State Media|COVID-19 testing commenced at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo on Sunday with the health institution starting with six samples as the Government decentralises the testing system to the southern part of the country.
Mpilo Central Hospital in conjunction with the National University of Science and Technology’s (Nust) Applied Genetic Testing Centre (AGTC) will be testing samples from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands and Masvingo.
The development means that results of tested samples would be released faster as opposed to having a centralised system.
Previously, Covid-19 tests were only being done at the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory in Harare, delaying release of the results. Conducting tests locally means that results can now be released within five hours of being collected.
So far Zimbabwe has recorded 17 Covid-19 positive cases, two of them in Bulawayo. From the 17 cases, three people have died.
Nust’s AGTC director Mr Zephaniah Dhlamini said they were using the internationally recognised system to test the samples.
“We started testing yesterday. We started with six samples. We are using World Health Organisation (WHO) and American Centre of Disease Control approved systems. If you go anywhere in the world, they will be using the same system. We are not doing haphazard and controversial rapid tests. We are doing the high-end tests which is the polymerase chain reaction,” said Mr Dhlamimi.
He said they have partially moved equipment from the Nust’s DNA lab to Mpilo Central Hospital where local tests are being conducted. He said local tests will result in results being released much earlier.
“Government has provided us with test kits enough to handle 3000 samples. With the local tests it means the turnaround period would be much better and results for tested samples would be available within 24 hours.
“Depending on the number of samples that would have been done, the process to confirm a case takes at least five hours but again I will emphasise that this depends on the number of samples. When you are testing 10 samples it is different from testing 100 samples but the give and take period is about five hours,” he said.
Mr Dhlamini said protective gear for the laboratory team remains a challenge that can hamper their tests.
“The challenge that we have at the moment is we don’t have enough protective equipment. We actually don’t have it. If nothing is done today, we will stop testing today up until we get adequate protective material,” said Mr Dhlamini.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said it was a good development that tests were being conducted locally.
He said hospital authorities will ensure lives of health workers conducting the tests will not be put at risk.
Bulawayo City Council (BCC) director of health services Dr Edwin Sibanda said conducting local tests will improve the confirmation of suspected cases.-
FORMER Zapu treasurer of the United Kingdom chapter Naison Mgatsho Msebele has succumbed to Covid-19, bringing to five the number of locals who have died of the disease in that country.
The 77-year old, a former employee of Bata Company and the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) passed away after a short illness at a London hospital last Wednesday.
Last Tuesday, the virus claimed the lives of Dr Paul Matewele (57) a senior lecturer in microbiology immunology at London Metropolitan University and Ms Thandi Matho Thobela while on March 31, socialite and accountant Gardner Madzongo and health worker Sikhanyisiwe Kaziboni died of Covid-19.Msebele family’s spokesperson Mr Felix Silundika said they are at a loss for words with the passing of a “dedicated family man and educationist.”
“It is with deep sorrow and pain that we inform the public about the death of our beloved father, grandfather, husband, brother, uncle and friend Mr Naison Mgatsho Msebele who passed away after a short illness in a London hospital on April 8.
“From an early age, Naison loved learning and had a thirst for knowledge and acquitted himself with an excellent record at school. In the UK he worked and held a number of positions including political and economic analyst, a refugee advocate with Amnesty International, a local government manager, and in later years he trained as a teacher then psychotherapist,” said Mr Silundika.
Msebele was among the advisors during the Lancaster House talks which led to Independence.
“Mr Msebele was a fearless cadre and once served as an advisor to the Zapu delegation to the Lancaster House talks, a delegation that included his cousin and mentor, the late national liberation hero TG Silundika.
“He was the most loved and cherished father, grandfather, brother, uncle and a friend whose values went beyond his immediate family and borders. He was passionate about supporting his family and community through whatever challenges they faced,” said Mr Silundika.
Msebele is survived by seven children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
The fallout between Gabriel Nyoni and his wife Chivaraidzo Mukome has attracted massive public attention and it’s not looking good for the Maritzburg United winger.
Mukome posted on Twitter over the weekend, claiming that if she turns up dead, her husband should be the one to answer.
She said: “If I wake up dead please ask Gabriel Nyoni and use my phone as evidence. I shall not say much.”
Though details are still sketchy why the couple clashed, it’s alleged the wife ran away with $US 10 000 and this angered the player.
However, South African media has already taken it as an issue of abuse on the wife’s side.
A Jo’burg-based publication said Mukome’s post “paints Nyoni as an abusive man who is capable of killing”.
The newspaper also claimed the message “detailed signs woman should look out for when trying to spot abusive men”.
This is just bad for the 27-year old who is still trying to make a name for himself in the south of Limpopo, having moved there at the start of the 2020 season.
Not only talking of the humiliation the former CAPS United and Highlanders star could suffer, a tainted image and sever reproach lies ahead of him.
The way it has been reported in South Africa will certainly put an enormous huddle on his way up.
The country doesn’t take women abuse lightly, worse death threats, due to a sharp increase in femicide cases.
Meanwhile, Nyoni is yet to comment on the alleged accusations by Mukome.- Soccer 24
Highlanders have started a fundraising initiative to help in equipping Ekusileni Medical Centre that will host coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in Bulawayo.
The club confirmed the news on Monday saying: “Highlanders would like to take this opportunity to officially launch the COVID-19 fundraising campaign whose purpose is to galvanise support for and to equip Ekusileni, the hospital that will cater for COVID-19 patients.
“We are devastated by this novel virus, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has since declared a pandemic. The club has been involved in COVID-19 awareness campaigns, but we have decided to scale up our efforts in the fight against the pandemic by taking this direction.”
Donations can be made via the OneMoney merchant code 40533 or Ecocash biller code 70662.
The country has so far registered seventeen cases of the virus and three deaths.-Soccer 24
Forgotten former Dynamos captain Ocean Mushure says the Glamour boys are going to pull a humdinger and win the 2020 PSL championship.
Mushure who is now plying his trade in Zambia has been quietly observing proceedings at his former club.
He reckons that Tonderai Ndiraya has assembled an arsenal strong enough to restore glitz and glamour at Dynamos.
“The team is strong and good from my view. They have good players who I believe are going to win big for Dynamos,” he said.
“The coaches have done a lot of work to make the team a force, and I believe they will fight and get something this season.
“There will be obviously strong competition from the likes of Ngezi, FC Platinum, Highlanders and Caps United but this squad has people with character and that means a lot.”
Ndiraya made a whopping 13 signings, headlined by poster boy King Nadolo, Partson Jaure, Cameroonian Albert Eonde, Jeansmith Mutudza among others.
Last season Dynamos ended the season on the seventh position following a rather cagey season, where they blew hot and cold having started the season with Lloyd Chigowe at the helm.
They will be hoping to turn around the fortunes and end FC Platinum’s dominance of the domestic league.-Soccer 24
Farai Dziva|Police officers and soldiers assaulted residents of the city of Masvingo on Tuesday morning and stopped them from getting into town to buy mealie meal.
In a statement Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights condemned the harassment of citizens by soldiers and police officers.
The High Court has also ordered security forces to respect human rights. This comes after Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had filed a complaint against the police and the army following the brutal attack on one Lucia Masvondo.
“The High Court has just granted an interim order that @PoliceZimbabwe , army and other enforcement officers must respect human rights, dignity and fundamental freedoms, in the case of Lucia Masvondo.
The case challenges torture, inhuman and degrading conduct, disrespect of dignity and violation of Const by @PoliceZimbabwe and army who invaded Masvondo’s home, assaulted her and set dogs on her.
It also challenges none compliance with social distancing by ZRP and others.” Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said in a statement.
Die hard Dynamos fan Freddy ‘Pasuwa’ Mugadza has died.
Reliable sources revealed to us that Mugadza suffered a heart attack yesterday in the United States of America where he was based.
He is widely known for his admiration for his love for former Dynamos and Warriors coach Kalisto Pasuwa.
Chairman, as the vocal Mugadza was affectionately known in the blue half of the capital, was also a staunch supporter of the senior men’s national soccer team, the Warriors.-Soccer 24
The High Court has issued an order compelling the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the army and other law enforcement officers to respect human rights, dignity, and fundamental freedoms.
The judge made the order during a case where one Lucia Masvondo and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights challenged brutality on Masvondo.
In a tweet on Tuesday ZLHR said, “High Court has just granted an interim order that the police army and other enforcement officers must respect human rights, dignity, and fundamental freedoms, in Masvondo and ZLHR case.
By A Correspondent- At least thirty two people have mysteriously disappeared from a quarantine facility in Kenya’s Elwak area, Mandera County, the county government has revealed.
They were part of the 66 who were put on mandatory quarantine after two travellers tested positive for Covid-19 last week.
In a letter to the Deputy County Commissioner, an executive committee member, Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed cited a lack of seriousness by police officers in providing foolproof security to the quarantine centre as a possible motivation for escapees.
“It appears a few elements within the security system are yet to understand the seriousness of this campaign against coronavirus, he said.
The Deputy County Commissioner has been asked, as the chairman of the Sub County Security Coordination, to explain how negligence by the officers may have contributed to the development. – The Star
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.
Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks.
However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.
Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks.
However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
Eswatini King Mswati III is in a critical condition in hospital, according to local media reports.
According to Swaziland News, high-profile royal sources told the online newspaper that the king was admitted to Manzana Royal Hospital in a critical condition and was struggling to breathe.
The publication reported that Lusendvo Fakudze, the governor of Ludzidzini Palace, when asked to confirm and clarify the matter on Thursday evening after senior members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force were seen maintaining high security at the hospital, avoided the questions and asked the nation to pray.
The governor said the king would not take part in a Good Friday service expected to be attended by a minimum number of people, but maintained that “wherever he is, he will also be praying”.
The newspaper reported in March that Mswati was in self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic after meeting a delegation from Taiwan that recently visited Eswatini to donate helicopters.
Two Taiwanese soldiers who formed part of that delegation were among 400 military personnel who were quarantined for coronavirus, Swaziland News reported, citing a Taiwan news report.
The soldiers were reportedly invited to dinner with the king where they shook hands one by one as they posed for photographs with him.
According to Wikipedia, Mswati was crowned king in 1986 at age 18. He is Africa’s last absolute monarch in the sense that he has the power to choose the prime minister, other top government posts and top traditional posts.
In 2004, Mswati promulgated a new constitution that allows freedom of speech and assembly for the media and the public.
The Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC-A), while noting the role played by China in the refurbishment of Wilkins Hospital, a critical COVID-19 isolation centre in Harare, hereby calls upon the Chinese Government to take all measures as is required under international law to protect Africans in China who are facing discrimination, unwarranted evictions and all manner of ill treatment and abuse.
There are disturbing reports of people of African descent being subjected to forced epidemic investigation and Nucleic Acid Test, forced quarantine including in cases where they have not travelled outside China, came in contact with infected persons or show symptoms of COVID-19.
Africans are being evicted from their places of accommodation, banned from entering restaurants and other public facilities, threatened with deportations, arrests and revocation of visas despite not being infected with the pandemic, especially in the Guangdong Province of China.
Indeed, this targeting of Africans amounts to racism as it is not supported by any scientific logic and contradicts the fact that it was in Wuhan province of China where the pandemic originated. Such targeting also violates international law.
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights without distinction of any kind including race, colour or national origin.
In addition, the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination commits member states to the elimination of racial discrimination.
The Convention defines racial discrimination as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.
The MDC-A therefore calls on the Chinese Government to protect Africans under its jurisdiction.
The fight against COVID-19 requires unity of all countries and races. It is therefore imperative for the world to rally everyone’s resolve in defeating this pandemic.
Gladys K. Hlatywayo Secretary for International Relations MDC Alliance
Idols judge, radio presenter and choreographer Somizi Mhlongo handed himself over to police last week and was granted R1 500 bail, after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula opened a case against him, police confirmed to News24 on Tuesday.
Mhlongo, one of the country’s leading celebrities, was thrust into the centre of a controversy when a video in which he is heard talking about the national lockdown emerged last Thursday.
In the video, Mhlongo can be heard telling his Metro FM co-host Dineo Ranaka that “Fikile” told him the lockdown, which was initially due to end on 16 April, would be extended. It was understood that he was referring to Mbalula.
The video is a recording of an Instagram Live stream Ranaka was running from her account on the popular video and photo sharing platform.
Hours after the clip went viral, Ramaphosa indeed announced a two-week extension of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Mhlongo’s comments sparked much concern that Mbalula had shared sensitive information with a friend before it was announced by the president.
The entertainer subsequently apologised for his comment, labelling it a “very bad joke”. He also denied speaking to the minister at all about the lockdown.
While Mbalula said he forgave Mhlongo, this did not stop him from opening a case against the celebrity at the Sandton Police Station on Friday.
He said he was opening the case “under the Disaster Management Act on fake news and misinformation peddling”.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo confirmed that Mhlongo had appeared at the station with his attorney on Friday.
“He was granted bail and he is expected to reappear again on 3 July 2020,” Naidoo said.
Naidoo said Mhlongo was charged with contravening Section 11(5)(c) of the regulations pertaining to the Disaster Management Act.
Calls to Mhlongo for comment before publication were unsuccessful. His response will be added once received.
On Friday, he took to Instagram and told his followers he was willing to accept the repercussions of his actions, adding that he wasn’t above the law.
At a time when the country is grappling with the deadly Corona virus, ZANU PF MPs instead chose to grandstand and politick by donating a paltry of their salaries ‘towards fighting Covid-19’.
It is very imperative that beyond these farcical donations, citizens should have it in mind that these are the same MPs from a party that has been looting the national cake since 1980.
These are the very same MPs who remain tight-lipped when the leader of their looting committee, Emmerson Mnangagwa hires a US multi million dollar luxurious Saudi plane just to fly from Harare to Bulawayo when he is in Kwekwe.
Remember the US 10 million mausoleum Mnangagwa wanted to build for a corpse!
The multi-million state of the art luxurious plane Mnangagwa hired for Grace Mugabe just to bury her mother!
What of the missing US3 billion from a Command Agriculture program that was run direct from Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office?
By Robert Mugabe’s own admission, these are the very same people that have answers to the missing US15 billion Marange diamond money.
Amongst the donating ZANU PF MPs, there is one from Gokwe-Nembudziya who recently bought the latest US 1 million Lamborghini top of the range vehicle.
Ironically his name is Justice.
Certainly there is no justice in donation of a mere RTGS 1000 by the very same people who stole our future and that of generations to come.
These are the very same people who presided over the transformation of what used to be a breadbasket to a basket case scenario.
Before we ululate over these decoy donations, maybe it is time to ask what happened to the 2% money we were taxed by Mthuli Ncube!
If anything, the ZANU PF MPs donations are akin to that of a thief who steals all your inheritance only to come back with a coffin on your funeral!
While it looks like a noble initiative at face value, it is also not mendacious that beneath these plunderers’ ‘giving’ hand there is a clandestine agenda beyond fighting Covid-19.
Clearly the donations are a veneer to shroud the looting of our vast mineral wealth by ZANU PF cartels.
These are the same people that have brought Zimbabwe to its knees through corruption and mismanagement.
As MDC we have said it way back that Zimbabwe needs to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund especially given her vast and rich mineral wealth.
Such a fund would go a long way in averting a crisis in times of natural disasters and pandemics like Covid-19.
Maybe that is the reason why countries like Botswana can afford to declare a 6 months lockdown while at the same time providing for her citizens.
Zimbabwe deserves better than crumbs from ZANU PF MPs table!
Stay safe from Corona virus, Zimbabwe needs you!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson __
Farai Dziva|The MDC Youth Assembly has challenged Zanu PF to stop insulting suffering Zimbabweans through meaningless donations.
See full statement below : At a time when the country is grappling with the deadly Corona virus, ZANU PF MPs instead chose to grandstand and politick by donating a paltry portion of their salaries ‘towards fighting Covid-19’.
It is very imperative that beyond these farcical donations, citizens should have it in mind that these are the same MPs from a party that has been looting the national cake since 1980.
These are the very same MPs who remain tight-lipped when the leader of their looting committee, Emmerson Mnangagwa hires a US multi million dollar luxurious Saudi plane just to fly from Harare to Bulawayo when he is in Kwekwe.
Remember the US 10 million mausoleum Mnangagwa wanted to build for a corpse!
The multi-million state of the art luxurious plane Mnangagwa hired for Grace Mugabe just to bury her mother!
What of the missing US3 billion from a Command Agriculture program that was run direct from Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office?
By Robert Mugabe’s own admission, these are the very same people that have answers to the missing US15 billion Marange diamond money.
Amongst the donating ZANU PF MPs, there is one from Gokwe-Nembudziya who recently bought the latest US 1 million Lamborghini top of the range vehicle.
Ironically his name is Justice.
Certainly there is no justice in donation of a mere RTGS 1000 by the very same people who stole our future and that of generations to come.
These are the very same people who presided over the transformation of what used to be a breadbasket to a basket case scenario.
Before we ululate over these decoy donations, maybe it is time to ask what happened to the 2% money we were taxed by Mthuli Ncube!
If anything, the ZANU PF MPs donations are akin to that of a thief who steals all your inheritance only to come back with a coffin on your funeral!
While it looks like a noble initiative at face value, it is also not mendacious that beneath these plunderers’ ‘giving’ hand there is a clandestine agenda beyond fighting Covid-19.
Clearly the donations are a veneer to shroud the looting of our vast mineral wealth by ZANU PF cartels.
These are the same people that have brought Zimbabwe to its knees through corruption and mismanagement.
As MDC we have said it way back that Zimbabwe needs to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund especially given her vast and rich mineral wealth.
Such a fund would go a long way in averting a crisis in times of natural disasters and pandemics like Covid-19.
Maybe that is the reason why countries like Botswana can afford to declare a 6 months lockdown while at the same time providing for her citizens.
Zimbabwe deserves better than crumbs from ZANU PF MPs table!
Stay safe from Corona virus, Zimbabwe needs you!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson __
The COVID-19 pandemic was first reported in Wuhan, China, on 31st December 2019, and was declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30th, 2020. The disease has since spread widely to over 180 countries.
