least, you know, subject to this crisis being behind us, we can see some recovery and growth over the medium term.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. There is still one more question on positive outlook for some of the countries. Jean-Pierre Boris from Radio France International, he’s asking why African countries such Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Uganda have positive trade growth for the year 2020 in spite of a current world economic crisis.
MR. SELASSIE: I think that’s a very good question. Important to note that the economies that were mentioned were all growing very robustly until very recently, growing of the order of 7-8 percent in some cases. So, a decline to 1-2 percent is still a very, very sharp deceleration in activity.
A second factor is having a betting on these countries having somewhat positive growth is that they have sizable subsistence farming sectors, which we hope will not be impacted as much by the pandemic. So, this will also contribute to a somewhat positive growth.
Again, for these economies too, the hit will be as bad because, you know, whereas they were growing at a fairly rapid clip, now growth is going to be slumping down to 1, 2, 3 percent, and that will feel like, really, a recession for these countries that have growing at this rapid pace also.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. Now I go to a different set of questions. What policy advise IMF is offering for the countries. Question from Kemi Osukoya from Africa Bazaar Magazine – within the current latest decades alone African countries, particular those in Sub-Saharan Africa Region have experienced multiple strikes to their economies: climatee-related disasters, Ebola outbreak, now we have COVID-19 pandemic — also, slowdown in commodity prices, which affect all exporting countries like Congo and Nigeria, and all the different things that relates to that.
Based on this uncertainty, what top long-term monetary and fiscal policy measures would cushion against unexpected return on external shocks, and what short-term actions can we take now during this current crisis that can be leveraged later on? Thank you.
MR. SELASSIE: Thank you. I think it’s important to note, I mean, what differentiates this particular crisis from the previous ones that were cited, commodity price declines, or the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa which impacted Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and the like, is the fact that no country is going to be left untouched by this crisis. Every country in the region will be impacted.
In previous cases we’ve often seen countries that have commodity exporters, or you know, Ebola, those being impacted by the outbreak of Ebola, or natural disasters like Mozambique last year, it’s been country-specific, or impacting a handful of countries.
Even the global financial crisis really largely impacted those countries that were much more integrated into the global capital markets, into global supply chains, and there were still quite a lot of countries that continued to sustain reasonable growth.
This time, however, because the shock is so widespread — because beyond the external impact on the region, we are also seeing domestic supply and demand being disrupted — the shock will be, really, quite widespread.
That’s why to deal with this shock, I think extraordinary type of policy interventions are needed, including the ones I laid out earlier: very supportive fiscal stance, resources being put on the health aspect of the crisis — this is really, really, very important.
Then, once the crisis is behind us is when policies can be recalibrated to more medium-term considerations.
I think, going forward, these are going to have to include deep thinking about how to have more resilient economies to the more medium-term threats that our economies face also, like climate change.
So, how do we build an economy that’s going to be resilient to more detail events, I think, is going to be one of the policy issues that are going to have to be discussed and thought through in the coming days.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you very much. And thank you for the journalists submitting their questions online, it is much appreciated. And we will try to answer to them as much as possible.
So, this is a follow-up question to this one, and this comes from Eleni Giokos of CNN International. So, she is adding to that, should countries consider capital controls? Are you concerned about liquidity crunches in oil production countries, and others who are reliant on commodities for forex earnings?
MR. SELASSIE: So, just to tackle the second question first, indeed, in addition to the measures countries are having to take to contain the pandemic — the domestic measures, which as I noted earlier are quite disruptive to economic activity — plus the decline in external demand for the region’s goods and services, oil exporting countries are also facing, you know, really, one of the sharpest declines in oil prices that we’ve seen in many decades.
The hit to those economies is going to be much more severe, still, and they will face a much bigger challenge.
In terms of policy measures, both for these countries and others, really, you have to go back to, first and foremost, focusing on what’s required to put this threat — the mortal threat, really — to many of our economies behind us. And that’s devoting whatever resources are needed to get the crisis behind us.
Over and above this, in those instances where capital outflows could, indeed, engender imbalances, or exacerbate the crisis, there could be scope for that. But the first thing I would stress is that sound macroeconomic policies are the best way, really, to forestall a crisis.
If macroeconomic policy settings are sufficient, are supportive, and still you’re seeing pressure for capital outflows, it’s only then that you want to be thinking about these kinds of extraordinary measures.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. We also are getting a lot of questions on the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, that was adopted this Monday. We have a question from Mathew Lee from Inner City Press, from Eleni Giokos of CNN International, from Jeune Afrique, all of them asking about this trust.
And, their questions are concentrating on, so how did you come up with the list of those countries? What are the criteria that certain countries got into the list, others are not, maybe out on this list?
And so, they are citing countries like Zambia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, which are not on the list, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire. They are asking to explain what are the reasons for that?
And also, what are the members contributing to this trust, if you can name them? And is it realistic that this trust could be expanded for the two years debt relief? Thank you.
MR. SELASSIE: Thank you. So, indeed, one of the measures that the IMF is supporting countries at this particular time in two ways.
First and foremost, of course, is the financing we’re providing to countries to be able to pursue the supportive policies that I highlighted earlier; have more resources to spend in health, have more resources to provide social protection to populations. And I’m happy to say that in the next 6-8 weeks, we will be — for the 32 countries that have already made requests and we are processing those requests — we will be providing of the order of about $11.5 billion for those 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that are in the process of — the discussions are well underway.
Over and above this, what we have done is to look for resources that would allow us to provide grants to countries that have debt service payments falling due to the IMF for the remainder of this year. And these grants will offset the debt service payments that would otherwise have had to be made to countries.
So, what this will do, of course, is create more fiscal space for countries to devote to higher health spending, higher social protection, that needs to be spent.
So, whether you’re a beneficiary of this grant depends, first and foremost, on countries — you know, we have enough resources for the poorest, most vulnerable countries; 25 or so countries — so, a per capita income threshold. And then second, whether you have debt service payments due falling this year.
Should we be able to generate more money in the coming months, we hope to extend the horizon. But right now, we have enough resources, really, to provide this debt relief for this year. And the resources for this have come from donations from member countries of the IMF, including the United Kingdom and Japan, amongst others.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you very much. Now, maybe we will go to the questions on different countries.
So, we will touch upon on Zimbabwe, and Simba Chikanza from ZimEye news network is asking, does the IMF now uphold Zimbabwe’s credit worthiness seeing that it has cleared its arrears, or it still needs to work on it?
MR. SELASSIE: So, unfortunately, Zimbabwe continues to have arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank, which is a constraint on our abilities to lend to the country.
This hasn’t stopped us, of course, from engaging on policy dialogue, and we are also actually having discussions on other means in which Zimbabwe can be helped by development partners, including grant support.
We’ve been very much highlighting the complexity of the policy environment and the tremendous policy constraints that the government has in terms of being able to mount the kind of response that other countries, to whom we will be able to lend, can.
So, it is a case which we worry about and are doing our utmost to get the support that Zimbabwe needs from development partners.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. We go now to Nigeria. There are a lot of questions on Nigeria, and one of those is from Leah Katung-Babatunde from the Nigerian Television Authority, and she’s asking, what do you see as Nigeria’s most critical solution to the economic impact of the pandemic as it affects the people and government resources? And, is our country self-sufficient enough to address COVID-19 as the borders are closed?
And, if I may also add, there’s one more question coming on Nigeria online now — and thank you very much journalists, for submitting those questions.
It is from Oluseyi Awojulugbe, from The Cable. So, he’s asking us, Nigeria’s economy is projected to rebound by 2.4 percent in 2021. What are the risks to these growth projections?
And also, one more question from him, The Fund has talked about Nigeria removing fuel subsidy and raising tax revenues. Both has been done by the government, what next should be done by the Nigerian government? Thank you.
MR. SELASSIE: Thanks. So, Nigeria very much falls into the category of countries that are going to be hit the hardest as a result of the outbreak of the pandemic, plus the sharp decline in oil prices.
Already, their economy was contending with the decline in oil prices that we saw in 2015. So, over and above that, of course, oil prices have declined further, complicating policy making environment.
I think the challenges are, really, well-known and articulated really well in the government’s economic growth and recovery plan.
So, for the medium-term, the challenge for Nigeria, we feel, is really prioritizing revenue mobilization. The government has enough resources that it can devote, really, the infrastructure; building the network of universities, and public education entities, that Nigeria so badly needs. So, that really is the number 1 medium-term priority.
So, the focus, we feel, has to be over the next 4 or 5 years to try and put Nigeria in a position where the Federal government has sufficient revenues to address the development spending needs the country has.
In the near-term, of course, no resource should be spared to be able to put the health crisis, the health threat, that Nigeria faces from the COVID-19 pandemic. So, we see scope for more supportive policies.
In the fiscal side, Nigeria has requested for support under the rapid financing instrument. So, this is a very quick dispersing resource that government can use to strengthen health spending to provide social protection to people.
There’s also scope for having a monetary exchange rate policy framework that will be supportive of the fiscal stance. So, we look for those policies to be adopted to support Nigeria put this crisis behind it.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. We go to a little bit different question on the China and Africa angle. And we have a question from Kemi Osukoya from Africa Bazar Magazine. And the question goes about how do you think the pandemic will affect China/Africa relations in terms of financing and loans. Thank you.
MR. SELASSIE: So I think time will tell how this will play out. My strong sense is that, you know, the relations between China and Africa really go a long way back, not just financial, but also exchange of, you know, know-how, policy advice that China’s been providing to countries from the micro — I mean, how to build better bridges and roads, you know, transfer of knowledge that happens when Chinese enterprises open factories in the region. So I think those kind of exchanges are going to continue going forward.