Zimbabwe has had over 2 months to prepare for this outbreak since it was declared a public health emergency of international concern. The purpose of this review is to assess the preparedness and response of the nation ten weeks later, and to advise government on what can be done better to avert a catastrophe in Zimbabwe. Preparedness and response plan:
Our preparedness and response plan is quite standard and meets all the requirements under the WHO recommendations. But this technical document is not complimented by appropriate implementation decisions and actions. Political will and transparency seem to be scanty. We need to examine the decisions and actions of our government while there is still time to make a difference and save Zimbabwe from disaster.
This we can do by looking at each of the eight pillars of the preparedness and response plan.
1.Coordination, planning and monitoring:
Planning for this lockdown was very poorly done, because Multi-Stakeholder consultations were not done. We are wading through uncharted waters, and everybody’s contribution should have been solicited. We now have our most vulnerable people almost starving to death in their houses. People have been locked in without the most basic commodities like mealie meal, and this is undermining the lockdown.
You cannot confine a hungry man. We are beginning to see chaotic scenes at shops now, almost about to degenerate into riots, because everybody wants the staple food, and there is not enough to go around even for those who have the money. The crowding and jostling for mealie meal that we are seeing at shops is fertile ground for rapid COVID-19 spread, and our people understand that. But now they are being forced by government to choose between death from COVID-19 or death from hunger, and most people would rather take their chance with COVID-19.
This is a serious failure of planning, and may cost the nation far more than we can afford in human lives. Government should first have ensured that there are no shortages on the market before announcing the lockdown. We are not for a moment suggesting that the lockdown should have been delayed, NO! In the two and a half months lead time we had, government should have diverted all resources to fighting COVID-19 as we have always been saying. That includes making sure there is grain in the country adequate for say six months (we don’t know how long this pandemic will last, but six months gives government time to plan new interventions).
Money wasted on luxury cars for officials should have been used for grain. We cannot leave social safety nets to chance and partisan politics. Firm measures which include reliable transparent non-partisan databases of vulnerable families should have been put in place before the lockdown. Bear in mind, millions of people already needed food aid without the covid-19 outbreak. Allocating RTGS600 million without a credible formula for disbursing it is useless. People are starving, and we wonder how much of the allocated amount has been used to benefit the people. This is day 16 of the lockdown.
The government is advised to engage the health care professionals in all decision making and policy formulation. This includes procurement decisions.
The emphasis being given to sanitisers in our messaging, and even in our programming, is disproportionate. Government should do everything possible to ensure that clean potable water is available to every citizen. This has to be done as a matter of urgency. Washing hands frequently with soap and water is the mainstay of hygiene in this and other pandemics.
Hand sanitisers are useful but secondary. We urge government to urgently prioritise provision of water to the people. This will also prevent crowds from gathering around the current scanty water sources and flouting social distancing regulations. Boreholes in both rural and urban areas are undermining social distancing regulations and could prove to be serious drivers of the pandemic. Government should take this epidemic as an opportunity to upgrade infrastructure eg by rapidly drilling more boreholes to prevent crowding at water sources. All borehole drillers in the country should be in overdrive mode, and government should pay for that.
Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary solutions, and a lot of focus and sacrifice. In summary, our people are very compliant with the terms of the lockdown, but the government has not planned for the poor, those who live on hand to mouth daily budgets, and those without adequate supplies of potable water. Scarcity of basic commodities is also undermining the lockdown seriously. Shortage of basic commodities must be eliminated as a matter of urgency.
2.Surveillance, rapid response and case investigation:
We are not testing enough. Therefore we don’t have a clear picture of the extent of spread of the virus in Zimbabwe, bearing in mind that 80% of the infected get away with mild symptoms, according to data from those countries that have already experienced massive outbreaks. We need to know in order to plan. Let’s not bury our heads in the sand. Active case finding and event based surveillance must be intensified.
It is alarming to note that very little if any follow up and monitoring is being done for returning citizens and other immigrants. Rumors that 32 Zimbabweans flew in from the UK and government had no place to quarantine them are extremely worrisome. The UK is one of the global epicenters of the covid-19 pandemic at the moment, and it is mandatory that these people should have been quarantined. Government should respond and tell us if it is indeed true that these precious Zimbabweans were told to go home and self isolate.
It is equally alarming that our rapid response teams have neither the necessary PPE nor other tools of the trade when they come to investigate a reported suspect. What needs to be done?
i. Let’s test massively to establish a baseline. It doesn’t do us any good to say a suspect does not meet the criteria for testing, then the same suspect is tested a little later in another country and found to be positive. It means we have missed an opportunity to isolate and treat the patient, and we have put not just our nationals, but the entire international community at risk.
ii. Let’s investigate all community deaths. There are reports of unexplained community deaths where ordinary citizens suspect COVID-19, but these deaths are not being investigated. This has the potential of giving us false statistics, and it becomes a time bomb waiting to explode.
iii. Let’s equip our rapid response teams with PPE and other equipment & consumables.
iv. Let’s decentralize COVID-19 testing to provincial laboratories and district laboratories. Every local authority must be given the mandate of testing and reporting statistics to its residents. We must devolve responsibility to the local authority, who in turn will report to head office through normal channels for a composite report. There is nothing to hide.
Points of entry: Reports of people walking across the border without being screened by a port health official, and without their details being taken for follow up in their district of destination, do not inspire much hope in this fight. We must beef up our human resources particularly at busy ports like Beitbridge, and we must protect the health workers at the ports with appropriate PPE. Record keeping and transmission to the provinces must be meticulous, and actual follow up must be done, whether by phone or in person. Remember, a carrier of the virus may be afebrile at the time of crossing the border.
National Laboratory System: Our laboratories are not capable of doing enough tests. We are relying too much on donations. What has GoZ done in this outbreak? The 500 tests donated by WHO seem to be the only ones working, and therefore we are using them sparingly and missing cases.
Does the government really have to rely on Higher Life Foundation to purchase the balance of the extraction reagent needed for us to start using the donated reagents from China (via the AU)? Without decentralizing our testing services, and without increasing testing capacity, we are wasting our lockdown period. We are making people suffer for no gain. In this lockdown period we must map out our epidemic, that means we must test a lot. We must isolate all cases, and that can’t be done because we are not testing.
The people of Gwanda who are complaining about a new malaria with strange symptoms (which include sore throat) that is killing people at an unusually high rate should have been answered long back. All those deceased and their close contacts should have been tested, and the people given accurate & scientific answers. Have we tested for COVID-19 in Mat South, considering its proximity to South Africa?
Why should villagers lead us in coming up with a differential diagnosis when we have health professionals in the province? Could it be because the professionals are incapacitated by lack of testing capability, lack of training, and lack of PPE? The continued ignorance about COVID-19 among health professionals is extremely dangerous at this point in time, and ordinary citizens are beginning to notice and complain. Where is the donated money going?
Risk communication and community engagement:
Public trust for the government is at an all time low, because of the general perception that figures are being suppressed, government is not putting enough resources into the COVID-19 response, health workers are untrained, unsure, and very exposed due to lack of PPE, and government’s preparedness claims have been exposed as imaginary by the sequence of events in the few fatalities we have already had. Relatives of the deceased are consistently disputing government’s official narrative of what exactly happened, and this is embarrassing. Government needs to rescue its image immediately by remedying these ills during this 21 day lockdown.
Ignorance among the healthcare workers induces in them fear and paralysis, and this lockdown will have been wasted if we go for the next week without equipping our front line soldiers with knowledge and clear guidelines and protocols for dealing with COVID-19, in addition to PPE. Police brutality has negative consequences for our response plan. Treat humans with the dignity the creator endowed each one of us with. No one is immune to COVID-19. Treat others as you would want to be treated.
The ministry must respond timeously to misleading social media reports. For example, did the ministry really authorize traditional healers to start treating covid-19 patients with traditional herbs? How are the vulnerable populations going to be protected from these experiments? The silence of the ministry (MoHCC) to these and other media outbursts is worrying.
Case management:
Lack of training for health care workers, both in private and public practice, is sticking out like a sore thumb. We have no prospect of conquering COVID-19 if we ignore training and equipping of health workers. If the training program had continued from the time training of trainers was done, by now every doctor and every nurse would have been trained. What’s gone wrong with our covid-19 preparedness training program?
The issue of institutional quarantine cannot be over emphasized for visitors from COVID-19 countries, which is virtually every country now. Those in self isolation should be monitored. That is not happening.
Government should urgently capacitate provincial and central hospitals with special covid-19 intensive care units, complete with ventilators and ready to admit.
It is pleasing to note that most local authorities have taken the initiative to set up isolation facilities on their own. But it is equally disturbing to learn that government wants to take over management of municipal clinics for the purposes of COVID-19. We think that the government is seriously misdirected on this matter. This move has no value addition to our COVID-19 response plan.
It is our considered view that the government must avail resources to local authorities to do what they have always done, i.e. help government to deal with public health threats within their jurisdictions. We have GoZ funds, and we have donated funds, and these should be passed on to local authorities. I’m sure donors will find it more cost effective to deal directly with local authorities, which is where the action is.
Infection prevention and control:
This pillar is yet to be visited in its entirety. We urge government to deal urgently with infection prevention & control before we have catastrophic results among our valued health care workers. Provision of PPE and antiseptics is key. We should not sacrifice our health workers because we don’t want to prioritise their lives. We need every single one of them alive.
Logistics, procurement and supply management:
There is need for transparency in procurement. This is not a time for self enrichment. We are in a crisis. The proliferation of self testing kits must be dealt with immediately. Any test kits for use in the country must first be approved by the relevant arm of government. These self testing kits have not been proved, and could give citizens a false sense of security due to false negatives, and accelerate the spread of covid-19. Government must issue a statement on self-testing kits.
As a nation we should not rely entirely on donor funding. This is the time when survival of the nation should supersede any other national program. All resources should now be diverted to the COVID-19 response. Other programs will kick in later once we survive this onslaught. Let’s show the international community our seriousness by deploying our funds first, and they will come on board once they realize we are serious. Bear in mind that the usual donor countries are suffering under their own load of the pandemic.
Conclusion:
We have a good technical document on the preparedness & response plan, but implementation is close to zero. We are ignoring the actions that will make this lockdown meaningful and effective. Simply noting that Zimbabweans are complying with the lockdown order does not translate into halting the epidemic. We must investigate all suspects, identify cases, isolate & treat cases, and do thorough contact tracing; then we may succeed in halting the spread of covid-19. Our aim as the MDC-A is to illuminate the deadly blind spots in our path as a nation, and to help government to make better decisions. Together we will conquer COVID-19.
Dr Henry Madzorera Secretary for Health and Child Welfare, MDC-A.
Farai Dziva|Overzealous police details and soldiers seized Coronavirus awareness posters in the ancient city of Masvingo On Tuesday.
Despite possessing letters of approval that enable essential service workers to carry out their duties, members of Prayer Network of Zimbabwe, running a Coronavirus awareness programme were blocked by police officers and soldiers -from doing their duties.
Police also seized their posters.
See statement below : I am the Coordinator of Prayer Network Zimbabwe and we have launched a Covid-19 awareness programme.
We are distributing Covid -19 awareness posters in Masvingo town.
I was shocked by the behaviour of officers at Rujeko footbridge.
I produced letters that clearly state that I’m printing Covid- 19 Awareness posters through my graphic and designing company.
However police officers and soldiers beat up my colleagues who were distributing the posters.
My workmates were assaulted with baton sticks for no apparent reason.
Farai Dziva|Overzealous police details and soldiers seized Coronavirus awareness posters in the ancient city of Masvingo On Tuesday.
ZDF Soldiers and @PoliceZimbabwe are on a rampage in Masvingo right now (places like Rujeko Footbridge) assaulting essential workers, with letters of govt approval. Why are you allowing this abuse to continue (vid relates to an earlier incident) @Jamwanda2@nickmangwanapic.twitter.com/P1pnO7TmEM
Despite possessing letters of approval that enable essential service workers to carry out their duties, members of Prayer Network of Zimbabwe, running a Coronavirus awareness programme were blocked by police officers and soldiers -from doing their duties.
Police also seized their posters.
See statement below : I am the Coordinator of Prayer Network Zimbabwe and we have launched a Covid-19 awareness programme.
We are distributing Covid -19 awareness posters in Masvingo town.
I was shocked by the behaviour of officers at Rujeko footbridge.
I produced letters that clearly state that I’m printing Covid- 19 Awareness posters through my graphic and designing company.
However police officers and soldiers beat up my colleagues who were distributing the posters.
My workmates were assaulted with baton sticks for no apparent reason.
Farai Dziva|Police officers and soldiers assaulted residents of the city of Masvingo on Tuesday morning and stopped them from getting into town to buy mealie meal.
In a statement Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights condemned the harassment of citizens by soldiers and police officers.
ZDF Soldiers and @PoliceZimbabwe are on a rampage in Masvingo right now (places like Rujeko Footbridge) assaulting essential workers, with letters of govt approval. Why are you allowing this abuse to continue (vid relates to an earlier incident) @Jamwanda2@nickmangwanapic.twitter.com/P1pnO7TmEM
The High Court has also ordered security forces to respect human rights. This comes after Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had filed a complaint against the police and the army following the brutal attack on one Lucia Masvondo.
“The High Court has just granted an interim order that @PoliceZimbabwe , army and other enforcement officers must respect human rights, dignity and fundamental freedoms, in the case of Lucia Masvondo.
The case challenges torture, inhuman and degrading conduct, disrespect of dignity and violation of Const by @PoliceZimbabwe and army who invaded Masvondo’s home, assaulted her and set dogs on her.
It also challenges none compliance with social distancing by ZRP and others.” Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said in a statement.
Farai Dziva|Police officers and soldiers assaulted residents of the city of Masvingo on Tuesday morning and stopped them from getting into town to buy mealie meal.
In a statement Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights condemned the harassment of citizens by soldiers and police officers.
The High Court has also ordered security forces to respect human rights. This comes after Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had filed a complaint against the police and the army following the brutal attack on one Lucia Masvondo.
“The High Court has just granted an interim order that @PoliceZimbabwe , army and other enforcement officers must respect human rights, dignity and fundamental freedoms, in the case of Lucia Masvondo.
The case challenges torture, inhuman and degrading conduct, disrespect of dignity and violation of Const by @PoliceZimbabwe and army who invaded Masvondo’s home, assaulted her and set dogs on her.
It also challenges none compliance with social distancing by ZRP and others.” Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said in a statement.
The government of Zimbabwe is planning to repatriate its distressed citizens stuck in South Africa following travel bans and lockdowns put in place globally in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter dated April 13, 2020, the Embassy of Zimbabwe in South Africa said it had learnt that there were Zimbabwean citizens and permanent residents facing challenges that would make their continued stay in South Africa uncomfortable and was now liaising with the head office in Harare on the possibility of repatriating those who were willing back to Zimbabwe.
“While consultations with the head office in Harare are underway, the embassy will continue with efforts to come up with a comprehensive evaluation of the situation on the ground as it develops,” Counsellor Martin Makururu wrote.
“Citizens and permanent residents who choose to exercise the option of returning to Zimbabwe during the lockdown period are expected to go into compulsory quarantine for a period of 21 days (three weeks.)”
Makururu pointed out that South Africa allowed the “voluntary, orderly” repatriation of foreign nationals to their countries of origin during the lockdown period.
He said Zimbabwe’s borders remained open to allow for the return of its citizens and permanent residents.
Makururu added that those who wished to return home had to provide their full names and surnames, passport or national identity card numbers, age, gender, current physical address, local [phone number, home address and phone number of next of kin in Zimbabwe a well as the home address in Zimbabwe to the Zimbabwe consulate.
South Africa has recorded more than 2 000 cases of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the country responding by implementing a lockdown. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, has recorded 17 cases and three deaths.
Zimbabwe has implemented a lockdown that is due to end on Sunday.
The High Court has granted an interim order barring police, army and other enforcement officers to respect human rights, dignity and fundamental freedoms when enforcing lockdown measures.
More to follow…
ZDF Soldiers and @PoliceZimbabwe are on a rampage in Masvingo right now (places like Rujeko Footbridge) assaulting essential workers, with letters of govt approval. Why are you allowing this abuse to continue (vid relates to an earlier incident) @Jamwanda2@nickmangwanapic.twitter.com/P1pnO7TmEM
ZDF Soldiers and @PoliceZimbabwe are on a rampage in Masvingo right now (places like Rujeko Footbridge) assaulting essential workers, with letters of govt approval. Why are you allowing this abuse to continue (vid relates to an earlier incident) @Jamwanda2@nickmangwanapic.twitter.com/P1pnO7TmEM
By A Correspondent|Members of the Zimbabwe National Army in partnership with the police are reportedly beating up civilians ahead of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s visit to Masvingo this afternoon.
Mnangagwa is currently on a national tour to assess how citizens are fairing during the 21 Day Lockdown in a process set to inform whether to extend or not the lockdown.
However, the soldiers and police details manning the road from Rujeko township into town were indiscriminately assaulting civilians this morning.
Said a supermarket worker who did not want to be named but could not go to work but said was beaten up this morning:
“The letters from our employers were not working and i was beaten before being told to go back home.”
This is a developing story as ZimEye is engaging the responsible authorities for a comment on this.
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | The words of Hopwell Chingono in 2018 are true today as they were then. Hopwell wrote with all his brains in one place, when he was guarded by reason and common sense unfortunately Chingono now has packed his brains in Chamisa pocket and no longer sees straight. “THERE are two political discussions taking place concurrently around the MDC-T leadership spectacle that reached a crescendo with the passing of Morgan Tsvangirai. One led by rationale and logical thinking hinged on constitutionalism and one led by sycophancy and a popularity contest that doesn’t want to subject itself to the legal dictates of the MDC-T constitution and one that refuses to show respect in death.” Chamisa went on to lead a coup where he forcefully upstaged Khupe and recalled all rebels and led the MDC A. The purpose of MDC was supposed to be seen in its name. It was supposed to be a movement for democratic change but Chamisa had poured sand in the purpose of the MDC and it has become an unconstitutional party.
Ironically the whole time Chamisa and his backers have been refusing to acknowledge the president Emerson Mnangagwa as a legitimate leader. They have insisted on Constitutionalism and blamed ZANU PF for being in the power illegally. The whole time a man who was himself illegal has been causing problems in parliament in international platforms,in the country about the presumed illegality of the legal president. MDC can one day be in power but God forbid the character exhibited by Chamisa shows that once he becomes a president that will be the death of democracy as we know it.