China’s the second largest economy. It historically had very large surpluses that it has needed to invest. And, of course, Africa is a very important and attractive business destination. So I think those ties will continue, but will they change and could they take some time to revive to recent levels? Possibly. But I do over the medium term see those ties continuing and maybe even strengthening.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. Now we go to a different country, Kenya, and David Herbling from Bloomberg, he’s asking about when is the board meeting to consider Kenya’s request for emergency funding for COVID-19 is scheduled? And then you also can add the Simon Ateba question from Today’s News Africa on how the pandemic affecting this country?
MR. SELASSIE: So Kenya, we are discussing with the authorities on how we can be of help, and as soon as we’re able to finalize those discussions, we’re happy to present that case to the Board.
In recent weeks, we really have been moving requests extremely rapidly. Just to cite one example, in the case of Madagascar, we received a request on March 19 and we had disbursed resources, you know, by April 4. So we are moving requests as rapidly as possible, so just a matter of having the discussions that we need to have with the Kenyan authorities, and as soon as those are finalized we can go to the board relatively quickly.
Second question was?
MR. VILKAS: It was on the pandemic impact for Kenya.
MR. SELASSIE: Yes, I mean I think, again, Kenya, because it relies significantly on tourism, exports, you know, things like flowers to Europe, it’s going to be impacted, you know, quite sharply, quite adversely by the pandemic. And many of the policy discussions, the policy recommendations that I applied earlier will be important to strengthen the Kenyan’s economy resilience to this crisis.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. A question on Congo from Laura Gardner from Debt DebtWire. And she would like to know the latest related to the Republic of Congo. Have all traders and SNPC reached a debt agreement that is satisfactory to the IMF? And if not, what’s the timeline from them? And she just wants updated information on the latest IMF and Congo relations.
MR. SELASSIE: So, you know, with Republic of Congo, we, of course, had agreed on a program and disbursed some funds to support the country, but the debt level needs to be brought back to a sustainable level. And this is not so much to please the IMF, but really to avoid the burden of adjustment falling on the people of Congo. This burden of adjustment needs to be shared by the creditors also who extended those loans. So we are awaiting the outcome of those discussions and as far as I’m aware, there’s been no agreement to date.
MR. VILKAS: From the same journalist, a question on South Africa, and she would like to know about the IMF financing discussions. Are there any financing discussions being held with South African government? Thank you.
MR. SELASSIE: There are no discussions on financing with South African government. You know, South Africa has always had pretty good international capital access. Over and above that though, the country’s, you know, big strength is, of course, the fact that it has very deep and liquid domestic capital markets. Relative to most emerging market countries, actually, it generates its financing need for the government largely domestically and its own currencies. So that is really a major source of strength that South Africa has.
Of course, debt levels have been going up and, you know, the access to international markets right now has been disrupted for a broad suite of countries. But I think the resilience that South Africa has should see it through a while, subject to policies, of course, being recalibrated to take into account medium term growth and sustainability considerations as soon as this crisis is behind us.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you. We have a question of IMF assistance and different tools that we are applying there. And it is from Prinesha Naidoo from Bloomberg News. Thank you for submitting the questions on line. He is asking, the IMF will provide 11 billion to 32 countries in the region. Is this part of that 100 billion emergency assistance, and does it include the debt relief announced this week, or is a separate provision?
MR. SELASSIE: So, indeed, it is part of the — you know, a lot of the financing that we are providing is through rapid disbursing facility. For countries that are eligible, we provide this resource at zero interest and payable over ten years. And, therefore, countries above that cutoff also is fairly low interest rate. So the 11 1/2 number that I mentioned I, indeed, the sum that we’re providing through new financing and debt relief to the tune of around $300 million dollars, I believe, for the remainder of this year that would due to be repaid to The Fund.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you very much. Still a question on debt from Eleni Giokos CNN international. So she’s asking, many countries have issueD Eurobonds over the last few years. That debt will be unsustainable, she says. What is your message to other bond holders and creditors? While IMF is able to offer debt relief should other creditors do the same? Are you at all worried about the defaults?
MR. SELASSIE: So, you know, debt sustainability, first and foremost, has to be undertaken on a country by country basis. You know, you don’t do debt sustainability assessments continent-wide. As well, of course, really is important to note that this assessment various from country to country.
What is true is that going into the crisis, the region had elevated debt level, many countries had elevated debt levels, and the crisis, the affect this is going to have on growth, on fiscal accounts is going to see debt levels rise further for many countries across the region.
Which is why, kind of, we were very proactive in indicating that any debt relief that official bilateral creditors could provide would give countries room, at this exceptional time, to be able to devote resources that would otherwise go to servicing this debt to be devoted to address really pressing health and other spending needs.
We’re very happy that this is being taken on by the G-20 and discussions are underway. And happier still that private sector creditors are also considering such relief to countries that are being most impacted. You know, again, these are exception times. Really, I cannot express how significant the threat to the region is, as elsewhere really. So whatever support the international community can provide to give countries room to maneuver at this difficult time I think is welcome.
And it’s also with that frame of mind that we have done what we can with the CCRT and the debt relief that we announced earlier this week.
MR. VILKAS: As we are pressed by time, I think we’re going to take one or two last questions and wrap us this press briefing. So now is a question also submitted online on Mozambique. And this question comes from Mario Batista from Lusa News Agency So he’s asking, why is a prediction unchanged from last year forecasting 2.2 growth? So he just wants to know about the latest figure for Mozambique.
And then he asks, why doesn’t the IMF support a debt pardon from the bond creditors? IMF supports only the official creditors, but why not private investors? I think he just wants to know what the latest discussions on IMF and Mozambique on this.
MR. SELASSIE: Okay. So in the case of Mozambique, prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, we were actually in discussion on the medium term program that the government had requested to be able to support the country, but those discussions were likely to take, you know, a few months. So when the pandemic hit, what we have done is to switch to our rapid disbursing facility, rapid credit facility. And we’re holding discussions under that, and we’ll be publishing the outcome of our discussion projections in the next couple of weeks, once we’ve processed that request.
Of course, before proceeding with lending to Mozambique, we have to ascertain that debt is sustainable. And that is, of course, a factor that we will take into account in our discussions with the government in the coming days.
MR. VILKAS: And the last question will be on Ghana, so a general question. Just a comment on how this pandemic will affect the Ghanaian economy.
MR. SELASSIE: Again, you know, Ghana’s economy was growing robustly before the pandemic. You know, macroeconomic health of the economy had been restored, inflation trending downwards. A lot of the issues in the banking sector had been addressed, and fiscal accounts were, by and large, you know, under control.
So this pandemic really comes at a very difficult time for the economy as it was trying to move forward after, you know, the last five, six years of macroeconomic pressures. So it will have abetting on growth. It will impact the fiscal accounts also.
But, you know, Ghana has been through a lot. And, really, as elsewhere in the region, it will also put this behind it. And, you know, I’m hopeful it’s a resilient economy, a resilient country. And I think, you know, we’re providing some support to allow the government to be — to have it support the fiscal stance. And I’m sure that in the coming years the economy will recover from this.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you very much. Thank you very much for taking all these questions and presenting the main outcome, the main result of the regional economic outlook of Sub Saharan Africa. We have still some press briefings lined up for you, so thank you for watching and thank you for submitting the questions online.
China has been warned that Africa would retaliate inhumane treatment being meted out on its people in different Chinese cities. African diplomats have threatened to shut down their consulates after it was evident that China no longer welcomes Africans into its major cities such as Guangdong Province, Beijing and others.
In a protest letter to the Chinese Government, African Consuls-General noted that Africans were being denied hotel accommodation upon arrival in Guangzhou.
It also noted that Africans were subjected to an additional 14-day quarantine at various isolation centres after being cleared and issued an appropriate certificate of release by the Centralised Quarantine and Medical Observation.
The Consuls-General warned China that their home countries might retaliate against Chinese nationals living and doing business in Africa if the stigmatisation was not speedily resolved.
While accusing Chinese officials of discriminating against their nationals, African diplomats warned that the situation could degenerate if not properly handled.
In line with Article 5 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, they called on the Chinese Foreign Affairs Office to intervene and address the complaints.
The Consuls demanded a prompt reversal of Guangdong’s policy on “the selective attack on Africans as well as unannounced visits to homes after the working hours.”
The diplomats stated,
“In the consequence that the issues are not properly resolved promptly, the African Consulates-General will be left with no option but to communicate to our home country the racial bias and discrimination against Africans in China.
The diplomats stated,
“In the consequence that the issues are not properly resolved promptly, the African Consulates-General will be left with no option but to communicate to our home country the racial bias and discrimination against Africans in China.
“We would also bring the same to the attention of the international community-United Nations, International Criminal Court, International Court of Arbitration, World Health Organisation, Amnesty International, African Union, among others.”
“We would have no option but to retaliate the same ill-treatment meted out on our nationals to the Chinese nationals in our various countries; close all the African Consulates in Guangzhou until further notice and engage in general street protest by the African Consulates-General and nationals,” the diplomats warned.
By A Correspondent | Legal expert, Obert Gutu has ditched his former boss, Thokozani Khupe, who is currently on cloud nine, celebrating the Justice Bharat Patel Supreme Court verdict that passes a presumption that she is now the Acting MDC T President.
Gutu makes his position clear in full in the below detailed response, printed in his own words from back to end. He says:
“For purely personal and private reasons, I will not be offering my candidature for the office of President although I am absolutely convinced that I have got what it takes to contest for the party’s Presidency if I wanted to.