ZANU PF has led by example, despite the disturbances caused by the illegal opposition leadership they were left to be. MDC was meant to reintroduce constitutionalism and a fair environment for political space but it has been found wanting. The party has been breaching their own constitution. They have shown that they are an outfit which respects no law and yet scream the loudest about the rule of law.
The MDC forgets that Democracy was brought in by ZANU PF which actually fought for a one man one vote and fairness to all. The purpose of the war was the need to have clean elections which allowed the winner to govern. But from its inception MDC has sought to disrupt each and every election. They even boast that if they lose they will pour sand which is another word of saying they will disturb any lawful rule in the country.
Zimbabwe is premised within the confines of the rule of law and democratic tenets of free and fair elections. These are the elections the MDC has swore to disrupt.
Chamisa has taken a good lesson from his master Hitler himself. MDC has lost control of the moral compass that it had been defined and based on at inception they have become an unguided missile. Chamisa has adopted Tsvangirai’s character of the use of violence as a weapon of settling disputes and illegal and unconstitutional decisions. This is seen by Chamisa Jon Sikhala and Biti plotting your kill Gutu Mwonzora and Komichi. Instead of sitting down and coming up with a legal solution to their illegal actions they have come up with plots and counter plots to silence any opposition and in the case of Gutu they want him silenced for good. What a shame?
The MDC-T has put up teams of thugs called the vanguards meant to enforce unlawful and undemocratic decisions. “These thugs exist at the center of this party to this very day.” MDC has actually refused to accept court rulings. They have stirred animosity between the judiciary and the people. They have made the people to disrespect the law yet they claim to be a party fenced around legality.
The MDC has lost its purpose it has become a terrorist party led by a Mafia Jecha Chamisa fully advised mercenaries Job And Tendai Biti. MDC has already failed its purpose and should not be allowed even to contest as they are a terrorist party which respects no existing law. Now the MDC are supposed to respect the laws and lead by example. If they cannot follow simple rulings while they are opposition how can they manage when they are in power. Zimbabwe does not need a monster on the helm a vampire has been breeding in the opposition and he is knocking the doors of the state house. Zimbabweans have a duty to close the doors to state house and keep the monster away. Unfortunately, those that support Nelson Chamisa fail to understand the mental condition of Chamisa and his team.
Chamisa and his team have decided to take a route which is not only illegal but satanic demonic and tyrannical. It will be hypocritical for the MDC and indeed Chamisa and his alliance partners to talk about return to constitutionalism as a campaigning tool when they themselves have failed that test dismally.
It is ridiculous for MDC to accuse ED of being a coup leader when they have done the same thing, grabbing power by any means necessary and refuse to abide by the rules or comply with court’s ruling.
Even those who have been sponsoring Chamisa and Biti must be ashamed they must eat a humble pie and allow Zimbabwe to be and to move on. Hopwell Chin’ono who now licks Chamisa’s dirty has this to say in 2018.
“The civil society brigade that went to town about the constitutional breaches derived from the military intervention have been rendered partial and partisan by not condemning the unconstitutional arrangements in the MDC-T.” Yes it is true that by the threats flying around against Gutu and Mwonzora MDC has now adopted mob rule enforced by thug militias known as the vanguard.
The nation has now seen that those who talk too much about witches have a live snake as a belt and is around their waist.
“The fact that the MDC-T has been breaking its constitution and some citizens seeing nothing wrong with it has now created a monster, which if elected will resort to the same default positioning when confronted with similar challenges in the future.” Hopwell had his rare moments of sanity. It is sad to see that there are some people who chose not to see the devil in the pastor’s tittle. Considering that MDC has many lawyers than supporters it baffles to see them deliberately disregarding the decision of the highest court in the land.
“They hate ZANU PF and will give support to this group of people in the hope that it will replace ZANU PF through the ballot box, a dream now too unreal, based on the fast changing political circumstances in the country.”
ZANU PF has always maintained that it was legal and that the one who sees a piece of grass in one’s eye is usually blinded by his log in his eye. It has shown that MDC never wanted to continue the legacy of democracy but they just wanted to grab power. They have grabbed power within their party and they have relied on the misguided popularity of Chamisa. MDC only wishes to replace a democratically elected government with their tyranic unconstitutional outfit.
If constitutionalism was an issue, they would actively encourage that it be adhered to in their party first, in order to show the world that they mean what they say. Unfortunately MDC has climbed down from the tree of democracy. MDC has preached a word which says do as I say not as I do. The embarrassment in the MDC party is that it is a party led by a lawyer and supported by lawyers who are breaking the law.
Chamisa and Biti have tried to circumvent the law by saying theirs is a new entity called MDC A. “For a party that was once known for its advocacy for constitutionalism, it is also ironic that it doesn’t have a constitution readily available online or on request.”
The Supreme Court made it clear that Chamisa is an illegitimate leader who is pushing a regime change agenda. This explains why Biti and Sikhala advocate for an illegal regime change. Chamisa has always been confused and he was completely finished when he placed his trust from the old guards to the two rebels who successfully destroyed any hope left for Chamisa to rule. Zimbabweans need to stand up and show Chamisa a way out of politics. Zimbabwe cannot be held at ransom by an illegal opposition led by an illegal leader who is sabotaging the nation.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he will review the Lockdown period on April 20. He is currently on a tour of all provinces to access the current situation and map the way forward. Do you think that the #21DayLockdown should be extended?
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that he is currently touring the country’s provinces to appreciate the situation on the ground with regards to the coronavirus pandemic and the effects of the national lockdown on the nation.
He said that the findings from the tour will be used to determine whether the national lockdown should be extended or its regulations are adjusted. He said:
We shall review the situation on the 20th of April on whether we adjust the lockdown conditions or we extend.
The president’s remarks come when there is a fake statement circulating on social media suggesting that he has extended the lockdown.
Zimbabwe is currently on a 21-day lockdown that is premised at stopping the spread or transmission of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
The country also has 17 confirmed cases including three (3) deaths, a number which some say could rise if the government embarks on more rigorous testing, tracking of case contacts and quarantine campaign.-statemedia
Three members of the Sungano Apostolic church died in a tunnel at Murahwa’s hill in Chikanga in an attempt to secretly conduct a sermon recently.
The deceased Timothy Mandeya aged 23, Rodric Mafongoya (28) and Maimbo Nigel (17) allegedly succumbed to smoke from a fire that had been lit in the tunnel for their night prayers on Wednesday.
Manicaland Police Spokeperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa said one of the seven survivors who escaped suffocation from the tunnel, Walter Kwaime reported the incident to the police upon realization that 3 of their members had died leading to their arrest for contravening the covid-19 lockdown offence act of 2020.
Inspector Kakohwa added that the deceased were taken for postmotem at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, further urging members of the public to heed the lockdown call by government.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that he is currently touring the country’s provinces to appreciate the situation on the ground with regards to the coronavirus pandemic and the effects of the national lockdown on the nation.
He said that the findings from the tour will be used to determine whether the national lockdown should be extended or its regulations are adjusted. He said:
We shall review the situation on the 20th of April on whether we adjust the lockdown conditions or we extend.
The president’s remarks come when there is a fake statement circulating on social media suggesting that he has extended the lockdown.
Zimbabwe is currently on a 21-day lockdown that is premised at stopping the spread or transmission of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
The country also has 17 confirmed cases including three (3) deaths, a number which some say could rise if the government embarks on more rigorous testing, tracking of case contacts and quarantine campaign.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- It is alleged that three 3 man from Kwekwe have been arrested for armed robbery during this lock down period.
Obvious Magodhi (24), Tawanda Rodney Chiku (29) And Keen Cain Makainganwa (34) were arrested for armed robbery targeting dealers of vehicle catalyst and money changers.
The police is said to have recovered a pietro Berreta Pistol with 48 rounds smuggled from South Africa.
The robbers have confirmed that that they armed robbery cases in Kadoma, Chegutu and Gweru.-Online
THERE is panic among nurses at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) after a man died of suspected COVID-19 at the health institution on Saturday morning.
The man, who reportedly exhibited symptoms synonymous with the dreaded virus, was admitted in Forrester Ward, where he reportedly died on Saturday.
The matter was, however, reportedly being swept under the carpet by some senior health officials, although the Bulawayo City Council was summoned to fumigate the ward and the hospital’ s morgue on the same day
The man, who reportedly travelled to Dubai, last month had his specimen taken and results were reportedly not yet released.
UBH chief executive Nonhlanhla Ndlovu said she was out of town and was not aware of the issue.
” … I’ m out of town. You can contact the acting CEO, Dr (Narcisius) Dzvanga,” Ndlovu said.
However, Dzvanga initially dispelled the issue, saying the fumigation was done at the mortuary after housing a COVID-19 body, that of case 11, a 79-year-old man who died at the Catholic-run Mater Dei Hospital last week, the third recorded death in the country.
“Not to my knowledge and I am the acting CEO and clinical director. We haven’ t had a case of the dreaded COVID-19. Possibly at the mortuary as we housed the deceased, a positive case from Mater Dei,” he said.
However, moments later, he confirmed that they admitted a suspected COVID-19case.
“Just confirmed you are correct, but the Forrester Ward was disinfected as a precautionary measure. Otherwise, the case tested negative,” he said.
“My most profound apologies, I wasn’ t informed of this activity at all. I thank you for bringing that to my attention.”
A source said there was a suspected death of coronavirus at the health institution.
“The patient died yesterday (Saturday) in Forrester Ward, so they are waiting for the results. If they come out positive, we are all in trouble. They are saying results are not yet out and the patient had visited Dubai last month,” the source said.
She said the nursing staff was afraid to attend to him for fear of being exposed to the virus without proper protective clothing.
“Sisters at Forrester Ward were afraid of him. He was shouting and shouting, but they were too scared to go there. He died on Saturday early morning in Forrester Ward. The mortuary and the Ward were fumigated by the city council,” she said.
Bulawayo recorded its first COVID-19 death after a 79-year-old man got into a contact with a visitor from the United Kingdom and died on April 4 at Mater Dei Hospital, becoming the third recorded death in the country.
Forty seven of his contacts have so far been traced.
Government has however remained silent on the abuses which has also not spared journalists.
Last week, a female journalist Mary Taruvinga was forced to toyi- toyi for an estimated 30 minutes before she was let go in the central business district by soldiers and police. This was despite that she had produced her media accreditation card and explained that she was on duty.
The MISA is also on record condemning the arrest and beating of journalists.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba is however on record justifying why the country has recorded more arrests than tests for coronavirus.
Zimbabwe Ambassador to South Africa David Hamadziripi
Zimbabweans in South Africa who may be in distress from the lockdown will soon be allowed to come back home, the country’s Ambassador to South Africa David Hamadziripi has said.
In an interview yesterday, Ambassador Hamadziripi said the embassy in South Africa and consulates countrywide had received distress calls that some Zimbabweans were finding it difficult to make ends meet owing to the South African national lockdown and wanted to come back home.
“We want to ascertain the numbers and locations of those who may be in need of this assistance and advise the authorities of our Government accordingly,” he said.
There is a large number of Zimbabweans living in South Africa.
Some are formally employed across all the sectors of the economy that include banking, hospitality and education, but the majority do menial jobs or are unemployed.
Those intending to come back home should contact the embassy or the consulates so that arrangements for repatriation can be made, said Ambassador Hamadziripi.
“The Consulate of Zimbabwe in Cape Town would like to know if there are any Zimbabwean nationals in distress during this lockdown and are willing to be repatriated home,” said the consulate in a statement yesterday.
Chikuvanganga MDC-T Member|This letter is a supplement to my letter dated 7 April 2020 which I sent to you via email on the same day. I have realized that my letter attracted a lot of interest amongst our party members and members of the media most who wanted to know my view on the status of the MDC Alliance and that has necessitated this letter as a supplement.
I have seen that some people who want to benefit from both the MDC Alliance and the MDC-T are now denying the fact that the MDC Alliance is a political party separate from the MDC-T.
It is my considered view that the issue of whether the MDC Alliance is a political party separate from the MDC-T or not was already decided by a competent court of jurisdiction having come before the Constitutional Court in Case No CCZ 42/18, a matter between Nelson Chamisa versus Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa & 24 others including yourself.
You will recall from that case that the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Justice Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba who was the named 24th Respondent in that case deposed to an affidavit in opposition of that Presidential petition.
A thorough look of that opposing affidavit especially in paragraphs 20,4 and 47,5 will show that the Chairperson of ZEC while under oath acknowledged the MDC Alliance as a political party separate to the MDC-T.
If you also look at paragraph 94 (c) of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s opposing affidavit, in that case, he clearly acknowledged the MDC Alliance as a political party separate to the MDC-T. Having said that, a closer look of the full judgment of that Presidential Election petition at page 119 will show that the Constitutional Court which is the most superior Court in Zimbabwe composed of 9 Judges including Justice Garwe and Justice Patel who were on the panel of the recent Supreme Court case acknowledged the MDC Alliance as a political party separate to the MDC-T.
Now that the Constitutional Court which is the most superior court in Zimbabwe whose decisions bind every person and institution has already acknowledged the MDC Alliance as a political party, it is contemptuous for Douglas Mwonzora, Morgan Komichi or anyone to say that the MDC Alliance is not a political party. It is not wise for us as a party to support the notion that the MDC Alliance is not a political party when the Constitutional Court, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and President Mnangagwa acknowledged them as a political party in a case in which you were a party.
This will amount to an attack to the same Judges who reinstated you as the Acting President of the MDC-T.
Apart from acknowledging the MDC Alliance as a political party in the affidavit, I mentioned above, President Mnangagwa through his Chief Secretary Dr Misheck Sibanda wrote a letter to you and Advocate Chamisa inviting you to the initial dialogue at the State House.
The letter that he sent to Advocate Nelson Chamisa was clearly addressed to him as the President of the MDC Alliance while the one that was sent to you was addressed to you as the President of the MDC-T. That is abundant evidence to show that the Constitutional Court, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and President Mnangagwa recognize the MDC Alliance as a political party separate to the MDC-T. Let us not be used by people who abandoned our party and campaigned against you and they now want us to divert our attention by indirectly fighting ZEC, the Constitutional Court and President Mnangagwa by saying that the MDC Alliance is not a political party when it is a political party.
The best for us is to move to our Extra-Ordinary Congress as MDC-T and make it clear that those that had moved to the MDC Alliance were automatically expelled from the MDC-T and if they want to come back they should re-apply and wait for 5 years in order to qualify for any post.
IMF debt relief, why was Zimbabwe excluded, is this because of sanctions?
Kristalina Georgieva
Yesterday the IMF announced debt relief for 25 countries and Zimbabwe was excluded. Those who have obtained it are: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, D.R., The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo, and Yemen.
We have been in touch with the IMF, an official position will be published in about 6 hrs on ZimEye- so far the indications are that:
there are only 25 countries
the 25 are the ones who may have expressed interest, Zimbabwe likely did not bother to ask for assistance.
IMF officer to respond by end of day today.
Meanwhile, below is the full IMF press statement:
Washington, DC – Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued the following statement:
“Today, I am pleased to say that our Executive Board approved immediate debt service relief to 25 of the IMF’s member countries under the IMF’s revamped Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) as part of the Fund’s response to help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months and will help them channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts.
“The CCRT can currently provide about US$500 million in grant-based debt service relief, including the recent US$185 million pledge by the U.K. and US$100 million provided by Japan as immediately available resources. Others, including China and the Netherlands, are also stepping forward with important contributions. I urge other donors to help us replenish the Trust’s resources and boost further our ability to provide additional debt service relief for a full two years to our poorest member countries.”
The countries that will receive debt service relief today are: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, D.R., The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo, and Yemen.
Managing Director (MD) and Chairwoman of the International Monetary Fund Bulgarian Economist Kristalina Georgieva
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announced on Monday that the Fund had approved immediate debt service relief to 25 of the IMF’s member countries under the IMF’s revamped Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT).
The countries that will receive debt service relief are Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, D.R.C., The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo and Yemen.
“Today, I am pleased to say that our Executive Board approved immediate debt service relief to 25 of the IMF’s member countries under the IMF’s revamped Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) as part of the Fund’s response to help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms. Georgieva said in a statement received in Washington D.C.
“This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months and will help them channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts.
“The CCRT can currently provide about US$500 million in grant-based debt service relief, including the recent US$185 million pledge by the UK and US$100 million provided by Japan as immediately available resources. Others, including China and the Netherlands, are also stepping forward with important contributions.
“I urge other donors to help us replenish the Trust’s resources and boost further our ability to provide additional debt service relief for a full two years to our poorest member countries,” she added.
INGWEBU Breweries producers of traditional beer, Indlovu, has been granted essential service status like it’s rival Chibuku Breweries of Delta Beverages.
The Bulawayo plant and will operate with skeletal staff during the lockdown period to ensure workers are not exposed to the deadly Covid-19, the company’s managing director has said.
President Mnangagwa declared the 21-day national lockdown over a fortnight ago. He ordered businesses that provide non-essential services to close but said those providing essentials remain open.
A week into three lockdown, beer manufacturer, Delta Beverages Company were classified as an essential services provider and exempted from the national 21-day lockdown.
The integrated beverage company has a diverse portfolio of local and international brands of lager beers, traditional beers, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages.
In a letter addressed to Delta Beverages chief executive, Pearson Gowero by Mary Sibanda, Industry Ministry Permanent Secretary advised the blue chip company to continue with its operations during the lockdown.
Since the start of the lockdown Ingwebu Breweries has been closed. The company manufactures opaque beer and maheu. In a telephone interview yesterday, Ingwebu managing director Mr Dumisani Mhlanga said they resumed operations on Sunday.
“Two days before the lockdown we immediately stopped production and we resumed yesterday after consulting with authorities who granted us permission to be regarded as an essential service,” he said.
“As a company we have 532 employees and in light of the pandemic we will operate with a skeletal staff of 112 employees.”
Mr Mhlanga said the remaining staff members would continue to be placed under paid leave until the lockdown ends.
“As we will be operating using skeletal staff, other employees will be placed on paid leave as we follow Government’s directive that there will be no salary cuts during the lockdown.
“We will be operating on a 30 percent production basis meaning that we can only supply to wholesale and modern trade,” said Mr Mhlanga.
In view of Government’s directive allowing businesses to accept foreign currency for domestic transactions, Ingwebu said it was embracing the move and would sell its products in forex.
The move comes after Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor, Dr John Mangudya, announced that individuals and businesses can now trade freely in forex. He also fixed the exchange rate at US$1:ZW$25 during the lockdown period.
“We definitely are going to also offer the facility of selling in forex as we need the foreign currency to buy equipment and our inputs.
“We will sell based on the interbank exchange rate as set by the central bank,” said Mr Mhlanga.
Ingwebu Breweries was established in 1946 as a department of Bulawayo City Council and in 1996, council established a wholly-owned business entity under which the company falls.
NewsDay|The MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe has been accused of offering bribes to members of the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance members in the Midlands and several other parts of the country to manufacture fake 2014 structures ahead of an expected extra-ordinary congress as recently ordered by the Supreme Court.
Khupe was given reigns to be interim president of the MDC by the Supreme Court in a judgment delivered by Justice Bharat Patel.
Her backers, led by former chairperson Morgen Komichi as well as Douglas Mwonzora, have maintained that the ruling meant she had taken over leadership of the Chamisa-led MDC Alliance.
But MDC Alliance vice-president Tendai Biti has denied such interpretation, saying the
MDC-T was a different party altogether with nothing to do with the Chamisa-led formation.
The Supreme Court judgment also ordered Khupe to convene “an extra-ordinary congress in three months to elect a substantive leadership of the MDC”.
In a bid to solidify support for Khupe at the intended extra-ordinary congress, sources told our sister paper The Standard that some MDC-T officials had been dangling US$100 bribes to MDC Alliance activists in the Midlands to produce fake 2014 structures list with real names of MDC people, but who may not have been position holders during that period.
Takavafira Zhou, the MDC Alliance’s Midlands provincial spokesperson, confirmed the development.
“It has come to the provincial leadership’s attention that the rebels are running mad and offering US$100 to anyone who can assist in the production of even fake 2014 MDC-T structures. We are aware of the current hardships, but want to encourage our genuine MDC Alliance members never to salivate at a poisoned carrot,” he said.
“Co-operating in supplying fake 2014 structures is just like kissing a rabid dog.”
Zhou said the party leadership learnt that the Khupe team was in Kwekwe on Sunday pursuing that mission.
“Some of our officials have informed us that rebel agents were in Kwekwe (on Sunday) and tried to hoodwink MDC Alliance members to provide fake 2014 structures without success. Let our CCC (constituency co-ordinating committee) be appraised that as a party, we have the 2014 structures,” Zhou said.
“We want to remind our lower structures that only the provincial organising department or other provincial members assigned by the organising department can request for the structures from our constituency co-ordinating committees (formerly districts). To be forewarned is to be forearmed. It is, however, prudent to report any attempt (and at whatever level) by rebels to extend feelers to MDC Alliance supporters.
“Vigilance demands that we must always be resilient every time and be ready to define, defend and nurture the democratic agenda under the leadership of the people’s president, Nelson Chamisa.”
Zhou also said that the MDC Midlands province had thrown its weight behind Chamisa.
“The three provincial wings in Midlands (men, women and youth) and 28 constituencies are solely behind the people’s president, Nelson Chamisa.
“Lest some people may forget, leadership in any political party is determined politically and not through the courts. President Nelson Chamisa is the undisputed leader of MDC Alliance and there are no two ways about this historical reality,” he said.
“Two political parties, MDC Alliance and MDC-T, went to elections as independent entities, making the court decisions not only warped, but also void.
“We wish Khupe her best in her machination, which is futile, as we will remain resolute resilient behind president Chamisa. The courts cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong; neither can they weaken the strong to strengthen the weak.”
Mwonzora yesterday denied sending teams to bribe people to get doctored 2014 structures.
“That is totally false. The list of 2014 structures is there already in our records. After lockdown, we will be verifying the actual existence of these people,” he said.
“No team was ever sent out as alleged. We are on lockdown, remember.”
Lubelihle Maphosa, right, with a fellow Highlanders fan.
Own Correspondent|HIGHLANDERS FC top supporter Lubelihle Maphosa, succumbed to an asthma attack at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) on Sunday.
Her death comes at a time when health practitioners are calling on more attention to be given to anyone with asthma in the wake of the deadly Coronavirus outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently listed asthma as a condition that make someone “more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.”
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also lists asthma as a chronic medical conditions which makes one more at risk, noting that asthmatics should “take precautions when any type of respiratory illness is spreading in their community.”
Government in Zimbabwe has also announced that criteria for those who qualify for Coronavirus testing has been widened to include all patients with fever in health facilities.
The extended measures were announced by Vice President Kembo Mohadi in a detailed briefing to the media at State House last night in his capacity as the chairperson of the Ad hoc Committee Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19.
VP Mohadi said all cases of pneumonia admitted in hospitals (public and private), all people admitted in hospitals with chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases now qualified for Covid-19 testing.
Health officials from the UBH did not disclose if any Covid-19 tests were conducted on the deceased football lover.
Popularly known as Luba, the 35-year-old rarely missed Highlanders’ matches and was a member of the club’s Team Away group that travelled for all Bosso’s games outside Bulawayo.
Bosso fans, saddened that they will not give their “heroine” a befitting send-off due to the Covid-19 lockdown, described Maphosa as a sociable character, whom they were going to miss.
Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe said their thoughts are with Maphosa’s family.
“Our deepest condolences to Maphosa’s family and her friends. It is never easy to lose a loved one and as Highlanders, our thoughts are with the family and friends during such difficult times,” said Mhlophe.
Maphosa is survived by two sons Tadi (6) and Sipho (13).
She will be buried in Bulawayo on Thursday.
Mourners are gathered at number 43 Lerine Road, Trenance.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi
Own Correspondent|Police have revealed that more than 5 200 people have so far been arrested for defying lockdown regulations which are meant to avert the spread of Covid-19.
The figure of arrested persons is ten times more than that of people who have been tested for the virus in the country since its outbreak in China in December last year.
Health professionals have sounded alarm over the country’s limited capacity to test people for the coronavirus, warning that a lack of critical equipment and infrastructure shortages may result in many cases going undetected.
Zimbabwe reported its first case on March 20 and so far, it has tested only 600 people for COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. The country – which has so far been having only one COVID-19 test centre, in the capital, Harare – has confirmed 17 cases, including three deaths.
At least 1,8 million people have been infected with the coronavirus globally while more than 115 000 have been killed.
In an interview, National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said a total of 515 people were arrested on Saturday alone while he said his office was still compiling arrests made on Sunday and yesterday as they were public holidays and some officers were not on duty.
He said some people continued to disregard the lockdown orders as parties and public drinking continued, while some people continued to move about unnecessarily.
“We have arrested a total of 5 226 people so far from the commencement of the 21-day lockdown period for defiance of the gazetted orders. Most of the offences have been linked to road traffic offences, operating businesses without authorisation during this period, unnecessary movement, liquor related, illegal gatherings such as parties among others,” he said.
“On Saturday alone, we arrested 515 people and more arrests were made on Sunday and today (yesterday). However, I will be able to give more statistics on Sunday and Monday arrests tomorrow (today),” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa warned the lack of testing kits could spell disaster.
“A disaster is loading in Zimbabwe. Lives are at risk. We must invest in testing and tracking. A lockdown without testing, tracking and isolation is useless,” Chamisa said in a Twitter post.
“Rwanda has tested 1,500 people in two days and South Africa has tested 68,000 so far. Zimbabwe has ‘tested’ 600 people only over the past month.”
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | In a very ironical turn around Chinese are blaming foreigners for bringing Corona virus in China . In December 2019 Corona Virus reared it’s ugly head in Wuhan. It ravaged the city killing thousands forcing a town of ten million to be quarantined. The police would arrest and quarantine any one who was suspected of having been infected. At that time China was confused. No one new the origins of the virus only to say it originated in China. The doctor who blew the whistle was tormented. He was later to die of the very virus he had whistled about. China acted in a very drastic but effective way to contain the virus. The whole world ignored China they never thought that the virus might make it to their land.
It is immoral and irresponsible to sow discord when we need solidarity. We urge the US to focus on #COVID19 at home & stop driving a wedge between China and Africa. pic.twitter.com/FhW3gVUVBU
China was praised for working decisively and fighting heroically against the virus. China put all its money on the path to fight the COVID 19. It came up with a lot of Knowlledge which it shared with other countries to fight this pandemic. Everybody expected China to understand this virus and lead in a war to eradicate it. China as China made mistakes of altering figures and giving inaccurate information. No one on earth would believe that Corona virus left Wuhan China to infect the whole world but missed Beijing and any other China’s city. This can not be right China has been very economic with the truth. Now the painful thing is with all that Knowlledge China is playing ignorant and turning against foreigners blaming them for bringing the virus. In a very barbaric way the Chinese are targeting only black Africans. Most Africans Africans are left homeless amid rising xenophobia in China, This has prompted the U.S. to warns African Americans against travel to China. Hong Kong (CNN) has reported that The African community in Guangzhou is on edge after widespread accounts were shared on social media of people being left homeless this week, as China’s warnings against imported coronavirus cases stoke anti-foreigner sentiment. With a particular target on Black foreigners Chinese have evicted all blacks from their renting accusing them of bringing the virus to China. In the southern Chinese city, Africans have been evicted from their homes by landlords and turned away from hotels, despite many claiming to have no recent travel history or known contact with Covid-19 patients. Reported Hong Kong CNN. One Zimbabwean student TC was forcefully tested, she was found negative and briefly released. Two days later police descended on her at her house (Chang’an in Guangdong Province ) dragged her in handcuffs as if they are arresting a criminal. They have forced her into 14 day quarantine into a place not disclosed. Another Zimbabwean student who has been in China for a year never left China the whole year was dragged of the train and dragged into a police van taken straight to quarantine. He called his parents from the quarantine telling them that the treatment he is getting is worse than that of a dog. Some African students are now finding shelter under the bridges and by road sides as they have been kicked out of hotels and school accommodations accused of being potential carriers of the virus. A group of Nigerian students where forced to take some trial medication in exchange of freedom. The fight against Corona in China is discriminatory and totally in humane. CNN interviewed more than two dozen Africans living in Guangzhou many of whom told of the same experiences: being left without a home, being subject to random testing for Covid-19, or being quarantined for 14 days despite having no symptoms or contact with known patients. The situation is tense and indeed the government must do something to protect its citizens abroad. China is our all weather friend but the cruelty exhibited by the Chinese in China can only be seen in hell. Health authorities in Guangdong province and the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau did not respond to CNN’s request for comment as expected. But we should know that our friend is miles away from honesty so we need to hear the voice of our citizens trapped in the jaws of the Chinese police. Contacted for comment the Chinese High Commission in Harare said” China opposes all forms of discrimination in any part of the world against any individual , group of population, and ethnicity.
In the face of the threat of COVID 19, China and Africa need solidarity more than ever before. The Chinese government, business community, and individuals are making their best effort to support African countries in countering the pandemic. Tough measures are being put in place around the world, including in China and Zimbabwe. Minimising imported cases and guarding against a resurgence of the virus is the focus of China’s dight right now. For this purpose, the understanding, support, and collaboration of all Chinese citizens and foreign nationals in China are needed. Throughout this fight, China treats all individuals in the country, Chinese and foreign alike, as equals. We do not differentiate our approaches. We implement a zero- tolerance policy on racial discrimination. “ This statement contradicts what is on the ground where those quarantined shows no signs fairness or equality. All in forced quarantine are black Africans not Black Chinese.
“It is harmful,” continued the Chinese high Commission in Zimbabwe “ to sensationalise isolate incidents or what is misunderstanding caused by insufficient communication. To misrepresent this as tension between nationals and races is dangerous.” The Chinese embassy here admits that people are victimised because of language barriers. This is a very vague admission but there is no promise to investigate or correct the misunderstandings. The embassy continues that “Since March, Zimbabwe has seen a series of cases in which Chinese nationals with medical conditions unrelated to Covid-19, were refused treatment by local hospitals. Some Chinese individuals were even verbally and physically abused in streets. Instead of making waves with these cases, the Chinese embassy, Chinese nationals and journalists in Zimbabwe chose to inform the Zimbabwean authorities. This is because we do not believe the Zimbabwean government and general population condone such behaviour.” In short the embassy is saying our people where ill treated in your country so you need to shut up when we do the same to yours. This is pure bullying and abuse of friendship. “We have taken note of relevant reports. In response to the occasional incidents and misunderstanding in the process of implementing epidemic prevention and control measures in relevant places in China, we will communicate with the relevant parties timely to promote the improvement of working methods and make sure well-intentioned policies are carried out to a good effect. We also expect all foreign nationals in China to fully comply with the local policies aimed at controlling the pandemic and support and cooperate with the local authorities as they discharge their lawful duty. Only by working together can we win this tough battle” The Chinese are literally trying to silence Zimbabwe into submission. Citizens are suffering and the sad thing the embassy does not apologise but simply blame Zimbabwe and tries to justify the cruelty perpetrated on Black foreigners in China. Chinese do mistreat locals even in their own country. They beat up chiefs police officers threaten ministers just take the law into their own hands in Zimbabwe Zambia and most parts of Africa. While the Chinese government means well their people needs respect education on foreign relations. The response by the Chinese embassy comes amid heightened media coverage of the so-called second wave of coronavirus cases, emanating from infections outside of China. Earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged authorities to carefully watch for imported cases from other countries, state news agency Xinhua reported. This then was misunderstood by the Chinese to mean treat the Africans with no respect. But one aspect of the data has received relatively less public attention: on March 26, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Luo Zhaohui said 90% of China’s imported cases held Chinese passports. Despite this evidence the foreigners remains targets in China. On Thursday the 9th of April afternoon, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: “Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, China and African countries have always supported each other and have always fought against the virus jointly. But the minister did not comment on the abuse of the Africans by the Chinese in China. “I would like to emphasize that the Chinese government treats all foreigners in China equally, opposes any differentiated practices targeted at specific groups of people, and has zero tolerance for discriminatory words and actions.” The minister said but this was too little to far. Because of the abuse which is only targeted on blacks,the US Consulate in Guangzhou warned African-Americans to avoid travel to the city because they will be mistaken as Africans. “In response to an increase in Covid-19 infections, officials in the Guangzhou metropolitan area escalated scrutiny of foreign nationals,” the consulate said in a statement. “As part of this campaign, police ordered bars and restaurants not to serve clients who appear to be of African origin. Moreover, local officials launched a round of mandatory tests for Covid-19, followed by mandatory self-quarantine, for anyone with ‘African contacts,’ regardless of recent travel history or previous quarantine completion. This is sickening and knee shaking.
“African-Americans have also reported that some businesses and hotels refuse to do business with them.” So the target is the black skin. Why. Why ??
Earlier this week, images began circulating online of rows of Africans sleeping on the streets of Guangzhou, beside their luggage, having either been evicted from their apartments or been turned away from hotels. Other videos showed police harassing Africans on the street. This evidence is implacable and does not lie. On Wednesday, Nigerian trader Nonso, whose name has been changed to protect his identity due to fear of government reprisals, says he and his girlfriend received a message from their landlord at 7 p.m. on WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, saying they needed to vacate their flat by 8 p.m.. “I told him I can’t vacate in one hour,” said Nonso, who pays 1,500 yuan ($212) a month for his apartment in the Nanhai, on the outskirts of Guangzhou, and has lived in China for three years.
At 10 p.m. he says his landlord came to the flat and cut off the electricity and water supply. “I asked them, what did I do? I’ve paid rent until September with two months’ deposit. They didn’t give me any reason,” he said.
Nonso called the police, who let them remain in the apartment for the night. But in the morning, Nonso says the landlord returned with a different officer, who said he had to leave.
Africans in China have long complained of racism, in the form of Chinese people holding their noses as they walk past, racially offensive adverts on television, and Chinese actors performing in blackface in a nationwide gala.
Earlier this year, when Beijing proposed changes to its immigration laws around permanent residency, a backlash emerged on Chinese social media site Weibo against Africans. Many of the comments have since been removed from the platform.
Considering the way Chinese are treated in Africa it pains to see how they return the warm African goodness in China.
Our ministry of foreign Affairs must be intimidated. They must demand protection for their nationals in China. Requesting respect does not mean we are not grateful for the help of any Chinese are giving us. China refuses to denounce this behaviour and chose to say you have done that to our one citizen.
Zimbabwe must not allow its people to be treated like second class humans. We are equally important to China as they are to us. We are not just getting hand outs we are giving them our natural resources. ZIMBABWE must be known of its own pride and its self confidence. What ever happened we are human beings we are Zimbabweans we deserve better.
These Zimbabweans suffering are students paying their fees giving foreign currency to China. Why China Why?
Vice President Kembo Mohadi, accompanied by Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri (right), is led on a tour of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals facilities by clinical director Dr Aspect Maunganidze (left) in Harare yesterday.
Government is still continuing making promises that it is prioritising providing frontline health workers with protective equipment against Coronavirus but nothing or very little is seen on the ground.
Vice President Kembo Mohadi made yet another of the ongoing promises on Monday when he toured Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to assess work being carried out to prepare the hospital to handle Covid-19 patients.
VP Mohadi, who also chairs the inter-ministerial ad hoc committee on Covid-19, said before the tour: “Now when it comes to our frontline soldiers, those that are on the frontline in the fight against this pandemic, we need to kit them because there is no point going to war with soldiers without ammunition, so we need to kit you when you are attending these patients.
“Your personal protective equipment has to be available. We have to look at it that everything is done in accordance with what you want done. Last Friday, I had a meeting with the Senior Hospital Doctors’ Association. They gave me their reservations, they gave me what they want done and we promised that we are going to do whatever they want to see done.”
VP Mohadi said Government would do all it could to protect the workers and ensure they did not feel neglected.
He said the fight against the pandemic should involve all Zimbabweans.
“This is our war together as Zimbabweans, we have no one to look at,” said VP Mohadi.
“As you know, we are under sanctions and we don’t have everything that is required. What we have is our own resilience as Zimbabweans; what we have is our own way of looking at this thing and observing what is supposed to be done so that we minimise as much as we can the spread of this pandemic and I am sure together as a team, Zimbabwe as a team, we are going to prevail.”
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals chief executive Mr Ernest Manyau said the hospital would be divided into two zones — the red zone meant for Covid-19 patients and the green zone for other patients.
Some of the works being carried out include barricading the sections to prevent cross infections, plumbing and electrical works and repairs of water reticulation.
Mr Manyau said the District Development Fund had already sunk nine boreholes that were being connected to a 2,5 million litre tank at the hospital.