“I shall also not continue to occupy the position of National Spokesperson /Secretary for Information & Publicity, again, for purely private and personal reasons.”
Commenting on the development is another expert, Jacob Mafume who joins ZimEye on Monday. Advocate Mafume is also the MDC Alliance Secretary for Elections.
By Obert Gutu|Since the Supreme Court judgment was handed down on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, I have been inundated with numerous inquiries from MDC cadres, friends, relatives, colleagues and, of course, members of the Fourth Estate, wanting to know whether I am going to be actively involved in politics and proceed to participate in the forthcoming MDC extraordinary congress to elect a substantive President to replace the late iconic founding President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.
The main purpose of this press release is to clear the air regarding my position in active politics, more particularly, my continued association with the MDC. On Saturday, January 18, 2020, I resigned from the MDC-T led by Hon.Dr.Thokozani Khupe for purely private and personal reasons. As a direct consequence of the Supreme Court judgment aforementioned, the MDC-T Congress that was held at Stanley Square, Bulawayo, in April 2018, was declared null and void. Mutatis mutandis, the MDC Congress that was held in Gweru in May 2019 was also declared null and void. In the interim, the MDC is currently led by Hon.Dr.Thokozani Khupe as Acting President pending the holding of an extraordinary congress within the time limit ordered by the Supreme Court. As a firm believer in the rule of law and constitutionalism, I would like to fully associate myself with and also recognize and hereby unequivocally and unreservedly accept and uphold the decision of the Supreme Court. For the avoidance of doubt, I do hereby accept that an extraordinary congress of the MDC shall be held solely for the purpose of electing a substantive President. For purely personal and private reasons, I will not be offering my candidature for the office of President although I am absolutely convinced that I have got what it takes to contest for the party’s Presidency if I wanted to. I shall also not continue to occupy the position of National Spokesperson /Secretary for Information & Publicity, again, for purely private and personal reasons. Going forward, I am not going to be involved in any political party politics. I will remain an independent activist and analyst in addition to, of course, practising law and pursuing other private business interests.
Let me take this opportunity to warmly wish my comrades in the struggle a peaceful and successful extraordinary congress. Aluta Continua !! Victoria Acerta!! Obert Chaurura Gutu
The community of Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, has acknowledged that it is not able to accommodate returnees who are supposed to come from South Africa any time now.
The returnees are trapped in South Africa where most of them were economic refugees, and feel the heat of the lockdown that was put on that country to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Beitbridge Coordinator for District Development Sikhangezile Mafu, who briefed the National Theme Committee on Ports of Entry to ensure the readiness of the border town to receive returning residents, said:
“At local level we have nothing. We have no resources to talk about. There is no water at the facility and it is being connected.
” The area will not be able to hold the anticipated numbers and we are speaking to lodges and other hotels to be able to host some of the returnees,” a statement reads
The national thematic ports of entry committee is tracking the readiness of border posts to manage and retain returnees.
South Africa has the highest number of reported cases of coronavirus in Africa making repatriation of people living in that country a risky step that involves extracare at the entry points.
South Africa Basic Education is making proper arrangements to open South African schools, a report has revealed.
New rules are being mapped out in this regard especially in line with the recommendations of the Department of Health. The Health Department will also set out standard for classroom seating to maintain a social distance among learner’s during class interaction/learning.
Among the proposed new rules, learners will have to keep a distance of 1.5m between chairs. What this means is that no learners will be allowed to share a desk during and after class learning.
On the part of the teachers: Teachers are expected to carry out more responsibility and ensure that all rules are strictly followed by learner’s.
They will also have to maintain a social distance, avoid hugging, shaking hands and having direct contact. This is going to be a tough nut to crack, as many schools in the country are already overcrowded.
While it might be easy to maintain a social distance in classroom cause a teacher is there, who will ensure that the social distance is maintained after school or during break and lunch. This will still pose some challenges.
The issue of sanitizers is still a imperative task, if all classes can have hand sanitizers this will help. It will be wisdom therefore for the department of basic education to supply sanitizers under strict control to schools.
In summary, the schools will reopen in phases, firstly it will be the grade 7 and matrix. The other grades will also be reopened in phases.
Serie A side AS Roma’s players and coaching staff have agreed to give up their wages for four months to help the club during the coronavirus pandemic.
Football action in Italy has been suspended since March 9, causing a sharp decline in revenue.
Roma’s chief executive Guido Fienga said their players will also top up the salaries of club employees placed on the Italian government’s job retention scheme to ensure they received their regular monthly income.
“We always talk about unity at Roma and in volunteering to cut their salaries for the rest of the season, the players, the coach, and his staff, have all proved that we really are in this together,” said Fienga.
“(Club captain) Edin Dzeko, all the players and (coach) Paulo Fonseca have demonstrated they understand what this club stands for and we also thank them all for their superb gesture towards the employees at this club.”-Soccer 24
A man was arrested at a roadblock in Gauteng when he attempted to “smuggle” his girlfriend out of Gauteng, MEC for safety and community Faith Mazibuko said.
Mazibuko said the car was stopped and searched at a roadblock on the N12 on Friday.
When officers asked the man to open his boot, they found the woman inside, she said.
He was travelling without a permit.
Mazibuko said the woman was also arrested because “she consented to be smuggled”.
Eden Hazard is recovering well from an ankle injury sustained in February, Belgium’s coach Robert Martinez has said.
The Real Madrid forward underwent surgery last month in Dallas, USA, and was set to spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but the suspension of football due to the coronavirus crisis means he could still play some games this season.
“I know he is recovering well. He is not far from running again and there are no complications,” Martinez told Belgian media on Sunday.
“Everything went well with the operation, but you also hope that everything goes well in the four to five weeks afterwards without complications, and there were none.
“We know he will return stronger. We were also fortunate, of course, to have his surgery take place just before the coronavirus outbreak.
“Otherwise he would not be able to travel or be treated outside of Madrid. I have a positive feeling that Eden will be back soon.”
The 29-year-old Belgian has endured a difficult first season in Spain, scoring only once in 15 appearances. -Soccer 24
Norman Mapeza says Wieslaw Grabowski played a critical role in shaping his career both as a player and a coach.
The former Warriors boss is one of the early local players in post-independence era to feature in the Uefa Champions League after moving to Europe in the 90s.
The move was facilitated by Grabowski who owned and coached Darryn Textiles (DT) FC which played in the top-flight.
In an interview with Daily News on Sunday, Mapeza lauded the Poland-born gaffer nurturing him and other yesteryear big names such as Lloyd Chitembwe, Edelbert Dinha, Alois Bunjira and Shingirai Kawondera.
“Grabowski did a lot for so many players, for instance, Chitembwe and Dinha, both at one point of their careers played in Poland and a whole lot of other players, so I really want to thank him because he gave us an opportunity,” he said.
“Going to Europe was one of my best moments and playing for Zimbabwe…
“Some of the players that I played with are into coaching as well which means we had proper grooming and mentorship.”
Mapeza says his biggest regret is failing to win a league title as a player. He has achieved that feat as a coach, winning it three times – first with Monomotapa in 2008 and then with FC Platinum from 2017-18.
“Perhaps my only regret is that I didn’t manage to win a league as a player, but I’m grateful to God that he gave me a career and I’m grateful for my family,” he added.-Soccer 24
16 years after one of the most controversial decisions ever made in Zimbabwean broadcast history, self exiled former canibet minister Proffessor Jonathan Moyo has denied ever firing veteran commentator Charles Mabika after the Warriors-Nigeria game.
Zimbabwe took on a star-studded Super Eagles side in an AFCON 2006 qualifier in front of a packed National Sports Stadium with all eyes on the legendary Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha.
Mabika, who was in commentary for the national broadcaster ZBC TV that afternoon, used every superlative in the book to describe the Nigerian captain, much to the annoyance of Moyo, who was the Minister of Publicity then, leading to Mabika’s dismissal for being ‘unpatriotic’.
Moyo however demystified that theory on microblogging site Twitter while responding to a follower’s question.
“No. I did not fire Mabika not could I as I was not his employer. But I strongly & unapologetically disapproved of his conduct.
He was on a national, not private channel which he abused to sing praises for players of a foreign team playing against his national team.(It was) Unacceptable.” noted Moyo.-Soccer 24
By Olivia Nyamakura| It is over two years since Mugabe was dethroned and almost a year since he departed this world. Many people still can not believe he is gone. Whatever his earlier achievements, Mugabe left Zimbabwe, now 40, in distress.
At 40, Zimbabwe reels in economic turmoil. There are no jobs for the youths coming from tertiary schools. Education has simply become an anathema.
We used to think a good education is a ticket to a good job and life but to the contrary it is not. Many graduates are finding comfort in the informal sector.
Many surbubs are without running water. Boreholes have become a commonplace. People are experiencing power outages for more than 18 hrs a day.For power, people have now resorted to gas (which many cannot afford) and firewood. One can only dream of street lights.
Hospitals are understaffed, ill-equipped with doctors and nurses doing work half heartedly because of low incomes and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
We see political rivalries between the major parties Zanu PF and MDC Alliance reaching crescendo peaks disregarding the welfare of citizens. This won’t restore goodwill in the country but rather cause more harm than good.
This Golden Jubilee, Zimbabweans should unite and find common ground. At least that resonates with the founding ethos of our fallen heros. Unity, respect, love and hard work
The region has witnessed an influx of millions of Zimbabweans migrating because of an unhinged economy. Globally, Zimbabweans are popular for diligence and hard work. My heart always cry for the skills and expertise that is scattered around the world.