From the 425 beds reserved for Covid-19 patients, 27 would be for the Intensive Care Unit, while 60 have been reserved for paediatrics.
VP Mohadi said he was satisfied with efforts being made in preparation to fight the pandemic.
“They did indicate that there are some areas they would need assistance from Government,” he said.
“The minister is here, Public Works is here, so they will be giving us their requirements so that we work on getting them.”
Earlier in the day, the Vice President toured Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital where he recommended that the institution needed to be worked on to make it suitable to handle Covid-19 patients.
The hospital caters for TB and other infectious diseases and the Vice President said the plan was to have a wing set aside for Covid-19 patients.
“It is bigger, even bigger than Wilkins Hospital, but it needs a lot of attention,” said VP Mohadi.
“They are only using the ground floor now, but they will also want to use the first and second floors, which are quite intact; beds are there and everything is there.”
VP Mohadi said there was need to repair non-functional elevators, drill two more boreholes and improve water and sewer reticulation systems.
He said Government would mobilise resources to upgrade the hospital.
“I have got the Ministry of Health and Child Care here, Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri who is the implementing arm of the Covid-19 taskforce,” said VP Mohadi.
“So we are going to see to it that something is done.
“Local Government and Public Works is going to come here to see what they can do. We are also going to bring a brigade from the army and also prisons, to try to spruce up the image as fast as we can.”
Kembo Mohadi with Monica Mutsvangwa making the announcement to test 40 000 people in 17 days.
Government targets to test at least 40 000 people by the end of April and has adopted a strategy to do 1 000 or more rapid Covid-19 tests daily.
Further, the criteria for those who qualify for testing has been widened to include all patients with fever in health facilities.
Government employees reporting for duty and all persons working during the lockdown interfacing with the community are going to be tested.
Those who fall under this bracket include law enforcement agents, employees of service providers such as retail business, petrol attendants and food outlets.
All health care workers in the frontline in local health facilities, infectious diseases hospitals, provincial and district hospitals and private institutions are also going to be tested.
This was revealed by Vice President Kembo Mohadi in a detailed briefing to the media at State House last night in his capacity as the chairperson of the Ad hoc Committee Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19.
To cater for increased number of tests, five laboratories have been capacitated and one of them began tests in Bulawayo on Sunday with others expected to be operational this week.
Three private laboratories have also indicated that they have the capacity to conduct tests and are working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to finalise logistical modalities.
VP Mohadi said all cases of pneumonia admitted in hospitals (public and private), all people above 60 years of age admitted in hospitals with chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases now qualified for Covid-19 testing.
“The taskforce received submissions from its sub-committees and based on these and other reports the following decisions have been made; ‘the adoption of a strategy to increase testing to a 1 000 samples per day,’” said VP Mohadi.
“This strategy will see the teams in the Ministry of Health and Child care conducting tests from today, 13 April, 2020 in the country’s 10 provinces. The criteria for those to be tested has been increased to include all travellers coming into the country from affected countries in designated quarantine facilities will be tested using rapid diagnostic kits on arrival and PCR on discharge.
“People with influenza like illness in hospital and communities and all contacts of confirmed cases regardless of showing symptoms of the disease. All community deaths happening in areas where there is local transmission (and) all the communities around a cluster of cases.”
VP Mohadi also revealed that out of the 4 000 medical posts unfrozen by Government in response to the Covd-19 threat, 1 400 had already been filled.
He said a cocktail of measures had been put in place to meet the resources needed including commitment to provide personal protective equipment by local institutions of higher learning.
“As such it has been agreed that disposable PPEs should be secured locally from universities and other local producers whose products meet the specifications provided by our health experts and national quality standards as set by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe.
“The translation of all information education and communication materials into the 16 official languages has been completed.”
VP Mohadi said several locations had been identified as places of safety to shelter the homeless and children living and working on the streets as a way of ensuring effective lockdown.
Disgraced former MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora, who claims to have reverted back to his position following a controversial Supreme Court ruling, says he is going ahead with preparations for an MDC-T special elective congress to choose a replacement for founding late former President Morgan Tsvangirai.
The Supreme Court ruled last week that Tsvangirai’s former Deputy Thokozani Khupe was the legitimate acting leader of the opposition following the death of Tsvangirai in February 2018. The court further ruled that the party should go back to its 2014 structures before calling for a congress in 90 days.
In an interview with State Media, Mwonzora, said the congress was expected soon.
“We are supposed to hold the congress within three months of the Supreme Court judgment,” he said.
“We expect to announce the dates and venue of the congress by end of April. If the lockdown is extended, we will advise the delegates by a public notice issued to delegates exactly 30 days before the actual date of the congress.”
He said they were compiling a database for delegates expected to attend the elective indaba.
“So far our staff is compiling the information of all the delegates so that accreditation will be easy,” said Mr Mwonzora.
“After compiling the data, there is going to be a process of verifying delegates lists which is also the voter’s roll.”
All members of the standing committees, the national executives, provincial executive and districts executive representatives and all the chairpersons of the ward executive committees are part of the delegates.
“We are receiving messages which show that our people are looking forward to this congress.
“The congress is an opportunity to settle the MDC leadership wrangle, which Chamisa grabbed through unconstitutional means.”
Mr Mwonzora said there was need to adhere to the laws of the land.
“The party members view it as an opportunity to settle the MDC leadership once and for all,” he said.
Mr Chamisa was welcome and free to put his candidature at the congress, said Mr Mwonzora.
He warned party members against engaging in violence.
“I emphasise that the purpose of this congress is not a witch-hunt or to get rid of any person,” said Mr Mwonzora.
“We appeal to all our members to exercise restraint and not engage in acts of violence.
“We all urge them to desist from hate language against each other.”
State Media|PEDDLERS or originators of falsehoods claiming that the Government had extended the national lockdown by any time-frame face a 20-year jail term if caught, President Mnangagwa warned yesterday, adding that he had since ordered an investigation into the origins of such messages circulating on social media.
The President said this at his Precabe Farm in Sherwood, Kwekwe, after returning from a tour of Mkoba and Senga suburbs in Gweru to assess residents’ levels of compliance to regulations of the current 21-day lockdown
He hinted that Cabinet would meet on the 20th of this month to review whether or not to extend the 21-day national lockdown which expires early next week.
The President dismissed as nonsensical, reports that were doing the rounds on social media purporting that he had extended the lockdown, saying he alone cannot extend without first consulting with his two Vice Presidents and Cabinet.
“I am supposed to make an official statement if we are going to extend the lockdown. 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,” he said.
The President said he and his two deputies would be touring provinces to get an appreciation of the situation on the ground and only then will they sit down and review the lockdown.
He said he would tour at least five provinces to get first-hand information on what is happening on the ground and the effects of the lockdown before the review meeting.
“We shall review the situation on the 20th of April on whether we adjust the lockdown conditions or we extend. It’s a question of a collective discussion after we tour the provinces and get first-hand information on the obtaining situation. I will do my level best to sample at least five provinces on my own, but I have my two Vice Presidents, they will also tour some of the provinces so that we share views as we move forward.”
President Mnangagwa said it was however, better to sacrifice the economy in a bid to save lives by preventing the spread of Covid-19, as he stressed on the need to stay home.
He said the economy can still be rebuilt, but there were no ways anyone could resuscitate life once it was lost.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are suffering socially and economically and the effects are being felt worldwide.
“We, however, have to do our best to preserve life, which is the most precious. If a life is lost that is the end of it, but we can always reconstruct our economy,” he said.
State Media|South Africa based funeral parlours are engaging authorities to ensure that there is smooth process of repatriating bodies, meant for burial in Zimbawe, through Beitbridge Border Post.
Currently, the parlours are concerned with the manner in which the process is being handled with ever-changing rules and regulations on both sides of the border. Under normal circumstances at least 60 bodies are brought into the country through Beitbridge Border Post weekly for burial.
As a result of the state of affairs, six bodies were returned to Johannesburg last Wednesday after the parlours reportedly failed to meet some regulations which are being rolled out under the lockdown guidelines in both Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Initially one relative and the hearse drivers were allowed passage into the country, but now that has been changed. Under new changes, only the South Africa parlours’ driver is expected to leave the human remains with a Zimbabwean parlour at Beitbridge Border Post for onward transportation.
However, this has been met with logistical challenges with parlours from the two countries yet to agree on sharing transportation fees.
On average it costs R15 000 to repatriate the remains of a Zimbabwean from South Africa.
The chairman of the Inner-City Funeral Directors Association- South Africa (IFDA-SA), Mr Nkosi Kwanike Nare said that the state of affairs has resulted in bodies piling up in Johannesburg mortuaries.
He said one of their members was recently fined R18 000 for overloading their morgue with bodies.
“Happy Easter from Hwange, where the lions came last night to say hello to us whilst in ? down. Stay safe and sending love #AmalindaSafariCollection ?? ”
WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
At a news conference from Geneva on Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) clarified its position on whether countries around the world should lift, keep or impose lockdowns and shutdowns to beat the novel coronavirus.
WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus argued that “these decisions must be based first and foremost on protecting human health, and guided by what we know about the virus and how it behaves.”
Dr. Ghebreyesus said although not everything is known about the coronavirus, “control measures must be lifted slowly, and with control.”
“It cannot happen all at once. Control measures can only be lifted if the right public health measures are in place, including significant capacity for contact tracing,” he said.
In low-income countries, such as many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, “the stay-at-home orders and other restrictions used in some high-income countries may not be practical,” he said.
“Many poor people, migrants and refugees are already living in overcrowded conditions with few resources and little access to health care. How do you survive a lockdown when you depend on your daily labor to eat?
“News reports from around the world describe how many people are in danger of being left without access to food.Meanwhile, schools have closed for an estimated 1.4 billion children.
“This has halted their education, opened some to increased risk of abuse, and deprived many children of their primary source of food.As I have said many times, physical distancing restrictions are only part of the equation, and there are many other basic public health measures that need to be put in place,” he said.
Dr. Ghebreyesus also called on nations from around the world “to ensure that where stay-at-home measures are used, they must not be at the expense of human rights.”
“Each government must assess their situation, while protecting all their citizens, and especially the most vulnerable,” he said, adding that “To support countries in making these decisions, WHO will tomorrow be publishing its updated strategic advice.”
Read full remarks by WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 13 April 2020
13 April 2020
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
Some countries and communities have now endured several weeks of social and economic restrictions.
Some countries are considering when they can lift these restrictions; others are considering whether and when to introduce them.
In both cases, these decisions must be based first and foremost on protecting human health, and guided by what we know about the virus and how it behaves.
Since the beginning, this has been an area of intense focus for WHO.
As we have said many times before, this is a new virus, and the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus.
We’re all learning all the time and adjusting our strategy, based on the latest available evidence.
We can only say what we know, and we can only act on what we know.
Evidence from several countries is giving us a clearer picture about this virus, how it behaves, how to stop it and how to treat it.
We know that COVID-19 spreads fast, and we know that it is deadly – 10 times deadlier than the 2009 flu pandemic.
We know that the virus can spread more easily in crowded environments like nursing homes.
We know that early case-finding, testing, isolating caring for every case and tracing every contact is essential for stopping transmission.
We know that in some countries, cases are doubling every 3 to 4 days.
However, while COVID-19 accelerates very fast, it decelerates much more slowly.
In other words, the way down is much slower than the way up.
That means control measures must be lifted slowly, and with control. It cannot happen all at once. Control measures can only be lifted if the right public health measures are in place, including significant capacity for contact tracing.
But while some countries are considering how to ease restrictions, others are considering whether to introduce them – especially many low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In countries with large poor populations, the stay-at-home orders and other restrictions used in some high-income countries may not be practical.Many poor people, migrants and refugees are already living in overcrowded conditions with few resources and little access to health care. How do you survive a lockdown when you depend on your daily labor to eat?
News reports from around the world describe how many people are in danger of being left without access to food.Meanwhile, schools have closed for an estimated 1.4 billion children. This has halted their education, opened some to increased risk of abuse, and deprived many children of their primary source of food.
As I have said many times, physical distancing restrictions are only part of the equation, and there are many other basic public health measures that need to be put in place. We also call on all countries to ensure that where stay-at-home measures are used, they must not be at the expense of human rights.
Each government must assess their situation, while protecting all their citizens, and especially the most vulnerable.
To support countries in making these decisions, WHO will tomorrow be publishing its updated strategic advice.
The new strategy summarizes what we’ve learned and charts the way forward. It includes six criteria for countries as they consider lifting restrictions:
First, that transmission is controlled;
Second, that health system capacities are in place to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact;
Third, that outbreak risks are minimized in special settings like health facilities and nursing homes;
Fourth, that preventive measures are in place in workplaces, schools and other places where it’s essential for people to go;
Fifth, that importation risks can be managed;
And sixth, that communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the “new norm”.
Every country should be implementing a comprehensive set of measures to slow down transmission and save lives, with the aim of reaching a steady state of low-level or no transmission.
Countries must strike a balance between measures that address the mortality caused by COVID-19, and by other diseases due to overwhelmed health systems, as well as the social economic impacts.
As the pandemic has spread, its public health and socioeconomic impacts have been profound, and have disproportionately affected the vulnerable. Many populations have already experienced a lack of access to routine, essential health services.
Our global connectedness means the risk of re-introduction and resurgence of the disease will continue.
Ultimately, the development and delivery of a safe and effective vaccine will be needed to fully interrupt transmission.
Finally, I would like to thank the United Kingdom for its generous contribution of £200 million to the global response to COVID-19.
We greatly appreciate this demonstration of global solidarity.
In an editorial last week, development ministers from the UK, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden calling on all countries to join this common endeavour.
They said that tackling this disease together is our only option.
I couldn’t agree more. The way forward is solidarity: solidarity at the national level, and solidarity at the global level.
HIGHLANDERS FC supporters’ WhatsApp groups were awash with condolence messages for staunch Bosso supporter Lubelihle Maphosa, who succumbed to an asthma attack at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) on Sunday.
Popularly known as Luba, the 35-year-old rarely missed Highlanders’ matches and was a member of the club’s Team Away group that travelled for all Bosso’s games outside Bulawayo.
Bosso fans, saddened that they will not give their “heroine” a befitting send-off due to the Covid-19 lockdown, described Maphosa as a sociable character, whom they were going to miss.
Precious Mathema said her friendship with Maphosa grew beyond the group.
“I still can’t believe that when the season starts, she will no longer be part of the group. It’s sad how we lose young fans, who love the club and make sacrifices supporting the team. Whenever we’re asked to chip in and help the club with goodies for pre-season training, she was quick to contribute,” said Mathema.
“What hurts more is that we won’t be able to properly pay our last respects due to the lockdown. We will always cherish the good times we shared together. It’s painful that we’ve lost one of us, but we trust that her spirit will be with us when we support our beloved club.”
In his condolence message, Thulani Moyo said Maphosa was part of the founding members of the club’s Great Bulawayo Bosso Supporters Chapter.
The chapter encouraged fans to take up life membership cards instead of just supporting on match days. “We are saddened by the untimely death of our lovely sister kuBosso. She was so kind and understanding. It is so shocking to hear of the bad news. Anyway ,it is God’s will, we have to make do without her. As Team Away, we will miss Luba,” said another fan Shamiso Ncube. Prince Tshuma, a Highlanders life member described Maphosa as an “energetic, loving and sociable figure” with a gentle soul.
Thobekile Sibanda said: “I’ve known her for a short time, but the way she embraced me left a mark in my life. Highlanders brought us together and we became sisters. Isitsha esihle asidleli.”
Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe said their thoughts are with Maphosa’s family.
“Our deepest condolences to Maphosa’s family and her friends. It is never easy to lose a loved one and as Highlanders, our thoughts are with the family and friends during such difficult times,” said Mhlophe.-State media
MINISTER of State Security Owen Ncube has warned Members of Parliament and councillors against issuing travelling exemptions to people during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Speaking during a tour of the Gweru Provincial Hospital Isolation Centre on Saturday, Minister Ncube said only police and District Development Coordinators had the prerogative to issue such travelling exemptions.
He said security forces enforcing the lockdown will not recognise exemptions issued by MPs and councillors.
“I would want to warn our Members of Parliament and Councillors not to issue exemption letters for people to travel during the lockdown,” said Minister Ncube.
“This is tantamount to flouting the regulations thereof. I’m sorry to inform you that police will not be recognising these letters at all.
“Police and District Development Coordinators are the only ones that can issue out exemptions.
People have to be serious about this disease. This disease is real.
If you look and observe what is happening in other countries, they have more than 500, while some have more than 1 000 people dying every day.
“If we do not take it seriously, we might plunge into the same predicament. Let us all comply with the lockdown directive.”
Minister Ncube said Midlands was one of the provinces making significant strides in the preparations for the fight against Covid-19.-State media
Government has quarantined 287 people including 15 foreign nationals at various places across the country as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Covid-19 diseases.
The 287 include seven locals who returned from the US, 265 who were in Botswana and 15 suspected Ethiopian nationals.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana confirmed the development on his twitter handle.
“Government takes the risk of potential imported transmission seriously.
We have 7 returnees who arrived from the US including 6 cruise ship workers who are in compulsory quarantine at a lodge in Harare.
Those from Botswana are at Plumtree High and ZIPAM will be used for new arrivals,” Mr Mangwana said.-State media
A former prisoner who suffered a broken arm in an attack at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison has filed a police report that two officers assaulted him after he barged into a cell of a convicted popular businessman who was entertaining a woman while a second report states that it was fellow prisoners who hit him.
Tatenda Govere, who was recently freed under the Presidential Amnesty after serving four years in jail for housebreaking and theft, reported his case at Highlands Police Station under CR 52/10/18 accusing two prison officers of assault while a later report CR 62/10/18 accuses other prisoners.
Both reports have been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) who will decide on the way forward, said national police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“I can confirm that an assault report was made to the police against some prison officers but the case became complicated when another report was made, implicating fellow inmates as assailants,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Govere complained to High Court judge Justice Herbert Chitapi in March this year during the judge’s routine prison visit.
Govere, who was in 2015 jailed eight years for housebreaking, claims he entered the businessman’s cell intending to borrow a newspaper, only to find him enjoying the company of a woman.
He allegedly left the cell and continued with his daily chore of serving sadza to fellow prisoners.
Two prison officers, whom he believes were linked to the businessman grilled him, he said, demanding to know why he got into the cell without notice.
“Being a trusted prisoner at yellow stage (prisoners deemed to have reformed), on September 26, 2018, I was serving food at A Hall where the businessman was staying.
“Since I was in good books with the businessman, I left a bucket of Sadza on the floor and went into his cell to ask for the day’s newspaper.
“In the cell, I was surprised to see the businessman in the company of a woman and they were eating a cake. I quickly retreated and walked away without saying a word,” said Govere.
“A few hours later, the two prison officers (names supplied) called me and grilled me over the incident.
They quizzed on why I entered the cell without notice. I told them I wanted a newspaper but they turned violent and ordered me to lie on the ground.
“They took turns to assault me all over the body with a black baton until my left arm broke.
I also sustained injuries on my left leg after one of the officers tripped me to the ground as I tried to escape,” he said.-State media
Farai Dziva|MDC vice president, Tendai Biti has accused the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government of wasting money on “the useless Command Wheat Programme” instead of funding the fight against Coronavirus.
Biti told an online publication the regime was not concerned about the real matters affecting citizens.
“The regime which has wasted $2.7 billion on Command Wheat can’t build decent infrastructure for our people.
It is failing to provide PPE (personal protective equipment) to respondents and has so far failed to buy a single test kit.
The regime must wake up from its slumber, provide stimulus safety nets, test, track, isolate and treat people for coronavirus,” said Biti.
Farai Dziva|MDC vice president, Tendai Biti has accused the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government of wasting money on “the useless Command Wheat Programme” instead of funding the fight against Coronavirus.
Biti told an online publication the regime was not concerned about the real matters affecting citizens.
“The regime which has wasted $2.7 billion on Command Wheat can’t build decent infrastructure for our people.
It is failing to provide PPE (personal protective equipment) to respondents and has so far failed to buy a single test.
The regime must wake up from its slumber, provide stimulus safety nets, test, track, isolate and treat people for coronavirus,” said Biti.
English Premier League (EPL) officials are reported to be mulling plans to complete the season in a five-week period when football is played again.
All 20 teams are expected to play two matches per week over the space of 35 days. It is hoped that that teams will still use their own stadia, rather than neutral venues, even if all the matches will have to be behind closed doors. Premier League matches were suspended in March with 16 teams having nine games to play and four with 10 matches, due to COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Discussions are ongoing as to whether all the 92 Premier League games left to complete the 2019-20 season will be televised.
The FA Cup is yet to be completed and the games will have to be re-scheduled as well.-The Telegraph
Zimbabwe Republic Police officers last wee left a Harare man with a fractured hand when they assaulted him for defying the regulations of the 21-day national lockdown.
The 27-year-old Tendai Mtombeni who resides in Warren Park, Harare was left unconscious on Friday night and only regained consciousness on Saturday after being admitted to a local private medical facility with the help of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.
Mtombeni, a car washer, told NewsDay on Sunday that he was going to Warren Park shops to get change for his customer when he met more than 50 police officers in a truck who assaulted him.
He alleges that a female officer started assaulting him whilst he was explaining where he was going and her colleagues disembarked from the truck and joined in the assault.
He narrated: They took my Nokia mobile phone and the money and they went away with it.
I sustained injuries on my head, hand and all over my body. They left me unconscious and I don’t know how I got home.
ZADHR board secretary Norman Matara claims that a CT scan on Mtombeni revealed that he had fractured his left hand.
Meanwhile, police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi says that no report has been made over the matter.- NewsDay
Farai Dziva|A freelance journalist, Terence Sipuma was bashed by overzealous police details in Harare on Saturday.
According to MISA Zimbabwe, Sipuma was assaulted by members of the police force and soldiers in Harare as he was conducting his duties.
Sipuma was stopped by the security officers at the Kuwadzana roundabout while on his way to Chegutu to report on the country’s 21-day COVID-19 lockdown.
“They asked where I was going and the moment I showed them my journalism I.D. (accreditation) card, I was asked to lie down (on the ground) and was beaten being accused of exposing them.
They took my phone and as they were searching through the phone, they promised me that they were going to do more if I had videos or pictures of that operation,” Sipuma related his ordeal to MISA Zimbabwe.
MISA Zimbabwe has called on the police and the Zimbabwe Media Commission to urgently investigate cases involving continued harassment of journalists.
Farai Dziva|A freelance journalist, Terence Sipuma was bashed by overzealous police details in Harare on Saturday.
According to MISA Zimbabwe, Sipuma was assaulted by members of the police force and soldiers in Harare as he was conducting his duties.
Sipuma was stopped by the security officers at the Kuwadzana roundabout while on his way to Chegutu to report on the country’s 21-day COVID-19 lockdown.
“They asked where I was going and the moment I showed them my journalism I.D. (accreditation) card, I was asked to lie down (on the ground) and was beaten being accused of exposing them.
They took my phone and as they were searching through the phone, they promised me that they were going to do more if I had videos or pictures of that operation,” Sipuma related his ordeal to MISA Zimbabwe.
MISA Zimbabwe has called on the police and the Zimbabwe Media Commission to urgently investigate cases involving continued harassment of journalists.
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo woman has sensationally claimed she got married in three hours after administering “Prophet” Isaac Makomichi’ s “anointed love portion” herb.
Elizabeth Chirashanye (52) of Rujeko Suburb in Masvingo claimed after using the love portion herb, she miraculously got married to her lover, Everisto Maramba (53) who had dumped her for 15 years.
“My brother, I am a relieved woman. I had literally lost hope of ever getting married but I thought of trying out the anointed love portion herb.
A few minutes after administering the herb, I was surprised to see my phone ringing and when I answered it, my lover who had dumped me for 15 years said he was coming to see me.
I thought I was dreaming.Within an hour he came to my place and advised me that he wanted to pay lobola to my relatives.
To my surprise he paid lobola in less than three hours. I am now happily married,” claimed Chirashanye.
Asked for a comment, Makomichi said : I have managed to distribute 5000 love portions for free to women across the country since February.
I am also in the process of producing 10 000 anointed love portions.
Everything happens by the grace of God.God is restoring marriages through the anointed love portions. Those who need assistance can contact me on : 0777469342.Remember we distribute the anointed love portions for free,” said Makomichi.
Several women in the city of Masvingo who spoke to ZimEye.com described the ” anointed love portion” herb as very effective.
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo woman has sensationally claimed she got married in three hours after administering “Prophet” Isaac Makomichi’ s “anointed love portion” herb.
Elizabeth Chirashanye (52) of Rujeko Suburb in Masvingo claimed after using the love portion herb, she miraculously got married to her lover, Everisto Maramba (53) who had dumped her for 15 years.
“My brother, I am a relieved woman. I had literally lost hope of ever getting married but I thought of trying out the anointed love portion herb.
A few minutes after administering the herb, I was surprised to see my phone ringing and when I answered it, my lover who had dumped me for 15 years said he was coming to see me.
I thought I was dreaming.Within an hour he came to my place and advised me that he wanted to pay lobola to my relatives.
To my surprise he paid lobola in less than three hours. I am now happily married,” claimed Chirashanye.
Asked for a comment, Makomichi said : I have managed to distribute 5000 love portions for free to women across the country since February.
I am also in the process of producing 10 000 anointed love portions.
Everything happens by the grace of God.God is restoring marriages through the anointed love portions. Those who need assistance can contact me on : 0777469342.Remember we distribute the anointed love portions for free,” said Makomichi.
Several women in the city of Masvingo who spoke to ZimEye.com described the ” anointed love portion” herb as very effective.
12 Police officers and 3 Soldiers in South Africa have tested positive for COVID-19.
The cops tested positive for COVID-19 during regular SAPS testing processes and the cases were confirmed by the Police Commissioner who said:
We are looking after them. As and when that occurs, we then give them the necessary attention.
So the 12 that I was referring to, are part and parcel of our own testing processes that take place, While Surgeon General Lieutenant General Zola Dabula has confirmed that the South African National Defense Forces has 3 COVID-19 cases:
So far, from a total number of 184 suspected cases, 125 tests have been conducted. Of those, 105 came back negative and only 3 were positive. Another 15 are awaiting results with 3 appearing inconclusive.
The SAPS & SANDF are the ones who are working hard to ensure that South African lockdown restrictions are followed.-IOL
12 Police officers and 3 Soldiers in South Africa have tested positive for COVID-19.
The cops tested positive for COVID-19 during regular SAPS testing processes and the cases were confirmed by the Police Commissioner who said:
We are looking after them. As and when that occurs, we then give them the necessary attention.
So the 12 that I was referring to, are part and parcel of our own testing processes that take place, While Surgeon General Lieutenant General Zola Dabula has confirmed that the South African National Defense Forces has 3 COVID-19 cases:
So far, from a total number of 184 suspected cases, 125 tests have been conducted. Of those, 105 came back negative and only 3 were positive. Another 15 are awaiting results with 3 appearing inconclusive.
The SAPS & SANDF are the ones who are working hard to ensure that South African lockdown restrictions are followed.-IOL
By A Correspondent- The Ministry of Health and Child Care has announced that confirmed COVID-19 positive cases have risen to 17 after three Bulawayo residents were tested recently after exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
In its coronavirus (COVID-19) update: 13 April 2020, the Ministry of Health said 35 samples were tested today bringing the cumulative tests conducted to 604, of which 587 returned negative while 17 tested positive. Deaths from the disease are at three.
Below is the statement in part: Today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 35 samples, and all were negative for COVID-19. Additionally, the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo tested 6 samples and three were positive for COVID-19.
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe now has seventeen confirmed cases, including three deaths…
Case #15 is a 34-year-old female resident of Bulawayo. She has no recent history of travel or known contact with a confirmed case. She was referred for assessment by the local Rapid Response Team (RRT) after she was found to have a fever on routine screening. As part of our intensified surveillance, samples were collected for testing. She is stable, with mild disease and is self-isolating at home.
Case #16 is a 52-year-old female resident of Bulawayo, who was a direct contact of the late, case #11. She consulted with the local RRT presenting with a 3-day history of headache. The RRT visited her at home for assessment and collected samples for testing. She is stable, with mild disease and is self-isolating at home.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has announced that confirmed COVID-19 positive cases have risen to 17 after three Bulawayo residents were tested recently after exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
In its coronavirus (COVID-19) update: 13 April 2020, the Ministry of Health said 35 samples were tested today bringing the cumulative tests conducted to 604, of which 587 returned negative while 17 tested positive. Deaths from the disease are at three.
Below is the statement in part:
Today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 35 samples, and all were negative for COVID-19. Additionally, the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo tested 6 samples and three were positive for COVID-19.
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe now has seventeen confirmed cases, including three deaths…
Case #15 is a 34-year-old female resident of Bulawayo. She has no recent history of travel or known contact with a confirmed case. She was referred for assessment by the local Rapid Response Team (RRT) after she was found to have a fever on routine screening. As part of our intensified surveillance, samples were collected for testing. She is stable, with mild disease and is self-isolating at home.
Case #16 is a 52-year-old female resident of Bulawayo, who was a direct contact of the late, case #11. She consulted with the local RRT presenting with a 3-day history of headache. The RRT visited her at home for assessment and collected samples for testing. She is stable, with mild disease and is self-isolating at home.
Case #17 is a 29-year-old female resident of Bulawayo who stays in the same gated community where the late, case #11 stayed. She, however, denied any direct contact with the late. She consulted with the local RRT presenting with a history of cough and difficulty in breathing. Again, the RRT visited her at home for assessment and collected samples for testing. Currently, she is self-isolating at home, with moderate disease.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
CITE|Gwanda Residents Association has implored residents in the mineral-rich town to religiously adhere to prevention measures set by the government against the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19).
Zimbabwe is in its third week of a 21-day national lockdown which started on March 30.
The lockdown, which is also ongoing in other countries across the world, was a measure effected by the government to limit movement of people so as to curb the spread of the pandemic.
To date Zimbabwe has recorded 14 COVID19 cases and 3 deaths due to the virus.
Secretary-General of the Gwanda Residents Association, Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo, encouraged residents to practice social distancing and adhere to the lockdown regulations.
This comes at a time when there has been a rise in malaria cases in the district sending residents into panic, with some linking the outbreak to COVID-19.
Fuzwayo urged residents to play an active role in the fight against the pandemic.
“The world is currently locked in a very dire situation under the scourge of the coronavirus. Gwanda cannot by any reason be exempted from this. We are equally affected and have the same risk as the entire world. In this regard, we join our national and local apparatus to call on everyone to begin to take Coronavirus seriously and join the global fight to end its spread,” said Fuzwayo.
“May you diligently adhere to all the ongoing processes to fight against this disease. The national lockdown programme is not a punishment process neither is it a holiday season. It is time for all of us to focus and stand with the whole world in agreement to save the human race.”
Maduma said while the need to go outdoors for groceries or hospital visits may arise, the recommendation is that one person from the household be tasked and they exercise extreme caution.
He warned the residents to desist from circulating false information about the virus, stating that such conduct may result in one being thrown into prison.
“Government has set up specific and qualified structures to do all information dissemination and it is paramount that we all give the structures a chance to guide us correctly and accordingly,” he said.
“Statutes that specifically make the illegal circulation of such incorrect information have been gazetted by the state and it will be unpleasant to all of us if one of our own is found wanting in the regard.”
Some residents of Kadoma were Sunday severely assaulted by soldiers ahead of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tour of the town’s residential areas to assess compliance with the 21-day lockdown meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.
On Sunday, Mnangagwa, accompanied by the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, toured the towns of Norton, Chegutu, Kadoma and Kwekwe in what his office said was an assessment of how the people were complying with the government’s 21-day directive to stay at home.
However, in Kadoma, armed soldiers are reported to have assaulted scores of residents ahead of Mnangagwa’s visit to give the president an impression that the people were complying with the order.
Kadoma Central MP, Muchineripi Chinyaganya confirmed the incident.
“Soldiers here beat up people early in the morning. As early as 6 am they were in the streets beating anyone found outdoors as they wanted to make sure that the roads were empty before the president came. It would give a picture that people are complying with the lockdown,” he said.
Chinyaganya said most residents were on the streets early in the morning as they sought to buy basic commodities from their nearest shops.
According to the MP, citizens are allowed to leave their homes until 12 noon to purchase basic commodities.
“However, the army came in when people were going to fetch water from boreholes and others to buy foodstuffs from the local shops,” he said.
When Mnangagwa passed through, the majority of the residents were already indoors as they feared more reprisals from the army.
Meanwhile, in Amaveni, Kwekwe, Mnangagwa had to stop his winding motorcade after he came across a man who could not walk through disability.
After a brief chat with the man, Mnangagwa produced a wad of US$100 notes and handed them to him. The man, only identified as Dexter, also asked Mnangagwa for a wheelchair and the president promised to provide him with one.
The wheelchair was delivered a few hours later to Dexter by Mnangagwa’s aides.
Former MDC-T National Chairperson Morgen Komichi is a firm believer in spiritism, Deputy National Spokesperson of the MDC Luke Tamborinyoka has said.
In an emotive opinion piece published recently, Tamborinyoka said, “Komichi betrayed my mortal, human judgment. I always presumed him to be better than that, notwithstanding his unwavering faith in prophets and n’angas.”
The allegations against politicians turning to spiritualistS for help are not new in Zimbabwe. In 2018 Professor Jonathan Moyo accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of practicing dark arts.
Tamborinyoka added that Komichi had betrayed all the trust that was expected from him.
“For me, has always been a man of unstinting loyalty and principled service to the democratic struggle, the godfather of the party’s peaceful and non-violent democratic resistance campaign. Komichi is the man with whom I spent three months in the D-class section of a notorious prison after several days of brutal assaults and torture.
“That is why in the National Standing Committee meeting of 10 March 2020, the majority of us were prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. After what he has gone through in this struggle, it was always difficult to believe Komichi would fall for Zanu PF trinkets. Maybe they are right when they say every man has a price!” He said.
Police officers at a Tembisa police station, in Ekurhuleni, and Douglasdale, northern Joburg, mooted a work boycott yesterday as two of their colleagues tested positive for COVID-19 – prompting some to refuse to go to work while others worked from the police parking area.
Police union Popcru said an initial lack of protective gear might have rendered some officers susceptible to infection, arguing that officers were within their rights to demand to be tested to ensure the possible spread of the virus was contained.
According to national police commissioner Khehla Sitole, during a media briefing, at least nine law enforcement officers have tested positive for COVID-19 while on duty nationwide.
Unionists said if infected police stations were not attended to with speed, this could replicate the disaster that unfolded at the Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban, where more than 47 staff and doctors, and 15 patients, were infected.
“The problem here is that we are the ones who must enforce the lockdown instruction by the president, but we are also afraid of contaminating this in the course of arrests, searches and inspections of licenses and so on. If one gets infected out in the streets, all of us are at great risk. If we don’t work, the whole country is at risk,” said a police officer.
Yesterday, the Douglasdale police station was evacuated by medical personnel who disinfected the station after a police officer tested positive for COVID-19.
In Tembisa, officers are demanding that they be tested before going back to work as they fear they might have contracted the virus from a colleague who is now in self-isolation.
The warrant officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly took leave after he took ill for an unconfirmed ailment. However, upon visiting a doctor, he was diagnosed with the coronavirus, and was advised by the doctor to consider self-isolation.
Soon after his colleagues got wind of his status, they allegedly demanded to stay at home fearing they might have been infected. “All officers at the station are saying that they want to be tested first before going back to work. They are all scared and think they were also infected,” said one of the officers attached to the station.
National police spokeswoman Vish Naidoo confirmed a police officer at the station had tested positive for Covid-19 but said the officer contracted the virus while on leave. He said the officer had not been in contact with other officers at the station because at the time of the test, he had been at home for some time.
However, Naidoo said there were officers who wanted to exploit the situation by demanding that they be allowed to stay at home until they are tested.
“We have advised that those who might have had contact with the officer must self-isolate as per the precautionary measures on Covid-19. But there’s no report that shows that any of the officers at the station had contact with the officer,” he said.
Popcru spokesman Richard Mamabolo said the union had been informed of numerous members who had tested positive for Covid-19. He said the members had contracted the virus due to a shortage of personal protective equipment, the problem that he said has since been resolved.
“Those officers, who are at the frontline of fighting this pandemic have since been replaced,” he said.