The brain drain to greener pastures has left Zimbabwe dry and desperate for an injection of new blood in leadership positions. If fortunes continue on the negative what will become of Zimbabwe in the next 40 years. My prayer is for a Zimbabwe that is flourishing.
We have heard of sanctions. We have also heard of corruption. Prayer sessions, fastings have been done for Zimbabwe but nothing seems to be moving. Only God can transform Zimbabwe. It’s only a matter of time, when the time is right, God will make it right.
Had it not been the world pandemic , covid-19, people should have gathered at different centres on Independence day, 18 April, celebrating our fallen heros. I grew up to such activities. Independence Day celebrations were big mass gatherings known for extravagant feasts. Beasts would be slaughtered and drinks would flow galore commemorating our fallen heroes.
Nevertheless, our hearts and spirits salute them.
As Zimbabwe turns 40, we might as well pose to ponder the road we have travelled. Is it worth writing home about? Would fallen heroes be happy if ever they were to wake up from mass graves scattered in Mozambique and Zambia to see the Zimbabwe that is today? The likes of Samora Machel, Leopold Takawira, Joshua Nkomo, Josiah Tongogara. The list of our fallen heroes is just endless.Hopefully I will still be alive in the next forty years, writing a different note about Zimbabwe.
Olivia Nyamakura writes in her personal capacity. feedback: [email protected]
By A Correspondent- The High Court has granted MISA Zimbabwe relief order interdicting police from harassments, arrests and detentions of journalists while carrying out their lawful duties.
The court has also ordered police to recognise 2019 press cards and to not interfere with the work of journalists on the basis that their press cards were issued in 2019.
MISA Zimbabwe had filed an urgent chamber application with the High Court seeking an order interdicting police officers and other law enforcement agents responsible for implementing the COVID-19 lockdown from interfering with the work of journalists on the basis that their press cards were issued in 2019.
Home with the kids? Try taking 20 minutes a day doing something that they choose – play a game or read with them. Quality time will make them feel safe and loved.
Praise is powerful. Try praising your child or teenager for something they have done well. They may not show their appreciation, but you’ll see them doing that good thing again.
Routine up! A structured day helps kids feel secure and makes it easier to manage them. Try making a timetable, with schoolwork, games, free time, exercise, and handwashing.
Kids at home driving you crazy? Feeling like you are going to scream? Give yourself a 1-minute pause. Breathe in and out five times. Then respond.
Crowded house? Stressed out? Share your feelings. Take a break. Looking after kids 24-7 during COVID-19 isn’t easy. Remind yourself of what you did well today. Think about the good moments.
Take care of yourself so you can take care of your children.
Credit: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
By A Correspondent- Uganda has procured two mobile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratories to accelerate COVID-19 tests on cross-border cargo drivers.
This was announced by that country’s Health Minister Ruth Aceng who said that the PCR laboratories will be useful for onsite testing and they will also shorten the time to transport samples to the country’s top laboratory Uganda Virus Research Institute.
In a televised address, Aceng said:
They will be deployed at congested border points to quicken testing and return of results.
This vigorous approach to screening, testing and tracking of cargo transporters at the border entry points is adopted after three cross-border cargo drivers tested positive for coronavirus within less than five days.
The Ministry of Health claims that an average of 2 500 trucks enters Uganda every day. Uganda has, as of April 20, 2020, 12:48 GMT, recorded 55 coronavirus cases including 28 recoveries.
Home with the kids? Try taking 20 minutes a day doing something that they choose – play a game or read with them.
Quality time will make them feel safe and loved.
Praise is powerful. Try praising your child or teenager for something they have done well. They may not show their appreciation, but you’ll see them doing that good thing again.
Routine up! A structured day helps kids feel secure and makes it easier to manage them. Try making a timetable, with schoolwork, games, free time, exercise, and handwashing.
Kids at home driving you crazy? Feeling like you are going to scream? Give yourself a 1-minute pause. Breathe in and out five times. Then respond.
Crowded house? Stressed out? Share your feelings. Take a break. Looking after kids 24-7 during COVID-19 isn’t easy. Remind yourself of what you did well today. Think about the good moments.
Take care of yourself so you can take care of your children.
Credit: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
Congratulations Zimbabwe for adding another year to make it forty.
Independence is a day to remember the resilience that the gallant sons and daughters endured under the york of racial discrimination, segregation, blatant violation of human rights.
This is a time we are supposedly required to unite as Zimbabweans and salute the selfless dedication that those who took up arms against the white minority made.
A plethora of demands forced the majority blacks to take up arms against the white regime.
Chief among them was the land question as blacks were forcebly removed from arable land and resettled in infertile sand soils like the Gwai and Shangani reserves.
Workers were also exploited at the workplace with certain positions reserved for the white race and this first led to several workplace related demonstrations which did not yield the intended results.
Several tax regimes were introduced which resulted in resentment of the white settler regime. And this led to unity between the guerrilla fighters and the peasants as the Smith regime spared no one in it’s dictatorship tendencies.
Pungwes were definitely introduced across the length and breadth of Zimbabwe as a way of educating the mass about the reasons for waging the armed struggle and the promise of a better Zimbabwe.
This created a crisis of expectation of the better days that await a new Zimbabwe.
And on the 18th of April 1980 a new Zimbabwe was born. New in terms of new faces that never changed the dictatorial system up to this day.
People expected fundamental reforms but alas those who dared to challenge the system were even threatened with beatings, killings as if they were talking of something out of this world.
To show his ruthlessness, the then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe waged a war of attrition with the minority Ndebeles as a way of silencing dissent which resulted in more than 20000 deaths.
The freedom of association, assembly have just been a pipedream for peace loving Zimbabweans as the regime continue to abuse the fact that some of them were old when the whites were fought.
Nothing has changed 40 years on, it’s just old wine in a new bottle. And in infact if truth could be told Zimbabweans are worse off than they were in 1978 under the white minority regime in terms of economic front.
Instead of growing the economic cake Zanu PF continues to act like a wife waiting for divorce. The looting spree is just something going out of proportion.
A once thriving economy which was number five in Africa in 1980 with 23% manufacturing sector has been reduced to just a retail case where imported goods make the bulk of products in our shops. What a sorry state Zanu PF has superintendented over the past 40 years.
Zimbabweans remain optimistic of better days in the future and they are indeed resolute in pursuit of an egalitarian society.
And indeed an egalitarian society is possible within our lifetime…
My sincere condolences to Mrs Phiri, family and the entire media fraternity.
In April 2001 when my friend, businessman Obert Sibanda a past ZNCC president and I, then Controller ZBC Montrose Studios established the first journalism training college in Bulawayo namely BES School of Journalism housed at BES College, Beverley building near Haefelis food court, Gift Phiri was in the pioneer class(see attached first register in my own handwriting).
When, a few months after opening he attempted to drop Journalism studies altogether and take up culinary management training at Innscor’s Chicken Inn Victoria Falls, Sibanda, his friends and I persuaded young Gift to rejoin class and complete the two year diploma course. He agreed after almost two months absence but quickly caught up with others very fast.
Long after completing his Journalism studies and working for different media houses, scooping awards of excellence and getting promoted, I would always tease ‘Givy’, as I affectionately called him, about his yester-year AWOL (absence without leave) at college and he would just laugh it off saying ‘No more of that, my teacher, I am now a grown up.I thank you’ Gift excelled extremely well especially in Print courses where his lecturers were Miriam Madziwa Sibanda(then Sunday News), Loughty Dube and Busani Bafana (then with Zimbabwe Independent) among other guest tutors.
Tula Dlamini (then ZBC) now lecturing Journalism at Monash University in South Africa, Sihlangu Dlodlo of Amakhosi Theatre Production taught Television Production, Selina Chitsiga Moyo (then ZBC Montrose) taught Radio and TV News Reporting while Tapfuma Machakaire(then ZBC bureau chief) was a great course content resource person from a distance.
I taught Radio Production in addition to managing the entire journalism school.
Sam Mkhithika(then ZBC Radio 2 Chief Producer) assisted when I was not available and was to take over when I relocated back to Harare permanently.
Last Madiwa Moyo (Nust, later Wits) and Thabani Mpofu (of Sunday News & later Nust…not to be confused with the two prominent lawyers) taught Media Law and Ethics as well as Creative Writing & Authorship. Mr Kanengoni (BES staffer) taught Public Relations and Advertising. Another Mr Moyo, Selina’s husband made available his music production studios near NRZ main station and a dear friend (I am forgetting, remind me please Useni Sibanda & Thabang Makwati Nare Dumisani O Nyongolo Nkomo, since you guys were my excellent fixers) provided television production equipment and facilities which enabled us to be easily licensed by ZIMDEF as a fully fledged skills training college.
I last interacted with Gift, who was currently with ANZ’s Daily News for a number of years early this year when I facilitated a Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF) organised training workshop on Development Journalism held at the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Kodzero/Amalungelo House in Harare. I repeated our usual two decades old ‘awol’ greetings joke, but alas, little did I know that I was saying my last good byes to an affable, trendsetting, gifted former student.
Arriving after the course, arranged by Zinef coordinator Njabulo Ncube aka JB had already started,Gift got a massive approval via all sorts of official and unofficial sign languages from those already in class to show that he was a man of the people. One colleague even loudly asked “Gift why are you not wearing one of your designer suits today?” to which Gift responded with his usual captivating and approving smile, waiving.
In mourning Gift Phiri, who joins another 2001-2002 classmate Qonda Senda-Moyo who died in Ireland a fews ago, I join hands with BES College owner Obert Sibanda aka Vodloza and those journalists from our BES pioneering journalism class, most of who have risen quite admirably in the profession including Mqhele Tshuma, now heading ZBC Classic263, Dumisani Sibanda,heading another ZBC station in Gweru, Ntungamili Nkomo (Anchor Studio 7, VOA,Washington DC), Sifiso Mpofu, ZBC news bureau chief in Gwanda, Matebeleland South, SA-based Simba Nembaware former Radio VOP reporter and Coordinator of satellite television radio channel Channel Zim, Davison Mohlomi Mudzingwa now a top film producer behind feature ‘Lost Tongue’, Tichaona Mezah who joined ZBC News,Valentine Mabhugu a top Classic263 anchor, Albert Ncube – Mazhale (Newsday and VOA Studio 7 reporter),Jessie Bore (Kwekwe),Hilton Mavise (Classic 263) and Mayenziwe Ndlovu now a top customer care official in the eSwatini Kingdom civil service.
I have lost touch with our pioneer students I did not mention.
I shall also include Thandazani Zimbwa although he did not complete the course with BES but was an inspiration to the ‘fresh ones’ due to his excellent sports reporting at the time.
Zimbwa also reported about the official opening ceremony on radio and television at which guest speakers were the late grey haired Mr Dube who had worked for the 1950s African Daily News and UNESCO in Addis Ababa as well as Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu who worked for the Chronicle, Lonrho’s Observer and was with the ZAPU information department in Lusaka during the liberation struggle.
Pindai Dube Nqobani Ndlovu Magugu Nyathi Linda Mpofu Busi Ndlovu aka Mamjapani and many other alumni of later BES journalism streams that followed Gift Phiri and the 2001 pioneers I extend my deepest condolences to you as well.
Fare thee well Gift Phiri my brother, former student and colleague
By A Correspondent- An Air Zimbabwe special charter flight from China with approximately 30 tonnes consignment of Covid-19 combat supplies has landed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare.
The consignment is believed to include personal protective equipment (PPEs), Covid-19 test kits, gloves, ventilators and other equipment needed to treat Covid-19 patients.
According to State-owned media, the consignment was bought by Government and other private partners to ensure treatment centres and laboratories were equipped.
However, some of the materials is believed to have been sourced funding provided by Sakunda Holdings.
China went into full production of Covid-19-related equipment and supplies and factories are now supplying many countries, including the United States.
Air Zimbabwe spokesperson Ms Firstme Vitoria had confirmed a few days ago that the airline was concluding clearance logistics for the charter plane to leave.
“Air Zimbabwe is finalising a cargo charter flight to China scheduled to depart early Friday morning,” she said.
“Once all clearances are granted the charter flight shall position in Beijing to collect cargo towards Covid-19 in Zimbabwe.”
Government has expanded the criteria for those who qualify for Covid-19 testing to include all patients with fever in hospitals, while all people working during the 21-day national lockdown would also be subjected to mandatory testing.
Zimbabwe currently has 25 cases of the coronavirus, including three deaths. The arrival of more supplies is believed to lead to much wider testing and a rise in the number of confirmed cases. –statemedia
Farai Dziva|The media community has been plunged into mourning following the death of two seasoned journalists, Gift Phiri and Muzambiringa Ray Matikinye over the weekend.
It was a catastrophic weekend for the country’s media fraternity following the painful departure of two scribes.Gift Phiri worked as reporter for The Zimbabwean, Daily News and several media organizations while Matikinye worked for ZIANA and was the editor of Masvingo Provincial Star in 2001.
In a Facebook journalist Loughty Dube said:
First it is Gift Gift Phiri and on the same day another journalism great Ray Matikinye breathes his last, shattered to learn of your passing, your laughter Muzambiringa was infectious, you helped a lot of young men climb the journalism ladder, ‘Njaninjani’ you had a lot of advice for me when was leading the Zimbabwe Independent Bureau. Go well big man, go well.”
Luke Tamborinyoka wrote: Gift Phiri believed in telling truth to power.
Gift had a gift in writing. He waa a gifted wordsmith who loved his profession.
He was passionate about media freedom and democracy. Rest in peace, brother.”
By Farai Dziva|The media community has been plunged into mourning following the death of two seasoned journalists, Gift Phiri and Muzambiringa Ray Matikinye over the weekend.
It was a catastrophic weekend for the country’s media fraternity following the painful departure of two scribes.Gift Phiri worked as reporter for The Zimbabwean, Daily News and several media organizations while Matikinye worked for ZIANA and was the editor of Masvingo Provincial Star in 2001.
In a Facebook journalist Loughty Dube said:
First it is Gift Gift Phiri and on the same day another journalism great Ray Matikinye breathes his last, shattered to learn of your passing, your laughter Muzambiringa was infectious, you helped a lot of young men climb the journalism ladder, ‘Njaninjani’ you had a lot of advice for me when was leading the Zimbabwe Independent Bureau. Go well big man, go well.”
Luke Tamborinyoka wrote: Gift Phiri believed in telling truth to power.
Gift had a gift in writing. He waa a gifted wordsmith who loved his profession.
He was passionate about media freedom and democracy. Rest in peace, brother.”
By Jane Mlambo| High Court has granted the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Zimbabwe) relief order interdicting police from harassments, arrests and detentions of journalists while carrying out their lawful duties.
The court has also ordered the police to recognise 2019 press cards and not to interfere with the work of journalists on the basis that their press cards were issued in 2019.
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF’ s Pupurai Togarepi has accused the United States of America of “hypocrisy.”
Below is Togarepi’s statement: ON Saturday Zimbabwe marked the four decades of Independence, 40 years to savour our hard won freedom, albeit the celebrations were muffled by the diabolical novel coronavirus that has killed three of our compatriots.
The shadow of the novel virus, that has wrecked world economies, infected more than 2 million people and killed more than 140 000 worldwide made it impossible for us to gather as is customary around the country to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and indeed some of our heroes who have been preserved by time to be with us to present day.
We salute the gallant sons of the soil who include our President Emmerson Mnangagwa who made it possible for us to be where we are today, content with intentions of scaling dizzy heights and ensuring that we achieve our Vision 2030.
As we introspect we prospect that the next decade will be a defining decade that will see Zimbabwe improving the welfare of its populace.
It was indeed heart warming that even under the sullen shadow of the callous coronavirus the world took note of our country’s 40th Independence Day that is celebrated each year on April 18.
World leaders, our celebrities and patriots sent their heartfelt felicitations which inspired us even as we navigate the horrors of the coronavirus that has separated us from our loved ones and left some among us with little for sustenance, yet there is always a silver lining in every dark cloud.
Together, arm in arm we will confront whatever challenges that are strewn in our way.
However, some wolves in sheep clothing, hypocrites masquerading as friends, people and nations who wish us doom and ill wanted to use the momentous occasion to lecture us on human rights and democracy.
Isn’t it ironic that countries imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe like the United States of America would want to lecture us about democracy and economic reform, they might as well as keep their insincere felicitations.
We cannot be hectored by archbishops of violence and human rights violations to do pander to their whims and caprices.
Lest Uncle Sam forget, the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for the independence of Zimbabwe did so to achieve self-determination.
Because of the blood of Zimbabweans we are now free and free to determine our destiny. If the US really wishes us well then they should remove the sanctions they imposed on us and that have stymied growth of Zimbabwe.
And to Pompeo, is Tendai Biti the people of Zimbabwe?
By Jane Mlambo| International Monetary Fund (IMF) African Department Director, Abebe Aemro Selassie has predicted that the shock on the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa countries will be severe due to the fact that unlike previous natural disasters and outbreaks which hit a handful of countries, COVID-19 is sweeping across all nations.
In a press briefing held today, Selassie said African countries needed to put extra-ordinary policy interventions to overcome the shocks caused by COVID-19.
He also appealed to Sub-Saharan Africa countries to have more resilient economies to medium-term threat to their economies
“In previous cases we’ve often seen countries that have commodity exporters, or you know, Ebola, those being impacted by the outbreak of Ebola, or natural disasters like Mozambique last year, it’s been country-specific, or impacting a handful of countries.
“Even the global financial crisis really largely impacted those countries that were much more integrated into the global capital markets, into global supply chains, and there were still quite a lot of countries that continued to sustain reasonable growth.
“This time, however, because the shock is so widespread — because beyond the external impact on the region, we are also seeing domestic supply and demand being disrupted — the shock will be, really, quite widespread.
“That’s why to deal with this shock, I think extraordinary type of policy interventions are needed, including the ones I laid out earlier: very supportive fiscal stance, resources being put on the health aspect of the crisis — this is really, really, very important,” said Selassie.
Then, once the crisis is behind us is when policies can be recalibrated to more medium-term considerations.
I think, going forward, these are going to have to include deep thinking about how to have more resilient economies to the more medium-term threats that our economies face also, like climate change.
So, how do we build an economy that’s going to be resilient to more detail events, I think, is going to be one of the policy issues that are going to have to be discussed and thought through in the coming days.
If there were some doubts about who exactly is behind the country’s snail pace character on critical developmental issues, election results announcement delays and rigging, then all that has been erased by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s lockdown extension speech.
Typical of ZANU PF fraudsters, delay and keeping people in suspense on issues of national interest has become a habit.
Remember March 2008 elections that took a month to be announced!
In 2018 too, the elections were announced as a last minute resort after growing impatience from masses who threatened to take to streets.
The lockdown extension announcement has all but cleared doubts about the crook behind all these delays in announcement of election results!
The culprit behind election results announcement delays and rigging since 1980 has unmasked himself.