“In respect of what happened at Tembisa police station, we urge the police to sanitise the stations while also testing officers to ensure that they don’t infect others,” said Mamabolo.
He said the officers were right to demand that they be tested before resuming their duties, but cautioned it should be done soon as it might lead the station to close. Mamabolo’s concerns were also shared by other officers who said that closing the station could lead to lawlessness in Tembisa.
In Douglasdale, police officers yesterday worked from the police station’s parking lot as they feared the building might have been contaminated with the coronavirus. They are also worried that the infected colleague might have possibly infected them as he had interacted with them before testing positive.
A cop, who did not want to be named, said they had abandoned the building for fear of infection. “But the medical personnel has just arrived and are now in the building to deal with the matter,” said the cop from the scene.
We urge police to sanitise stations while also testing officers to ensure they don’t infect others.
The spike of 145 since Saturday 11 April, brought the latest number of COVID-19 cases in South Africa to 2 173 on Easter Sunday.
The death toll climbed to 25 on Saturday when a 61-year-old Western Cape man with underlying health conditions passed away. His death took the the provincial death toll to seven in total.
The breakdown of confirmed cases according to province are:
Gauteng — 865; Western Cape — 587; KwaZulu Natal — 443; Free State — 96; Eastern Cape 88 Limpopo — 23; Mpumalanga — 21; North West — 19; Northern Cape — 16; and Unallocated — 15. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on 8 and 9 April conducted a mass screening of offenders and officials at the Medium C female section of the East London Correctional Centre after a warder tested positive for the virus on 8 April.
So far, 26 people — 23 officials and three inmates — at the facility has tested positive and a further 46 people are expected to undergo testing on Monday.
The Zimbabwe Congress Of Trade Unions(ZCTU) has called on the government to pay US$100 to vulnerable employees as one of measures to enhance social protection during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“Scenario 1a uses the food poverty line to benchmark the level of support required to cushion all employed persons (formal and informal), the majority of whom were earning below the poverty datum line. Scenario 1b also targets total employment (formal and informal), and uses the current gazetted minimum wage of $2 500 (US$100) as the basis for compensation,” ZCTU said in its latest COVID-19 response report.
“Instead of using the levels of employment, scenario 2a looks at the projected households in distress based on the estimated one million level that government has used in its social protection framework. Scenario 2b compensates the households in distress (one million) on the basis of the current gazetted minimum wage of US$100.”
ZCTU added: “These scenarios provide the lower and upper limits to the social protection floor, and therefore, the resources required to cushion employees from the effects of COVID-19 and the measures adopted to mitigate its impact (e.g, national lockdown)”.
According to the 2019 Labour Force and Child Labour Survey, the estimated number of currently employed persons is 2,9 million out of a population of 14,2 million. This is a huge drop from the 5 611 809 persons employed in Zimbabwe in 2017, showing a huge decrease in economic activity.
ZimStat defines employed persons as paid employment or self-employment. The ZCTU proposal for the government to pay a US$100 cushion would target 2 763 799, which makes up 95,4% of the employed population, which would cost US$276 379 900 or nearly $7 billion.
Or, ZCTU suggested, if the government wanted to aid households with a target of one million, it would need to set aside $2,78 billion or US$111,08 million to make cash payouts equivalent to US$111. Currently, government has set aside $600 million for one million vulnerable beneficiaries over the next three months, with each beneficiary expected to receive cash payouts of $200 or US$8.
“Given the rise in urban poverty and the fact that urban citizens pay for almost all services (rentals, water, electricity, etc) as compared to rural households, it may be prudent to remember this dimension as government seeks to mitigate the impact of Covid-19, including the lockdown,” ZCTU said.
“Additionally, the government should expedite addressing mealie-meal shortages in the suburbs in order to avoid long queues which can be a potential for the spread of COVID-19 infections. There have been unjustified price increases of basic commodities further deepening the suffering of citizens.”
ZCTU proposed that government needed to subsidise, or control prices of basic items such as mealie-meal, cooking oil, sugar, bread, soaps, LPG gas etc.
A pastor from Richmond, Virginia, has died on Easter Weekend from Coronavirus complications after proclaiming ‘god is larger than this dreaded virus.’
Bishop Gerald Glenn, the founder and Pastor of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church, passed away on Saturday, April 11, a statement from the Church confirmed. His mother Marcietia Glenn has also tested positive for the virus.
‘It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Bishop Gerald O. Glenn, the Founder and Pastor of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church on Saturday, April 11. at 9:00 p.m,’ the Church said.
‘Please be in prayer with us for Mother Marcietia Glenn, our first family and the NDEC church family. We ask that you respectfully allow our First Family to grieve in their own way.’
According to Glenn’s daughter, Mar-Gerie Crawley, he suffered from diverticulitis, a gastrointestinal disease that causes inflammation of the intestines, so it was not unusual for him to experience high fevers.
However, last Sunday he began struggling to breathe and so was admitted to a hospital.
After being put on a ventilator his breathing improved, but he tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after.
‘They did the COVID-19 test on him and we got it back that day and it was positive,’ Crawley said.
Bishop Glenn’s services were aired live on television, and just a few weeks before he was admitted to hospital, he told a congregation in a sermon on 22 March: ‘I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus.’
The day after the sermon, Virginia banned gatherings of 10 people or more, but officials had already begun encouraging people to practice social distancing before that point.
‘It becomes very real to you,’ Crawley said, who is now spreading the message that everyone should follow social distancing rules. ‘I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it’s not just about us, it’s about everyone around us.’
Own Correspondent|The ministry for health of Tanzania on Monday morning confirmed 14 new cases of coronavirus in the country.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 46. This is the highest number the country has ever recorded in a single day. So far Tanzania has recorded 3 death and 7 recoveries.
All the cases are Tanzanian nationals, 13 of of the cases are residents of Dar es salaam while 1 is from Arusha.
The ministry said all patients have already been put under treatment and contact tracing is ongoing.
The ministry emphasised on the need of the citizens to continue observing preventive measures especially keeping social distance and avoiding non essential travels.
With this first large number of new cases in a day, it might be an indication that Tanzania is yet to reach it’s peak in terms of infections and the president should consider putting in place tougher measures to prevent the number from escalating.
Yesterday while the rest of the world celebrated Easter in their homes, Tanzanians went to church as normal and this figure of new cases should be warning that worse is yet to come. Therefore more tougher measures should be put in place.
By Artwel Chingwara Sithole in Chipinge| As Zimbabwe enters the last stretch of the 21- day lock down order, it is already glaring that poverty levels are worsening with fear of hunger is overtaking the fear for the deadly virus.
The fact that we still have 14 cases with only three confirmed deaths, brings in a lot of fallacy and misconceptions.
My refections in this article are motivated by my position as an Information Officer for the Platform for Youth and Community Development Trust.If my views were to fail generalisation, it is because most of my observations were confined to Chipinge district.
Interventions by the Zimbabwean government and the Cabinet -Task force on Covid-19 to bail out vulnerable families, though knee-jeck, are welcome.The gesture brings the government closer to its people interms of narrowing the gap between the have’s and the have nots.The stimulus package of 200 rtgs approved per person is considered insufficient because prizes of basics in shops and supermarkets have since been increased by unscrupulous elements within the business sector.
According to the Intergrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP), the number of food insecure population has increased from 3.8 to 4.3 million.
Due to Covid -19 impact , the numbers may have increased to more than 6 million by now.
The jostling and stampede we are witnessing during ques in supermarkets and Wholesalers like Gain and NRichards to get subsidised mealie -meal is unprecedented.It has virtually become difficult for the public to comply with social and physical distance, even with the presence of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.Order is only temporarily restored where the military with armoury becomes involved.Zimbabean authorities need to take these stay -home or die attitudes seriously, if we need to continue with the committment to finish the remaining days of lock down and a possible extension with the same spirit.
We have also begun to observe that the public has started receiving food aid which had been temporarily shelved during the first days of the announced lock down. The general complaint by the public that is still to be resolved involve controversial lists for deserving beneficiaries in villages. Our community monitors under the banner of PYCD have already amicably handled complaints in which villagers who were being perceived to opposition members, were missing from registers while the politically correct appeared in more than one register.We have recorded some of these incidences and can confirm that staff and community monitors from Goal have resolved some of these anomalies.
Humanitarian organisations like GOAL and FACT are opening up to our teams and happy that we are successfully working with them to ensure that those who are deserving are not being left behind.
Platform for Youth and Community Development is working on a three week long strategy to help sharing accurate information about Covid -19, including observing and sharing our opinion and recommendations on how Zimbabwe can be part of the global world to fight the deadly virus.
An Oxfam report published before virtual meetings of Finance Ministers of the G20 group of leading developed and developing nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank said by the time the pandemic is over ,half of the world’s population of 7.8 billion people could be living in poverty . The research was conducted by King’s college London and Australian National university and confirmed that a 20 % drop in income as a result of a recession caused by COVID 19 would push an additional 548 million people below $5.50 a day – one of World Bank definition of poverty.
PERTH, Australia – Out of genuine concern for all Zimbabweans, we wish to share the following account of our father’s untimely death in the hope we might just save one life.
Our father Ian Hyslop, 79, was examined by his Bulawayo doctor on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 25, specifically as we felt he needed to see a doctor as he was suffering troubling flu symptoms. Thereafter, in the days leading up to his death on Saturday, April 4 – we believe he was examined by two local general practitioners with utter carelessness and ignorance.
We make this claim based on the fact the chairwoman and management of Qalisa Retirement Village where our father resided with his 77-year-old partner decided he would not be permitted to leave the village even if he wanted to have his own doctor attend to him from March 26. This illogical decision was implemented by the village’s management, simply because he was over 70 years of age in complete disregard of statutory instrument 83 of 2020 covering Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
Under subsection (2) (iv), the SI clearly states that “one can obtain medical assistance on his or her own behalf or on behalf of anyone to whom he or she is related or for whom the individual has a duty of care… provided that such assistance must be sought within a radius not exceeding five (5) kilometres from his or her home, unless it cannot be obtained within that radius, in which case he or she may obtain it from the nearest location to his or her home.”
Consequently, after receipt of this notice dad spent Tuesday, March 24, and most of Wednesday – despite feeling quite ill – stocking up on food, medicines and paying his bills under the firm belief, as he mentioned in his email, that he would have to stay at home and self-cure and hope to god to weather the storm.
My father communicated with me almost every day by email and occasionally by phone, as I am resident in Australia, and employed as an assistant in nursing in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Perth.
Due to misinformation and incorrect dates reported concerning dad’s diagnosis and confirmation he had been infected with the Covid-19 disease, we feel it is vitally important to provide the accurate information as follows:
Dad spent between March 14 and 16 at Ganda Lodge in Hwange, which is frequented by overseas tourists (Editor’s note: the ministry of health says there were no other guests at the lodge during the same period).
On March 21, dad was visited by a friend who was out from the United Kingdom.
On March 25, my sister who resides in Bulawayo booked an appointment for dad to see his doctor in the afternoon after informing us he was suffering from troublesome flu symptoms (cough, sore throat and a slight temperature).
Following his doctor’s appointment, he told my sister, Glenda, “the doctor checked him over and said he had a bit of bronchitis and his throat was okay”. He had been prescribed Ciprofloxacin (a bacterial antibiotic).
I found this account of his examination very worrying, especially with the imminent lockdown due to Covid-19 and his symptoms being typical of this disease. I would have expected this doctor to consider him as a possible Covid-19 case, and at the very least conduct a full blood count that would immediately give him an idea if the problem was bacterial or viral.
On March 27, I received two emails from dad. In the first one he was responding to my email, telling me he was “feeling okay, no fever or high temperature and the doctor cleared him as okay, so not much he could do. And must admit improving. Love Dad x.” About two hours late, another email, this time clearly worried about his worsening symptoms, and asking if the Covid-19 symptoms are the same as flu. “What symptoms are not flu-like? What symptoms would be life threatening? What was doctor looking for when he examined my throat? Sorry kid, have to understand (Old Fart). Hi to all, love Dad x.”
On March 28, a Saturday, he sent an email after reading that several celebrities had tested positive for Covid-19 and are staying at home, and asking me: “How do they test a person to prove they are positive? Nuisance Dad xx.” I replied explaining the procedure and he followed up with another email: “Now I understand, have not seen a swab in Zimbabwe, probably in government hospitals. Thanks Sharon xxx.”
On March 30 when the lockdown began, I was very worried having not heard from dad since Saturday, so I called him. He sounded very breathless and told me he feels he needs a nebuliser (a machine used to change liquid medication into a vapour that you can inhale through a facemask or mouthpiece). After a short chat, I was feeling very distressed over his varying symptoms and particularly his questions, so I called a friend who then spoke to the chairwoman at Qalisa Retirement Village to express my concerns. The chairwoman obviously did not take me seriously as I received a reply at about 5.15PM (11.15PM Perth time) telling me he was fine.
On March, a Tuesday, I received an email early morning from dad, subject: ‘Buggered.’ “Sorry about yesterday, stayed in bed all day. Tracksuit, heavy blanket to try and sweat this out, only looked at my cell 7PM. All the plan did was make me feel weaker! Going to try and see a woman doctor who lives in the village, an American Dr *********. You know Shaz, I have not had one injection; everything is bloody tabs. I think l have got a touch of pneumonia, where is the penicillin, nebuliser etc? I will let you know how it goes. Not allowed out of Qalisa to see doctor ******** or ********, crazy hey! Take care Dad xx.”
I forwarded my dad’s email to a friend, who in turn forwarded it to the chairwoman who took along the resident doctor to visit my dad. The response I got back was “he has a bronchiole infection and his temperature was down. He’s on an antibiotic and should recover back to normal in a few more days. His progress will be monitored by them every day and they will give me a daily update. They don’t feel you have anything to worry about at this stage.” This was followed up by another WhatsApp message stating, “Hi, Dr ***** and I went to see him … ‘How are you Ian?’ 100 percent he answers lol … Anyway, he has seen Dr ******, very pleased with her. She won’t comment to anyone about his health, but he told us she said he didn’t have pneumonia. He’s being very naughty. I suspect he wants attention.”
For obvious reasons, I am now more than anxious and distressed about him. I get another Whatsapp message, “Mmmm, this was not the Ian I saw yesterday. Ian had to call Dr ****** himself. The arrangement with Dr ******* is she sees him and liaises. He saw Dr ******* last week.”
Finally, I got an email same day, March 31, from dad informing me, “Doctor very pleasant, gave full check. Lungs and ears okay. Throat still infected, couple of pusy spots. Prescribed penicillin tabs, stronger than ciprofloxacin, hope that it’s done. Will let you know the name of tablets. Dad xxx.” I then followed up asking why change of medication, and he told me: “The doctor said I have throat infection, let’s change antibiotic. Blood taken to test for malaria!”
This answer was enough for me to realise the resident doctor my father had been placed in the care of, was evidently negligent and not following medical protocol at this stage specifically as my father had obviously not responded to initial treatment. But also, because she had still had not considered he was more likely a Covid-19 case!
Firstly, she should have ordered a full blood count to assess if infection was indeed bacterial or viral before changing antibiotic. She should also have immediately called a specialist physician to take over, given he had not responded to ciprofloxacin for more than five days.
Since then, I established that she prescribed augmentin, another bacterial antibiotic. Common side effects of this medication include nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhoea, stomach pain and white patches in your mouth or throat!
On April 1, dad sent me an email around 6AM Zimbabwe time with subject: Australia. “Hi Sharon, God do I wish I could be in Aus for the medical. Got the paracetamol. I am not improving, let’s hope the latest tabs work. Losing weight, no real appetite, tired and shagged out, starting to spend more time in bed. Promise trying hard but no strength. Keep safe dad xx.”
On April 2, a Thursday, I got the last email communication from my father. “Hi Sharon, Bed all day sweating it out. Hope it breaks this time. No malaria – blood test. Must admit the doctor is covering all bases, she is very thorough and visits every day. Sharon nobody is allowed to phone the Dr – medical ethics etc you know the story. Jackie is the Queen here. Will be in bed all day again tomorrow. Take care. Keep safe, I promise I will tell you when I am in real trouble. Love Dad xx.”
Later that evening, around 6PM, my sister Glenda is called by Mater Dei Hospital and informed that our father had been admitted and was in Room 15 on the First Floor. Obviously very upset to hear this, Glenda immediately called me to let me know. She was on her way to see dad.
I then called the Qalisa resident doctor to find out why dad had been admitted. She was extremely rude to me and would only tell me he had a chest infection and he was fine. She refused to provide any further information, despite the knowledge I was his daughter calling from Australia, saying it was a confidential matter. I asked how my dad got to Mater Dei, to which she bluntly told me: “In my car!” I again tried to ask a few other things and she told me emphatically that she didn’t have to disclose them to me, citing patient confidentiality. Later she sent me an SMS message stating: “Your sister should have the number of the doctor from Mater Dei who phoned her. Otherwise the referral doctor was a Dr ****** who is his GP.”
Glenda called me back sometime later to let me know she found dad struggling to breath, a bit hypoxic (confused), his blood pressure was low, and he had diarrhoea (a side effect of augmentin). I was not only beside myself with this news, but also livid that this resident doctor unacceptably removed our father from Qalisa Retirement Village at about 10AM to be admitted to Mater Dei without informing his “next of kin”, my sister in this instance, and then transported him in her personal vehicle as opposed to having him taken by ambulance.
On April 3, at about 10AM, Glenda found dad to be a bit worse. His doctor then called her and advised a specialist physician had been spoken to and would see him around lunch time. Later that afternoon, I called the specialist physician who was fabulous, informing me he was moving dad to ICU as he had pneumonia after reviewing X-rays, and was ordering full blood count tests.
On April 4, my sister as an immediate family member, was permitted to see dad in the ICU about 10AM. He had been placed in a fully glassed cubicle, but she was not permitted to enter. However, she was able to see him struggling with his breathing although on oxygen, and his saturation was poor.
I then called the specialist again to be informed dad’s kidneys appeared to be failing and he was also arranging for him to be tested for Covid-19 FINALLY (although he didn’t think the test would come back positive). He said he would be back at the hospital at about 4.30PM to assess dad further. Glenda was advised to come back at 5PM.
Sadly, dad passed away that late afternoon at approximately 5.20PM from cardiac arrest. We would not know he had the coronavirus until late on Monday, April 7 – apparently because the sample was collected before a weekend and there was no transport to take it to Harare, where all lab tests are carried out. He came to be known as ‘Patient 11′ – the second person to die from Covid-19 in Zimbabwe.