Either Emmerson is slow on critical issues or rather he is just careless when it comes to issues of national interest.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
Farai Dziva|Two prominent human rights activists have challenged the government to stop, with immediate effect, harassment of civilians and partisan distribution of Coronavirus Relief Aid.
In a joint statement, the two human rights defenders, Blessing Matasva and Tatenda Maposa, expressed concern at the persecution of citizens by security forces.
The two also condemned the politicisation of aid.
Read full statement below:
The government of Zimbabwe joining the rest of the world in fighting covid-19, introduced prevention measures to curb the spread of this pandemic.
While the lockdown is a very good measure, as human rights activists we feel the government is not prepared enough for this initiative, given the current status of our economy which is 90% informal.
The majority of citizens in Zimbabwe, particulary in Masvingo Province survive on informal trading (hand to mouth).
This shutdown has exempted essential service provision- such as grocery shops, a welcome move, given our economic status.
Since the start of the lockdown on the 30th of March, we have witnessed numerous human rights abuses.
Police brutality has been the song on ordinary citizens.
We urge the government to respect human rights and they should have a robust disaster preparedness plan for such incidents.
It is also disheartening to note that some Members of Parliament and District Administrators in the province are politicizing Covid-19 rapid response food distribution programmes.
Mealie meal is being distributed on political basis.
As human rights defenders we castigate such mischievous behaviour from some politicians who are seeking to gain political mileage during such a time.
Food items must be fairly distributed regardless of one’s political affiliation, age, race, creed, disability or gender.
Now that the lockdown has been extended, we implore the government to respect citizens’ rights at all levels.
We strongly feel citizens should not be denied access to medication, food – among other basic needs.
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."@LynneStactia@DuchessTalithapic.twitter.com/hMQCKElY4Z
By A Correspondent- The IMF has revealed that the organisation is doing its best to ensure that Zimbabwe gets funding from development partners despite that the Southern African nation continued to have arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank, a development that made it difficult to extend further lending to the country.
Find excepts of the IMF’s response following an inquiry by ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza.
Recently, Zimbabwe was not among the 25 African nations that received the latest IMF funding.
Question: So, we will touch upon on Zimbabwe, and Simba Chikanza from ZimEye news network is asking, does the IMF now uphold Zimbabwe’s credit worthiness seeing that it has cleared its arrears, or it still needs to work on it?
MR. SELASSIE: So, unfortunately, Zimbabwe continues to have arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank, which is a constraint on our abilities to lend to the country.
This hasn’t stopped us, of course, from engaging on policy dialogue, and we are also actually having discussions on other means in which Zimbabwe can be helped by development partners, including grant support. We’ve been very much highlighting the complexity of the policy environment and the tremendous policy constraints that the government has in terms of being able to mount the kind of response that other countries, to whom we will be able to lend, can. So, it is a case which we worry about and are doing our utmost to get the support that Zimbabwe needs from development partners.
Watch the video below…
IMF: …we will touch upon on Zimbabwe, and Simba Chikanza from ZimEye is asking, does the IMF now uphold Zimbabwe’s credit worthiness seeing that it has cleared its arrears, or it still needs to work on it? MR. SELASSIE: So, unfortunately, Zimbabwe continues to have arrears… pic.twitter.com/BlLiO3Gx7D
By Own Correspondent| The US$3 million Sakunda Holdings’ equipment and supplies meant to fight COVID-19 has arrived in Harare as preparations for the opening up of Arundel Hospital gathers momentum.
The arrival of the equipment is a timely boost as rennovations at the hospital, which will be open to every Zimbabwean, have also been completed.
Part of the $US 3 million equipment will be donated to public hospitals fighting the pandemic.
A refreshing look inside one of the medical centres set up for COVID-19 response
The supplies, which include ventilators and rapid testing kits, came aboard Air Zimbabwe’s chartered plane this morning at the Harare international airport.
Sources close to the private initiative by Sakunda said all was set for the opening of Arundel Hospital popularly known as Rock Foundation Medical Centre.
An inside picture of one of the medical facilities
“Sakunda Chartered an Air Zimbabwe plane to ferry a cargo of PPEs, Automatic spraying machines, ultrasound scan, ventilators and rapid testing kits from China worth about usd 3 million including the cost of the chartered plane,” said the source at the airport.
The cargo also included some materials meant for donation by Sakunda to public health centres.
Sakunda Holdings also freely gave space in the aircraft to Friends of China who were also bringing in their supplies to fight the virus.
“The cargo is 30 tonnes and a small part will be used at Arundel while most of the equipment will be donated to public hospitals. It must be noted that Sakunda also gave Friends of China free space to bring in their equipment,” the source explained.
Sakunda Holdings came up with a multi million dollar initiative to resuscitate and equip Arundel Clinic (Rock Foundation Medical Centre) as a way of complementing Government efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
an outside view of one the facilities renovated by Sakunda
The virus has so far claimed three people in Zimbabwe while 25 have tested positive to the pandemic.
President Mnangagwa has already put the country under lockdown for a further 14 days after the initial 21 days lapsed yesterday as a way of limiting the spread of the disease.
Zimbabwe has implemented raft of measures to curb and control the outbreak of the disease albeit under tough economic circumstances.
By Olivia Nyamakura- It is over two years since Mugabe was dethroned and almost a year since he departed this world. Many people still can not believe he is gone. Whatever his earlier achievements, Mugabe left Zimbabwe, now 40, in distress.
At 40, Zimbabwe reels in economic turmoil. There are no jobs for the youths coming from tertiary schools. Education has simply become an anathema. We used to think a good education is a ticket to a good job and life but to the contrary it is not. Many graduates are finding comfort in the informal sector.
Many surbubs are without running water. Boreholes have become a commonplace. People are experiencing power outages for more than 18 hrs a day.For power, people have now resorted to gas (which many cannot afford) and firewood. One can only dream of street lights.
Hospitals are understaffed, ill-equipped with doctors and nurses doing work half heartedly because of low incomes and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
We see political rivalries between the major parties Zanu PF and MDC Alliance reaching crescendo peaks disregarding the welfare of citizens. This won’t restore goodwill in the country but rather cause more harm than good.
This Golden Jubilee, Zimbabweans should unite and find common ground. At least that resonates with the founding ethos of our fallen heros. Unity, respect, love and hard work
The region has witnessed an influx of millions of Zimbabweans migrating because of an unhinged economy. Globally, Zimbabweans are popular for diligence and hard work. My heart always cry for the skills and expertise that is scattered around the world.
The brain drain to greener pastures has left Zimbabwe dry and desperate for an injection of new blood in leadership positions. If fortunes continue on the negative what will become of Zimbabwe in the next 40 years. My prayer is for a Zimbabwe that is flourishing.
We have heard of sanctions. We have also heard of corruption. Prayer sessions, fastings have been done for Zimbabwe but nothing seems to be moving. Only God can transform Zimbabwe. It’s only a matter of time, when the time is right, God will make it right.
Had it not been the world pandemic , covid-19, people should have gathered at different centres on Independence day, 18 April, celebrating our fallen heros. I grew up to such activities. Independence Day celebrations were big mass gatherings known for extravagant feasts. Beasts would be slaughtered and drinks would flow galore commemorating our fallen heroes. Nevertheless, our hearts and spirits salute them.
As Zimbabwe turns 40, we might as well pose to ponder the road we have travelled. Is it worth writing home about? Would fallen heroes be happy if ever they were to wake up from mass graves scattered in Mozambique and Zambia to see the Zimbabwe that is today?
The likes of Samora Machel, Leopold Takawira, Joshua Nkomo, Josiah Tongogara. The list of our fallen heroes is just endless.Hopefully I will still be alive in the next forty years, writing a different note about Zimbabwe.
By A Correspondent-A man was arrested at a roadblock in Gauteng when he attempted to “smuggle” his girlfriend out of Gauteng, MEC for safety and community Faith Mazibuko said.
Mazibuko said the car was stopped and searched at a roadblock on the N12 on Friday.
When officers asked the man to open his boot, they found the woman inside, she said.
He was traveling without a permit.
Mazibuko said the woman was also arrested because “she consented to be smuggled”.
A man was arrested at the N12 roadblock on Friday, 17 April, for attempting to smuggle his girlfriend out of GP to MP, without a permit.
Law enforcement asked the man to open the boot to search, they found a lady inside. She was also arrested, she consented to be smuggled. pic.twitter.com/QuONdyDz0p
By Jane Mlambo| The Judicial Services Commission has set new dates for all pending criminal cases due to the extension of the national lockdown by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Yesterday, Mnangagwa announced that the national lockdown which was set to end today had been extended by a further 14 days as the country works to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a communication from the JSC yesterday, the new remand dates for those who were supposed to appear in court on the 30th of March will now appear on the 4th of May while those who were appear on 30 April will now appear on the 4th of June.
Today at 19,29 pm I made a call to the Town clerk of the city of Harare Eng Hosea Abraham Chisango asking him to implore government,the municipal police and any other stakeholders to stop the current wave of demolitions in and around the capital city .
The Town clerk assured me that he will address all concerns coming to council from the affected vending community .
The Town clerk as the head of municipal administration has also agreed to issue a statement addressing issues raised by the vendors and the press pertaining to the demolitions.
I have also asked the committee that deals with informal sector to meet with all relevant stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive policy that addressed issues to do with space Barons ,revenue collection , registration of vendors ,introduction of technology in the sector ,refurbishment of municipal markets .
By A Correspondent The World Health Organisation has said there is no evidence that COVID-19 survivors are immune to the disease and they cannot pass the disease to others.