During the period when all this was unfolding, I was obviously very stressed hearing it from Perth, knowing I could not do much but ask the relevant people to assist as best they could. I was constantly told to stop panicking. I do not panic, working in an ICU here in Perth I am aware of upsetting circumstances and emergency protocols.
We know that the resident doctor did not wear any protective personal equipment (PPE) when she examined dad on more than one occasion prior to finally deciding to drive him to Mater Dei Hospital. Her claim that she always wore PPE in a WhatsApp message to some of the residents at the retirement village on the night of April 7 is a complete fabrication.
We know she visited dad with the chairwoman on the first occasion for a mere check-up without PPE, or on follow up visits still clearly not recognising he could be a Covid-19 case, insisting he just had chest infection, but more so deciding to test him for malaria!
I know resources in Zimbabwe are scarce, but good medical and nursing care is imperative. I also know people will say dad was 79 years old and had stents, but his friends will confirm he was a healthy fit and a very independent man who played bowls often.
As a family, we cannot understand how two doctors, if not three, fully aware the lockdown was due to Covid-19, did not once consider him to be a typical case and hospitalise him on March 25 or at least March 31 when he clearly needed to be. As a result, there is no other way of describing them but careless, ignorant and negligent medical practitioners. The chairwoman and management of Qalisa must also take responsibility for illegally preventing the old folk from leaving the complex to see their preferred practitioner if or when the need arose during the lockdown period.
It’s shameful. We have lost the love of our lives. He didn’t deserve to be subjected to these tragic circumstances.
Own Correspondent|Eswatini King Mswati III is in a critical condition in hospital with suspected Coronavirus, according to local media reports.
According to Swaziland News, high-profile royal sources told the online newspaper that the king was admitted to Manzini Royal Hospital in a critical condition and was struggling to breathe.
Lusendvo Fakudze, the governor of Ludzidzini Palace asked the nation to pray for the king when asked to confirm and clarify the matter on Thursday evening.
Senior members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force were seen maintaining high security at the hospital.
The governor said the king would not take part in a Good Friday service which was planned to be attended by a minimum number of people.
Mswati was put into isolation a few weeks ago after meeting a delegation from Taiwan that recently visited Eswatini to donate helicopters.
Two Taiwanese soldiers who formed part of that delegation were among 400 military personnel who were quarantined for coronavirus, Swaziland News reported, citing a Taiwan news report.
The soldiers were reportedly invited to dinner with the king where they shook hands one by one as they posed for photographs with him.
Twitter has blocked the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services twitter account that is being run from Munhumutapa Building in Harare.
The suspension of the government twitter handle was due to the violation of twitter rules.
Deputy Information minister Energy Mutodi put up a brave face and said that the Minister of Information had no role in managing the Ministry Twitter account, thereby exonerating himself and Minister Mutsvangwa from the mess.
“That’s administrative work, Ministers don’t interfere with the Perm sec role & deputies are ceremonial. That twitter account cannot represent the Ministry as a whole”, said Mutodi.
Following his electoral victory in July 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed wife of Christopher Mutsvangwa his Special Advisor, Monica Mutsvangwa, as Information Minister, Nick Mangwana as Permanent Secretary and Energy Mutodi as Deputy Minister.
However, sharp differences immediately emerged between Nick Mangwana and Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi over how the Ministry should operate.
Nick Mangwana reportedly solely manages the government twitter account with the help of two junior assistants.
South African Public works minister Patricia de Lille said on Monday that the army has been sent to the Beitbridge border fence after reports that it had been damaged.
With regard to the Beitbridge border fence which DPWI is erecting and criminal elements damaging the fence: I am investigating this matter. The contractor has increased security personnel. The Defence force has also deployed soldiers to patrol the border. pic.twitter.com/G5g6eEO4eI
A picture circulating on Monday morning showed the barbed wire fence had been cut through, with a gaping hole now clearly visible in the fence, which separates SA and Zimbabwe.
In a series of tweets, De Lille acknowledged that the fence had been damaged — and promised that action would be taken.
“With regard to the Beitbridge border fence which DPWI [department of public works and infrastructure] is erecting and criminal elements damaging the fence: I am investigating this matter. The contractor has increased security personnel. The Defence Force has also deployed soldiers to patrol the border,” she said.
She posted pictures with the tweet showing military vehicles and soldiers, including some on motorbikes, along the fence.
“This was a project by DPWI to secure the borders and repair and replace the fence which has been badly damaged. I have requested that the department of defence increase security measures as reinforcement to protect our borders especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For the Beitbridge border fence, we are also considering additional deterring methods such as surveillance, sensors and alarms,” she said.
Less than a month ago, on March 20, De Lille announced that a 40km border fence would be built, as part of measures to keep foreign nationals out of SA and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The fence would cost, all-in, just over R37m.
De Lille said the 1.8m-high fence would span 20km on each side of the border post separating SA from Zimbabwe.
As countries in the west continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now issued a red alert over the spread in Africa.
While Africa has recorded the lowest cases of infections and deaths since the outbreak, WHO however warns that COVID 19 is spreading at an alarming rate in rural areas of Africa.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, if the spread continues, the spate of cases and deaths he says, will be hard to control.
“We are now seeing clusters of cases and community spread in more than 16 countries… We anticipate severe hardship for already overstretched health systems, particularly in rural areas, which normally lack the resources of those in cities.” he said.
Ghebreyesus emphasized that African countries must do what it takes now to stop the spread further terming their health systems in the continent as ‘fragile’ and needing international support to boost them.
WHO has so far confirmed more than 14 000 cases of coronavirus and nearly 800 deaths in Africa.
These numbers are however low compared to recorded cases and deaths in Europe and the United States.
On a more positive note, Ghebreyesus announced a drop in new infections and deaths in some of the hardest-hit countries in Europe, among them Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
Countries across the globe have since imposed tight restrictions to help curb the spread of the virus.
Among the restrictions include; self-isolation, social distancing, regular washing of hands, observing basic hygiene, restricted movement in form of curfews and lockdowns.
This, according to Ghebreyesus, seems to be working in slowing the spread.
The WHO chief has also advised that before the above restrictions are lifted, countries must make sure transmission of the virus is controlled, medical services are available, outbreaks in special settings such as nursing homes are minimized, and importation risks are minimized.
Latest statistics put the number of coronavirus cases at more than 1.6 million, with deaths now topping 100,000.
A Chinese national was on Saturday deported from Malawi for refusing to be on self-quarantine for 14 days.
The Immigration Department in Mchinji sent back to Zambia the Chinese national identified as Jian Li.
The person arrived in Lusaka, Zambia from China on March 26, 2020.
He later proceeded to Mchinji, where he was intercepted by Immigration officers at Bua road block on Saturday April 12, 2020.
The Malawi News Agency reported that the Chinese national was traveling to Blantyre.
“Upon arrival at Mchinji border, he was ordered to be on self quarantine for another 14 days. The Chinese National defied the order and left the camp,” said Mchinji Immigration border post spokesperson, Madalitso Banda.
Authorities stopped the Chinese national from going to Blantyre and then deported him.
Banda added that the Immigration department in the district has suspended issuing of border passes to control movement of people.
Malawi has recorded 13 cases of the Covid-19 and two people have died in the country from the disease. Zambia has reegistered 43 cases and two deaths.
A worker checks the temperature of travellers at the border post with Kenya in Namanga, northern Tanzania, on March 16, 2020, on the day Tanzania confirmed the first case of the covid-19.
There are now more than over 14,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the continent, with a number of African countries imposing a range of prevention and containment measures against the spread of the pandemic.
According to the latest data by the John Hopkins University and Africa Center for Disease Control on Covid-19 in Africa the breakdown remains fluid as countries confirm cases as and when.
The whole of Africa has rising cases with only two countries holding out as of April 13.
Major African stats as of April 13 as of 5 am GMT:
Mnangagwa says social distancing is 1 metre apart, International community says it is 2 metres | WHO IS RIGHT: ED or INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY? @Jamwanda2@nickmangwana@DrNkuSibanda
(1) One coronavirus patient can infect 59,000 people – compared to 14 with flu, according to an expert, Dr Hugh Montgomery, who is a professor of intensive care medicine at University College London.
Dr Montgomery has warned on how ignoring social distancing can lead to a major rise in infection rates, saying a person can infect 59,000 people.
Chinese experts say a person infects 3,500 people.
Speaking to Channel 4’s Dispatches, he said: “Normal flu, if I get that, I’m going to infect on average, about 1.3, 1.4 people – if there was such a division.
“And if those 1.3, 1.4 people gave it to the next lot, that’s the second time it gets passed on.
“By the time that’s happened ten times, I’ve been responsible for about 14 cases of flu.
“This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes it to three.
“This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes it to three.
“Now that doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but if each of those three passes it to three, and that happens at ten layers, I have been responsible for infecting 59,000 people.”
He said while most people are going to feel a bit unwell, they will recover, but by not self-isolating themselves, they will spread it around.
He continued: “A few will get sick,at about day ten of their illness, so they will need to come to a hospital.
“When they’re in a hospital they will consume resources and time, and people will look after them quite rightly.”
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
“If you are irresponsible enough to think that you don’t mind if you get the flu, remember it’s not about you – it’s about everybody else.”
Intensive care specialist Professor Hugh Montgomery explains why this coronavirus is different from the ordinary flu. pic.twitter.com/h9sQorHQUv
Farai Dziva|Chippa United chairman Siviwe Mpengesi has revealed Norman Mapeza didn’t get a cent when he resigned as the head coach in March.
Mapeza was just four months into his two-year deal when he gave up his post under unclear circumstances.
But it’s believed he had grown frustrated with Mpengesi’s interferences in the affairs of the technical team.
In an interview, with IOL, the Chippa boss explained that they didn’t compensate the Zimbabwean gaffer when he left the club because he was not fired.
“Unlike (Norman) Mapeza for instance who resigned, he didn’t get anything, but when it comes to other coaches we have to settle (financially) whether for three months or even more than that.”
Chippa United has changed four coaches this season, and the team is now managed by Rhulani Mokwena who was loaned out by Orlando Pirates.
COMEDIENNE Madam Boss can not wait for her first appearance in Nollywood with her version of a Nigerian movie scene.
She recently announced that she had landed an acting role in a Nigerian movie, Chronicles of Malachi.
Directed by Henry Obidi, Madam Boss will have the opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of Ngozi Ezeonu, who is popular for her maternal roles in Nigerian movies. Sharing a skit featuring her husband, Madam Boss tagged Nigerians expressing her desire to join their film industry.
In a post directed at her followers the comedienne could not hide her joy at the opportunity.
“I’m so excited about my next project this year, in Nigeria the Chronicles of Malachi. I’m so excited to be working with the finest, Ngozi Ezeonu, and directed by the multiple award-winning director Henry Obidi. I can’t wait,” she said.
This also comes as another comedienne, Mai Titi, announced that she has attracted similar interest from the Nigerian film industry after sharing her skit during the current lockdown.
Madam Boss and Mai Titi will be joining student and model Caroline Chipwanyira, who is finding her footing in Nollywood.
Chipwanyira recently landed a role in a new movie, Something True, having played some minor roles in other productions.
Affectionately known as April Parry, Chipwanyira is studying theatre arts in Lagos at the Royal Arts Academy owned by the famous Nigerian screenwriter and film producer Emem Isong.
Farai Dziva|CAPS United have loaned out five players to Division One side Black Mambas ahead of the new season.
Valentine Musarurwa and Kudzi Nyamupfukudza lead an array of stars who failed to make it into Darlington Dodo’s squad. The list is completed by Clive Rupiya, Kelvin Ndebele, Tinashe Balakasi, Pride Zivengwa and Obey Muleya.
Balakasi and Muleya were among the 22 arrivals at the Green Machine in the pre-season and their club debut will be delayed. The other 20 all made it into the 30-man squad registered by Dodo.
United’s vice chairman Nhamo Tutisani confirmed the news to the Herald and also revealed about the existence of a deal with the Division One outfit.
“Yes, we have a deal with Black Mambas,” said Tutisani. “The deal will see the two clubs engage in different exchange programmes involving players and the technical staff.
“The players who Darlington Dodo would have excluded from his PSL register will be loaned to Black Mambas.
“The matter is, we need all the players we have at the moment but unfortunately only 25 plus the five development players will be registered with the PSL. The remainder will be loaned to Black Mambas. They could be recalled even in the mid-season transfer period.”
Thirty two Zimbabweans who arrived in the country today from the United Kingdom aboard an Ethiopian airlines flight have been taken to Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (ZIPAM) for a 21-day-quarantine.
The 32 who arrived this afternoon at Robert Mugabe International Airport were welcomed by officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Soon after their arrival, they were subjected to a thorough screening process, before they were whisked away in two ambulances and other vehicles from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The exercise to quarantine them is part of the measures by Government to reduce the spread of the deadly COVID-19 which has to date killed three people in Zimbabwe.
The United Kingdom is in the top three of countries which are most affected by the pandemic globally.
Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr’s 62-year-old mother is reportedly dating a 22-year-old man and the Paris St Germain man is said to have endorsed the relationship.
Toyboy Tiago Ramos, the man in question, who was a self-confessed huge of the former Barcelona man, is 6 years younger than him and 30 years younger than his mother Nadine Goncalves, in a story that has social media ablaze.- Soccer 24
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane has given the club’s former star Khama Billiat another pat on the back.
Mosimane is widely credited by many for the diminutive Zimbabwean’s exploits at Loftus before he joined Kaizer Chiefs and has of late made many compliments directed to the Aces Youth Academy graduate.
Responding to a question on Twitter last night, Mosimane told another user to go on YouTube and relive some magical moments from Billiat and his colleagues at their peak at Sundowns.
”Ha!Wena MJ! !P Tau,Sirino,T Zwane ,K Billiat.Go to YouTube type above names,sit back,buckle up watch.You will feel yellow blood flowing in your veins!Then will start coming to Loftus to Hear Makhadzi song Haka Mato… whilst watching. Value for Money,” wrote Mosimane.
Billiat has not had the best of times at Amakhosi, paving way for some to advice him to return to Masandawana, where his name will always be engraved in their folklore in light of his achievements there and Mosimane has, on more than one occasion, publicly told the Warriors star that he is welcome at the club.- Soccer 24
English Premier League (EPL) officials are reported to be mulling plans to complete the season in a five-week period when football is played again.
All 20 teams are expected to play two matches per week over the space of 35 days. It is hoped that that teams will still use their own stadia, rather than neutral venues, even if all the matches will have to be behind closed doors. Premier League matches were suspended in March with 16 teams having nine games to play and four with 10 matches, due to COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Discussions are ongoing as to whether all the 92 Premier League games left to complete the 2019-20 season will be televised.
The FA Cup is yet to be completed and the games will have to be re-scheduled as well.-The Telegraph
By A Correspondent| Bulawayo has receivewwd about 400 deportees from Botswana who have been moved from their previous quarantine centre, Plumtree High School to provide them with better living conditions and ease crowding.
The deportees, from across Zimbabwe started arriving in buses yesterday afternoon. Some were housed at Bulawayo Polytechnic while others are lodged at the United College of Education (UCE).
When the state media arrived at the quarantine sites, a total of 120 people had arrived at Bulawayo Polytechnic while about 100 were said to have arrived at UCE as more buses were still on their way with more deportees.
The deportees were carrying their few belongings, mostly in satchels.
Most of them complained that they left valuables that they were never given the chance to collect before being deported to Zimbabwe.
The news crew could not interview the deportees yesterday after health personnel said not all safety requirements had been put in place for interaction.
However, it was established that two people were sharing a room at the hostels.
Hillside Teachers’ College is expected to take in more deportees, but no deportees had been taken there yet.
8The deportees will spend nine days at their centres in Bulawayo after they had already spent six days under quarantine in Plumtree.
In a statement on his official Twitter handle, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services Mr Nick Mangwana said some deportees were being moved to Bulawayo where they will be housed at Government tertiary education colleges.-statemedia
By Jane Mlambo| Controversial comedienne Felistas Edwards better known as Mai Titi has torched storm in United Kingdom after mocking Zimbabweans in the diaspora of “kugeza chembere” to earn living while bragging of her riches back home.
Mai Titi is in the United Kingdom and is believed to be staying with a cousin. She recorded a video where she bragged that she does not need asylum as she is rich back home in Zimbabwe.
She also accused Diasporans in UK of surviving on caregiving jobs (kugeza chembere).
This was after someone accused her of lying about threats on her life back in Zimbabwe to seek asylum in the UK.
This did not go down well with Zimbabweans in the UK who hit back accusing Mai Titi of being insincere to the people who helped her to be where she is now.
“The issue about what Felly did hurts everyone. I am not getting any assistance from UK but I know indirectly I am benefiting including iye wacho. Most of us are self employed and those formally employed vane tuma business paside we all bank on each other’s income for our businesses to grow. She was angered by a few people and yet she insults every one in the UK, she is staying in someone’s house muUK but she generalised her insults. She has shows where the same people she insults are supposed to attend. Kwedu ndo type dziya dzatinoti kumuchato kana nhamo dzemumusha musavaudza haana hana. What is she teaching her kids. Ummmmm I have never been her fan but I felt for her when she was dumped by Zizoe but honestly speaking who needs a daughter in law like her. That is so sad,” said one lady commenting in one of the all women Faceboom groups.
Many other women had no kind words for Mai Titi and below are some of the comments;
“…mukanwa make uya Colgate yakatomutadza makuda Jik, ungatuke vanhu variku supporter kuti asvike paari imari dzevarikugeza chembere”
Others who commented on Nomathemba Primrose Ndebele’s Facebook page also laid into Mai Titi for insulting the same people who invited her to the United Kingdom.
“Nhamo ari kuiona kunani mu isolation? Was she not invited for shows by the same people she is dissing? Mwari ndiye anoziva mhinduro”
“Ini ndakageza chembere from the day I landed in Australia until I finished university. It’s flexible, you can work around it with University timetable. Pay yangu paid my fees and funded my very comfortable living. If an artist can utter such words then she should never go to the diaspora to perform because it’s those jobs that are paying the entry fees.”
Below is the video in which she insults Zimbabweans in UK
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.
Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks.
However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.
Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks.
However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