This was revealed by the head of WHOs emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, Maria Van Kerkove who said the serologic tests that look for antibodies in a person’s immune system to clarify the number of people who have been exposed to the virus may not be able to provide the information researchers are looking for.
Said Maria Van Kerkove:
Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serologic test can show that an individual is immune or is protected from reinfection. What the use of these tests will do will measure the level of antibodies and it is a response that the body has a week or two later after they have been infected with this virus
Government across the world were pinning hopes on the serologic tests hoping they would reveal if survivors could be sent back to work without infecting others.-VOA
Bindura-based artiste Tsitsi “Culture Galore” Masawi has released a track titled Paita Mhute to conscientise people on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Masawi is a member of Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD), which has partnered Mashonaland Central provincial COVID-19 command centre in raising awareness of the deadly pandemic in the province.
“When I heard the news of the deadly pandemic, my heart bled and I saw that the pandemic has confused the whole world, hence the inclusion of mhute (mist) in the title, to sensitise people and give awareness in the province,” she said.
Masawi performed the track at Dandamera in Concession, where IYWD had its maiden COVID-19 awareness campaign on Wednesday last week.
“I am taking the song to remote areas like Guruve, Shamva, Bindura rural and peri-urban Mazowe district under the banner of IYWD,” she said.
The 27-year-old musician has one album Hunhu Huripi, with 12 tracks mainly centred on women empowerment.
IYWD team leader Glanis Changachirere hailed Masawi saying she had always taken a leading role in spreading awareness on important issues.
“We are very proud of our member. She is someone who always takes a leading role in raising awareness through music in all programmes that we take to young women,” Changachirere said.
By A Correspondent- Masvingo Province’s biggest isolation center Chikombedzi Mission Hospital doesn’t have running water. The 34 beds facility has no mortuary either.
This was revealed by the publication that shed more light on the hospital and said the hospital mortuary broke down and it was never fixed because of lack of resources.
According to the publication:
Work at most COVID-19 isolation centres in Masvingo remains unfinished.
The biggest isolation centre in Masvingo province at Chikombedzi Mission Hospital with 34 beds has no mortuary and running water.
According to the hospital administrator, Enias Zava, the mortuary broke down 10 years ago, but was not repaired because of lack of resources.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- A 28-year-old actress who starred in local production Tunga, Patience Chimhavi has died, Newsday reports. Patience who played the role to Merjury in Tunga died on Friday after a short illness and was buried at Zororo Memorial Park in Chitungwiza.
Patience’s uncle Enias Chengaose said Patience suffered an Asthma attack on Tuesday and was in the hospital till her death:
Further tests revealed her kidneys were not functioning properly. Her condition deteriorated rapidly on Thursday night and she passed on yesterday (Friday) Anemia was also cited as the other major reason which made her to succumb
Chenagose also spoke about the actress’s talent and said:
She was an extremely talented young woman. I would like to believe that she was born an actress because she could just gel into any role without any difficulties. I encouraged and supported her all the way in every endeavour she embarked on.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has bemoaned government’s haphazard response to COVID -19 and lack of preparedness.
In a statement, CiZC regional co-ordinator Blessing Vava lamented the poor state of the public health institutions and government’s failure to fund the fight against COVID-19.
“It is disappointing to note that the government’s response to COVID-19 has been haphazard, with lots of misinformation while the out of sorts President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been running all over like a headless chicken. It seems there is no strategy and a clear roadmap, on how the nation is going to progress post lockdown,” he said.
“The Health ministry has been reduced to giving statistics on the number of infections without adequately proffering practical solutions to curb the spread of COVID-19. Despite imposing a lockdown which has rather failed due to the socio-economic structure of our society, many Zimbabweans continue to be at risk as the struggle for economic survival is a daily reality. Over 70% of Zimbabweans are living in poverty. A lockdown that is not supported by a rigorous COVID-19 testing programme will unfortunately just be a tick-box exercise.”
Human rights lobby group, National Transitional Justice Working Group also challenged government to strive to improve citizens’ welfare without being coerced by courts or external forces.
Government was recently ordered by the court to provide protective clothing to healthcare workers and security officers enforcing the lockdown order after being taken to court by the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.
“Government does not have to wait for court orders or external pressure for basic measures to be rolled out, as the High Court had to order in the case of Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights v Minister of Health and others.”
Terrence Kudakwashe Nemukuyu says then we do u think we aill get with someone lk parrafin in statehouse
Andz Andile says So is this a political campaign or what?
Bazooka Mzilikazi says:Ndazvitadza ini,hanyari here shuwa kutsvaga popularity nepanhamo.Branding is even more expensive than the product itself apo vanhu varikufa nenzara1
Maps says: Pane akatora humambo parufu chaipo akada kutopisira President chaivo (SC) mumba parufu! Do you stil remember that?1
Manjenjenje says : This is a serious crime against humanity Here is the evidence of politicking with people’s lives. Zanu pf must go.
Sheep in wolf’s clothing says: And you wonder why we do not get proper aide funding
By A Correspondent- Urban Tete Zuva Habane apologized to her followers on social media for being a bad influence to her followers and has vowed to stay off social media until she can give a positive influence.
This comes days after Shadaya, a meme writer and social media entertainer listed Zuva Habane as one of the negative role models in Zimbabwe.
It is not clear if this would have been the reason behind Zuva Habane withdrawing from Social media.
Below is Zuva Habane Post:
GOOD MORNING ZUVA NATION, FRIENDS & FOLLOWERS..
IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT I WRITE THIS TEXT YOU YOU. FROM THE MOMENT I STARTED THIS JOURNEY, YOU HAVE STOOD BY ME AND WITH ME, SUPPORTING ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I AM HUMBLED BY YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND FOR THAT I’M FOREVER GRATEFUL. WITHOUT YOU THERE WOULD BE NO ZUVA URBAN TETE. THANK YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART.
IT IS IN THIS VEIN THAT I COME TO YOU, ASKING YOU TO PLEASE ACCEPT MY HEARTFELT APOLOGIES FOR THE DIRECTION ZUVA URBAN TETE HAS TAKEN LATELY.
I’M SORRY FOR MY ABHORRENT BEHAVIOR AND I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS AND THE NEGATIVITY THAT HAS RESULTED FROM THEM. I REALIZE THAT MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS AND MY FOLLOWERS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY IT AND THAT GRIEVES MY HEART.
BEING IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS, IT IS EXPECTED THAT ONE HAD TO HAVE A THICK SKIN. BEING THAT AS IT MAY, I AM HUMAN AND THE NEGATIVITY TOOK ITS TOLL ON ME. UNFORTUNATELY, I LASHED OUT AT THE WRONG PEOPLE IN THE QUEST TO RETALIATE ON THOSE THAT I FELT WERE ATTACKING ME. I UNDERSTAND SOCIAL MEDIA AND HAVE HAD THE ABILITY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA AND REALITY, SADLY THE NEGATIVITY AND THE NEED TO RESPOND TO IT HAD ME MIXING UP THE TWO.
WHEN I JOINED SOCIAL MEDIA MY INTENTION WAS TO SHARE AND LEARN NEW THINGS AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE. I APPRECIATE THAT LOTS OF WOMEN AND MEN LOOK UP TO ME AS AN INFLUENCER AND I NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN MY ACTIONS. MY BEHAVIOR ONLINE LATELY HAS BEEN INEXCUSABLE AND WILL I PROMISE YOU, I AM WORKING ON FIXING MYSELF FOR YOU.
LASTLY, I APOLOGIZE FOR ABUSING MY PLATFORM TO ATTACK INDIVIDUALS AND OTHER SOCIALITES. THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR AND MY ACTIONS WERE REGRETTABLE. I GOT CAUGHT UP IN A STICKY WEB THAT I SHOULD HAVE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS.
MY APPEAL TO ZUVA NATION AND VISITORS TO PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME WHILE I WORK ON MYSELF. I PROMISE TO BE BETTER. I’M TAKING THIS STAND BECAUSE OF MY LOVE AND RESPECT FOR YOU. I HAVE LOVED MY JOB AND ALL THE INTERACTIONS WITH YOU. I WANT US TO CONTINUE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND GROWING. MY GOAL IS TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF ZUVA URBAN TETE AND WITH YOUR FORGIVENESS AND PATIENCE I KNOW IT’S POSSIBLE.
I HAVE DECIDED TO STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA UNTIL A TIME I FEEL I CAN ADD VALUE TO YOU AS OPPOSED TO BEING TOXIC TO YOU. LIKE I ALWAYS TELL YOU: ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELVES. KEEP THOSE WORDS WITH YOU TILL I BOUNCE BACK. ALSO, REMEMBER TO FORGET WHAT YOU GIVE AND NEVER EXPECT ANYTHING IN RETURN AND NEVER FORGET TO FORGIVE.
By A Correspondent- Nurses affiliated to the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) have accused their executive of unilaterally increasing monthly subscriptions from $5 to $100, thus impoverishing them at a time their salaries have been eroded by inflation.
The new subscription fees come into effect this month, although Zina members claimed they were not consulted over the increases.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Zina president Enock Dongo demanded that the disgruntled members should identify themselves.
“Do not hunt me down. We are used to people who want to spoil other people’s names. We are already soiled and what can only surprise us is being considered clean,” he said.
Nurses who spoke to NewsDay said they were not happy with Dongo’s administrative decisions, which went against the constitutional provisions of their association.
“They did not consult the members when they increased and this is despite that in 2019, they failed to hold the annual general meeting (AGM).”
“It only means they are cushioning themselves with our money and this is not in the interests of the members,” a Zina member based in Gwanda complained.
“An increase of subscription fees can only be approved by 75% of the members at an AGM. Not even the courtesy to make a consultation, but just taking all that money,”another nurse from Hwange said.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- After inspecting facilities in the ongoing government health facilities inspection, Defense Minister and COVID-19 taskforce member Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri said she was not impressed by the lack of PPE for Chiredzi Polyclinic Frontline workers.
Addressing journalists after the tour Muchinguri Kashiri said:
I am impressed with the facelift the isolation centre is getting courtesy of Tongaat Hulett. I have also seen that people are complying with the lockdown. That is recommendable. I am not, however, impressed with the situation at Chiredzi Polyclinic. The frontline workers had no gloves or face masks
Chiredzi Polyclinic has been identified as the towns’ COVID-19 isolation centre.-Newsday
HARARE –Harare mayor Herbert Gomba on Sunday ordered a halt to the demolition of informal market stalls following a public outcry.
The City of Harare and the government have used the cover of the coronavirus lockdown to tear down illegal market stalls in poor neighbourhoods.
Council officials, with the help of police and soldiers, were on Saturday and Sunday demolishing makeshift stalls used by informal traders in Mbare and Highfield.
The move was strongly criticised by citizens in the country where more than 80 percent of the working population have no formal jobs and eke a living from informal markets.
“Today, at 7.29PM I made a call to the town clerk of the City of Harare Hosea Abraham Chisango asking him to implore the government, the municipal police and any other stakeholders to stop the current wave of demolitions in and around the capital city,” Gomba said in a statement late Sunday.
He said he had also directed a council committee that deals with informal traders to consult the various interest groups and present a “comprehensive policy that addresses the issue of space barons, revenue collection, registration of vendors, introduction of technology in the sector and the refurbishment of municipal markets.”
City authorities had earlier defended the demolitions saying they were necessary to restore order in the city, and that informal traders would be relocated to new and better facilities.
Demolition men … Bulldozers take down an informal market in Mbare on Saturday
The action was triggered by the local government ministry which, in an April 8 letter to the MDC-run council, said a Cabinet resolution had directed that local authorities must use the relative quiet of the lockdown to “clean up and renovate small and medium enterprise and informal traders’ workspaces so that these areas will be more conducive to operate from when business reopens.”
City of Harare spokesman Michael Chideme said: “The people who were trading on this site (Mbare Magaba) will be put in a new complex, so on Monday our teams will be working on the new complex, flattening out, pouring concrete and then marking the vending bays.
“The overflow from this market, will be absorbed at the market under construction at Coca-Cola. You will also realise that we have people who are selling here who had abandoned the Mupedzanhamo market and some who had abandoned the other markets at Mbare Musika. They will go back to their original vending sites.”
In a statement on Sunday, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) accused authorities of carrying out a “thuggish act that is insensitive to the plight of the poor.”
“Only stupidity can lead a council or government to demolish sources of livelihoods without a plan on how to feed the nation during the lockdown and post Covid-19,” the ZCTU blasted.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday extended a lockdown to contain the spread of the new coronavirus by two weeks.
Mnangagwa said the lockdown would continue because the country had not yet met conditions set down by the World Health Organisation to lift the measures.
Zimbabwe began a 21-day lockdown on March 30, which has confined most people to their homes. But in poor townships, people are venturing out in search of staples like maize meal, leading to long queues at the shops.
The lockdown has left many citizens without an income and food at a time the country is grappling with the worst economic crisis in a decade, marked by shortages of foreign exchange, food and medicines.
Opinion|Last week we got a glimpse into the denialism that drives policy at the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe when their “draft” de-dollarisation strategy found its way onto social media. It showed how, despite promising us a month ago, that they would be liberalising the exchange rate, they intend to keep it fixed.
It was such a worrying and disheartening document that had people shaking their heads in disbelief but the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had comforting news. The document was just a draft and not supposed to be for public consumption:
Ignore the document at your own peril
If you are a business or individual whose operations will be impacted on by some of the contents of this draft document-in fact everyone in Zimbabwe is affected-then its good advice to take everything in this document as the truth. Experience has shown how even crazy suggestions such as the government demanding duty in foreign currency have turned out to be true.
Also, the fact that the government has fixed the exchange rate at 25:1 USD despite promising the opposite a month ago should be a harbinger of things to come. Leaked or not the document shows the prevailing denialism, hubris and arrogance that has dominated policy at the Reserve Bank. It would be very unwise to ignore the document in its entirety.
The RBZ was caught with it’s pants down this time around but it does not mean for a second they are not going to go through with measures outlined in there. They would prefer to spring them upon you as nasty surprises.You will thank me later.
Hours after Daily News’ Gift Phiri succumbed to cancer at Harare hospital yesterday, a former editor at the same publication Ray Matikinye reportedly collapsed and died at his home in Bulawayo.
Gift Phiri, The Daily News’ assistant editor, succumbed to cancer early on Sunday.
He was 44.
Matikinye’s death was confirmed by his daughter who said Matikinye had earlier in the day gone to the shops to buy some beer and came back and everything was normal:
He came back looking fine and jovial, but suddenly collapsed and died
Stanley Gama described Matikinye as a good mentor who taught him everything he knows:
“The journalism fraternity has lost a gentle giant. His speciality was feature writing and analysis. He was well researched and liked teaching young journalists the art of the trade. Ray taught me a lot of things in journalism.”
THE Postal Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) says there is no scientific link between fifth generation (5G) cellular mobile technologies and Covid-19 or any clinical evidence linking the technology to the novel virus.
Potraz has further assured Zimbabweans that only standardised network equipment would be allowed for deployment into the country.
This followed conspiracy theories linking the 5G to the spread of Covid-19. Fifth Generation is the latest wireless mobile phone technology first deployed in 2019.
In various countries, 5G and communication infrastructure had been subjected to vandalism and acts of arson and sabotage as people were being misled to believe that there is a link between the two.
In a statement, Potraz director general, Dr Gift Machengete, said: “There is no scientific link between 5G and Covid-19 or its spread. There is no clinical evidence linking 5G and Covid-19 or its spread. 5G operates in the non-ionising portion of the electromagnetic field and there are no 5G deployments in Zimbabwe.
“All network deployments in Zimbabwe are done in accordance with ITU based international standards and under Zimbabwe law, network vandalism or intentional damage to critical information infrastructure is a criminal offence which upon conviction carries a minimum of 10 years in jail.”
Dr Machengete said unlike its predecessors, 5G will be more human and environmentally friendly as it will employ beam-forming antennas to focus signals more efficiently towards the device in use rather than having the signal spread in broad directions as in current base station antennas.
He said no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.
“Health related conclusions are drawn from studies performed across the entire radio spectrum including those to be used for 5G,” he said.
“Tissue heating is the main mechanism of interaction between radiofrequency fields and the human body. Radio frequency exposure levels from current technologies result in negligible temperature rise in the human body.”
State Media|Government continues to monitor the state of hospitals which will accommodate Covid-19 patients, with a view to ensuring that everything is place and the country is ready to deal with any surge in positive cases.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro yesterday toured Parirenyatwa Hospital, Corporate 24 and St Anne’s as part of ongoing tours.
He was in Marondera and Hwedza on Saturday, as part of a delegation led by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga assessing the facilities’ preparedness.
“We picked a lot of weaknesses in some areas and we are moving around to assess and help them out in what they are doing,” said Dr Mangwiro after touring Parirenyatwa yesterday.
“In Marondera yesterday (Saturday) we found out that they can have a potential of 10 intensive care unit (ICU) beds. We are emphasising that any place which is going to be handling Covid-19 cases, all frontline health workers must always be protected.
“Where there is an ICU, the ventilators sort of breathe out lots of the Covid from the patient, so that area is very sensitive in that nurses and doctors will walk in.
“Other workers like dieticians and physiotherapists will also walk into that room full of Covid.
“The most important thing we are advising people to do is to have negative pressure where this air which is contaminated is sucked out, but is not thrown necessarily in the atmosphere.”
Heaters that suction air from coronavirus patients could heat up to 80 degrees Celsius, making it difficult for the virus to
To protect health workers and everyone, Dr Mangwiro said they saw it necessary to introduce air curtains, which means no air comes out of treatment rooms into corridors.
At both Marondera and Mahusekwa hospitals, the assessment team saw it necessary to introduce taps that could be switched on and off using elbows.
Mahusekwa has a potential of 10 ICU beds, and already has four ventilators, while Marondera has two ventilators.
Massive work is being undertaken at Parirenyatwa where engineers assured the Government that the facility would be ready for use soon, with painting of the wards expected to start on Wednesday.
Parirenyatwa has potential for 28 beds in the ICU and 425 beds in total to accommodate Covid-19 patients.
Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital has potential of 10 ICU beds and can take up to 160 people.
Vice President Kembo Mohadi (left), who also chairs the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Techology Professor Amon Murwira (right) and other stakeholders tour Lupane State University which is set to be used as a quarantine centre on Saturday. Picture: Eliah Saushoma
Dr Mangwiro applauded the private sector for participating in the fight against Covid-19.
He said Corporate 24 has capacity for two ICU beds and five ordinary beds and they were almost ready to take in patients.
St Anne’s is at an advanced stage and has seven machines and potential for 10 ICU beds.
The facility can take up to 100 patients.
“We want to thank them for their efforts and as a ministry we are making sure that they abide by the strict rules recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” said Dr Mangwiro.
“Our biggest weakness in the provinces is that people were using oxygen cylinders, so we need to have proper installation of huge tanks which can take up to 20 to 30 tonnes of oxygen because we understand that Covid patients need lots of oxygen for them to be able to recover quickly.”
